Digging Up The Past A fourth grade experience

Digging Up The Past A fourth grade experience in exploring fossils Explore Calendar Show Me What You Know Warning! Grading Rubric

Explore Click on a fossil to begin Fossils in Utah Back to Explore

Back to Explore Fossils

What is a fossil? Back to Explore A fossil is an impression, cast, original material or track of any animal or plant that is preserved in rock after the original organic material is transformed or removed.

A fossil may be: n n an original skeleton or shell; a mold or cast; material that has replaced the once living thing; traces such as footprints or worm tubes Back to Explore

What conditions promote fossilization? n Hard body parts such as skeletal bones or exoskeletons Back to Explore

What conditions promote fossilization? n Rapid burial and/or lack of oxygen Back to Explore

Back to Explore What are the fossil types? n n Body fossils – actual parts of an organism, unaltered or altered bones, shells, leaf imprints Trace fossils – evidence of life that is not a body fossil tracks, burrows, casts

Body fossils Back to Explore

Trace Fossils Back to Explore

What are the modes of fossil preservation for body fossils? Unaltered Original Material - original, unaltered material from the living organism unaltered bone or shell Encrustations or entombments – material is trapped inside coating such as amber Back to Explore

What are the modes of fossil preservation? Altered Permineralization – pores in tissue are filled by minerals n Replacement – replacement of tissue with minerals Back to Explore

What are the modes of fossil preservation for body fossils? Altered Carbonization – tissue material is decomposed or reduced to a film of carbon n Back to Explore

More on trace fossils n n Mold – reproduction of the inside or outside surface of a living thing Cast – duplicate of the original organism; usually formed by replacement of inside of living thing Back to Explore

More on trace fossils n Burrows or borings – Spaces dug out by living things and preserved as is or filled in Back to Explore

More on trace fossils n n Gastroliths – smooth stones from abdominal cavity of dinosaurs Coprolites – fossilized excrement; usually preserved by replacement Back to Explore

More on trace fossils n Tracks – impressions of passage of living things Back to Explore

Where are they? (PUSH ENTER)

Back to Explore Click on a star to find information about fossils found in this area.

Back to Explore TRILOBITES Back to Utah Map Trilobites are extinct marine (water) animals that existed 550 million to around 300 million years ago in the seas that once covered Utah. They are related to crustaceans of today such as crabs and lobsters. There are many kinds of trilobites found all over the world. Trilobites were easily fossilized because as they died, their bodies settled to the sea bottom where they were covered by layer after layer of new soil.

Back to Explore Back to Utah Map Allosaurus Of the bones taken out of Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry, about threequarters belong to the meat -eater Allosaurus. This predator has sharp claws, strong jaws and sharp teeth.

Back to Explore Stegosaurus Back to Utah Map The STEGOSAURUS was a dinosaur from the Jurassic period (about 200 million years ago). You can recognize it by the bony plates that run down the neck and back. It had a small head with a walnut-sized brain (the same as a kitten)! The stegosaurus was a plant eater. The bones of the Stegosaurus are found throughout the Cleveland-Lloyd quarry, but especially in "Stegosaurus Corner" where four skeletons were discovered.

Back to Explore Back to Utah Map Camarasaurus CAMARASAURUS means "chambered lizard" because of the hollow chambers in its backbones. This made it lighter, so the Camarasaurus could move easily. These plant-eaters grew larger than the quarry building.

Back to Explore Allosaurus Back to Utah Map This predator has sharp claws, strong jaws and sharp teeth. It is from the late Jurassic period. The ALLOSAURUS is Utah’s State Fossil. Marshosaurus is small, rare theropod (beast footed). It is a carnivore that reached lengths up to 16 feet and was named after O. C. Marsh, a famous paleontologist from the 1800 s.

Back to Explore Back to Utah Map Camarasaurus CAMARASAURUS means "chambered lizard" because of the hollow chambers in its backbones. This made it lighter, so the Camarasaurus could move easily. These dinosaurs reached lengths of 50 feet! Camarasaurus walked on all fours, but could rear up on its hind legs to reach high trees to feed with its strong, spoon shaped teeth.

Utahraptor Claw UTAHRAPTOR was discovered in 1991 by Dr. Jim Kirkland in a desert near Moab, Utah. It was a meateater and used its large, razor-sharp claws to cut into its prey. Its build shows it was a speedy predator, and evidence suggests that it was pack hunter. Like other meat-eating dinosaurs, raptors walked on two legs. Utahraptor Skull Back to Explore Back to Utah Map

Back to Explore Back to Utah Map SABER TOOTHED CAT The SABER-TOOTHED CAT fossil was found near Park City. It is an extinct ice age animal.

Back to Explore OYSTERS Back to Utah Map A shallow sea entered this area from the east about 190 -160 million years ago. There are several layers of limestone here made almost entirely of shells and shell pieces.

Back to Explore TRILOBITES Trilobites are extinct marine (water) animals that existed 550 million to around 300 million years ago in the seas that once covered Utah. They are related to crustaceans of today such as crabs and lobsters. There are many different kinds of trilobites found all over the world. Trilobites were easily fossilized because as they died their bodies settled to the sea bottom where they were covered by layer after layer of new soil deposits. Back to Utah Map

Back to Explore Crinoid About 350 million years ago, warm shallow seas rich with life covered most of Utah. West of Salt Lake in Tooele County, fossils of crinoids or sea lilies, two-valved seashells (brachiopods) and coral are found. Crinoid Stems Back to Utah Map Brachiopod Horn Coral

Back to Explore Back to Utah Map PETRIFIED WOOD and agate have been found by Capitol Reef National Park. Petrified wood is a fossil in which the organic material has been replaced by minerals during the fossilization process.

Back to Explore HUNTINGTON MAMMOTH Back to Utah Map The HUNTINGTON MAMMOTH was found in 1988 by people working on a dam. It is an ice age animal. The skeleton was 90% complete. The Huntington mammoth lived about 10, 500 years ago. Tooth wear and arthritis in its bones tells us it was a very old mammoth. Scientists could tell what its last meal was!

Back to Explore Stegosaurus Back to Utah Map The stegosaurus was a dinosaur from the Jurassic period (about 195 million years ago) and has been found in several places in Utah. You can recognize it by the bony plates that run down the neck and back. It had a small head with a walnut-sized brain (the same as a kitten)! The stegosaurus was a plant eater.

Calendar Back to Explore Click below to view the calendar of fossil activities

Warning! n Back to Explore Using MS WORD, write a letter to an extinct animal (maybe a dinosaur or trilobite) or fossilized plant warning it of its future. Think of fossil as your friend. Describe the events that occur that eventually lead it to become a fossil.