PALEONTOLOGY STUDY OF ANCIENT LIFE (Not humans) Smithsonian

PALEONTOLOGYPALEONTOLOGY

STUDY OF ANCIENT LIFE(Not humans)

SmithsonianSmithsonian

What is a fossil?What is a fossil?

Evidence of life preserved in rock

Age?

What becomes a fossil?What becomes a fossil?

Hard parts!– Shells, bones, teeth, wood

Buried quickly– Sea life– floods

Replaced by rock (petrified)– Atom by atom replacement RARE

Type of fossilsType of fossils

Cast- replacement of living organism Most common

Mold- imprint of organism

Resins- petrified sap (amber)

tar

may preserve actual critter

Cast and moldsCast and molds

Mold; castMold; cast

Cast or mold?Cast or mold?

ammonitesammonites

amberamber

Trace fossilsTrace fossils

Indirect evidence (not actual organism)– Tracks– Burrows– Coprolite– gastrolith

Where to look for fossils?Where to look for fossils?

Fine sediment

Time period?

Dino fossils in Wyoming

Making of a museum displayMaking of a museum display

Make latex mold out of actual fossil

Pour plaster into mold to replicate fossil

Paint it

Fake!Fake!

Dinosaur Bones to ModelDinosaur Bones to Model

Many bones are usually found together

Who’s bones are who’s?

Not entire dino is found

Fossil pileFossil pile

Brontosaurus storyBrontosaurus story

Lot of unknownsLot of unknowns

Color of skin? Didn’t drag tails! Muscle structure? Sounds?

Apatosaurus- goof by US postal Apatosaurus- goof by US postal serviceservice

Jurassic Park problemsJurassic Park problems

No blood inside amber insects ever found

No dino DNA ever found DNA deteriorates over

time- only partial most meals are extinct

too Most dinos portrayed

were Cretaceous

TT--REXREX SUE SUE

The most famous dinosaur ever!

First glimpse, with discoverer First glimpse, with discoverer Sue HendricksonSue Hendrickson

August, 1990August, 1990

All volunteers furiously dig All volunteers furiously dig Sue outSue out

The skull is found intactThe skull is found intactAug. 22, 1990Aug. 22, 1990

Every bone is incased in Every bone is incased in plasterplaster

Preparing the skull by the Preparing the skull by the Black Hills Institute, 1991Black Hills Institute, 1991

Finished SkullFinished Skull

TeethTeeth

Artist renditionArtist rendition

Other bones were found with Other bones were found with SueSue

Forearm; only two ever found Forearm; only two ever found from a T-Rexfrom a T-Rex

Sue’s wishboneSue’s wishbonefirst one ever found in a T-Rexfirst one ever found in a T-Rex

Bones are seizedBones are seizedMay14, 1992May14, 1992

On display at the Chicago On display at the Chicago Field MuseumField MuseumMay 17, 2000May 17, 2000

Only bones not found, seen in Only bones not found, seen in blackblack

Working paleontologist at the Working paleontologist at the McDonalds Lab in the Field McDonalds Lab in the Field

MuseumMuseum

Petrified ForestPetrified Forest

La Brea Tar pitsLa Brea Tar pits

MASTADONS &MASTADONS &MAMMOTHSMAMMOTHS

NOT RELATED TO THE DINOSAURS

MastodonsMastodons

Lived during Quaternary Period

Pleistocene Epoch Ice ages Lived in Michigan MI’s state fossil

Attracted to salt deposits

Lived along with humans

Over 259 found in MI

Found in Rush Twshp, MI 1944Found in Rush Twshp, MI 1944on display at U of Mon display at U of M

Found in 2001 near Flint, MIFound in 2001 near Flint, MI

Skull and teethSkull and teeth

Fossil classificationFossil classification

Kingdom -AnimaliaPhylum -ChordataClass-MammaliaOrder -PrimatesFamily-HominidaeGenus -HomoSpecies -Homo Sapiens

BOUDA’S RULE OF FUNKY BOUDA’S RULE OF FUNKY FOSSILSFOSSILS

As time progresses; organisms become more complex

ANDOrganisms are more diverse

Simplest?Complexest?

Funky fossil #1Funky fossil #1

Funky fossil #2Funky fossil #2

Funky fossils #3Funky fossils #3

Funky fossils #4Funky fossils #4

Funky fossils #4 cont.Funky fossils #4 cont.