Introduction

Question 1

What are the steps to analysing a fossil?

Answer 1

Collect fossils in the field (mainly found in coastal/dry/mountainous/cave regions - where there is a lack of vegetation)

Prepare the fossils in the lab (e.g. by acid etching)

Examine fossil and describe in monograph

Analyse the fossil - by microscopy, synchroton, CT scanning, finite strain analysis, geochemical analysis)

Interpret fossil - based on modern biological thinking

Question 2

Give the historical development of the science of palaeontology

Answer 2

Pre 1750s = fossils are the remains of organisms that once lived

1750s - present = realise the Earth is very old

Pre 1859 = different organisms lived in the past (began to think of extinction)

1859 = Darwin/Wallace propose the evolutionary theory

1900s = Rediscovered Mendel’s work and his work on hereditary completed Darwin’s work on natural selection

1930s = Neo-Darwinian evolution is created

1960s = Plate tectonics discovered

1972 = The punctuated equilibrium model (Darwin was wrong, gradual evolution is not true and evolution works through speciation) - realised can use fossils to study evolution

1970s-1980s = The cladistics revolution

1980s = Reality of mass exinctions (discovered extra-terrestrial material so meteor must have hit Earth and caused mass extinction and changes to Earth)

1990s = The reality of past, present anf future global change

2000s + = Molecualr biology, Evo-Devo studies and the pattern of life

Question 3

What did Darwin say about the fossil record?

Answer 3

It was biased and incomplete so it could not be used to show evolution

Question 4

What are fossils? Give some examples

Answer 4

Remains of any past life on Earth

Shells, bones, teeth, footprints, chitin/exoskeleton, chemical signals

Only found in sedementary rocks

Question 5

What is the dinosaur fossil record dominated by?

Answer 5

Disarticulated, solitary, dispersed bones and teeth

Question 6

What is used to reconstruct full skeletons?

Answer 6

Using evidence from articulated skeletons and anatomical knowledge

Can also use living relatives

Question 7

Give an exmaple of ichnology (trace fossils). What can these tell us?

Answer 7

Footprints

How fast they could move (slowest and fastest speed), weight, sociality etc

Question 8

Give some examples of soft tissue that can be preserved

Answer 8

Skin and stomach contents

These are very rare to find - often some of the first things to break down/decay

Question 9

What are gastroliths?

Answer 9

Rocks

Often found in the gastro cavity of fossils

Theorise that dinosaurs would eat them to aid in digestion (helped grind up tough material)