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.