WEEKLY LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEETS

Earth Science Grade Eleven, Quarter 2, Week 6B

INDEX FOSSILS

Learning Competency:
Describe how index fossils (also known as guide fossils) are used to define and
identify subdivision of the geologic time scale (MELC S11ES-IIi-j-38)

Specific Objectives:
1. Identify which animal fossils are considered as index fossils;
2. Use index fossils to describe and identify events in geologic time scale.

Key Concepts

Index Fossils

Index fossils are commonly found, widely distributed fossils that are limited in
time span. It is used for the determination of the age of organic rocks and other fossil
assemblages and help to establish relationships between rock units.

The word 'fossil' literally means anything dug out of the earth.

Fossils are vestiges of plants or animals preserved in strata of earth that give
evidence of their presence in the geologic past. In a strict sense, fossils include not only
the remains of organisms or their parts but also anything connected with an organism
proving its existence (trace fossil).

In 1796, William Smith, a British civil engineer, first noted that rock was
characterized by unique sets of fossil taxa. By noting the presence of fossils, it became
possible to correlate rock units of varying lithologies across vast distance and to
establish time horizons in lithologically uniform diachronous rock units. Certain floral
and faunal remains are often found to be restricted to a particular geologic horizon.
Such fossils are known as 'index fossils' or 'guide fossils.

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_____________________________________________________________________________________
Author: Leoness B. Del Rosario
School/Station: Roxas National High School
Division: Siargao Division
email address: [email protected]
 Thus, index fossil is an abundant and easily identifiable fossil with a wide
geographic distribution and a short geologic range.

Geologic range refers to the total length of geologic time that an organism was,
or has been, present on earth.

Animal Index Fossils

a) Ammonites - group of fossils molluscs possessing exogastrically coiled shell;

Perisphinctes tiziani is a Jurassic index fossil and Trophites subbullatus is a Triassic
index fossil.

b) Gastropods - another groups of molluscs have asymmetrical bodies with usually

dextral, spirally twisted shell; Nerinea trinodosa is a Jurassic index fossil.

c) Pelecypods - a mollusc enclosed with bivalved shell and ventrally located tongue-
shaped foot; Venericardia planicosta is a Tertiary index fossil.

d) Brachiopods - bilaterally symmetrical coelomate animal with bivalved shell;

Billingsella corrugata is a Cambrian index fossil and Dictyoclostus americanus is a
Carboniferous (Pennsylvanian) fossil brachiopod.

e) Crinoid - a marine invertebrate, usually possessing a cup-shaped body and five or

more feathery tentacles; Cactocrinus multibrachiatus of Carboniferous (Mississippian) is
a good example of index fossil.

f) Trilobites - extinct marine arthropods with more or less oval body divided into three
lobes by two longitudinal furrows; Paradoxides pinus and Bathyurus extans are index
fossils of Cambrian and Ordovician periods, respectively.

Characteristics of Index Fossils

1. An organism must have lived only during a short part of Earth's history .
2. Many fossils of the organisms must be found in rock layers.
3. The fossil must be found over a wide area of Earth.
4. The organism must be unique.

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_____________________________________________________________________________________
Author: Leoness B. Del Rosario
School/Station: Roxas National High School
Division: Siargao Division
email address: [email protected]
Exercises/Activities

Activity 1
Spot the Difference

What you need: paper and ball pen

What to do:
1. Often you will be required to use the characteristics to decide which fossils in
rock outcrops can be used as index fossils.

2. For example: the diagram below shows several rock outcrops separated by large
distances in each outcrop are several fossils. Which of the fossils shown is an
index fossil?

3. When choosing the right index fossil we can reinterpret the characteristics of
index fossil to help us:

a. Easily Recognizable - is usually not an issue in these problems because

the diagram clearly illustrates each fossil.
b. Widespread - The fossil must show up in each of the different outcrops
(columns).
c. Short Lived - Within each outcrop, the fossil can only appear in one layer
(row).

3
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Author: Leoness B. Del Rosario
School/Station: Roxas National High School
Division: Siargao Division
email address: [email protected]
 4. To find the index fossil you must eliminate any fossils that don’t show up in each
rock outcrop and those that show up in more than one layer per outcrop.

5. We can eliminate “fossil 1” because it shows up in multiple layers in the same

outcrop. (It lived for too long of a time period in Earth’s history to help establish
dates of other rocks).

6. We can eliminate “fossil 2” because it shows up in multiple layers in column 2.

(It lived for too long a time period).

7. We can eliminate “fossil 3” because it is only in one layer in one outcrop.

8. After we've eliminated all the fossils that don't fit the requirements, we have only
1 left that appears in all the outcrops, and in only one layer per outcrop. So the
correct index fossil is .

9. Based on the example given, try to observe the following illustration and identify
which animal fossils do not qualify as index fossil?

Outcrop 3

Outcrop 1

Outcrop 2

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_____________________________________________________________________________________
Author: Leoness B. Del Rosario
School/Station: Roxas National High School
Division: Siargao Division
email address: [email protected]
Guide questions:
1. Which fossil appears most in outcrop 1?
2. What fossil appears only once in the outcrop?
3. Which animal fossils are considered as index fossils?
4. How can we identify good index fossil?

Scoring Rubric for guide question number 4

2 points Demonstrate full knowledge with scientific explanations and elaboration

1 point Demonstrate knowledge but fails to elaborate
0 point No answer

Activity 2
Timeline

What you need: paper and ball pen/pencil

What to do:
1. Provided below is illustrations of the Index Fossil Reference Guide and
Geological Time scale table

Figure 1. Index Fossil Reference Guide

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_____________________________________________________________________________________
Author: Leoness B. Del Rosario
School/Station: Roxas National High School
Division: Siargao Division
email address: [email protected]
 Figure 2. Geologic Time Scale
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_____________________________________________________________________________________
Author: Leoness B. Del Rosario
School/Station: Roxas National High School
Division: Siargao Division
email address: [email protected]
 2. Using the geologic time scale presented above, complete the table below to
describe and identify the geologic time scale of the following given animal fossil.

Era Period Age Scientific Draw Image of fossil Describe

Name of Important
Animal Events
Index Fossil happen
Found
Cenozoic Quaternary Present- Pecten Evolution of
2.6 gibbus humans
million
years
ago
Perisphinctes
tiziani

Leptodus
americanus

Hexamoceras
hertzrl

Paradoxides
pinus

Guide questions:
1. Which of the following fossils is the oldest?

2. Why is index fossil important?

Scoring Rubric for guide questions number 2

2 points Demonstrate full knowledge with scientific explanations and elaboration

1 point Demonstrate knowledge but fails to elaborate
0 point No answer

7
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Author: Leoness B. Del Rosario
School/Station: Roxas National High School
Division: Siargao Division
email address: [email protected]
 Reflection
Index or guide fossils are organisms that existed for a short period of time, then
went extinct. This short lifetime helps to narrow the possible age of rocks containing
them, more than fossils that existed for a long time. With that, cite possible applications
of the concept of Index Fossil? (Answer in 3-5 sentences)

Rubrics:
5- Practical application is scientifically explained consistent to the concepts and has
no misconception.
4- Practical application is scientifically explained consistent to the concepts, but with
minimal misconception.
3- Practical application is scientifically explained consistent to the concepts, but with
misconception.
2- Practical application is scientifically explained consistent to the concepts, but with
many misconceptions.
1- Practical application is inconsistent to the concepts and has many misconceptions.
0- No discussion

Answers key

span of geologic time, distinct and easily recognizable, and abundant.

4. A good index fossil must be widespread in distribution geographically, limited in a short
3. Ammonite
2. Trilobite
1. Gastropod
Guide Questions

Coral, Fern, Gastropod, Trilobite, Crinoid -

Activity 1

8
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Author: Leoness B. Del Rosario
School/Station: Roxas National High School
Division: Siargao Division
email address: [email protected]
 email address: [email protected]
Division: Siargao Division
School/Station: Roxas National High School
Author: Leoness B. Del Rosario
_____________________________________________________________________________________
9
Reflection
Possible answer:
The fossils present in a rock suggest the characteristics of time when the rock formed. Further,
they also suggest the depositional environment in which the preserved organisms lived. This aids us
in determining details of the geologic history of an area.
Guide Questions
1. Paradoxides pinus
2. They are used for the determination of the age of organic rocks and other fossil assemblages.
Era Period Age Scientific Name of Draw Image of Describe
Index Fossil Found fossil Important
Events
happen
Cenozoic Quaternary Present-2.6 Pecten gibbus Evolution of
million humans
years ago
Mesozoic Jurassic 150-200 Perisphinctes tiziani First bird
million Dinosaurs
years ago diversity
Paleozoic Permian 250-300 Leptodus americanus Major
million extinctions
years ago Reptiles
diversity
Paleozoic Silurian 450 million Hexamoceras hertzrl First
years ago vascular
land plants
Paleozoic Cambrian 500-550 Paradoxides pinus First fishes
million First
years ago chordates
Activity 2
Reference for Learner

8TH GRADE SCIENCE. 2020. Law Of Superposition & Index Fossils. [online] Available
at: <https://clarkscience8.weebly.com/law-of-superposition--index-fossils.html>
[Accessed 4 November 2020].

https://msnucleus.org/membership/html/jh/earth/stratigraphy/lesson3/stratigraph
y3e.html

Ias.ac.in. 2020. [online] Available at:

<https://www.ias.ac.in/public/Volumes/reso/011/10/0069-0077.pdf> [Accessed 4
November 2020].

Jr., G. Tyler Miller. 2016. Earth Science. 856 Nicanor Reyes Sr.St.,
Sampaloc,Manila,Philippines: Rex Book Store,Inc.

Link.quipper.com. 2020. [online] Available at:

<https://link.quipper.com/en/organizations/547ffc25d2b76d00020028ec/curriculu
m#curriculum> [Accessed 4 November 2020].

Pubs.usgs.gov. 2020. Geologic Time: Index Fossils. [online] Available at:

<http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/geotime/fossils.html> [Accessed 4 November 2020].

Pinterest. 2020. Geologic Time Scale, 650 Mya To Present | Geologic Time Scale, Geology,
Earth And Space Science. [online] Available at:
<https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/9710955416851410/> [Accessed 4 November 2020].

Rowan.k12.ky.us. 2020. [online] Available at:

<https://www.rowan.k12.ky.us/userfiles/994/Classes/1493/Index%20Fossil%20Cha
racteristics%20and%20Correlation.pdf> [Accessed 4 November 2020].

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_____________________________________________________________________________________
Author: Leoness B. Del Rosario
School/Station: Roxas National High School
Division: Siargao Division
email address: [email protected]