Background Paleontologists need fossils in order to practice

Last updated: 1/26/2024

Background Paleontologists need fossils in order to practice the science Fossils are not found everywhere Your chance of finding a fossil by randomly walking around is very small So how do paleontologists find them They target areas that they think are likely to contain fossils based on knowledge of how rocks form and how fossils get preserved In this essay question you will demonstrate what you know about these same principles Question Study the landscape that the photo shows and discuss whether it would be a good place to prospect for fossils or not Be clear about why or why not by including concepts you learned in this class so far and making specific references to features in the photos whenever possible I will provide some structure to your discussion by listing points below that you need to address You can use this as an outline 1 First to orient yourself and make sure you start your discussion in the right direction are the rocks in this landscape experiencing erosion or deposition What do you see to support your interpretation 2 What general type of rocks are these and what is evidence from the photo that supports your interpretation 3 What is the probability of fossils being in these rocks and why 4 What is a possible depositional environment and what evidence could you look for to test your interpretation 5 What else about this landscape increases or decreases you choose the potential for finding fossils 6 Finding fossils is one thing knowing how old they are is another and it s really important Describe how you could date any fossils you found in this landscape Be sure t include what kind of materials or evidence you would need to find to successfully date the fossils