Fossils and Ancient Life on the Internet

Fossils and Ancient Life on the Internet
Exploring Fossils and Ancient Life on the Internet – 24 pts
, you will visit several web sites to learn more about ancient life and fossils. Each question is worth 1 pt each.
A. Getting into the Fossil Record http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/education/explorations/tours/fossil/9to12/intro.html
1. View the animation about getting into the fossil record, and write several explanations summarizing how a dinosaur can become a fossil.
2. The word “fossil” means what (from Latin)?
3. What are paleontologists?
4. Fossils can be body parts of ancient organisms, or they can be traces. Give five examples of traces.
5. Which type of organism do you think is most likely to be preserved? One that gets buried quickly or one that gets buried slowly? Why?
6. What are three biotic factors that can affect an organism after death?
7. What is an abiotic factor that can prevent the organism from becoming preserved, AFTER it has been buried?
8. What type of animal might become preserved in amber?
9. Where is a tar pit found?
10. What type of animal might become preserved in a tar pit?
11. Which is more likely to fossilize? Hard parts or soft parts?
12. Which type of rock is most likely to contain fossils? Igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic?
13. Why is a mammoth more likely to fossilize than a caterpillar?
B. History of Life Through Time
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/historyoflife.php
1. What are the 3 domains of life?
Click on the link for Bacteria in the diagram.
2. What do bacteria do, and why are they important?
3. What is the age of the oldest fossil bacteria?
At the bottom of the Bacteria Page, click on Fossil Record and follow the links.
4. What are cyanobacteria?
5. Name two layered structures that cyanobacteria form.
6. Explain how cyanobacteria produce these layered structures.
Use the Back button to return to the “History of Life Through Time” page. Click on the link for Eukaryota in the diagram.
7. Which four groups of organisms are included in the Eukaryota?
Click on the Palm Tree.
8. Plants first appeared in the __A__ but did no begin to resemble modern land plants until the Late __B__.
A.
B.
9. Trees appeared by the end of the __A__ Period.
A.
Use the Back button to return to the “History of Life Through Time” page. Click on the link for Archaea in the diagram.
10. When were the Archaea discovered?
11. What sorts of extreme environments do the Archaea inhabit? List five.