tracking ancient life
DESCRIPTION
Tracking Ancient Life. Dr Liam Herringshaw [email protected]. Key terms. Bioturbation Ichnology ( ichnos, Greek: footprint, track, trail) Trace Fossils. 1. What are trace fossils?. Sedimentary structures produced by life - Burrows, borings, tracks, trails, roots. ...and dung!. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
1. What are trace fossils?
Sedimentary structures produced by life- Burrows, borings, tracks, trails, roots...
Why they matter
• Fossil record of behaviour
• Fossil record of soft-bodied organisms
• Organism-environment interactions
• Ecological niche creation
• Nutrient flux
• Taphonomy
Luminous lugworm
Earliest animals?
565 Ma locomotion trails,Newfoundland:
Liu et al. (2010)http://geology.gsapubs.org/content/38/2/123.abstract
Becoming upright
Trackway analysis shows tetrapods become bipedal in early Triassic
Kubo & Benton (2009)
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1475-4983.2009.00897.x/full
5. The speed of dinosaurs?
• Type of footprint?
• Footprint size?
• Animal size?
• Stride length?
• Speed?
• Behaviour?
Calculating trackmaker speed
v = 0.25*g0.5*SL1.67*h-1.17
Or, more simply:
Hip height = 4 x footprint length
Stride length/ hip height = speed
(<2 = walking, >3 = running)
Sheffield Geology Group – dinosaur speed calculator:http://www.sorbygeology.group.shef.ac.uk/DINOC01/dinocal1.html