Day 9

Question – Write short note on Palaeontology.

Explain Fossils with its type.

Answer_

Palaeontology

 “ Study of ancient life with help of fossils is called palaeontology ”

Fossils are

 the dead remains of plants & animals that lived in past in various geological layers.
 Fossils are formed in sedimentary rocks, amber (yellowish fossils resin), ice, peat
bogs etc.

Importance of fossils
 Fossils provides_ convincing, direct evidence of evolution.

Types of fossils
1. Actual remains
2. Moulds
3. Cast
4. Compressions

1_ Actual remains

 Most common type of fossils.

 Plants, animals and human bodies got embedded in permafrost of arctic or alpine snow
remain preserved in actual state,

Example_
 Wooly Mammoth in Siberia.
 Hardened resin contains preserved bodies of many insects & arthropods.
2_ Moulds

 hardened encasements formed in the outer parts of organic remains which later decayed
leaving cavities.
 Body parts of plants or animals later decays but the impression still remains and becomes
permanent.
 Example_
 prints are formed in this manner.

3_ Cast

 They are hardened pieces of mineral matter deposited in the cavities of moulds.

4_ Compressions

 Internal structure is absent but a thin carbon film indicates outline of external features