Fossils-reviewer

Fossils It suggests that all rock layers are originally laid down
(deposited) horizontally and can later be deformed. This

Geologist-uncover what is buried in our history
allows us to infer that something must have happened
Fossils to the rocks to make them tilted.
Fossils are the remains of plants and animals who lived This includes mountain building events, earthquakes,
In the past. They are often preserved In sedimentary and faulting.
rock and other substances.
The Law of Lateral Continuity
Stratified rock type come into play because they can
The Law of Lateral Continuity states that the layers of
provide a clue on what happened to the fossils in the
rock are continuous until they encounter other solid
surface level
bodies that block their deposition or until they are acted
How are sedimentary rocks formed? upon by agents that appear after deposition takes place
such as erosion and fault movements.
Sedimentary rocks are formed by weathering, erosion,
deposition, compaction, and cementation of other rocks
that are mostly found in areas where water, wind, or
gravity deposit sediments.
Rocks mostly sedimentary that have visible bands of

minerals. These bands run in lines that resemble
LAYERING
Stratification
Stratification is the process leading to the formation or

deposition of layers, especially of the sedimentary Types of Fossils
rocks. Trace Fossil
The layers range from several millimeters to many -A trace fossil is evidence left behind, like footprints or
meters in thickness and vary greatly in shape. feces. These give us an idea of how animals may have
Strata may range from thin sheets that cover many lived.
square kilometers to thick lens like bodies that extend Cast and Mold
only a few meters lateral.
A cast is made when a mold is filled in with sediment. A
The Law of Superposition mold is a space left behind in rock that is a hollow
Law of Superposition is a basic law of geochronology, impression of the fossil
stating that in any undisturbed sequence of rocks True Form Fossil
deposited in layers, the youngest layer is on top and the
oldest on bottom, each layer being younger than the A true form fossil is created when part of the creature,
one beneath it and older than the one above it. Because like bone is preserved in a substance.
at any one location, it indicates the relative ages of rock
layers and the fossils in them.
The Law of Original Horizontality
Law of Original Horizontality was first proposed by

Danish geological pioneer Nicholas Steno in the 17th
century. The law states that layers of sediment were
originally deposited horizontally under the action of
gravity.
RELATIVE DATING VS. ABSOLUTE DATING and emit electrons. The emissions are measured to
compute the age.
The Law of Superposition
The Principle of Cross-Cutting Relationships states that

intrusions and faults that cut across rock are necessarily
younger than that rock. Inclusions, or foreign bodies,
found inside the rock are necessarily older than that
rock.
What are index fossils (Guide Fossils)?
Index fossils are fossils that are widespread but only

MAJOR METHODS OF RELATIVE DATING existed for a short period. Index fossils help scientists to
find the relative age of a rock layer and match it up with
Stratigraphy: The oldest dating method which studies other rock layers.
the successive placement of layers. It is based on the
concept that the lowest layer is the oldest and the Characteristics of an Index Fossil
topmost layer is the youngest.
A good index fossil is one with four characteristics:
Biostratigraphy: An extended version of stratigraphy
1. It is distinctive.
where the faunal deposits are used to establish dating.
2. It is widespread.
Faunal deposits include remains and fossils of dead
3. It is abundant.
animals.
4. It is limited in geologic time.
Cross dating: This method compares the age of remains
*Because most fossil-bearing rocks formed in the ocean,
or fossils found in a layer with the ones found in other
the major index fossils are marine organisms.
layers. The comparison helps establish the relative age
of these remains. Example
Fluorine dating: Bones from fossils absorb fluorine from The diagram shows several rocks outcrops separated by
the groundwater. The amount of fluorine absorbed large distances. In each outcrop are several fossils.
indicates how long the fossil has been buried in the Which of the fossils shown is an index fossil?
sediments.
When choosing the right index fossil, we can reinterpret
Radiometric dating: This technique solely depends on the characteristics of index fossil to help us as stated
the traces of radioactive isotopes found in fossils. The above:
rate of decay of these elements helps determine their
To find the index fossil you must eliminate any fossils
age, and in turn the age of the rocks.
that don’t show up in each rock outcrop and those that
Amino acid dating: Physical structure of living beings show up in more than one layer per outcrop.
depends on the protein content in their bodies. The
changes in this content help determine the relative age
of these fossils.
Dendrochronology: Each tree has growth rings in its

trunk. This technique dates the time or period during
which these rings were formed.
Thermoluminescence: It determines the period during

which certain object was last subjected to heat. It is
based on the concept that heated objects absorb light

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Fossils It suggests that all rock layers are originally laid down

(deposited) horizontally and can later be deformed. This

Rocks mostly sedimentary that have visible bands of

Stratification is the process leading to the formation or

The Law of Original Horizontality

Law of Original Horizontality was first proposed by

The Law of Superposition

The Principle of Cross-Cutting Relationships states that

What are index fossils (Guide Fossils)?

Index fossils are fossils that are widespread but only

Dendrochronology: Each tree has growth rings in its

Thermoluminescence: It determines the period during

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