Most Notable Fossils
Most Notable Fossils
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Most Notable Fossils
➲ Fossils : A fossil is the preserved remains or traces of an organism that lived in the past, typically from the geological past. Fossils can be formed from various parts of an organism, such as bones, shells, leaves, or even tracks and burrows.
➲ Characteristics of Fossils :
❖ Age : Fossils are typically thousands to millions of years old.
❖ Preservation : Fossils are preserved through various natural processes, such as mineralization, replacement, or impression.
❖ Morphology : Fossils retain the shape and structure of the original organism or part.
❖ Composition : Fossils can be composed of original organic material, minerals, or a combination of both.
❖ Formation : Fossils are formed through geological processes, such as sedimentation, compaction, and cementation.
❖ Rarity : Fossils are relatively rare, as the conditions for fossilization are specific and require rapid burial, low oxygen levels, and minimal disturbance.
❖ Information content : Fossils provide valuable information about the evolution, diversity, and distribution of ancient organisms.
➲ Types of Fossils :
❖ Body fossils : Preserved remains of an organism’s body, such as bones, shells, or leaves.
❖ Track fossils : Impressions or tracks left by an organism’s movement or activity.
❖ Burrow fossils : Fossilized burrows or tunnels created by organisms.
❖ Chemical fossils : Preserved chemical signatures or biomarkers of ancient organisms.
❖ Pseudofossils : Rocks or minerals that resemble fossils but are not of biological origin.
➲ Fossilization Processes :
❖ Permineralization : Minerals seep into the organism’s tissues, preserving its structure.
❖ Replacement : Minerals replace the original organic material, creating a fossil replica.
❖ Impression : The organism’s shape is preserved as an impression in the surrounding rock.
❖ Compression : The organism is compressed, preserving its shape and structure.
❖ Cementation : Minerals bind the sediment grains together, preserving the fossil.
Most Notable Fossils
➲ Fossil Discoveries :
❖ Total fossil discoveries : Over 1 million fossil species have been discovered and described worldwide.
❖ New discoveries : Approximately 15,000 to 20,000 new fossil species are discovered each year.
❖ Fossil-bearing countries : Fossils have been found in almost every country, with the top 5 countries being:
◈ China: 35,000+ fossil species
◈ United States: 20,000+ fossil species
◈ Australia: 15,000+ fossil species
◈ Brazil: 10,000+ fossil species
◈ India: 8,000+ fossil species
➲ Fossil Types :
❖ Invertebrate fossils : 70% of all fossil discoveries are invertebrates, such as:
◈ Trilobites
◈ Ammonites
◈ Corals
❖ Vertebrate fossils : 30% of all fossil discoveries are vertebrates, such as:
◈ Dinosaurs
◈ Mammals
◈ Fish
❖ Plant fossils : 10% of all fossil discoveries are plants, such as:
◈ Ferns
◈ Conifers
◈ Flowering plants
➲ Fossil Ages :
❖ Oldest fossils : The oldest fossils date back to approximately 3.5 billion years ago, during the Eoarchean era.
❖ Youngest fossils : The youngest fossils date back to the present day, with many modern species having fossil records.
❖ Fossil distribution : Fossils are found in rocks of all ages, with the majority coming from:
◈ Mesozoic era (252-66 million years ago): 40%
◈ Paleozoic era (541-252 million years ago): 30%
◈ Cenozoic era (66 million years ago to present): 20%
◈ Precambrian era (before 541 million years ago): 10%
➲ Fossil Collections :
❖ Largest fossil collections : The largest fossil collections are held by:
◈ American Museum of Natural History (New York City)
◈ Natural History Museum (London)
◈ Field Museum of Natural History (Chicago)
❖ Fossil repositories : There are over 1,000 fossil repositories worldwide, including museums, universities, and research institutions.
➲ Important : The study of fossils has been a cornerstone of paleontology, providing valuable insights into the history of life on Earth. Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of ancient organisms, and their discovery has helped scientists reconstruct the evolution of life over millions of years.
➲ 29 Most Notable Fossils.
1. Ammonites (Various species) :
✧ Founding place: Worldwide
✧ Finding time: circa 500 BCE
✧ Discoverer: Greek philosopher Xenophanes, [Xenophanes described Ammonites as “coiled shells” and noted that they were found in rocks on land, far from the sea.]
✧ Naming: Named after the Egyptian god Ammon
✧ Age: 240-65 million years old
2. Megalodon (Carcharocles megalodon) :
✧ Founding place: Worldwide
✧ Finding time: 1667
✧ Discoverer: Robert Plot
✧ Naming: Named after the Greek words for “large” and “tooth”
✧ Age: 23-2.6 million years old
3. Trilobites (Various species) :
✧ Founding place: Worldwide
✧ Finding time: 1698 (first recorded discovery)
✧ Discoverer: Various scientists
✧ Naming: Named from the Greek words for “three-lobed”
✧ Age: 520-250 million years old
4. Pterodactyl (Pterodactylus antiquus) :
✧ Founding place: Solnhofen, Germany
✧ Finding time: 1784
✧ Discoverer: Cosimo Alessandro Collini
✧ Naming: Named from the Greek words for “wing-finger”
✧ Age: 150 million years old
5. Mary Anning’s Ichthyosaur (Ichthyosaurus breviceps) :
✧ Founding place: Lyme Regis, England
✧ Finding time: 1811
✧ Discoverer: Mary Anning
✧ Naming: Named for its fish-like appearance
✧ Age: 195 million years old
6. Glyptodon (Glyptodon asper)*
✧ Founding place: South America
✧ Finding time: First discovered in the 19th century Most Notable Fossils
✧ Discoverer: Various scientists
✧ Naming: Named after the Greek words for “grooved” and “tooth”
✧ Age: 10,000-1.8 million years old
7. Placodermi (Various species)**
✧ Founding place: Worldwide
✧ Finding time: First discovered in the 19th century
✧ Discoverer: Various scientists
✧ Naming: Named after the Greek words for “plate” and “skin”
✧ Age: 400-350 million years old
8. Archaeopteryx (Archaeopteryx lithographica) :
✧ Founding place: Solnhofen, Germany
✧ Finding time: 1861
✧ Discoverer: Hermann von Meyer
✧ Naming: Named from the Greek words for “ancient” and “bird”
✧ Age: 150 million years old
9. Dunkleosteus (Dunkleosteus terrelli) :
✧ Founding place: Ohio Shale, Ohio, USA
✧ Finding time: 1867
✧ Discoverer: Jay Terrell Most Notable Fossils
✧ Naming: Named after David Dunkle, an American paleontologist
✧ Age: 360 million years old
10. Stegosaurus (Stegosaurus stenops) :
✧ Founding place: Morrison Formation, Colorado, USA
✧ Finding time: 1877
✧ Discoverer: Othniel Charles Marsh
✧ Naming: Named from the Greek words for “roofed lizard”
✧ Age: 155 million years old
11. Iguanodon (Iguanodon bernissartensis) :
✧ Founding place: Bernissart, Belgium
✧ Finding time: 1878
✧ Discoverer: Louis Dollo
✧ Naming: Named after the Greek words for “Iguana-like tooth”
✧ Age: 125-100 million years old
12. Anomalocaris (Anomalocaris canadensis) :
✧ Founding place: Burgess Shale, British Columbia, Canada
✧ Finding time: 1892
✧ Discoverer: Joseph Frederick Whiteaves
✧ Naming: Named for its unusual appearance
✧ Age: 505 million years old
13. Tyrannosaurus rex (Tyrannosaurus rex) : Most Notable Fossils
✧ Founding place: Hell Creek Formation, Montana, USA
✧ Finding time: 1902
✧ Discoverer: Barnum Brown
✧ Naming: Named from the Greek words for “tyrant lizard king”
✧ Age: 68-65 million years old
14. Hallucigenia (Hallucigenia sparsa) :
✧ Founding place: Burgess Shale, British Columbia, Canada
✧ Finding time: 1911
✧ Discoverer: Charles Walcott
✧ Naming: Named for its bizarre appearance
✧ Age: 505 million years old
15. The Burgess Shale’s Opabinia (Opabinia regalis) :
✧ Founding place: Burgess Shale, British Columbia, Canada
✧ Finding time: 1912
✧ Discoverer: Charles Walcott
✧ Naming: Named after the Opabinia River
✧ Age: 505 million years old
16. Spinosaurus (Spinosaurus aegyptiacus) :
✧ Founding place: Egypt
✧ Finding time: 1912
✧ Discoverer: Ernst Stromer
✧ Naming: Named after the Greek words for “spiny lizard”
✧ Age: 100-95 million years old
17. Velociraptor (Velociraptor mongoliensis) :
✧ Founding place: Djadochta Formation, Mongolia
✧ Finding time: 1923
✧ Discoverer: Peter Kaisen
✧ Naming: Named from the Latin words for “swift thief”
✧ Age: 75-71 million years old
18. Oviraptor (Oviraptor philoceratops) :
✧ Founding place: Djadochta Formation, Mongolia
✧ Finding time: 1923
✧ Discoverer: Roy Chapman Andrews
✧ Naming: Named after the Greek words for “egg thief”
✧ Age: 75-71 million years old
19. The ancient human ancestor, Taung Child (Australopithecus africanus) : Most Notable Fossils
✧ Founding place: Taung, South Africa
✧ Finding time: 1924
✧ Discoverer: Raymond Dart
✧ Naming: Named after the Taung region
✧ Age: 2.8 million years old
20. Dickinsonia (Dickinsonia costata) :
✧ Founding place: Ediacara Hills, South Australia
✧ Finding time: 1947
✧ Discoverer: Reg Sprigg
✧ Naming: Named after Benjamin Dickinson
✧ Age: 558 million years old
21. Kimberella (Kimberella quadrata) :
✧ Founding place: Ediacara Hills, South Australia
✧ Finding time: 1959
✧ Discoverer: Reg Sprigg
✧ Naming: Named after the Kimberley region
✧ Age: 558 million years old
22. The giant squid-like fossil, Pohlsepia (Pohlsepia mazonensis) :
✧ Founding place: Mazon Creek, Illinois, USA
✧ Finding time: 1960s
✧ Discoverer: Various scientists
✧ Naming: Named after the Pohlsepia genus
✧ Age: 309 million years old
23. Lucy (Australopithecus afarensis) :
✧ Founding place: Hadar, Ethiopia
✧ Finding time: 1974
✧ Discoverer: Donald Johanson
✧ Naming: Named after the Beatles song “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”
✧ Age: 3.2 million years old
24. Argentinosaurus (Argentinosaurus huinculensis) :
✧ Founding place: Patagonia, Argentina
✧ Finding time: 1987
✧ Discoverer: José Bonaparte
✧ Naming: Named after Argentina
✧ Age: 95-100 million years old
25. Sue the T. rex (Tyrannosaurus rex) :
✧ Founding place: Hell Creek Formation, South Dakota, USA
✧ Finding time: 1990
✧ Discoverer: Peter Larson
✧ Naming: Named after Sue Hendrickson
✧ Age: 67 million years old
26. The earliest known bird, Confuciusornis (Confuciusornis sanctus) :
✧ Founding place: Liaoning, China
✧ Finding time: 1995
✧ Discoverer: Hou Lianhai
✧ Naming: Named after Confucius
✧ Age: 125 million years old
27. Archaefructus (Archaefructus liaoningensis) :
✧ Founding place: Liaoning, China
✧ Finding time: 2002
✧ Discoverer: Ge Sun
✧ Naming: Named after the Greek words for “ancient” and “fruit”
✧ Age: 125 million years old
28. Pederpes (Pederpes finneyae) :
✧ Founding place: Scotland
✧ Finding time: 2002
✧ Discoverer: Michael Coates
✧ Naming: Named after the Greek words for “foot” and “fin”
✧ Age: 350 million years old
29. Tiktaalik (Tiktaalik roseae) :
✧ Founding place: Ellesmere Island, Canada
✧ Finding time: 2004
✧ Discoverer: Neil Shubin and Edward Daeschler
✧ Naming: Named after the Inuktitut word for “large shallow water fish”
✧ Age: 375 million years old
*Glyptodon: The first Glyptodon fossils were discovered in the 1830s by Charles Darwin during his voyage on the Beagle. However, the genus was not formally described and named until 1839 by Sir Richard Owen.
**Placodermi: The first Placodermi fossils were discovered in the 1830s, but it wasn’t until the 1850s that the group was formally described and named.
