FOSSILS AND ENVIROMENTS IN OHIO
1 – What do you think your fossil is from the scavenger hunt?
(write a response)
2 - Does your fossil resemble any living creature?
(write a response)
Now use the pictures on the following pages to identify your fossil – there are pictures and also following this a table showing the distribution of the plastic fossil reproductions – their name, their geological age, and a following page providing some additional information on the plastic fossils – which ones are based on specimens that can be found in Ohio.
The plastic fossil kit contains 20 different fossils that represent a variety of life forms
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Images of additional fossils from Ohio for the scavenger hunt – fossil plants and vertebrates:-
Leaves of a sphenopsid A lycopod
Pennsylvanian Period, Athens Co., OH Pennsylvanian Period, Perry Co., OH
Scale bar = 1 cm Scale bar = 1 cm
Stigmaria rootlets on root Stigmaria rootlet scars on root
A lycopod A lycopod
Pennsylvanian Period, Mahoning Co., OH Pennsylvanian Period, Mahoning Co., OH
Scale bar = 10 cm Scale bar = 10 cm
Swamp white oak pollen Jack pine pollen
Pleistocene to Recent Pleistocene to Recent
Mastodon skeleton
Pleistocene (Ice Age), Licking Co., OH,
on display at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History
Specimens grew to a maximum height of about 3 m at the shoulder
Dunkleosteus – an arthrodire (armored fish)
Devonian Period, Cuyahoga Co., OH, on display at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History
Specimen nearly 1.4 m long
Mastodon tusk
Pleistocene age
This diagram shows the distributions in geologic time of the specimens represented
by the plastic fossils collection
.
Note that this timescale does not include all geologic periods .. so for example the Jurassic Period is not on this scale (it is between the Triassic and Cretaceous periods).
This timescale is meant to show the distributions through geologic time of the various plastic fossils in this collection.
However, it doesn’t mean that only sharks or snails are limited to those particular times on this chart, it just shows the time that these particular fossils are from.
SO WHAT’S FROM OHIO?
HERE’S A LIST OF THE FOSSILS IN THE PLASTIC FOSSIL KIT AND
THOSE THAT CAN BE FOUND IN OHIO ARE NOTED.
Recent – Equus tooth (Horse) – these can be found in Ohio. This is geologically Recent, which means it is less than 10,000 years old.
Recent to Miocene - the clam and the shark’s tooth would be typical of the Carolinas or Maryland coastal sediments.
Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous = Mesozoic Era "The Age of Dinosaurs"
Ohio was probably dry land above sea level during the Mesozoic and therefore was being eroded. If any dinosaurs lived and died in Ohio, and their bones were buried in sediment, those same sediments have since been destroyed by erosion. L
Cretaceous – Oleneothyris is a brachiopod (it is actually from the Paleocene, younger than the Cretaceous). It is found in New Jersey. It is very much like a "modern brachiopod" in that it belongs to a group of brachiopods that are still alive in today’s oceans.
Acanthoscaphites is a cephalopod; Tetragramma is a sea urchin and therefore a relative of sand dollars and crinoids and also Pentremites from the Mississippian (mentioned below).
Triassic – Meekoceras is a cephalopod. You could expect to find fossils like this out west, in Nevada for example.
The bedrock of Ohio is older than the Triassic so there are no fossils of Triassic age or younger geologic periods known from Ohio’s bedrock. However, the Pleistocene Ice Age deposits of Ohio are younger, and rest on top of Ohio’s bedrock.
Pennsylvanian – the Neospirifer brachiopod can be found in Ohio.
Mississippian – Spirifer is a brachiopod, Muensteroceras is a cephalopod (a relative of the living Nautilus cephalopod), the crinoid stem and Pentremites are both echinoderm fossils. Fossils very similar to these are found in Ohio. However, Mississippian cephalopods are very rare.
Devonian – Mucrospirifer is a brachiopod and Phacops is a trilobite. Both are found in Ohio.
Silurian – the fossil Eospirifer is a brachiopod and has been found in Ohio.
Ordovician – the fossils are a cephalopod (Michelinoceras) and a trilobite (Flexicalymene) – these can be found in Ohio. The trilobite is Ohio’s State Fossil.
You will notice that five of the specimens in this kit are brachiopods. This really isn’t a bad thing as brachiopods are very common at certain places in Ohio’s bedrock.
So as a result of your investigation have your answers to the following two questions changed? Also, consider when the animal or plant lived based on the information you have just reviewed (question 3)
1 – What do you think your fossil is from the scavenger hunt?
(write a response)
2 - Does your fossil resemble any living creature?
(write a response)
3 – When do you think your fossil lived in the past?
4 – Did all fossils live at the same time in the past?
If no, what evidence can you cite?
FOSSILS AND ENVIRONMENTS
Do you know where your fossil lived?
Can you describe the environment your fossil lived in?
Now look over the information on the next page and see if this modifies your answers
WHAT ENVIROMENTS DID THESE ORGANISMS LIVE IN?
Pennsylvanian plants – terrestrial swamp environment – lots of moisture/humidity, lots of lush vegetation growing in low-lying areas . Would be like the Everglades of Florida today
Mastodon - cold arctic-like environment, herbivore, adaptation to cold climate includes large body size and woolly coat
Dunkleosteus – marine sea covering Ohio during the Devonian Period, predator, nektonic
Plastic fossils:
Equus – Horse tooth – vertebrate, terrestrial lives in grasslands, herbivore
Venericardia – invertebrate, salt water, benthonic
Carcharodon – shark – vertebrate, predator, carnivore, salt water
Merychippus – fossil horse - vertebrate, the first grazing horse, herbivore
Pecten – invertebrate, salt water, mainly benthonic, filter feeder
Turritella - invertebrate, salt water, benthonic, grazer on algae
Oleneothyris - invertebrate, salt water, benthonic, filter feeder
Acanthoscaphites - invertebrate, salt water, benthonic, predator
Tetragramma - invertebrate, salt water, benthonic, grazer on algae
Meekoceras - invertebrate, salt water, pelagic
Neospirifer - invertebrate, salt water, benthonic, filter feeder
Spirifer - invertebrate, salt water, benthonic, filter feeder
Muensteroceras - invertebrate, salt water, nektonic
Crinoid (stem) - invertebrate, salt water, benthonic, filter feeder
Pentremites - invertebrate, salt water, benthonic, filter feeder
Mucrospirifer - invertebrate, salt water, benthonic, filter feeder
Phacops - invertebrate, salt water, mostly benthonic, deposit feeder
Eospirifer - invertebrate, salt water, benthonic, filter feeder
Michelinoceras - invertebrate, salt water, pelagic, predator
Flexicalymene - invertebrate, salt water, mostly benthonic, deposit feeder
SOME KEY WORDS:
Benthonic – live on the sea floor
Carnivore – eats other animals – meat eater
Deposit feeder – ingest mud/sediment and extract nutrients from this
Filter feeder – filter food particles from water to obtain food
Herbivore – plant eater
Invertebrate – animal without backbone
Predator – consumes other organisms (= carnivore)
Pelagic – active swimmer
Salt water – lives in the sea (= marine)
Terrestrial – lives on land
Vertebrate – animal with backbone/spine
ASSIGNMENT:
Based on fossils used in this activity draw two dioramas:
one showing Ohio during the Pleistocene;
the other showing Ohio during the Mississippian Period.
Include only the animals/plants that lived during the specific time you are drawing (i.e., only Pleistocene animals and plants in your Pleistocene drawing).
If you have books on fossils and the geological history of the earth you could incorporate other fossils in your diorama, providing they are consistent with your environment (i.e., you can’t put trees that lived on land growing in the sea!).
A copy of Fossils of Ohio would be very helpful to find more fossils to put in your diorama. This publication is available from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Geologic Survey, Bulletin 70, edited by Rodney M. Feldmann and Merrianne Hackathorn, 1996.
DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS AT DIFFERENT TIMES:
The main point here is that the Pleistocene diorama will be a terrestrial setting – tundra- to forest-like environment with an Arctic-type climate – glaciers and pro-glacial lakes are fine – but the Mastodon and pine trees are important components.
The Mississippian diorama will be a marine sea with crinoids and brachiopods on the sea floor and swimming predatory cephalopods
THESE FOLLOWING PICTURES GIVE A SENSE OF
CHANGING ENVIRONMENTS IN OHIO – FROM "FOSSILS OF OHIO"
Ordovician Period
Cephalopods, trilobites, brachiopods, bryozoans, crinoids are common
Devonian Period
Corals, cephalopods, trilobites, crinoids, brachiopods are common
Mississippian Period – crinoids (aka sea lilies) are very common
Pennsylvanian Period
Reptiles, amphibians, and coal-swamp vegetation
Pleistocene period
Mastodon drinking in cold-climate setting
Pine trees common
Dioramas from book Fossils of Ohio
An activity that the plastic fossil kits could be used for:
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BIOLOGICAL GROUPINGS
THE FOLLOWING PAGES PROVIDE SOME MORE INFORMATION ON
OHIO’S PAST ENVIRONMENTS
THE DIVERSITY OF LIFE THROUGH TIME
THE GEOLOGICAL TIMESCALE
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A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE GEOLOGIC HISTORY OF OHIO GEOLOGIC SETTING LIFE FORMS ROCK TYPES ECONOMIC Quaternary (1.6 million-present) Two-thirds of Ohio was covered by mile-thick ice during glacial periods. many large mammals such as mastodons, mammoths, giant beavers, and ground sloths, as well as modern plants and animals, including humans glacial till, clay, silt, sand, gravel; form the surface sediments in northern and western Ohio common clay products (clay); material for road construction and cement
(sand and gravel) Mesozoic & Tertiary Ohio was above sea level and weathering erosion, and nondeposition prevailed. no known record, but dinosaurs probably roamed Ohio during the Mesozoic
Permian In early Permian time, southeastern Ohio was a coastal-plain swamp. Ohio lay about 5° north of the Equator. The swamp eventually was filled by influx of deltaic sand and mud. Later Permian time was characterized by uplift and erosion. sparse freshwater fossils such as snails, clams, fishes; marine fossils rare; sparse land fossils include plants, amphibians, reptiles sandstone, shale, freshwater limestone, coal; form the surface rocks in southeasternmost Ohio crushed stone (limestone); electric power (coal) Pennsylvanian Ohio in Pennsylvanian time was a relatively flat coastal-plain swamp in equatorial latitudes. Fluctuations in sea level resulted in alternating terrestrial, freshwater, and marine deposits. land plants abundant; terrestrial and freshwater life included amphibians, reptiles, freshwater clams; marine life included crinoids, snails, cephalopods, brachiopods, fishes; trilobites rare sandstone, conglomerate, shale, clay, limestone, coal, flint, ironstone; form the surface rocks in eastern Ohio building stone, crushed stone for construction and industrial uses such
as glass manufacturing, oil and gas (sandstone); crushed stone for
construction and cement (limestone); pottery and common clay products (shale
and clay); electric power (coal) Mississippian In latest Devonian and early Mississippian time, dark organic muds gave way to fluvial and deltaic silts and sands. Ohio lay in equatorial latitudes. In late Mississippian time, a shallow sea deposited limy sediments. During latest Mississippian time the seas retreated, leaving a sparse rock record. brachiopods, clams, crinoids, fishes; land plants increasingly abundant sandstone, siltstone, conglomerate, shale, limestone; form the surface rocks in northwestern and east-central Ohio building stone, crushed stone for construction and industrial uses, oil
and gas (sandstone); crushed stone for construction and cement (limestone);
common clay products (shale) Devonian Most of Ohio was dry land during early Devonian time, although the sea still covered eastern Ohio. Ohio was in equatorial latitudes. In Middle Devonian time, warm, shallow seas deposited limy sediments. Layers of muddy sediments and some volcanic ash in late Middle Devonian time signaled renewed volcanic activity and mountain building east of Ohio. In late Devonian time, the Ohio sea became stagnant; circulation was poor, and the water was generally anoxic (lacking oxygen). Thick layers of black, organic-rich, uranium-bearing mud were deposited in these "stinking seas." coral reefs, bryozoans, brachiopods, trilobites, cephalopods, clams, crinoids, ostracodes; first major appearance of sharks and bony fishes in Middle Devonian; true land plants appear limestone, dolomite, shale, sandstone; form the surface rocks in northwestern Ohio, through central Ohio, and along the Lake Erie shore crushed stone for construction and cement, aglime (limestone and dolomite); synfuels and natural gas (shale, sandstone, and limestone) Silurian At the beginning of Silurian time, Ohio was dry land subject to erosion. Then warm, shallow seas returned. Ohio lay 20° south of the Equator. Middle Silurian seas were deeper and covered Ohio; reef environments were common. Late Silurian seas were shallower and formed evaporite (salt-bearing) basins in northern Ohio. coral reefs abundant, also echinoderms, clams, brachiopods, cephalopods limestone, dolomite, shale, gypsum; form the surface rocks in western Ohio; salt and sandstone (eastern Ohio) present in the subsurface crushed stone for construction and cement, aglime, oil and gas (limestone, dolomite, and sandstone); road salt (salt); wallboard (gypsum) Ordovician A warm, shallow sea (deeper in eastern Ohio) similar to the Bahamas covered Ohio, which lay 20° south of the Equator. The western part of Ohio, at times, emerged as low muddy islands. Limy sediments were dominant. Volcanic activity and mountain building to the east of Ohio produced periodic layers of ash over the entire state and muddy deltaic sediments in eastern Ohio. The sea deepened in later Ordovician time, covering all of the state. At the close of Ordovician time, continental glaciation in the southern hemisphere lowered sea level and the seas retreated. bryozoans abundant, also brachiopods, cephalopods, trilobites, horn corals, snails, clams, echinoderms, graptolites limestone, shale; form the surface rocks in southwestern Ohio; dolomite in subsurface crushed stone (limestone); oil and gas (limestone, shale) Cambrian Marine seas gradually flooded the Precambrian land surface and covered Ohio by late Cambrian time, initially depositing sands, then silts, muds, and limy muds. Ohio lay 10° south of the Equator. Toward the end of Cambrian time, limy sediments accumulated in a shallow marine sea in an arid climate. marine life abundant, but few fossils known from Ohio because knowledge is limited to core samples; trilobites reached their peak diversity in the late Cambrian sandstone, shale, dolomite; present in subsurface only oil and gas (sandstone, dolomite) Precambrian Between 1.4 and 990 million years ago, volcanic activity, crustal rifting, and filling of basins formed by rifting took place. Between 990 and 880 million years ago, a mountain range formed in eastern Ohio. Between 880 and 544 million years ago, these mountains were eroded, reducing the landscape to a gently rolling surface. none known from Ohio; algae and lower invertebrates found in areas other than Ohio igneous, metamorphic, and metasedimentary rocks; present only at great depths2,500 to 13,000 feet beneath the surface no current production
1 Time assignments are based on Geological Society of America Decade of North American Geology 1983 Geologic Time Scale.This GeoFacts compiled by staff of Division of Geological
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DIVERSITY THROUGH TIME
| Number of Marine Families | ||||||
| millions of years ago |
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Ranges in
the Fossil Record |
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This diagram shows the distribution of some major animal and plant groups through the Phanerozoic Eon ("Evident Life"), the last 540 million years of earth history (not 570 as indicated on the diagram). The graph in the middle of the diagram shows "Evolutionary Faunas" identified on marine fossils through time: Cambrian Fauna is characterized by trilobites; the Paleozoic Fauna is characterized by brachiopods and crinoids; the Modern Fauna is characterized by Molluscs (cephalopods, bivalves, gastropods).
Major Mass Extinctions during the Phanerozoic are shown by red arrows. The
last arrow at 65 million years ago marks the extinction that affected the
dinosaurs amongst other organisms.
Here is a more detailed version of the Geological Timescale ..
for your reading pleasure! J
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http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/help/timeform.html |
(mya = million years ago)
| Cenozoic Era (65 mya to today) |
Quaternary (1.8 mya to today) Holocene (10,000 years to today) Pleistocene (1.8 mya to 10,000 yrs) Tertiary (65 to 1.8 mya) Pliocene (5.3 to 1.8 mya) Miocene (23.8 to 5.3 mya) Oligocene (33.7 to 23.8 mya) Eocene (54.8 to 33.7 mya) Paleocene (65 to 54.8 mya) |
| Mesozoic Era (248 to 65 mya) |
Cretaceous (144 to 65 mya) Jurassic (206 to 144 mya) Triassic (248 to 206 mya) |
| Paleozoic Era (543 to 248 mya) |
Permian (290 to 248 mya) Carboniferous (354 to 290 mya) Pennsylvanian (323 to 290 mya) Mississippian (354 to 323 mya) Devonian (417 to 354 mya) Silurian (443 to 417 mya) Ordovician (490 to 443 mya) Cambrian (543 to 490 mya) Tommotian (530 to 527 mya) |
| Proterozoic Era (2500 to 543 mya) |
Neoproterozoic (900 to 543
mya) Vendian (650 to 543 mya) Mesoproterozoic (1600 to 900 mya) Paleoproterozoic (2500 to 1600 mya) |
| Archaean (3800 to 2500 mya) |
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| Hadean (4500 to 3800 mya) |
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SOME MISCONCEPTIONS
Misconception: Mammoths and mastodons are dinosaurs
Response: There are plenty of large-bodied, fossilized animals that are not dinosaurs. Dinosaurs lived during the Mesozoic Era of geologic time. Mammoths and mastodons lived much more recently, during the Pleistocene Ice Age, becoming extinct around 10,000 years ago. They are mammals, and part of the radiation of mammals during the Cenozoic Era.
In addition, not all dinosaurs were large, some were very small, comparable to the size of a large chicken for example.
Misconception: Dinosaurs and humans co-existed
Response: This is a false idea with absolutely no co-occurrence of dinosaur and human remains to support it. Dinosaurs became extinct 65 million years ago. The record of humans (the genus Homo) stretches back only around 2 million years. The Flintstones is fiction .. sad but true.
Fossils can be found everywhere
Response: Fossils are found in sedimentary rocks. Sedimentary rocks are not found everywhere! Ohio’s bedrock (the solid rock under the soil) is sedimentary and therefore many fossils can be found in Ohio, particularly in the western half of the State where limestones contain many fossils.
Revised
July 2001