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Modeling the Fossil Record
The fossil record provides clues about ancient life forms, how they have changed over time, and
what types of environments they lived in. In this activity, you will infer what fossils can tell you
about Earth’s past.Infer
Directions
1. Use the Internet to find out what a
geologic cross section looks like. On a piece of paper,
use the ruler and colored pencils to draw a geologic
cross section with at least four different layers of
rocks. Make your layers at least 4 cm thick.
2. Choose one of the following organisms and research
how it has changed over time: horse, elephant, shark,
or horseshoe crab. Your research should include
pictures of the organism during at least four different
times in Earth’s past. Sketch pictures of the organism on your
paper in the correct location of the geologic cross section using
colored pencils.
Materials
Internet access
blank sheet of paper
colored pencils
metric ruler
scissors
3. Make sure theoldest “fossil” is in the bottom layer of rock and the
youngest “fossil” is in the top layer of rock. Answer the following questions in complete
sentences.
Think It Over
Describe how your organism has evolved over time.
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Why did you put the youngest “fossil” in the top layer of the geologic section?
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What can you infer about the environment in which your organism lived?
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Name
Date
Number