Fossils, adaptation and evolution

Where’s the Science in that?

1. Trilobite

Trilobites roamed the oceans for over 270 millions years and are known to have first lived about 520 million years ago.

What two adaptations helped trilobites stay safe on the ocean floor?

2. Starfish

Starfish began to appear during the Ordovician period, around 450 million years ago.

What adaptation helped these starfish find food?

3. Fish

This fish lived nearly 400 million years ago.

What adaptation gave this fish a new and better kind of mouth?

4. Seymouria

Seymouria lived around 280 million years ago during the Permian period and evolved from fishes.

What adaptation helped Seymouria go where fishes couldn’t?

5. Stegosaurus

Stegosaurus lived during the Jurassic period around 150 million years ago.

What adaptation helped Stegosaurus warn away predators?

6. Tyrannosaurus Rex

T-Rex lived around 65 million years ago and was among the last of the big dinosaurs.

What did T-Rex eat?

7. Pteranodon

Pteranodons lived around 80 million years ago.

What two adaptations helped Pteranodons catch fish out at sea?

8. Archaeopteryx

Archaeopteryx lived around 150 million years ago during the late Jurassic period and were about the same size as a Magpie.

What adaptation links Archaeopteryx to modern birds?

9. Mammoth

Several species of mammoth lived from about 400,000 years ago to just over 4,000 years ago.

What adaptation helped Mammoths defend themselves?

10. Homo ergaster

Homo ergaster lived from 1.8 to 1.3 million years ago in Africa.

What two adaptations helped Homo ergaster make and use simple tools?

11. Trilobite evolution

Scientists know of over 17,000 trilobite species that evolved over 250 million

years. Studying them has allowed scientists to learn more about how evolution

takes place and how complex structures like eyes developed over time.

12. Human evolution

Studying and comparing fossils like

homo ergaster helps us understand

more of how modern humans

evolved from a common ancestor

we share with chimpanzees.