WHAT IS A FOSSIL RECORD?

A COLLECTION OF FOSSILS
DOCUMENTING THE HISTORY OF
LIFE ON EARTH.
FATHER OF PALEONTOLOGY

•GEORGES CUVIER
 WHY IS HE THE FATHER OF
PALEONTOLOGY
• CUVIER'S WORK IS CONSIDERED THE FOUNDATION
OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY, AND HE
EXPANDED LINNAEAN TAXONOMY BY GROUPING
CLASSES INTO PHYLA AND INCORPORATING BOTH
FOSSILS AND LIVING SPECIES INTO THE
CLASSIFICATION.
 7 TYPES OF FOSSILS

1. PETRIFIED FOSSILS 7. IMPRESSION FOSSILS

2. MOLD AND CAST FOSSILS
3. CARBON FILM FOSSILS
4. TRACE FOSSILS
5. PRESERVED REMAINS
6. COMPRESSION FOSSILS
HOW DOES FOSSIL RECORDS HELP
US?
• TEACH US WHERE LIFE AND HUMANS CAME FROM,
SHOW US HOW THE EARTH AND OUR
ENVIRONMENT HAVE CHANGED THROUGH
GEOLOGICAL TIME, AND HOW CONTINENTS, NOW
WIDELY SEPARATED, WERE ONCE CONNECTED.
 SIGNIFICANCE OF FOSSIL
RECORDS
• IT HAS PROVIDED INVALUABLE BASIC
KNOWLEDGE ON THE HISTORY OF LIFE ON EARTH
BY PROVIDING IMPORTANT EVIDENCE FOR
EVOLUTION AND THE ADAPTATION OF PLANTS
AND ANIMALS TO THEIR ENVIRONMENTS.