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MT1 Flashcards

1
Q

Fossils

A

lithified remains of once living organisms

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2
Q

Body fossils

A

-hard body parts (teeth, shells, bones, wood, etc)
-soft body parts are much harder to preserve – much rarer

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3
Q

Trace fossils

A

-record behaviour of fossils
-tracks, trails, burrows, etc.

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4
Q

Biomineralization

A

-process by which organisms produce hard skeletons

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5
Q

Basal Skeleton

A

-protective base to which a soft body is attached
-like corals, bryozoans

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6
Q

5 types of skeletal material

A

-Calcium carbonate – invertebrates, corals, sea urchins, clams
-Calcium phosphate – vertebrate bones
-Silica – some sponges
-Cellulose – plants
-Chitin – arthropods

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7
Q

3 Types of Calcium Carbonate

A

-low magnesium calcite
-high magnesium calcite
-aragonite

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8
Q

Silica

A

-not common
-diatoms
-some types of sponges
-Radiolarians

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9
Q

Calcium Phosphate

A

-only common in 2 main groups
-vertebrates
-linguliformean bachiopods

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10
Q

Cellulose

A

-long polysaccharide chains
-form strong fibers
-resistant to decomposition
-found in plants - cell walls

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11
Q

Chitin

A

-modified polysaccharides
-common in arthropod exoskeletons

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12
Q

4 Main types of Trace Fossils

A

-tracks – discrete footprints formed by arthropods or vertebrates
-trails – continuous traces left by invertebrates
-burrows – variety of structures that penetrate soft sediment surface
-borings – like burrows but penetrate hard rock or shell surface

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13
Q

Coprolites

A

-trace fossil
-mineralized shit of animal
-can tell us about diet or ecosystem

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14
Q

Gastroliths

A

-common in birds & reptiles
-animals eat stones to help their stomachs grind food
-might have helped some aquatic species

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15
Q

Trace Fossil Pros & Cons

A

Pros
-can give clues on environment & ecology, animal behaviour, sediment concentrations
Cons
-producer not often preserved
-multiple organisms can make same kind of trace or several different kinds
-same structure can be preserved differently depending on substrate
-long stratigraphic ranges

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16
Q

Environments that favour fossilization

A

-anaerobic, nutrient poor, hypersaline
-little to no transportation
-rapid burial
-little to no diagenesis

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17
Q

Taphonomy

A

-study of all the processes that occur between death of organism & it’s final state
-disarticulation
-fragmentation
-abrasion
-bioerosion
-corrosion & dissolution
-flattening – happens after burial
-diagenesis – happens after burial

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18
Q

Raup’s Taphonomic Filters

A

a fossil must make it through each of these processes to be discovered by paleontologists
-anatomic
-biological
-ecological
-sedimentary
-preservation
-diagenetic
-metamorphic
-vertical movement
-human

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19
Q

Types of preservation

A

-complete
-soft-tissue
-carbonizatin
-unaltered hard parts
-recrystallization
-replacement
-molds & casts
concretions

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20
Q

Complete Preservation

A

-original material is still present in it’s original form

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21
Q

Soft Body Fossils

A

-soft-bodied organisms are generally rare in fossil record
-decomposition usually occurs before burial
-occurs under exceptional circumstances
-called Lagerstatten

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22
Q

Carbonization

A

-volatile compounds driven off by pressure/heat
-only carbon film remains

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23
Q

Unaltered preservation

A

-soft parts decay away & hard parts remian
-hard parts retain original composition & structure

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24
Q

Recrystallization

A

-less stable mineral forms change into more stable crystal forms
-change in structure of fossil

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25
Permineralization
-addition of new minerals into pore spaces of original fossil -original tissue often replaced -tissue structure preserved
26
Replacement
-shell replaced by another mineral -often preserves gross morphology but obscures fine detail -silicification -pyritization -phosphatization
27
Molds & Casts
-internal mold shows internal features of organism -external mold shows exterior of organism -cast of organism is from infilling of mold
28
Concretions
-form early during diagenesis as minerals that precipitate around a nucleus -nucleus is commonly organic -harder than surrounding rock, protects fossil from weathering
29
Taxonomy
-science of classifying living organisms
30
Biological Species
-a group that is reproductively isolated from other groups -generally distinct.
31
Morphological Species
-species that share similar morphological characteristics -can be quantified statistically -commonly applied in paleontology
32
Gradualism
-slow but sustained evolution over time -gradual introduction of new species through time -relatively constant
33
Punctuated equilibrium
-sudden pulses of evolution in short intervals -often occurs during environmental changes
34
Niche of species limiting factors
-environmental -- temp, salinity, precipitation -competition -- competing with other species -predation -- species is predator or prey
35
Population
-single group of individuals of single species
36
Community
-multiple species that live in an area
37
Ecosystem
-organisms within a community & physical environment
38
Pelagic
-lives in water column planktonic --floating in water column nektonic -- swimming through water column
39
Benthic
-lives on sea floor vagile -- able to move under it's own power sessile -- settles ont seafloor (libro=free-lying, fixo=attached) epifaunal -- above the sea floor infaunal -- below the sea floor
40
Photic Zone
-region of marine habitat that can get light
41
Aphotic Zone
-region of marine habitat that can't get light -most of marine environment
42
Supratidal
-above high tide
43
Intertidal
-between high & low tide
44
Subtidal
-below tidal zone (continental shelf)
45
Bathyal
-continental slope
46
Abyssal
-ocean floor -basin floor is more commonly used now
47
Hadal
-ocean trenches
48
Why do organisms burrow?
-protection from predators, environment -easier access to resources
49
Types of Trace Fossils
-dwelling structure -- Domichnia -sediment feeding structure -- fodinichnia -grazing on sediment surface -- pascichnia -locomotion -- repichnia -resting & hiding -- cubichnia
50
Diplocraterion
-dwelling structure -U shaped curves -maintain ideal burrow depth through erosion & sedimentation
51
Skolithos
-dwelling structure -vertical worm burrows -like diplocraterion but straight up & down, no curves
52
Thalassinoides
-dwelling structure/feeding burrow -branching, Y-shaped unlined burrows, built in cohesive muddy sand
53
Zoophycos
-feeding structure -corkscrew mine
54
Planolites
-feeding structure -random tunneller following a food-rich layer -not efficient
55
Teichichnus
-feeding structure -back & forth miner -either mine sediment upwards or downwards
56
Chondrites
-feeding structure -branch miner
57
Rosselia
-feeding structure -muddy sediment & organic matter is trapped in cone by mucous lining -encourages growth of bacteria -re-mined by worm -cone shaped
58
Phycodes
-feeding structure -originates from central base point & fans outwards in pattern of individual burrows
59
Grazing Structures
-mainly just spirals on ocean floor made by large worms
60
Cruziana & Diplichnites
-locomotion traces
61
Lockeia & Rusophycus
-resting traces
62
Graptolites
-colonial organism
63
Rhabdosome
-entire colony of a graptolite
64
Stipe
-an individual branch of a graptolite
65
Theca
-an individual chamber of a graptolite
66
Sicula
-joins the Nema (top spiky point) with the stipes -turns into stipes as it goes down
67
Zooid
-small colonial animals that live in individual theca -use cilia like projections to filter for food
68
Skeleton of Graptolites
-organic skeleton reinforced by a chitin like substance (like arthropods) -goes through carbonization process -tough but flexible -insoluble in most acids -usually preserved in deep-water fine-grained rocks as carbon film
69
Time Period of Graptolites
-range from middle cambrian to late carboniferous -most abundant in ordovician & silurian
70
Orders of Graptolites
-Dendroidea --benthic, stuck around the longest --cambrain to carboniferous -Graptoloidea --planktonic --ordovician to denovian
71
Dendroidea
-multibranched colonies -stipes connected together laterally -some genera may have become planktonic in late cambrian
72
Graptoloidea
-stipes less interconnected -increasing degree of symmetry throughout evolution -planktonic lifestyle drifting with ocean currents -locomotion is uncertain --thought to be attached to floating mats of algae --some theories that they had a membrane like structure, like jellyfish --now thought to have drifted on ocean currents like a net --zooids may have used wing-like appendages --may have been able to rotate the colony to move up & down water column, spinning like a helicopter - might explain spiral morphology
73
Graptolite Evolutionary Trends
-benthic to planktonic transition --helped to protect from benthic predators --Anisograptid fauna: late cambrain to early ordovician -3 main graptolite evolutionary faunas --Dichograptid fauna: early & middle ordovician --Diplograptid fauna: late ordovician --Monograptid fauna: Silurian
74
Dichograptid fauna
-reduction in number of stipes
75
Diplograptid fauna
-change in flexure, pendant to V shaped -evolved straight median septum & short, angular theca
76
Monograptid fauna
-reduction in number of stipes & theca -thought to offer more stable hydrodynamics -some developed spiraling structures -thought to be able to swim via coordinated movement of zooids
77
Anisograptids
-evolution of planktonic graptolite forms
78
Extinction of planktonic graptolites
-early devonian
79
Extinction of dendroid graptolites
-late carboniferous
80
Why are graptolites excellent index fossils?
-rapid evolution -wide distribution -easy to identify -distinct characteristics restricted to specific time period
81
Planktonic graptoloids
-all graptoloidea -suspension filter feeders -zooids living in the theces extract nutrients from water column
82
Nektonic graptolites
-some graptolites may have been capable of active swimming
83
Fixosessile-epifaunal graptolites
-dendroideans -suspension filter feeders
84
Phylum: Porifera
-sponges -multicellular eukaryotes -specialized cells for specific functions -variety of forms (vase-shaped, bulbous, cylindrical, branching less common) -mostly marine & fixosessile (fixed to marine floor) -filters - filter water -body walls enclose central body cavity (spongocoel) that opens to external environment via osculim -small pores in body wall (ostia) allow seawater to enter sponge -paragaster - internal cavity of sponge
85
Archaeocytes
-sponge cells for digestion, nutrient transport -develop into sex cells, contained within mesohyl (gelatinous matrix within body of sponge)
86
Choanocytes
-sponge cell -flagellate cells that line the inner wall of the body cavity (spongocoel)
87
Porocytes
-sponge cell -form ostia to allow water into sponge
88
Sclerocytes
-sponge cell -secrete spicules (minute skeletons)
89
Pinacocytes
-sponge cell -protect the outside of sponge
90
Spongocytes
-sponge cell -contained within mesohyl, secrete spongin protein
91
Leucon
-most common type of sponge -most complex -lots of ostia, 1 big osculum
92
Sponge Reproduction
-can be asexual or sexual -asexual reproduction is budding -sexual reproduction is jizzing into water & fertilizatioin --sexual sponges ar hermaphrodites
93
Sponge Skeleton
-made of either spongin or calcareous/siliceous spicules -spongin -- hardened organic material, make up body wall -calcareous or siliceous spicules -- secreted by specialized cells called sclerocytes, may be seperate elements within sponge or interwoven into complex structures
94
Megascleres
-classification of spicules -comprise structural skeleton of sponge
95
Microscleres
-classification of spicules -scattered throughout sponge -less likely to be preserved
96
Spicules are grouped by shape & number of?
Rays/axes/appendages -monoaxon - 1 ray -tetraaxon - 4 rays -triaxon - 3 rays -desmas - oddly shaped ones -polyaxons - irregular shaped ones -microscleres - minute in scale
97
Demosponges
-class demospongea -skeletons are made up of siliceous spicules --1 ray or 4, and/or spongin -can be freshwater along with marine -cambrian to present
98
Calcareous Sponges
-class calcarea -skeletons entirely comprised of calcareous spicules packed in dense networks -cambrain to recent -important reef formers in mid-paleozoic -mostly limited to shallow, warm seas --firm substrates for attachment --supersaturation of CaCO3 for biomineralization
99
Glass sponges
-class Hexactinellida -skeletons of opaline, silica spicules, 5-6 rays -abundant in paleogene & neogene on continental shelf -today, only common at bathyl & abyssal depths. -ordovician to recent -live below 200m -very slow growing
100
Heterotrophic Sponges
-filter water to gather food particles & microscopic organisms for food
101
Autotrophic Sponges
-have photosynthetic symbionts living in their body
102
Carnivorous sponges
-trap parine invetebrates -located in deep sea
103
Sponges good index fossil?
-no -long range, so not good
104
2 Fossil sponge groups
-Archaeocyatha -Stromatoporoids
105
Archaeocyatha
-calcareous skeletons with body walls -first reef forming organisms of early cambrian -some debate to affinities but most likely a type of sponge -found worldwide -commonly solitary, also some branching colonial forms -early to middle cambrian
106
Stromatoporoids
-calcareous skeletons with parallel lamellae intersected by vertical pillars -ordovician through devonian
107
Laminar & Dorsal sponges
-forms in higher energy settings
108
Dendroid & Columnar sponges
-forms in lower energy settings

Paleontology (2 decks)

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