Fantastic Fossils

Key Question: What is the difference between a bone and a fossil?

How are fossils formed?

Why are fossils important?

Key Learning • palaeontology (the study of fossils) started in the 1800s

• There are three types of fossils – body fossils, trace fossils and chemical

fossils.

• Body fossils are the remains of an animal or plant such as bones, shells or

leaves.

• Trace fossils are fossils that record the activity of an animal.

• Chemical fossils contain carbon which is proof that they must be formed from

once living things. Examples of chemical fossils include coal, petroleum oil and

natural gas.

• There is a process of fossilisation which takes thousands of years.

Challenge: Research about Mary Anning

Who was Mary Anning? What is she known for?

Key Vocabulary:

Common Misconception: Some people think bones and fossils are the same. No, bones and fossils are not the

same. Bones are any piece of the hard-whitish tissue that makes up the skeleton in

animals including humans.

Fossils are more than just ancient bones, which is what many people think. We are

going to learn more about fossils now.

Dad

• An animal or creature dies on land or in the sea and it gets covered by a layer of sediments

(e.g. plant material and tiny parts of rock or soil etc). Over time, through compaction and

cementation (solidifying), these eventually form a layer of rock.

• Over time more layers of rock are formed which cover it and by this time the only thing to

remain of the organism would be the hard parts such as bones, shells and teeth.

• Over thousands of years the mould fossil might become a cast fossil with sediment entering

the mould. In the case of replacement fossils, the original bone matter changes to mineral

matter but this does not affect the shape of the bones.

• Over a long period of time the sea will recede in certain places. The sea level could also be

changed quickly through earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

• As erosion and weathering takes place, eventually the fossils become exposed

Activity 1

Look at these pictures and explanation of each step of the fossilisation process . They are not in the

right order. Can you try and put them in the right order and choose the right descrption to go with it.

I have shared the answer at the end . ( Don’t look at the last page unitl you have had a go in doing it

yourself )

Activity 2

Look at all these Fossils closely. There is a table on the next page. What do you think these fossils

might have been and which type fossil is this (body fossil or a trace fossil) and what do you think the

fossil hunter learnt about the past by looking at these fossils?

This looks the one you all made in the

lesson.

Fossil Hunter

Fossils can tell us a great deal about the plants and animals (organisms) that lived many years ago. For any remains to be considered a fossil, scientists have decided they have to be more than 10,000 years old!

Imagine you are a Fossil Hunter. You will need to examine the fossil images

displayed around the round and think carefully about what you might learn from

them.

Correct Order

What have I learnt to today?

What did I find most interesting?

What questions do I want to ask? ( If any )