Week 1 Flashcards
Dino Myths (6)
- they were slow and stupid- They were actually agile and speedy
- They all lived at the same time– Paleozoic era (before 251MA) , Mezozoic which includes triassic (251MA- 200MA) jurassic (200MA-145MA) and creatous (145MA-65MA).
- Some swam in ocean- None swam in ocean.
- They had scaly skin- most had feathers
- They went extinct 65.5MA (Cenozoic era)- Only really big dinos went extinct, not small ones.
- They were unsuccessful- They existed for 170 million years (much longer than humans) and they still live amoung us (birds).
What era did the dinos live in and what is its 3 periods?
Mesozoic era
1. Triassic
2. jurassic
3. cretaceous
Define geology
scientific study of earths materials and earths history
minerals, rocks, fossil,chronology…
scientific method
observation-asks the question
hypotheses- possible explanations for the question
observation/experiment- test and reject/accept possible hypothese
conclusion- last surviving hypotheses to be taken as best explanation
scientific theory- accumulated body of knowledge
Fossil
any physical evidence of ancient life
Trace fossil
indirect evidence (ex) tracks (footprints), feces, skin imprints, eggs..
Body fossil
direct evidence of body or body parts such as mineralized bones or soft tissue
Rapid burial
avoids scavenging, erosion, or other damage
Preserved
soft sedimentary rocks that aren’t changed too much
fossilized
to protect body fossils.
Usually by replacement of one mineral by another
Permineralized
Most common for dino bones.
includes:
- decay of organic material opens up pores in the bone
-pores are filled with mineral precipitates
- then bone minerals are gradually replaced
Other evidence and data used in interpreting dinos
- living relatives (chickens)
- rocks
- computer modelling
- other fossil groups
How to collect fossils
- fossil bones are exposed and encased in a plaster cast, this allows safe removal to the lab
- bones are prepared and reconstructed in the lab (not in feild)
- reconstructed skeletons are hypotheses of the interpretations of fossil bones. They are made up of casts (reproduction) of the real bones held in mueseums.