1 / 7

Paleontology and Paleoecology

Paleontology and Paleoecology. Principles of Paleoecology. Fossils. Remains or traces of ancient life Bones, Teeth, Shells, Tracks, Trails Soft tissues – rare. Utility of Fossils. History of Life on Earth Evolution – appearances of new species Extinction – disappearances of species

dingus
Download Presentation

Paleontology and Paleoecology

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Paleontology and Paleoecology Principles of Paleoecology

  2. Fossils • Remains or traces of ancient life • Bones, Teeth, Shells, Tracks, Trails • Soft tissues – rare

  3. Utility of Fossils • History of Life on Earth • Evolution – appearances of new species • Extinction – disappearances of species • Framework for other events in Earth’s History • Guide in exploring for fossil fuels • Important clues to ancient environmental conditions

  4. Principles of Paleoecology • Organisms adapt to their environments • Fossils provide clues to organism lifestyle • Analogy to living relatives • Functional Morphology • Association with other fossils – similar preferences • Type of substrate

  5. Environmental Factors that Influence Distribution of Organisms • Salinity • Oxygenation • Temperature • Light • Nutrients: • Type • Abundance • Distribution • Agitation/Currents • Clarity/Cloudiness of Water • Substrate – preferences • Grain Size – firm/soft • Composition • Mobility/stability

  6. Preferences/Lifestyles of Organisms Tell Us About Environmental Conditions • Sessile organisms rely on currents to bring food • Motile organisms can search for food in water or in/on sediment • Distribution of food related to agitation/currents • Therefore, related to oxygenation also

  7. Ways to Feed • Producer – Plants • Primary Consumer – Herbivore • Secondary Consumer – Carnivore • Passive/semi-active • Filter feeding • Active Feeding • Swimming, crawling, scavenging, preying

More Related