What can be found inside a Rock?
2.14) The Different Types of Fossils
The story of the life on Earth is told through its fossils. A Fossil is evidence of past life found in a rock - usually sedimentary rocks. There are many different types of fossils such as;
a) parts of an animal or even the complete animal perserved in amber (sap), ice, tar pits
b) bones, teeth, shell or skeletal remains
c) a mould of the animal - this means the impression of the animal in the rock
d) a cast of the animal - this means the mould is filled with material to give the appearance of the animal
e) a trace of the animal - this means footprints, burrows etc
f) a pertified replica - this means the part of the animal is replaced by minerals such as quartz or limestone
g) a carbonised image of the animal - this mainly happens with plants and is when the plant decomposed to leave behind only carbon compounds
The story of the life on Earth is told through its fossils. A Fossil is evidence of past life found in a rock - usually sedimentary rocks. There are many different types of fossils such as;
a) parts of an animal or even the complete animal perserved in amber (sap), ice, tar pits
b) bones, teeth, shell or skeletal remains
c) a mould of the animal - this means the impression of the animal in the rock
d) a cast of the animal - this means the mould is filled with material to give the appearance of the animal
e) a trace of the animal - this means footprints, burrows etc
f) a pertified replica - this means the part of the animal is replaced by minerals such as quartz or limestone
g) a carbonised image of the animal - this mainly happens with plants and is when the plant decomposed to leave behind only carbon compounds
2.15) How are Fossils formed?
A) Read the information provided and then draw a series of fully labelled diagrams to explain how fossils are formed |
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B) Superposition and Fossils
Watch this video to understand about the law of superposition and how this can be used to determine the age of fossils. The law of superposition states that each rock layer is older than the layer above it. Scientists can also use the principle of correlation to determine the relative age of fossils. Scientists cut through different locations in a particular place that they are interested in. They draw diagrams of the different layers of rocks and the fossils found in each location. These diagrams are called a rock columns. They then match rock columns from the different locations to determine the relative age of the fossils. Use these concepts to answer the questions below. |
C) Construct a Fossil
In this FUN activity, your group is going to be given a set of bones that you need to arrange into a DINOSAUR!!! There is no correct answer however you need to be logical about how the bones are placed together to form your dinosaur. You can then glue your dinosaur bones onto the cardboard provided. Once you have created your dinosaur then draw an image of what your group thinks that dinosaur would look like and stick that on the cardboard. Have fun and be creative. Finally write the answers to the following questions in your exercise book:
1) Where do you think this dinosaur lived on land, ocean, lake, air? 2) What do you think this dinosaur would have eaten? 3) Give your dinosaur a name |
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Additional Resource - Dinosaurs: The Hunt for Life
Click on the link in the title above to watch an amazing video that shows how fossils can be used to look for dinosaur DNA |