Amanda Ackerman Key Points
Types
1.1
Fossils can be divided into two categories, fossilized body parts
and fossilized traces. Fossilized
body parts include bones, claws, teeth, skin, and eggs and even whole
organisms or animals. Fossilized
traces are footprints, nests, teethmarks and droppings or anything that
shows movement or behavior. Fossils can be remains of animals or plants. ¨
Standard(s): Science 2.1.3, 2.2.5 1.2
There are different ways that fossils
have been formed. Sometimes the organism leaves an impression in the mud
that hardens and sometimes a fossil can be the whole animal or plant. ¨
Standard(s): Science 2.1.3, 2.2.5 1.3
There are three types of rock that include sedimentary, igneous,
and metamorphic. The rock
that we are most interested in is sedimentary because fossils are most
commonly found buried and preserved in sedimentary rock. ¨
Standard(s): Science 2.1.1, 2.6.1, 2.6.2
1.4
Fossils tell us things about the past.
Dinosaur fossils are extremely valuable because they are one of the
only things left to study about dinosaurs.
It is really rare to find a whole dinosaur buried, usually just
parts or traces are found. Putting all the pieces or parts together is
like a puzzle and is very difficult because there are so many types of
dinosaurs. ¨
Standard(s): Science 2.1.1, 2.5.6, 2.6.2 1.5
Organisms can be classified as
invertebrates or vertebrates. An invertebrate is an organism without a
backbone like a worm. A vertebrate is an organism that has a backbone. ¨
Standard(s): Science 2.4.1
Formation
2.1
Fossils can be formed several ways. Most fossils are actually casts
or molds of animals or plants. One of the ways that a fossil can form is
if the animal dies and either stays on the ground or sinks to the ocean
floor. The body begins to
decay and is buried under layers of sediment such as mud or sand. These
layers become rock. The hard
parts of the animal are replaced with minerals and these minerals form the
fossil. Usually fossils show
hard parts of the animal or plants such as shell or bones. This is because
the soft parts are destroyed quickly after an organism dies.
¨
Standard(s): Science 2.1.1, 2.6.2 2.2
Mummification can occur in ice or amber.
Amber is a hardened form of tree sap.
Mummification means that a plant or animals (usually insects) are
trapped in either ice or amber. This is a unique way to find a whole
organism or plant preserved because it was trapped in either substance. ¨
Standard(s): Science 2.1.1, 2.1.6, 2.4.1 2.3
Fossils are rock colored because they are
rocks. A fossilized object is just a rocky model of an ancient object.
A fossil is composed of different materials then the original
object was. Fossils come in
many colors and are made of many different kinds of minerals depending on
what kind of rock is surrounding the fossil. ¨
Standard(s): Science 2.1.1, 2.3.3, 2.6.2 Location
3.1
A map has several parts that aid in using or reading a map. A
compass rose is used to help with directions of north, south, east, and
west. These are called cardinal directions. A map has a key or legend that
has symbols to identify the type of kind of place is on the map. Sometimes
these symbols are pictures. ¨
Standard(s):
Social Studies 2.1.2, 2.3.1-2.3.5 3.1a
Fossils are found in all parts of the world, from the United States
to Greenland to Antarctica. They
can be found by drilling in the ocean floor or even on top of the highest
mountains. Fossils found in
the ocean are known as marine fossils. ¨
Standard(s):
Social Studies 2.1.2, 2.3.1-2.3.5 3.1b
Fossils can be found in many places in Indiana.
For example, the Falls of the Ohio located in Clarksville on the
Ohio River. Also, Monroe
County has lots of fossils. ¨
Standard(s): Social Studies 2.1.2,
2.3.1-2.3.5 3.2
The best places to look for fossils are where fossils can come to
the surface or top. Such
places include old rock quarries, ploughed fields where rocks are near the
surface, road cuttings, and even the seaside. The seaside is an ideal
place because fossils will be falling out of cliffs as a result of the
waves hitting the cliffs. ¨
Standard(s): Science 2.1.1, 2.1.6, 2.6.1 3.3
There are fossils that can be found in Indiana.
Indiana has a lot of limestone, which is made of the remains of
countless marine animals or shells of tiny animals.
It is also made of a mineral called calcium that is used to make
bones and shells. Between 345-435 million years ago, much of Indiana was
under water. This helped form the limestone and is the reason why Indiana
is the world’s leading producer of limestone. Bedford and Salem are
known for having lots of limestone. Many buildings around Indiana and
across the United States are made of limestone, including the Pentagon in
Washington D.C. ¨
Standard(s):
Science 2.1.1, 2.3.3 3.4
Brachiopods are among the most common
fossils in Indiana rocks. They
resemble clams, but are a different type of marine animal with two shells.
They are asymmetrical from a side view (one shell is larger that
the other). Asymmetrical means that the shells are not identical or
exactly the same. ¨
Standard(s): Science 2.1.1, 2.1.6 3.5
Crinoids, which are only found in
Indiana, are similar to starfishes and sea urchins.
They lived in fast running or flowing shallow water and their
skeletons fell apart after they died.
Crinoids have a head and a stem that is either round or
star-shaped. Horn corals are
individual corals shaped like a small cow’s horn. ¨
Standard(s): Science 2.1.1, 2.1.6 3.6
Bryozoans are small, about the size of a
pinhole. However, they formed
colonies. Trace fossils tell about the activities of a variety of
soft-bodied animals like worms. These
animals had no hard parts to be fossilized and showed up as indentations
or markings in the rock. ¨
Standard(s): Science 2.1.1, 2.1.6 Paleontologists 4.1
Paleontology is the study of fossils.
Paleontologists study these fossils and attempt to use them to
study the history of the earth and living things.
Fossils can provide historical information on past climates and
which can be used to understand the future. ¨
Standard(s): Social Studies 2.4.2, 2.4.7,
2.5.1 4.2
Paleontology is one of the few fields of
science left in which amateurs can and frequently do make important
contributions. An amateur is
a person that is working for enjoyment or a hobby. Being a paleontologist
requires a strong sense of patience to keep visiting sites, keep good
notes, and familiarize
yourself with what is known about the fossils and the time period that is
being studied. ¨
Standard(s): Social Studies 2.4.2, 2.4.7,
2.5.1 4.3
People chose many different careers or
jobs. Every job is important.
Some people go to college to learn more about their career and
specialize in areas of interest like teachers, school nurses, police
officers, firefighters, and many others.
Some people are producers like farmers and some careers are to
serve others like dentists or trash removers. ¨
Standard(s): Social Studies 2.4.2, 2.4.7,
2.5.1, 2.5.5 4.3a
Most paleontologists go to college. Some work in museums while
others are digging trying to discover new fossils. Before a paleontologist
begins new digs or fieldwork, he or she studies the rock history or
geology of the region to determine if it is likely that fossils are
present. ¨
Standard(s): Social Studies 2.4.2, 2.4.7,
2.5.1 4.4
To record data, paleontologists draw
sketches and even take pictures. They
also take detailed notes about what they found, including where the fossil
was found. Usually each fossil is given an identifier, like a number, so
that the data recorded from the site can be related to individual fossils.
Paleontologists also record information about the rock type and the rock
layers around the fossil if the layers can be seen. ¨
Standard(s): Science 2.1.3, 2.2.5, 2.3.3,
2.6.2 4.5
Paleontologists classify or sort fossils
by comparing their shape, size, color, texture, and by checking to see if
it is similar to any other organisms.
This is very difficult and detailed work and they are constantly
looking for an easier and more effective way to classify fossils. ¨
Standard(s): Science 2.1.1, 2.1.3, 2.3.3 4.6
A paleontologist may need lots of
equipment depending on the job. The typical tools that a paleontologist
uses include: hammer, chisels, eye protection, hard hat, a notebook and
pen, hand lens, camera, collecting bags, maps, and a compass. ¨
Standard(s): Science 2.1.1, 2.1.2 Change
Over Time
5.1
The fossil record contains evidence of how life has changed and
evolved throughout the earth’s history. The fossil record also reveals
how individual species evolved over time. It is possible to study such
changes by comparing older fossils found lower in a sedimentary formation
with the younger fossils found higher in the formation. The study of these
sediments and geological time is known as stratigraphy.
¨
Standard(s): Science 2.4.1 and Social
Studies 2.3.4, 2.6.3 5.2
Timelines are a way to organize important dates or events. They are
a helpful tool or resource to use, especially if a large time span is
being studied. ¨
Standard(s):
Social Studies 2.1.5 5.2a
There are three distinct time periods that paleontologists study.
The Paleozoic Era was from 565-225 million years ago.
This early period is known as the age of invertebrates. Fossils
from this time are simple and usually microscopic or very small.
Jellyfish and worms appear in fossils from this time period as
well. Most organisms from this time lived in the water. ¨
Standard(s): Science 2.4.1 and Social
Studies 2.1.5 5.2b
The Mesozoic Era occurred between 225-65 million years ago. This
middle period is termed the age of the reptiles. Organisms began migrating
or moving onto land and vertebrates, which are organisms with a backbone,
became more common. This is when dinosaurs roamed the earth. After the
dinosaurs became extinct, mammals and flowering plants started to live in
the habitats or areas left by the dinosaurs. ¨
Standard(s): Science 2.4.1 and Social
Studies 2.1.5 5.2c
The Cenozoic Era is from 65 million years ago to the present.
It is known as the age of mammals and is the current time period. ¨
Standard(s): Science 2.4.1 and Social
Studies 2.1.5 5.3
Paleontologists can also gather
information about the climates of prehistoric times by studying fossils
and sediments. This field is
known as paleoclimatology. In
general, animal and plant life is more active in warm, humid climates and
less active in dry climates. ¨
Standard(s): Social Studies 2.3.1, 2.6.3
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