Paleontology Definition:
What is a Fossil?
5 phases of Fossilization:
Conditions Required for Fossilization:
Types of Preservation:
What do Fossils tell us?
Fossils
(1.3 & 2.1)
Principles of Uniformitarianism:
Principal of Superposition:
Catastrophism:
Fossil Succession:
Unconformity:
Index Fossil:
Relative time:
Absolute time:
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T
H
E
SC
IEN
C
E
O
F
P
A
L
EO
N
T
O
L
O
G
Y
1
P
A
L
EO
N
T
O
L
O
G
Y
-
th
e
stu
d
y
o
f
th
e
h
is
to
ry
o
f
life
a
s
re
fl
ec
te
d
in
th
e
fo
ss
il
re
co
rd
2
Pa
le
o
b
o
ta
n
y
V
er
te
b
ra
te
Pa
le
o
n
to
lo
g
y
In
ve
rte
b
ra
te
Pa
le
o
n
to
lo
g
y
Mi
cr
o
p
al
eo
n
to
lo
g
y
3
F
O
SSI
L
-
re
m
ai
n
s
o
r
tr
ac
es
o
f
o
rg
an
is
m
s
th
at
liv
ed
in
th
e
G
eo
lo
g
ic
p
as
t
an
d
a
re
p
re
se
rv
ed
in
th
e
cr
u
st
o
f
th
e
Ea
rth
.
It
s
no
t
ea
sy
t
o
becom
e
a
fossi
l!
•
V
ery
fe
w
in
di
vi
du
al
o
rg
an
isms
are
p
re
se
rve
d
ou
t o
f t
he
b
ill
io
ns
th
at
h
ave
li
ve
d
th
ro
ug
ho
ut
g
eo
lo
gi
c
time
!!
•
U
su
al
ly
, i
ts
ju
st
th
e
ha
rd
p
art
s
of
o
rg
an
isms
th
at
a
re
p
re
se
rve
d.
W
ha
t o
rg
an
ism
le
ft
fo
ssi
l
behind?
•
It
s
ca
lle
d
an
a
mmo
ni
te
–
a
ce
ph
al
op
od
re
la
te
d
to
mo
de
rn
-d
ay
sq
ui
d
•
It
is
at
le
ast
6
5
mi
lli
on
ye
ars
ol
d.
5
Li
vi
ng
R
el
at
ive
s
of
Ammo
ni
te
s
Evo
lu
tio
n
of
Cephalopods
6
W
ha
t o
rg
an
ism
le
ft
th
ese
fo
ssi
ls
behind?
•
T
he
se
a
re
sh
arks
te
et
h
7
F
iv
e
p
h
as
es
o
f
fo
ss
ili
za
ti
o
n
:
Death
D
ep
osi
tio
n
Pre
se
rva
tio
n
Ero
si
on
U
pl
ift
/Exp
osu
re
1)
Pr
es
er
va
ti
o
n
o
f
U
n
al
te
re
d
R
em
ai
n
s
A
m
b
er
En
to
m
b
m
en
t
Ta
r
Im
p
re
g
n
ati
o
n
O
ri
g
in
al
Sk
el
eta
l Ma
te
ri
al
R
efr
ig
er
ati
o
n
Mu
m
m
ifi
ca
ti
o
n
Ty
p
es
o
f
Pr
es
er
va
ti
o
n
9
2)
Pr
es
er
va
ti
o
n
o
f
A
lte
re
d
R
em
ai
n
s
C
arb
on
iza
tio
n
Mi
ne
ra
liza
tio
n
T
ra
ce
F
ossi
ls
(I
ch
no
lo
gy)
Mo
ld
a
nd
C
ast
10
W
h
at
D
o
F
o
ss
ils
T
el
l U
s?
M
ode
rn
P
al
eoz
oi
c
Ma
ss
Ex
ti
n
cti
o
n
s
C
o
m
m
u
n
ity
Str
u
ctu
re
Ev
o
lu
ti
o
n
ar
y
R
el
ati
o
n
sh
ip
s
B
io
d
iv
er
si
ty
th
ro
u
g
h
T
im
e
11
Pa
le
o
g
eo
g
ra
p
h
y
Pa
le
o
cl
im
ato
lo
g
y
Pr
in
ci
p
le
o
f
U
n
ifo
rm
ita
ri
an
is
m
•
The same laws and
p
ro
ce
ss
es
o
p
er
ati
n
g
o
n
Ea
rth
th
ro
u
g
h
o
u
t
g
eo
lo
g
ic
ti
m
e
ar
e
th
e
sa
m
e
la
w
s
an
d
p
ro
ce
ss
es
o
p
er
ati
n
g
to
d
ay
.
Vo
lc
an
is
m
Er
o
si
o
n
W
ea
th
er
/C
lim
ate
D
ep
o
si
ti
o
n
Mo
u
n
ta
in
b
u
ild
in
g
Ea
rth
q
u
ak
es
13
L
aw
o
f
S
u
p
e
rp
o
si
ti
o
n
Y
ou
ng
er
la
ye
rs
of
ro
ck
are
de
po
si
te
d
on
to
p
of
o
ld
er
la
ye
rs
of
ro
ck.
14
15
Zion Canyon, UT
Y
ou
ng
er
R
ock
La
ye
rs
O
ld
er
R
ock
La
ye
rs
16
17
A B C D
W
hi
ch
la
ye
r
is
a)
O
ld
est
?
b)
Y
ou
ng
est
?
18
L
aw
o
f
O
ri
g
in
al
H
o
ri
zo
n
tal
it
y
•
Se
di
me
nt
ary
ro
cks
are
o
rig
in
al
ly
de
po
si
te
d
in
h
ori
zo
nt
al
la
ye
rs
19
•
L
at
er
, t
he
y
ca
n
be
b
en
t o
r
til
te
d
du
e
to
co
lli
si
on
s
be
tw
ee
n
te
ct
on
ic
pl
at
es.
U
nco
nf
ormi
ty
: l
aye
rs
ma
y
be
mi
ssi
ng
d
ue
to
e
ro
si
on
, t
he
bo
un
da
ry
le
ft
be
hi
nd
w
he
re
su
ch
a
g
ap
is
mi
ssi
ng
is
ca
lle
d
an
u
nco
nf
ormi
ty
.
21
22
1)
R
an
k
th
e
ro
ck
la
ye
rs
fro
m
ol
de
st
to
yo
un
ge
st
.
2)
Id
en
tif
y
th
e
un
co
nf
ormi
ty
.
23
Un
co
m
fo
rm
it
ie
s – In
tru
sive Ign
eou
s Roc
k
•
V
ol
ca
ni
c
ro
cks
th
at
me
lt
an
d
cu
t t
he
ir
w
ay
th
ro
ug
h
ro
cks,
mu
st
b
e
yo
un
ge
r
th
an
th
e
la
ye
rs
th
ey
cu
t t
hro
ug
h.
24
T he D evi ls To w er in W yo mi ng is an e xa mp le o f a vo lca ni c ne ck. Ma gma w as in tru de d in to th e ne ck of a vo lca no a nd co ol ed to fo rm an in tru si ve ig ne ou s ro ck. As th e ma gma co ol ed it co nt ra ct ed a nd cra cke d in to th e ve rt ica l co lu mn s sh ow n in th e pi ct ure . T hi s fe at ure , ca lle d co lu mn ar jo in tin g, is de scri be d fu rt he r on in th is mo du le . Af te r in tru si on o f t he vo lca ni c ne ck, th e vo lca no b eca me e xt in ct an d eve nt ua lly , a fte r a lo ng p eri od o f t ime , e ro de d co mp le te ly aw ay , l ea vi ng o nl y th e ha rd , re si st an t ro ck in th e vo lca ni c ne ck to st an d up a bo ve th e su rro un di ng co un trysi de . 25 1) R an k th e ro ck la ye rs fro m ol de st to yo un ge st . 2) Id en tif y th e un co nf ormi ty . 26 A B SO L U T E D A T IN G : D et ermi ni ng a ge (i n ye ars) of a ro ck la ye r or fo ssi l
versus
R EL A T IVE D A T IN G : D et ermi ni ng w hi ch ro ck la ye rs an d fo ssi ls are o ld er an d w hi ch a re yo un ge r (i. e. de te rmi ni ng w hi ch e ra / pe rio d/ ep och a fo ssi l o r la ye r be lo ng s to ). Law of Su pe rp osi tio n Lowof O rigin al Hori zont ality La w o f L at era l Continuity Law
R el ati ve D ati n g T ec h n iq u es - C o rr e lat io n In de x F ossi ls : f ossi ls th at ca n he lp d et ermi ne th e re la tive a ge s of ro cks an d co rre la te ro ck se qu en ce s fro m di ffe re nt lo ca tio ns. In de x fo ssi ls sh ou ld b e: • co mmo n • ea si ly re co gn iza bl e • occu rre d ove r a la rg e are a • re la tive ly sh ort ti me 29 30
R
ad
io
m
etr
ic
D
ati
n
g
Igneous Rocks So m e se d im en ta ry r o ck s O rg an ic m ate ri al Vo lc an ic A sh • U se s ra di oa ct ive el eme nt s to d et ermi ne th e ab so lu te a ge (a ge in ye ars) of a ro ck or fo ssi l • O nl y so me ma te ria ls ca n be da te d usi ng th is me th od 31 W hi ch e le me nt s are th ese ? (p ro to ns are sh ow n in re d an d ne ut ro ns in w hi te .) T he y are b ot h ca rb on . Bo th h ave 6 p ro to ns. i. e. th ey bo th h ave a n at omi c nu mb er of 6 . • T he se a re tw o is o to p es (va rie tie s) of ca rb on . - sa me ch emi ca l p ro pe rt ie s, b ut d iff ere nt p hysi ca l p ro pe rt ie s (e .g . h ow th ey be ha vi ng in n ucl ea r re act io ns) - di ffe re nt n umb er of n eu tro ns, th ere fo re d iff ere nt a to mi c ma sse s St ru ct ur e o f t he N uc le us - R ev ie w • So me iso to pe s are u nst ab le a nd th ere fo re ra di oa ct iveC
14
6
C
12
6
Ma ss nu mb er = 12 p + = 6 n0 =
6 Ma ss nu mb er = 14 p + = 6 n
0 =
8
Ma
ss
nu
mb
er
=
#p
+
+
#n
o
C ar b o n -1 2 C ar b o n -1 4At
omi
c
nu
mb
er
=
#p
+
C
12
6
Tw o iso to pe s of ca rb on :common and
R
a
d
io
a
ct
iv
e D
ec
a
y Cu
rv
e
% o f R adi oact ive Ma teri al
100%
50% 25%
12.5%
T
ime
•
Ea
ch
iso
to
pe
h
as
a
pa
rt
icu
la
r
H
al
f-l
ife
. T
hi
s
al
lo
w
s
us
to
d
at
e
th
e
sa
mp
le
co
nt
ai
ni
ng
ra
di
oa
ct
ive
iso
to
pe
s.
H
al
f
life
:
th
e
ti
m
e
it
ta
ke
s
fo
r
h
al
f
o
f
th
e
p
ar
en
t
ra
d
io
ac
ti
ve
e
le
m
en
t
to
decay
to
a
d
au
g
h
te
r
p
ro
d
u
ct.
37
•
D
iff
ere
nt
ra
di
oa
ct
ive
iso
to
pe
s
ha
ve
di
ffe
re
nt
h
al
f l
ive
s Carb
on
-1
4
is
go
od
fo
r
da
tin
g
act
ua
l re
ma
in
s.
T
o
a
limi
t o
f
ab
ou
t 6
0
00
0
ye
ars
G
oo
d
fo
r
da
tin
g
re
al
ly
ol
d
vo
lca
ni
c
la
ye
rs
an
d
me
te
ori
te
s
38
Exa
mp
le
1
:
A
b
ab
y
ma
mmo
th
fo
un
d
fro
ze
n
in
a
gl
aci
er
is
fo
un
d
to
co
nt
ai
n
on
e
qu
art
er
of
its
ori
gi
na
l ca
rb
on
-1
4.
D
et
ermi
ne
it
s
ag
e.
1.
15
x
10
4 ye
ars