Chapter 4, Lesson 1: FOSSILS NOTES
PALEONTOLOGY – The study of past life forms.
Paleontologists use fossils to study past life forms.
FOSSIL – The preserved remains or evidence of a living thing.
 Hard parts of an organism are preserved (bone, teeth).
 Soft parts decay or get eaten (muscle, skin, fur).
 Fossils are found in sedimentary rocks: not in igneous or metamorphic rocks.
How do fossils form?
1. Organism dies
2. Organism gets buried quickly
3. Sediments harden/preserve creature
What can fossils tell us?
 How life has changed over time: Parts of timeline are more complete because
some fossils were destroyed & others haven’t been found.
 Clues to past environments:
*Ice Cores.
*Tropical Plants = warm climate.
*Marine Fossils on Mountains.
*Ancient Coastlines.
What are index fossils?
Fossils of a creature that existed for a short period of time, the fossils are present in a
limited number of rock layers.
 To be an index fossil, a fossil must be found in rock layers all over the world.
What can they tell us?
If we determine the age of rock layers above and below a fossil, we know the time span
in which the organisms lived.
What is the most famous index fossil? –
TRILOBITES
Station #1
Describe a petrified wood fossil?
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What can we learn from a petrified wood fossil?
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How is this fossil formed?
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Provide examples of this fossil and/or where has it been found. You may use your
cellphones/classroom computer/textbook.
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Station #2
Make your own fossil using seashells and clay.
Describe a mold fossil?
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What can we learn from this mold fossil?
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How is this fossil mold formed?
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Provide examples of this fossil. You may use your cellphones/classroom
computer/textbook.
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Station #3
Make your own carbon film fossil using tracing paper, crayons, and a leaf.
Describe a carbon film fossil?
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What can we learn from a carbon film fossil?
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How is this fossil formed?
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Provide examples of this fossil. You may use your cellphones/classroom
computer/textbook.
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