The Environment of a Fossil

Activity 1

Match rock type with environment

Investigating evidence of past ecosystems is part of the specialized field called "paleoecology." The sediment beneath the land, sea or lake ecosystem may preserve fossils either from the immediate area or transported some distance by currents. Not every ecosystem is preserved where it was found. Sometimes the evidence is scant, like a jigsaw puzzle with most of the pieces missing. The fossils and rock - combined - allow paleontologists to interpret conditions and life in the distant past.

Ecosystem                                                           Rock Type

1.) Desert                                                         A. Limestone                     

2.) Tropical beach                                            B. Sandstone       

3.) Bayou or swamp                                         C. Siltstone

4.) Forest                                                          D. Shale

5.) Coral reef                                                    E. Coal or carbon-rich shale

6.) River delta                                                   F. Fine volcanic ash

7.) Prairie or Savannah

8.) Open ocean

9.) Volcanic Mountains

10.) Lake                                                         

Activity 2

Locate (or have students draw) pictures of the following ecosystems

Students should be familiar with sedimentary rocks and how they are formed.

1.) Desert (with dunes)

2.) Tropical beach (with palm trees)

3.) Bayou or swamp (with trees hanging over the water)

4.) Forest (any will do)

5.) Coral reef

6.) River delta (an aerial photo is okay)

7.) Prairie or Savannah (grass or scrub)

8.) Open ocean

9.) Mountain range

10.) Lake

11.) River bed

Have students rate each ecosystem by its potential for preserving fossils.

G = Good, NG = Not so good, P = Poor

Students should discuss why it is difficult for fossils to be preserved in the various ecosystems.

Activity 3

Natural Disasters in the Fossil Record

Natural disasters have the ability to bury living organisms quickly. If they aren’t exposed by erosion within a few thousand years, there is a good possibility that organisms will be preserved in hardened sediment.

Consider the following natural disasters and their effect on life:

1.) Flash flood

2.) Pyroclastic flow from a volcano

3.) Ash fall from a volcano

4.) Forest fire

5.) Earthquake

6.) Tsunami

7.) Hurricane

8.) Sand storm

9.) Breached ice dam

10.) Avalanche of rock

11.) Undersea mudflow

12.) Large meteorite impact

3-A.) Distinguish each disaster: Which are typically large scale (covering hundreds of square miles) and which would most likely be of a small scale (only a couple of square miles)?

3-B.) What evidence might be preserved for each disaster?

Answers to these activities

Created Nov. 9, 2011