Fossil

FOSSIL : FOSSIL Fossil in latin means “having been dug up” Fossils are the remains of ancient animals and plants, the traces or impressions of living things from past geologic ages, or the traces of their activities. Fossils have been found on every continent on Earth, maybe even near where you live.

HOW ARE FOSSILS FORMED? : HOW ARE FOSSILS FORMED? Most fossils are excavated from sedimentary rock layers . Sedimentary rock is rock that has formed from sediment, like sand, mud, small pieces of rocks. Over long periods of time, these small pieces of debris are compressed (squeezed) as they are buried under more and more layers of sediment that piles up on top of it. Eventually, they are compressed into sedimentary rock. The layers that are farther down in the Earth are older than the top layers.

WHAT IS PALEONTOLOGY : WHAT IS PALEONTOLOGY Paleontology is the branch of biology that studies the forms of life that existed in former geologic periods, chiefly by studying fossils.

WHAT DO FOSSILS LOOK LIKE : WHAT DO FOSSILS LOOK LIKE Fossils have the same shape that the original item had, but their color, density, and texture vary widely. A fossil's color depends on what minerals formed it. Fossils are usually heavier than the original item since they are formed entirely of minerals

How fossils form : How fossils form Some animals were quickly buried after their death (by sinking in mud, being buried in a sand storm, etc.). Over time, more and more sediment covered the remains. The parts of the animals that didn't rot (usually the harder parts likes bones and teeth) were encased in the newly-formed sediment. In the right circumstances (no scavengers, quick burial, not much weathering), parts of the animal turned into fossils over time.

FOSSIL CATEGORIES : FOSSIL CATEGORIES Fossils can be divided into two categories, fossilized body parts (bones, claws, teeth, skin, embryos, etc and fossilized traces, which are footprints, nests, dung, toothmarks, etc.), that record the movements and behaviors of the dinosaurs.

TYPES OF FOSSILS : TYPES OF FOSSILS The four types of fossils are: mold fossils (a fossilized impression made in the substrate - a negative image of the organism) cast fossils (formed when a mold is filled in) trace fossils = ichnofossils (fossilized nests, burrows, footprints, etc.) true form fossils (fossils of the actual animal or animal part).

FOSSIL LOCATIONS WORLD WIDE : FOSSIL LOCATIONS WORLD WIDE North American fossil South American fossil African fossil Asian fossil Antartic fossil Australian fossil

Slide 9 : THANK YOU!