Creature Creation
You are an archaeological illustrator, an artist who creates illustrations of prehistoric organisms based on scientific evidence. Your job is
to help scientists convey their findings to the non-scientific community. After a lifetime of discoveries, a famous paleontologist has found
fossil evidence that has made it possible for him to link the evolutionary progression of a specific organism from an aquatic environment
to a terrestrial one. The paleontologist has given you the tasks of creating an illustration of the aquatic organism, the organism that lives in
both an aquatic and terrestrial environment, and finally the organism as it would appear in the ancient terrestrial environment. After
creating the illustrations, you will be required to work closely with an author who is writing a new science textbook for seventh graders.
The two of you will write descriptions of the species you have illustrated, describing how it is adapted to each particular environment.
You will specifically focus on the similarities and differences of the physical characteristics evidenced in your drawings of the three
distinct fossils.
Procedure for discovering the first fossil (aquatic organism):
1. Take a white sheet of computer paper and fold it long ways down the middle.
2. Using a #2 pencil, write your name in large cursive script so that the bottom of all of your letters touches the crease in
the paper.
3. Unfold your paper.
4. Refold your paper so that your name is now on the “inside” of your fold.
5. Trace over your name, again using the pencil.
6. Unfold your paper so that it is in its original 8.5 x 11 shape.
7. Trace over the light impression of your name created when you traced in step # 5.
8. You now have the fossil of your organism.
9. You will now “flesh out” your organism. You will need to keep in mind that the first organism lived in an ancient,
shallow, warm water ocean. You will need to show all the ways your organism is adapted to that environment.
10. Write a description of your organism and its physical characteristics. Make sure that the description of the organism
includes information about the adaptations that enable it to now survive in the aquatic environment.
Repeat for Fossil #2 (transitional organism)
1. Follow all of the previous steps to “unearth” the fossil.
2. As you “flesh out” this fossil with your illustration, you will need to keep in mind that this fossil shows the “crossing
over” of your species from an aquatic environment to a terrestrial one. Therefore, it should include adaptations for both
environments. It should show some physical similarity to the previous species found. Include homologous or /vestigial
structures that link your organism to the two others.
3. Write a description of your organism and its physical characteristics. Make sure that the description of the organism
includes information about the adaptations that enable it to now survive in both environments.
Repeat for Fossil #3 (terrestrial organism):
1. Follow all the previous steps to “unearth” the fossil.
2. As you “flesh out” this fossil with your illustration, you will need to keep in mind that this fossil lives in a terrestrial
environment. It is a relative of the two previous species, so your illustration will need to show some physical similarities
of the previous two. Include homologous or vestigial structures that link your organism to the two others.
3. Write a description of your organism and its physical characteristics. Make sure that the description of the organism
includes information about the adaptations that enable it to now survive in the terrestrial environment.
Creature Creation
Archaeological
Illustration
Adaptation
Descriptions
Illustration
labeling
Terminology
Advanced Archaeological
Illustrator
Competent
Archeological Illustrator
All three organisms are fleshed
out to reflect organism
adaptations to environment.
Transitional organism includes
adaptations for both
environments.
All three organisms are
somewhat fleshed out to
reflect adaptations to
environment, some are in a
more complete state than
others.
Very little “fleshing out “of
organisms to reflect the
organisms adaptation to the
environment.
Fossils are created but
they are not fleshed
out to reflect the
organism adaptations
to the environment
Written descriptions of the
physical characteristics of all
three organisms include
information about the
adaptations that enable it to
survive in all three
environments.
Diagram contains written
descriptions of the physical
characteristics of all three
organisms, however not all
the descriptions include
information about the
adaptations that allow the
organisms to survive in their
environments.
Written descriptions of the
physical characteristics for
only one or two of the
organisms; or are incomplete
regarding information about
the adaptations that enable
organisms to survive.
Diagrams do not
contain written
descriptions of the
physical characteristics
of the organisms.
Characteristics and adaptations
are correctly labeled/identified
on all three illustrations.
Evidence for the evolutionary
relationship between the
organisms (homologous or
vestigial structures) is labeled
on the diagrams.
Characteristics and
adaptations are correctly
labeled/identified on some of
the illustrations. Evidence for
the evolutionary relationship
between the organisms
(homologous or vestigial
structures) is present in some
of the diagrams.
Uses some science
terminology through the
description
Very few characteristics and
adaptations are correctly
identified/labeled on some of
the illustrations. Evidence for
the evolutionary relationship
between the organisms
(homologous or vestigial
structures) is labeled.
None of the
characteristics or
adaptations are
correctly
labeled/identified on
all three illustrations.
Uses little science terminology
throughout the description
Uses no science
terminology
throughout the
description.
Uses accurate science
terminology throughout the
description
Intern Illustrator
Novice Illustrator