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Indexfoss 8 Ls
Indexfoss 8 Ls
Unconformities- breaks
in geologic time where
rock layers erode away
or when sediment isn’t
deposited
Paleontology
The study of fossils.
Fossils: remains of plants
and animals that lived in a previous
geologic time
Organisms have changed throughout the
geologic past.
Fossils provide the clues behind
environmental changes of the past.
What kinds of rocks are fossils found in?
Fossilization
Organisms with hard
parts are typically
preserved.
Those without hard parts
are fossilized by quick
burial.
How are fossils formed?
Mummification
Amber
Tar seeps
Freezing
Petrification
Mummification
Drying of organisms; found in deserts.
Amber
Hardened tree sap, insects get
stuck in sap and sap hardens
La Brea Tar Pits
•Thick petroleum
•Animals get stuck in tar
and it preserves them
Animals preserved because bacteria
Freezing cannot survive in cold climate to
decay the bodies
When organic material is
Petrification replaced with minerals
Types of fossils
Trace Fossils
-Evidence that
an animal existed.
Ex. footprints
Types of Fossils continued…
Molds: animal
remains dissolve
away, but the shape
of the animal
remains.
Jurassic Period:
Dinosaurs ruled the
Earth
Cenozoic: Age of Mammals
• Eras are divided into shorter time
units called Periods.
• Each period is characterized by
specific fossils and is named for
the location they were discovered.
• Epochs-when the fossil record is so
complete we can keep dividing
periods into epochs.
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