The purpose of this site is to educate those interested in fossils.
Contents
About Fossils
Precambrian Era
Paleozoic Era
Mesozoic Era
Cenozoic Era
Collecting & Identifying Fossils
About the Author
Links
What is a fossil?
Fossils are the remains or traces of past life on earth. They can be fossilized bones, shells or wood or other plant fossils, footprints, other impressions, insects in resin, burrows, coprolites (fossil feces), molds or casts, etc.
Fossilization
Most life forms decay after death and are not preserved as fossils.
How Fossils are exposed
Fossils can be exposed by wind and water erosion, road cuts, river beds, quarries, etc.
Paleontology
Paleontology is the scientific study of fossils.
“The history of paleontology traces the history of the effort to understand the history of life on Earth by studying the fossil record left behind by living organisms. Since it is concerned with understanding living organisms of the past paleontology can be considered to be a field of biology, but its historical development has been closely tied to geology and the effort to understand the history of the Earth itself.”
History of paleontology. (2014, June 16). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 23:31, June 20, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=History_of_paleontology&oldid=613159551
Geologic Time Scale
“The geologic time scale (GTS) is a system of chronological measurement that relates stratigraphy to time, and is used by geologists, paleontologists, and other earth scientists to describe the timing and relationships between events that have occurred throughout Earth's history.”
Geologic time scale. (2014, June 9). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 22:46, June 20, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Geologic_time_scale&oldid=612275179
Link to GSA Geologic Time Scale:
http://www.geosociety.org/science/timescale/timescl.pdf
Invertebrate fossils
Invertebrate fossils are the remains or traces of animals that lacked backbones. They were extremely abundant and diverse group of animals. Invertebrate fossils included corals, worms, molluscs, bryozoans, sponges, brachiopods, echinoderms, etc. Invertebrate fossils enable paleontologists to learn about evolution, extinction, biostratigraphy and much more.
See this webpage for a more complete taxonomy:
Taxonomy of commonly fossilised invertebrates. (2014, May 1). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 23:25, June 20, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Taxonomy_of_commonly_fossilised_invertebrates&oldid=606702195
Vertebrate fossils
Vertebrate fossils are the remains or traces of animals that had a backbone or spinal column. This includes fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.
Sedimentary rocks
Sedimentary rocks are layers of sediment or strata deposited on land and water. The three kinds of sedimentary rock are clastic (ex. sandstone, conglomerate, shale), chemical (ex. rock salt) and organic (ex. coal). The great majority of fossils are preserved in sedimentary rocks.
Fossil Record
The history of life is recorded in the fossil record through geologic time. The geologic time scale is divided into eras. The Precambrian, Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras all have a fossil record.
Fossils are the remains or traces of past life on earth. They can be fossilized bones, shells or wood or other plant fossils, footprints, other impressions, insects in resin, burrows, coprolites (fossil feces), molds or casts, etc.
Fossilization
Most life forms decay after death and are not preserved as fossils.
How Fossils are exposed
Fossils can be exposed by wind and water erosion, road cuts, river beds, quarries, etc.
Paleontology
Paleontology is the scientific study of fossils.
“The history of paleontology traces the history of the effort to understand the history of life on Earth by studying the fossil record left behind by living organisms. Since it is concerned with understanding living organisms of the past paleontology can be considered to be a field of biology, but its historical development has been closely tied to geology and the effort to understand the history of the Earth itself.”
History of paleontology. (2014, June 16). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 23:31, June 20, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=History_of_paleontology&oldid=613159551
Geologic Time Scale
“The geologic time scale (GTS) is a system of chronological measurement that relates stratigraphy to time, and is used by geologists, paleontologists, and other earth scientists to describe the timing and relationships between events that have occurred throughout Earth's history.”
Geologic time scale. (2014, June 9). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 22:46, June 20, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Geologic_time_scale&oldid=612275179
Link to GSA Geologic Time Scale:
http://www.geosociety.org/science/timescale/timescl.pdf
Invertebrate fossils
Invertebrate fossils are the remains or traces of animals that lacked backbones. They were extremely abundant and diverse group of animals. Invertebrate fossils included corals, worms, molluscs, bryozoans, sponges, brachiopods, echinoderms, etc. Invertebrate fossils enable paleontologists to learn about evolution, extinction, biostratigraphy and much more.
See this webpage for a more complete taxonomy:
Taxonomy of commonly fossilised invertebrates. (2014, May 1). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 23:25, June 20, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Taxonomy_of_commonly_fossilised_invertebrates&oldid=606702195
Vertebrate fossils
Vertebrate fossils are the remains or traces of animals that had a backbone or spinal column. This includes fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.
Sedimentary rocks
Sedimentary rocks are layers of sediment or strata deposited on land and water. The three kinds of sedimentary rock are clastic (ex. sandstone, conglomerate, shale), chemical (ex. rock salt) and organic (ex. coal). The great majority of fossils are preserved in sedimentary rocks.
Fossil Record
The history of life is recorded in the fossil record through geologic time. The geologic time scale is divided into eras. The Precambrian, Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras all have a fossil record.
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