resource sheet geology identifying fossils · geology identifying fossils key for identification of...

Based on Davis and Eves (1988)

RESOURCE SHEET Geology Identifying fossils Key for Identification of Common Fossil Organisms

1 Displays radial or imperfect-radial symmetry go to 2

Displays bilateral symmetry in at least one plane go to 6

Displays no apparent symmetry go to 13

2 Tapering; cylindrical; cigar- or cone-shaped go to 3

Composed of segments or plates; may or may not taper go to 4

3 Smooth, cigar-shaped; radiating calcite needles in cross-section = MOLLUSCA (Cephalopods)

Poorly developed radial symmetry; tapering; irregular horn or cone-shape; several may grow together as

a colony = CNIDARIA (Corals)

Small (1-5mm); football-shaped = PROTISTA (Forams)

4 Tapering; stacked circular segments = MOLLUSCA (Cephalopods)

Non-tapering; stacked discs or plates; discs may have small protrusions; may have hole in centre of

discs = ECHINODERMATA (Crinoid Stems)

Composed of interlocking segments or plates go to 5

5 Rosebud-shaped = ECHINODERM (Blastoids)

Cup- or flower-shaped; cup may have many branching appendages (arms); may be attached to crinoid

stem = ECHINODERMATA (Crinoids)

6 Coiled forms, snail-like go to 7

Non-coiled forms go to 8

7 Coiled in plane of bilateral symmetry; may show internal walls or partitions = MOLLUSCA (Cephalopods)

Perfect to irregular coil perpendicular to plane of symmetry; may show internal walls or partitions; snail

like = MOLLUSCA (Gastropods)

8 Shell halves equal or nearly equal in shape and size go to 9

Shell halves unequal in size and shape go to 10

Circular- to heart-shaped; flattened disc or domed go to 10

Tapering, cone, tusk, or horn shaped go to 11

Body segmented into distinct head, thorax (body), and tail regions go to 12

Leaf- or fern-like; commonly found on bedding surfaces of mud/siltstones = LEAF FOSSIL

9 Plane of symmetry parallel to shell half = MOLLUSCA (Bivalves)

Plane of symmetry perpendicular to shell, as well as parallel to shell half = MOLLUSCA (Bivalves)

10 Shell halves unequal in size and shape; larger shell half often shows a prominent beak with strong ridge;

smaller half often has a prominent depression = BRACHIOPODA (Brachs)

Circular- to heart-shaped; flattened disc or domed; star pattern on upper surface; like a sand dollar

= ECHINODERMATA (Echinoids)

11 Cone- or horn-shaped (may be irregular); transverse walls or partitions (like spokes on a wheel)

= CNIDARIA (Corals)

Tusk-shaped; smooth or ribbed external surface; opening at both ends; no internal walls or partitions

= MOLLUSCA (Scaphapods)

12 Bug-like; divided into three body lobes; may have appendages; often only semi-circular head and tail

regions are preserved = ARTHROPODA (Trilobites)

Appendages often very distinct; resembles crab, shrimp, or crayfish = ARTHROPODA (Crustaceans)

13 May show coiling, but without internal transverse walls or partitions go to 14

Not coiled go to 15

Based on Davis and Eves (1988)

14 Coiled like a horn; low spired; opening of shell very large; ribbed surface (may be concentric); two mirror

image shells may be present = MOLLUSCA (Bivalves)

Tightly coiled; most are high spired; looks like a snail = MOLLUSCA (Gastropods)

Solid spiral ridge around a central axis; resembles a corkscrew = BRYOZOA (Ramose Bryozoa)

15 Resembles a narrow saw blade; straight or curved; may be joined like branching leaves go to 16

Irregular cone-shaped; longitudinal and radial walls or partitions go to 16

Composed of radiating mass of polygonal or circular tubes go to 16

Resembles a clam or oyster shell; shell not symmetrical go to 17

Cup-shaped; branching arms; flower-like; may have attached stem go to 17

Lace-like; usually thin sheets go to 17

Branching, twig-like go to 18

Resembles woody material; commonly replaced by quartz; wide variety of colours = PETRIFIED WOOD

16 Resembles a narrow saw blade; straight or curved; may be joined like branching leaves; commonly

appears as carbon film on flat surfaces of shales and slates = HEMICHORDATA (Graptolites)

Irregular cone-shaped; longitudinal and radial walls or partitions = CNIDARIA (Corals)

Composed of radiating mass of polygonal or circular tubes containing radial walls or partitions

= CNIDARIA (Colonial Corals)

17 Resembles a clam or oyster shell; shell not symmetrical = MOLLUSCA (Bivalves)

Cup-shaped; branching arms; flower-like; may have attached stem = ECHINODERMATA (Crinoids)

Lace-like; usually thin sheets = BRYOZOA (Fenestrae Bryozoa)

18 Covered with minute pores or openings = BRYOZOA (Ramose Bryozoa)

Evenly distributed 1-4mm openings or pores; radial partitions in openings = CNIDARIA (Corals)

Radial symmetry

Bilateral symmetry

No apparent symmetry

A Level GeologyWinstanley College For years 10 and 11

Introduction: our island in space

When you gaze out toward the horizon from a mountaintop the Earth seems endless, and before the modern era, many people thought it was. But toastronauts flying to the moon, the Earth looks like a small, shining globe – they can see half the planet from a single glance. From the astronauts’ perspective, we are all living on an island in space. Earth may not be endless, but it is a very special planet: its temperature and composition, unlike those of other planets in the Solar System, make it habitable.

The processes that have created and allowed life to flourish are all wrapped up in Geology. It is very easy to forget Geology but it is all around; it is our buildings and monuments, our landscapes and our home.

What will we be doing?

In this booklet we will look at:

• What is Geology?

• Fossil focus

• Climate change

• Careers

Activities are located throughout

What is geology?

What is geology?

Rocks & Minerals

Rocks & Minerals

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsIebVCr0zk

https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv=ZsIebVCr0zk

What is geology?

Past Life

https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/how-to-become-a-palaeontologist.html

https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/how-to-become-a-palaeontologist.html

What is geology?

Climate Change

What is geology?

Geohazards

https://www.geologieportal.ch/en/themes/geological-hazards.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M07a2_KiDLI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86ThCibkHQw

https://www.geologieportal.ch/en/themes/geological-hazards.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv=M07a2_KiDLI

https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv=86ThCibkHQw

What is geology?

Engineering

https://www.geolsoc.org.uk/Geology-Career-Pathways/Careers/Job-Sectors/Engineering-Geology-Sector

https://www.geolsoc.org.uk/Geology-Career-Pathways/Careers/Job-Sectors/Engineering-Geology-Sector

Fossil Focus

Here we will look at the classification of life and how we can interpret past life

What are fossils?

Fossil Focus

• Remains of once living organisms

• >10,000 years old

• Undergone the process of fossilisation

Fossil Focus

For hundreds of years before the 18th century, central and western Europeans had been digging up strange-looking bones along lakebeds and riverbanks. What made the spectacular skeleton of the marine reptile Mosasaurus important was that it was the first fossil to be positively identified (by the naturalist Georges Cuvier) as belonging to an extinct species. From this point on, scientists realized they were dealing with creatures that lived, and died, millions of years before humans had evenappeared on Earth. Mosasaurus was later used to suggest continental drift which later was integrated with other evidence towards plate tectonics…

https://www.thoughtco.com/mosasaurus-1091513

Fossil Focus

Baby Mammoth (40 Ka), Russian Arctic

Small lizard preserved in amber, Dominican Republic

Ant preserved in amber, Dominican Republic

Fossil Focus

Grypania spiralis ~1.3 Ga

Fossil bacteria

Early eukaryote?

Fossil Focus

Pikaia, an early chordate

Fossil Focus

A marine reptile (Ichthyosaur)- do you notice anything strange?

Fossil Focus

A marine reptile (Ichthyosaur) it is seemingly giving birth to life young,so not all reptiles laid eggs…

Fossil Focus

The oldest queue?

Fossil Focus: classification

Life is classified based primarily on anatomical features (this is called morphology)

• Over the next few slides you will describe and identify the group of fossil based on what you can observe

• the fossil identification guide to note the key features andidentify the fossil

• This helps to build important observation and recording skills

Fossil activity


Use the fossil identification

guide to note the key

features and identify the

fossil

Fossil 1





fossil

Fossil 2





fossil

Fossil 3





fossil (note the symmetry

between the valves)

Fossil 4





fossil

Fossil 5





fossil

Fossil 6





fossil

Fossil 7





fossil

Fossil 8

Fossil Focus: classificationHow did you get on?

FOSSIL 1: leafFOSSIL 2: Arthropoda (trilobite)- like a crabFOSSIL 3: Mollusca (gastropod)- a type of snailFOSSIL 4: Mollusca (bivalve)FOSSIL 5: Cnidaria (coral)FOSSIL 6: foraminiferaFOSSIL 7: Echinodermata (Echinoids) – sea urchinFOSSIL 8: petrified wood

Fossil Focus: mode of lifeHow fossils lived

We can also look at the features on fossils to identify

how they lived (we call this mode of life)

We will focus on the mode of life of the fossil group:

trilobites

Fossil Focus: mode of lifeHow fossils lived

DOMAIN EukaryaKINGDOM AnimaliaPHYLUM ArthropodaCLASS TrilobitaORDERFAMILYGENUSSPECIES

Trilobites are an extinct group of marine invertebrates and were similar to crabs

Segments

head

tail

eyeaxis

Fossil Focus: mode of life

Trilobites were very diverse having many different forms, with

different modes of life (more than 22,000 species are known)

Fossil Focus: mode of life

There are several different modes of life for trilobites. This is how we

describe mode of life

Benthonic= on or in the sea floor

Walking on sediment or burrowing

Pelagic= in the water column

Actively swimming or floating

HOW WOULD YOU

RECOGNISE THESE?

Fossil Focus: mode of lifeRecognising mode of life


Walking on sediment- lots of

segments, eyes on side of head,

may contain spines

Burrowing- typically no spines, very

big central region (axis), thin, eyes

small on side or head or on long

stalks, lots of segments, streamline


Actively swimming- eyes facing forward or

down, may contain spines, lots of segments

for swimming, thin, may contain gaps

between segments, large convex head

Floating- few segments, no eyes, head and

tail look very similar

Fossil Focus: mode of lifeFossil activity 2Identify the mode of life on the next slides, note down important

features


Walking on sediment or burrowing


Actively swimming or floating

Fossil Focus: mode of lifeFossil 1

Fossil Focus: mode of lifeHow did you get on?

FOSSIL 1: Benthonic, burrowerFOSSIL 2: Pelagic, active swimmerFOSSIL 3: Pelagic, floatingFOSSIL 4: Benthonic, walking on seafloorFOSSIL 5: Pelagic, active swimmerFOSSIL 6: Benthonic, burrower

Fossil Focus: ecosystems

Based on what you have done we can identify fossils in rocks, determine there mode of life. Some fossils also can tell us the environment to which they lived.

All of these can be used to show fossil assemblages though time and how they respond to changing conditions, such as climate change

Climate Change

Today, climate change represents a great challenge. In the past climate has changed many times resulting in warming or cooling.

Rapid climate change can result in significant changes in the biosphere, sometimes triggering Mass Extinctions

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOLbE8frMrM

Around 650 millionyears ago the whole Earth was encased in ice: this is called SNOWBALL EARTH

Watch the video below and note the following• Evidence for it• What caused it• How did the climate warm

ending Snowball Earth• Effects on life

https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv=YOLbE8frMrM

CareersThere are many career options open to you in geology including:

• Engineering• Energy• Climatology• Hydrology• Earth and planetary scientist• Hazards and risk management• Environmental scienceOther careers that geology strongly compliments includes: physical geography, archaeology & ancient history, anthropology, evolutionary biology, marine biology

https://www.geolsoc.org.uk/careersTry out the Geological Society's career pathway:

https://www.geolsoc.org.uk/careers

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