WEEK 4 - Fossils and Mythology Flashcards
The Origins of Dragons:
Fear of the Unknown
Some ancient beliefs claimed fossils were tricks from the devil or remnants of a Great Flood
Paleontologists, who study ancient life, use fossils to trace evolution and date geologic events
Many mythical creatures may be early interpretations of fossils
The Dragon: A Universal Cultural Symbol
Dragon myths exist in nearly every culture but differ in appearance & temperament
Some dragons are serpent-like, others lizard-like, some with wings, some without
Different names but common themes of powerful, ancient reptilian creatures
Fossils & Dragon Myths
Dinosaur fossils are found on every continent
Early discoveries of large bones may have inspired dragon myths independently in different cultures
Ancient people interpreted fossils based on their worldview, linking them to powerful creatures
🦄 “Guericke’s Unicorn” – A Fossil Mistake?
1663: Bones found in a cave near Quedlinburg, Germany
Scientist Otto von Guericke attempted to reconstruct a unicorn skeleton from the bones
Now displayed in the Natural History Museum in Magdeburg, Germany
🦅🦁 The Griffin: An Ancient Mythological Creature
One of the oldest mythical creatures (at least 5,000 years in human culture)
Main features: Body of a lion, head & wings of an eagle 🦅🦁
Greek legend: Griffins built nests of gold & fiercely guarded them
Said to have laid stone eggs (possibly inspired by fossilized eggs?)
The Griffin’s Cultural Impact
Found in Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, and India
Appears in coats of arms, gargoyles, and logos (e.g., Vauxhall Auto Logo)
Symbol of courage, strength, and wisdom in mythology, books, & movies (e.g., Harry Potter)
Sergei Rudenko’s Theory
The Griffin myth may have originated in Western Asia (Gobi Desert region)
Gobi Desert is known for well-preserved dinosaur fossils, especially Protoceratops
Protoceratops: The “Real” Griffin?
Common dinosaur found in the Gobi Desert
Key Features of The “Real” Griffin?
Strong beak & compact skull → Could resemble a Griffin’s eagle-like head 🦅
Squat body with a long tail & four legs → Similar to a lion’s stance 🦁
Long shoulder blades → Could be mistaken for wing bases
🥚 Griffin’s “Stone Eggs” – Fossilized Nests?
Fossilized dinosaur nests found in Gobi Desert sandstones
Some nests contain fossilized eggs → Were they mistaken for Griffin eggs?
Discovered by Roy Chapman Andrews
🦖 Oviraptor: Another “Griffin” Candidate?
Some fossil nests were not Protoceratops but Oviraptor’s!
Oviraptor fossil found guarding a nest → First thought to be stealing eggs (hence its name = “egg thief”)
Key Features of Another “Griffin” Candidate?
Beak-like snout & long tail
Walked on two legs (bipedal), not four → Unlike the Griffin’s lion-like stance
Who Inspired the Griffin Myth?
Protoceratops fits better → Four legs, strong beak, long shoulder blades (wing-like?)
Oviraptor’s link to fossil eggs could have reinforced the Griffin’s “stone egg” legend
Could the Griffin be a myth built from dinosaur fossils?
🦅 The Griffin Myth – Fossil Remains & Gold?
Possible origins: Based on Protoceratops & Oviraptor fossils
Gold connection?
- Fossils found in sandstone that could contain gold
- Desert erosion concentrates heavier particles (gold, fossilized bones) while lighter ones blow away
- Early gold prospectors sought out fossil sites, reinforcing the myth!
Formula for The Griffin Legend
Fossilized remains + Dinosaur nests with eggs + Gold deposits + Imagination = Griffin Myth
👁️ What is The Cyclops?
Cyclops from Greek mythology: One-eyed giants in Homer’s Odyssey
Could be based on fossil remains of extinct dwarf elephants 🐘
The Cyclops Fossil Evidence
kull of extinct dwarf elephants found on Mediterranean islands
Large central nasal cavity (where the trunk was) resembles a single eye socket → Misinterpreted as a Cyclops skull
🐘 Deinotherium – Another Cyclops Fossil?
Large extinct relatives of elephants (1.8M – 23M years old)
Key Features of Deinotherium
Stood 4.5m tall at the shoulder
Had downward-curved tusks in its lower jaw
Large central nasal opening (like all elephants) could be mistaken for a Cyclops eye socket
- Fossils found across Europe, Asia, & Africa
Connection Between Myths and Fossils
Many legendary creatures may have been inspired by misinterpreted fossils
Could ancient discoveries of fossilized remains have shaped human myths? 🤔
Connecting the Cyclops Myth: Formula
Huge, bulky fossils of extinct elephant relatives
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Large hole in the skull (nasal cavity, mistaken for an eye socket)
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Found on Crete & other Mediterranean islands
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Imagination & storytelling
💡 Misidentified fossils may have inspired the one-eyed giants of Greek mythology!
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Recognizing fossils as once-living things
Fossils represent evidence of ancient life and can be classified like living organisms
This understanding helps correctly interpret fossils!
Basic Classification Hierarchy: Explained Grouping
Kingdom (e.g., Animalia)
Phylum (e.g., Chordata)
Class (e.g., Mammalia)
Order (e.g., Primates)
Family (e.g., Hominidae)
Genus (e.g., Homo)
Species (e.g., Homo sapiens)
Magic Beads: Fossil Sponges Misinterpreted
Past inhabitants of England collected round “beads” from chalk cliffs
Thought to have magical properties
Actually fossilized sponges!
🐦 Stone Swallows: Fossils Misunderstood as Birds
Ancient Chinese once interpreted some fossils as “stone swallows”
5th-century scholar Li Taoyuan recorded that during thunderstorms, these stones flew as if they were real birds
Likely fossilized remains of ancient marine life, not birds
Ancient Interpretation: Stone Swallows
Thought to be fossilized birds (“stone swallows”)
Scientific Explanation: Stone Swallows
Actually the tail (pygidium) of trilobites
Trilobite classification:
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Trilobita
Ancient Interpretation: Urinous Salts
Believed to be urine that turned to stone
Chemist Robert Plot: Thought frozen crystals of urine shot from a center
Scientific Explanation: Urinous Salts
Actually a type of clam shell
Classification:
- Phylum: Mollusca
- Class: Pelecypoda/Bivalvia
Ancient Interpretation: Snakestones
Coiled fossils believed to be snakes turned to stone
Legend of St. Hilda (614-680 AD):
- A religious figure in Whitby, England
- Captured snakes, severed their heads, and turned them to stone
Scientific Explanation: Snakestones
Actually ammonite fossils (extinct squid-like creatures)
Classification:
- Phylum: Mollusca
- Class: Cephalopoda
- Modern Relative: Nautilus
Why is Fossilization Uncommon?
The process is extremely finicky
<5% of all living remains make it into the fossil record
Most fossils are hard tissues (bones, shells, teeth)
Requires exceptional conditions + luck
🦅 Scavengers Destroy Remains
After death, soft tissues are quickly destroyed
If remains are left exposed, fossilization is unlikely
What Scavengers Destroy Remains?
1️⃣ Large scavengers → Consume soft tissues
2️⃣ Smaller scavengers → Take care of scraps
Bacteria & Fungi Break Down Remains
Cellular & molecular-level decay
Fungi consume soft tissue (can even grow through the remains)
Bacteria break down organic matter further
How Do Fossils Break Down? - What Processes?
Physical weathering → Breaks down mineralized tissues (e.g., bones, shells, teeth)
Chemical weathering → Dissolves mineralized tissues over time
Exposure at the surface → Increases erosion risk
Why Do Hard Parts Fossilize Better Than Soft Tissue?
Hard parts (bones, shells, teeth) are more chemically stable
They resist destruction better than soft tissues (skin, muscle)
⚠️ But…hard parts are rarely preserved intact!
Why Do Hard Parts Break Apart?
💀 Decomposition weakens structure
Soft tissue decay removes connective tissue holding bones together
Disarticulation → Bones separate after death
Fragmentation → Bones break into smaller pieces
Processes That Damage Hard Parts
Even hard parts can decay over time due to:
Dissolution → Minerals dissolve in hard parts
Abrasion → “Sandblasting” wears them down
Decay of organic components weakens bones, making them prone to breakage
How Do Shells Degrade Overtime?
Dissolution → Acidic water dissolves shell details
Abrasion → Rounds and smooths broken shell edges
How Can Fossil Shells Indicate Past Water Currents?
Nautiloid shells lined up → Unidirectional currents → Water flowed in one direction (steady current)
Clam shells facing up → Bidirectional currents → Water moved back and forth (waves)
🖤 What is Orthoceras Limestone?
Limestone containing fossilized nautiloids
Polished & used decoratively (e.g., furniture, tabletops)
Why Are Some Fossils Beautiful?
Chambered structure of the fossils
Natural alignment of fossil remains
Light-colored calcite contrasts with dark matrix
Texture contrast (polished fossils vs. rough matrix)
What Conditions Promote Fossil Preservation?
Low oxygen → Slows decay, discourages scavengers
Rapid burial → Prevents scattering & protects remains
Stable mineral precipitation → Strengthens remains
What Minerals Influence Fossil Durability?
Calcium carbonate → Unstable in aragonite, stable in calcite
Silica → Highly stable, found in sponges & micro-organisms
Calcium phosphate → Very stable, main component of bones & teeth
What are Unaltered Remains in Fossil Preservation?
Hard parts (shells, teeth, bones) made of stable minerals (calcite, silica) can stay unchanged
Soft tissues rarely preserve, but it can happen under special conditions
How do Hard Parts Remain Unaltered for Millions of Years?
Brachiopod shells (375 million years old) are still made of original calcite
Aragonite, a less stable form of calcium carbonate, sometimes survives
Ammonites (squid-like molluscs) can preserve their pearly nacreous layer (mother of pearl)
How Can Soft Tissues be Preserved?
Refrigeration: Freezing keeps skin, flesh, and fur intact (e.g., baby mammoth)
Amber Entombment: Organisms trapped in tree resin (e.g., ants, tree frogs, lice) are sealed from decay
What are Altered Fossil Remains?
Fossils often undergo physical or chemical changes after burial
Four Main Fossil Alteration Processes
- Recrystallization – Crystals grow larger for stability
- Petrification/Permineralization – Minerals fill pores in bones or wood
- Replacement – Original material replaced by new minerals
- Carbonization – Organic material compressed into a carbon film
Recrystallization
After burial, crystals grow larger due to heat & pressure
Example:
- Aragonite clam shell converts to calcite with larger crystals (losing some fine details)
Permineralization (Petrification)
How does permineralization preserve fossils?
Mineral-rich water fills small pores in bones or wood
Common minerals: Silica, calcite, chalcedony
Examples:
- Petrified dinosaur bone (pores filled with silica)
- Petrified wood (silica replaces organic material)
Aesthetic Uses of Petrified Fossils
💎 Why are some fossils valued for jewelry & art?
Petrified wood & bones can contain precious minerals like:
- Opal (silica with water)
- Chalcedony (fine crystalline silica)
Used in rings, pendants, and decorative pieces
Replacement Fossilization
Original organic or mineral material is replaced by another mineral
Happens at a microscopic level in sediment-rich water
Common replacement minerals:
- Silica (SiO₂)
- Pyrite (iron sulfide, FeS₂)
- Apatite (calcium phosphate, Ca₅(PO₄)₃)
🦷 How Does Silica Replace Fossil Material?
Silica (SiO₂) replaces calcite in shells & coral
Examples:
- Brachiopods (delicate spines replaced by silica).
- Coral (originally aragonite, now silica, cut & polished into jewelry)
⚡ How Does Pyrite Create Golden Fossils? (Pyritization - Replacement by Pyrite)
Pyrite (FeS₂) replaces original material, giving fossils a metallic look
Common in low-oxygen environments (swamps, deep-sea sediments)
Examples:
- Pyritized brachiopods (originally calcite).
- Pyritized ammonite shells (used in jewelry)
💎 What is an Extremely Rare Fossil Replacement?
Fossils can rarely be replaced by beryl (emerald variety)
Example:
- Gastropod shell replaced by emerald
Phosphatization - Replacement by Apatite
Apatite (Ca₅(PO₄)₃) replaces original material, especially cartilage & bone
Examples:
- Shark vertebrae (originally cartilage, now apatite)
- Fossilized shark teeth (enriched by phosphate from sediment)
Carbonization
🔥 How does carbonization preserve fossils?
Organic material loses oxygen & hydrogen, leaving behind carbon
Occurs under low heat & pressure (e.g., buried plant matter)
Common in swampy environments → forms coal
🌿 What Type of Fossils are Commonly Preserved by Carbonization?
Plant material (e.g., fern leaves)
Compressed organic remains turn into thin carbon films
Coal is an example of fossilized plant material
🖤Formation of Jet (Fossil Gemstone)
Jet is a gemstone variety of coal
Forms from fossilized Araucaria tree wood, subjected to heat & pressure
Used in jewelry & decorative items
Mould Fossils
A fossil mould forms when an organism’s hard parts dissolve after being buried in sediment
Leaves behind an empty imprint of the original structure
External vs. Internal Moulds
External mould → Outer impression of an organism
Internal mould → Sediment fills the inside of a shell before it dissolves, leaving a cast of its interior
Example:
- Ammonites & gastropods often show both types!
How Do Cast Fossils Form?
When an external mould gets infilled by sediment or minerals
Creates a replica of the original organism
Example:
- Tree trunk cast, gastropod shell cast filled with chalcedony
Chocolate Bunny Analogy
External mould = the hollow chocolate bunny mould
Cast = the chocolate bunny itself (filling the mould)
Common Shapes in Nature
1️⃣ The planispiral (2D spiral)
2️⃣ The helix (3D spiral)
3️⃣ The hexagon
4️⃣ Fractals
These patterns appear in both living and fossil organisms!
Planispiral (2D Spiral)
A flat spiral seen in many organisms, both modern & ancient
Often follows the Golden Spiral (Fibonacci sequence)
Examples:
🐚 Nautilus, ammonites, ramshorn snail, foraminifera, millipedes, fern shoots
The Helix (3D Spiral)
A stretched, lop-sided spiral instead of a flat one
Seen in many biological & natural structures
Examples:
🐏 Ram horns, 🧬 DNA, 🌀 Tornadoes, 🦠 Bryozoans, 🌿 Plant tendrils
The Hexagon
Maximizes space efficiency
Maximizes structural integrity
Minimizes stress in structures
Examples:
🍯 Honeycombs, 🦴 Fossil coral, 🦖 Dinosaur skin, 🌋 Basalt columns
Fractal
A geometrical shape made up of identical parts that resemble the overall pattern
The term “fractal” was coined by Benoit Mandelbrot in the 1970s
What Makes a Fractal Shape?
Repeated self-similarity → Smaller copies of the shape appear within itself
This pattern continues infinitely in smaller and smaller scales
How can a Rectangle Form a Fractal? - Simple Rectangle Example
1️⃣ Start with one rectangle.
2️⃣ Add two smaller rectangles beneath it.
3️⃣ Repeat the process with each new smaller rectangle.
4️⃣ Keep repeating → The pattern expands infinitely!
Where Do We See Fractals?
Nature → Snowflakes, tree branches, coastlines
Mathematics → Mandelbrot Set, Cantor’s Bar Set
Technology → Computers generate complex fractals using equations
The Mandelbrot Set
A famous fractal discovered by Benoit Mandelbrot
Self-similar patterns appear at different scales when zoomed in
Based on the equation: Zn+1 = Zn² + C
Why are Fractals Unique?
Zooming in reveals repeating patterns within the shape
Each level contains the same structure at different scales
Seen in nature & mathematics!
Ediacaran Biota
Oldest known complex animals (~575 million years old)
First experiment in multicellularity
Found in Spaniard’s Bay, Newfoundland
Ammonite Sutures & Fractals
Complex, fractal-like patterns in fossilized ammonite shells
Similar to mathematically generated sutures
Helped strengthen the shell while allowing flexibility
Fractals in Nature
Trees (branching structure)
Romanesco broccoli (self-repeating spirals)
Lungs (bronchi & bronchioles)
Stream valleys & snowflakes
Mineral dendrites
Fossil Fern & Fractal Fern
Fossil ferns show natural fractal-like growth
The Barnsley Fern is a mathematical model of fractal patterns in ferns
How do Trees Exhibit Fractal Patterns?
Elm trees and other plants grow in repeating patterns
Fractal models can simulate tree branching
