Question

task 5: stories from the fossil record
paleontology

• what is paleontology? the study of a
• fossils of marine animals, like the archaeocyathid, in the rocks of the desert
• different shapes of leaf fossils
• hooked spines helped show seed dispersal, bite marks made by a marine reptile on a shell
• provide evidence of past environments
• provide evidence about how organisms interacted with one another (ex. predator and prey)
• provide evidence of how climates have changes through time

Explanation:

• Fossils of marine animals in desert rocks: Marine animals live in water. Their fossils in desert (now dry) rocks suggest that the area was once underwater (a past environment). So it "provide evidence of past environments".
• Different shapes of leaf fossils: Leaf shapes can be influenced by climate (e.g., in colder vs warmer, wetter vs drier climates). So different leaf - fossil shapes "provide evidence of how climates have changes through time".
• Hooked spines (seed dispersal) and bite marks (predator - prey): Hooked spines show plant - animal interaction (for seed dispersal) and bite marks show predator - prey interaction. So this "provide evidence about how organisms interacted with one another (ex. predator and prey)".

Answer:

1. Fossils of marine animals, like the archaeocyathid, in the rocks of the desert: provide evidence of past environments
2. Different shapes of leaf fossils: provide evidence of how climates have changes through time
3. Hooked spines helped show seed dispersal, bite marks made by a marine reptile on a shell: provide evidence about how organisms interacted with one another (ex. predator and prey)