edited paleontology one

8/10/2019 Edited Paleontology One

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PALEONTOLOGY

Mode of life horizontal distribution.

Aquatic animals

Based on mode of life

a. Pelagic- live in the water column

Plankton - passive floaters.eg Foraminifera, Radiolaria

Nekton - active swimmers .eg Cephalopoda, fishes

b. Benthic live on the sea bottom

Sedentar !Sessile" -fi#ed e.g $olluscs, Coral

%agrant-free moving e.g &unicates

Based on salinity.

a. Stenohyaline:-susceptable to a change in salinit

b. Euryhaline '- resistance to a change in salinit

Mode of life vertical distribution.(Bathymetric)(. )eobiotic !&errestrial"

*. +imnobiotic !Fresh water". elobiotic !$arine"

a. Intertidal

i. Subtidal (Neritic zone" between the lowest tidal up to *//m depth.

ii. shelf, shallo sea, !hotic zone.

b. Slo!e '- *// to *///m depth

c. "byssal !lain'- */// to 0///m depth

d. #rench zone ($odal zone" - 1t is the 2one of water below 0/// m depth

%E&'&%I )IS#*IB+#I&N & 'IE:

3ras

4uaternar5Reasoning life 6ge of man- *m.a

Ceno2oic-------$odern life--- 6ge of mammals $eso2oic--------$edieval life5 6ge of Reptiles

Palaeo2oic--------6ncient life----6ge of 6mphibia 0//

Protero2oic-----primitive life

6rchaeo2oic-----primal life

62oic---------------No life

Prepared bSegere


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Palaeontology- 1s the science which deal with the Stud of ancient life.

Neontology- Stud of e#isting life

Palaeobotany- Stud of plant fossilsPalynology- Stud of spore and pollen

Palaeozoology-Stud of animal fossils

&becties of the !aleontologist.

1. Identification 2. Determine Form Morphology and Function

3. Association of plants and animals and environmental reconstruction (paleoecology)

4. Evolution in Various Organisms

5. Dispersal and distribution of plants and animals through space and time

6. Correlation and Dating Rocks

7. Studies of Geochemistry - especially changes in ocean chemistry due to actions of organisms

/hat is a fossil0

6 fossil Refer to Remains of plant and animals which have e#isted on the earth in prehistoric time and are found pres

within sedimentar rocks.

ommon ty!es of fossils:

Body fossils:-&hese represent the actual phsical remains of ancient organisms as preserved in the rock

record.

7r

- Refer to actual parts of an organism, unaltered or altered 3.g bones, shells, leaf imprints

#race fossils:-&hese represent the activities of ancient organisms as preserved in the rock record.

7r

- Refer to evidence of life that is not a bod fossil 3.g tracks, burrows, casts.

8suall these reflect interactions between the organisms and the sediment in9on which the lived,crawled, fed etc.

-&race fossils are also known as :Ichnofossils;

Naming #race fossils

Starting the generic name, followed b the s!ecies name.

+naltered1"ctual *emains.

Skeletal remains that are composed of stable minerals !e.g. calcite, calcium phosphate" can be preserved without signi

change in chemical makeup or internal structure.

"ltered *emains.

$ore often than not, fossil remains are phsicall and9or chemicall altered in some wa.

/hy do fossils loo2 the ay they do 0

6 fossil


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Im!ortance of fossils.

Paleontologists use fossils to build up a picture of 3arthurassic, annelids from +ate pre-Cambrian .

- 1mprints of hard parts

a"$oulds

b"Casts

onditions !romote fossilization1!reseration of remains are:

(" Rapid burial9entombment &his isolates remains from the work of scavengers and long-term phsical

disturbance.

*" +ack o#gen &his also allows remains to protected from being destroed b bacteria and decaed.

" ard bod parts such as skeletal bones or e#oskeletons.Prepared by Perry Segere:


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5. Burros:are pathwas made up b animals in soft sediments as anormal wa of life !worm burrows".

t fit the mould (no !un intended3.

Fossils which ?ualif as trace fossils based on the definition of the term, but which don


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Mode of life horizontal distribution.

Aquatic animals

Based on mode of life

c. Pelagic- live in the water column

Plankton - passive floaters.eg Foraminifera, Radiolaria

Nekton - active swimmers .eg Cephalopoda, fishes

d. Benthic live on the sea bottom

Sedentar !Sessile" -fi#ed e.g $olluscs, Coral

%agrant-free moving e.g &unicates

Based on salinity.

c. Stenohyaline:-susceptable to a change in salinit

d. Euryhaline '- resistance to a change in salinit

Mode of life vertical distribution.(Bathymetric)@. )eobiotic !&errestrial"

0. +imnobiotic !Fresh water"

A. elobiotic !$arine"

e. Intertidal

iii. Subtidal (Neritic zone" between the lowest tidal up to *//m depth.

i. shelf, shallo sea, !hotic zone.f. Slo!e '- *// to *///m depthg. "byssal !lain'- */// to 0///m depth

h. #rench zone ($odal zone" - 1t is the 2one of water below 0/// m depth

%E&'&%I )IS#*IB+#I&N & 'IE:

3ras

4uaternar5Reasoning life 6ge of man- *m.a

Ceno2oic-------$odern life--- 6ge of mammals

$eso2oic--------$edieval life5 6ge of Reptiles

Palaeo2oic--------6ncient life----6ge of 6mphibia 0//

Protero2oic-----primitive life

6rchaeo2oic-----primal life 62oic---------------No life

Prepared bSegere

Palaeontology- 1s the science which deal with the Stud of ancient life.

Neontology- Stud of e#isting life


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Palaeobotany- Stud of plant fossilsPalynology- Stud of spore and pollen

Palaeozoology-Stud of animal fossils

&becties of the !aleontologist.

1. Identification

2. Determine Form Morphology and Function

3. Association of plants and animals and environmental reconstruction (paleoecology)

4. Evolution in Various Organisms 5. Dispersal and distribution of plants and animals through space and time

6. Correlation and Dating Rocks

7. Studies of Geochemistry - especially changes in ocean chemistry due to actions of organisms

/hat is a fossil0

6 fossil Refer to Remains of plant and animals which have e#isted on the earth in prehistoric time and are found pres

within sedimentar rocks.

ommon ty!es of fossils:

Body fossils:-&hese represent the actual phsical remains of ancient organisms as preserved in the rockrecord.

7r

- Refer to actual parts of an organism, unaltered or altered 3.g bones, shells, leaf imprints

#race fossils:-&hese represent the activities of ancient organisms as preserved in the rock record.

7r

- Refer to evidence of life that is not a bod fossil 3.g tracks, burrows, casts.

8suall these reflect interactions between the organisms and the sediment in9on which the lived,

crawled, fed etc.

-&race fossils are also known as :Ichnofossils;

Naming #race fossilsStarting the generic name, followed b the s!ecies name.

+naltered1"ctual *emains.

Skeletal remains that are composed of stable minerals !e.g. calcite, calcium phosphate" can be preserved without signi

change in chemical makeup or internal structure.

"ltered *emains.

$ore often than not, fossil remains are phsicall and9or chemicall altered in some wa.

/hy do fossils loo2 the ay they do 0

6 fossil


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Paleontologists use fossils to build up a picture of 3arthurassic, annelids from +ate pre-Cambrian .

- 1mprints of hard parts

a"$oulds

b"Casts

onditions !romote fossilization1!reseration of remains are:

@" Rapid burial9entombment &his isolates remains from the work of scavengers and long-term phsicaldisturbance.

0" +ack o#gen &his also allows remains to protected from being destroed b bacteria and decaed.

A" ard bod parts such as skeletal bones or e#oskeletons.Prepared by Perry Segere:

B&)8 &SSI'S P*ESE*9"#I&N.

3 +naltered Preserationrefers to fossils that have undergone little or no change in structure and


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composition.

&riginal S2eletal 4aterialrefers to the hard tissues that are preserved as the original material.

&his includes man invertebrate mollusca that have shells composed of calcium carbonate,

silica, or chitin and vertebrate species with bones of calcium phosphate.

@. Encrustations or entombments7ccur when material is trapped inside coating such as amber.

"mber -is fossil tree resin and can preserve insect fossils intact.

0. *efrigeration &his is when material is trapped inside ice and tissue is preserved.

A. 4ummification 7ccur when the animal remains dehdrated ?uickl and become preserved usuall

including its soft tissues.

)3 "ltered Preseration

&he organism is preserved, but is not made of its original material.

Eam!le:Petrified wood is fossili2ed wood, but the wood has actuall turned to stone.

&pes of 6ltered preservation '

A. Permineralization- pores in tissue are filled b minerals.

B. arbonization;tissue material is decomposed or reduced to a film of carbon .

. *ecrystallization.-1s the alteration of less stable inorganic compounds !e.g. aragonite" into more stable ones

!e.g. calcite" without an chemical change.

D. *e!lacement &he original skeleton is removed and replaced b other mineral substances such as

!silicification", prite, iron or carbonates.E.g.Silicified ood (stone forests3

(/. Im!rint, 4old and ast ("uthigenic !reseration.3

Im!rint-is made when a plant or animal leaves a print in the soil. &he soil then hardens.

4old ;is the impression of skeletal remains on rocks. 1t occur when an organism is buried.

&he impression ma represent the e#ternal or internal surface of the organism.

ast -1s formed when the void within a mould become filled with sediment or mineral material.

Prepared by Perry Segere.:

#*"E &SSI'S P*ESE*9"#I&N ("#I9I#IES3.

A. Burros:are pathwas made up b animals in soft sediments as anormal wa of life !worm burrows".

?. Borings:are holes made b animals in hard rocks and shells either for protection or as parasites in search for foo


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@. #rac2s:&hese are the traces of feet made b ?uadrepedal or bipedal vertebrates during moving on soft sediment

. #rails:&hese are the traces made b animals during crawling on sediments.

5C. Ecrements:these are called coprolites and the indicate the kind of food, which the organism had eaten.

#race fossils that don>t fit the mould (no !un intended3.

Fossils which ?ualif as trace fossils based on the definition of the term, but which don

edited paleontology one

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