• Give us insight on Earths history

• Clues on how life/environment changed

• Evolution

​Why are fossils important?

• Preserved remains or traces from organisms in the past

• Can be bones, shells, teeth, footprints, and impressions

• Latin word "fossilis" or unearthed

​What are fossils?

• Study of fossils is paleontology

• Paleontologist

  • Invertebrate paleontology: mollusks

  • Vertebrate paleontology: primitive fish - mammals

  • Human paleontology: prehistoric humans

​Who studies fossils?

• Organism dies, gets buried, eventually hardens into rock

• Organic material from an organisms body is replaced by minerals leaving a rock like copy

​Fossil formation

• Commonly found in sedimentary rock

  • formed by layers of sediment (mud or sand) accumulate over time

• Areas where sedimentary rock is exposed

  • cliffs and hillsides

  • quarries and road cuttings

​Fossil locations

• Dinosaur Train Fossil Finder

  • Dig and collect fossils and minerals

  • Collecting mineral repairs your drill

  • Harden dirt contains fossil takes long to dig through

  • Troglobites will give clues to where the fossils are

https://pbskids.org/dinosaurtrain/games/fossilfinder.html
https://youtu.be/HRvtdy4lmrQ?si=X3ZkgF_Ir3b97--6

​Activity!!

​Questions??