CHAP 16 :

FOSSIL EVIDENCE FOR EVOLUTION

preserved trace left by tht lived

long is fossil
any an
org
.

ago a

includes :

IMPORTANCE OF FOSSIL RECORD :

provides physical evidence of past species

allows scientists to create evolutionary links
indicates increase in complexity & diversity of species

FOSSIL FORMATION

soils
in
dry alkaline
°

.
low amounts of oxygen
•
new minerals ,
often time / iron oxide ,
are

deposited in
pores
of the bone
, replacing
matter
the organic

effect of soil type on fossilization

in wet ,
acidic soil minerals in the bones dissolved & no fossilization would occur

of peat complete preservation of soft tissues &

" "
↳ w/ case bones occur
no
oxygen ,
as in , may
bones buried in alkaline soils produce the best fossils bc minerals in bones are not dissolved

new minerals often time I oxide deposited the of the bone ,

replacing
,
iron ,
are in pores the organic
matter that makes
up abt 359 .

by weight of the bone

↳ bone becomes petrified ( turned into rock ) but details of structure are still preserved
°

fossils of human ancestors are often found at the

edges of ancient lakes & river

systems
in caves

many caves are in limestone ,

which consists of calcium carbonate
( a 003 be deposited and dead cave roof ( walls collapse covering the
, may orgs .

,
or
may ,

bodies of animals

volcanically active areas

of fossil isatin
types
•

fully preserved org whole

body preserved in soft tissues in ice mummified & amber
. .

, e.g .
,

°
hard parts remaining usually soft body parts decay leaving only the hard parts bones
e.g
' .
, ,

teeth & shells

moulds of leaves it made form mould

body cavity
°

an
org . an
impression ,
may
°
cast if mould cavities is filled w/ minerals e.g .

quartz or calcite & form a

replica
petrification occurs when minerals enters the tissues of dead &
replace them hence the
°

org .

, org .

turns to stone
, e.g .
Opal shells
, petrified woods

•
trace fossil details preserved in rocks tht are indirect evidence of life e. footprints burrows
.

g .
,

DISCOVERY OF FOSSILS

DATING OF FOSSILS

ABSOLUTE DATING

determining the of the material

age
°

•
various methods of dating fossils & material
provide :

absolute dates actual of specimen in

years
age
of fossil
age / date a or artefact is usually given in
years before
the present time
I .
potassium -

argon dating
based of radioactive form
the
decay potassium to calcium &
°

on argon
slow constant rate
decay extremely but
•

of of
determining the ratio potassium 40 & 40 rock sample enables the age
°
in
argon
-

a
-

the rook to be calculated .

Potassium -
40 >
Argon -
40 + calcium

as rock ages proportion of potassium 40 t & 40 In

argon
-
-

°
half life of potassium -
40 : 1.3 billion yrs
↳ takes 1.3 bit for half K 40 to into Ar 40
yrs decay
-
-
.

•
LIMITATIONS :
not all rock
types are suitable volcanic / igneous rock
only for this method

of dating & it can

only date rocks older than 100000 -
200000
yrs
sample rock must be same age as the fossil

radiocarbon
2 .

dating
carbon 141 radiocarbon dating is based the decay of the radioactive
•
-

on

isotope of carbon carbon - 14 >

nitrogen
•
with death an
org
's intake of C 14 ceases but C 14 away in tissues of continues to
org
-
-

.
,
.
,

decay at a fixed rate

•
half life of C- 14 5730 I40 half of any given qty of C 14 brks down
yrs
- : -

of liberated of estimated
by measuring amrit radiation by sample the ratio C 14 to C 12 be
°
a - -

can ,
,

& the
age of sample can be calculated .

age of
fossils =
no .
of half lives x 5730
yrs
 at least of organic material needed tht the rate of radioactive of C 14
3g is
decay
°

so
-

in the sample can be measured .

LIMITATIONS :

material dated must contain compound

organic
°

re
dating method cannot be used to date back more than 60000 ( must be than 60k
younger
°

yrs
°
once assumed tht the ratio of c -
14 to C- 12 in the
atmosphere was constant ,
but it is now known tht the

amnt of C 14-

in the atmosphere varies .

3. dendrochronology
tree
ring dating of data frm tree
study ring growth
°
-
:

to
only applies trees

found in temperate climates

↳ trees in tropical climates x form

rings

•
concentric
rings on the surface of a cut tree trunk represents one
year
's
growth
rings differ in width
according how favourable the
to
growing season was
°

•
certain produced of exceptional weather conditions be used marker
rings in
yrs
can as
rings
°

possible to correlate these marker

rings w/ timber taken frm ancient human structures &
gradually
to work back to timber thousands of old
yrs

LIMITATIONS :

particular conditions for the of the method x occur often

necessary use

timber is
rarely preserved for > a few thousand yrs ,
but given certain special circumstances the method can

be valuable in
calculating absolute ages . trees less than 9000
yrs old
RELATIVE DATING

•
not
possible to determine the actual of fossil / artefact scientists can often determine whether :
age a
,

↳ it older than
is or
younger
-

another sample
-

rock / soil in which it is found

1 .

stratigraphy n

study of
layers / strata of rock
•

younger
a
principle of superposition
of sedimentary at
layers rock the top than those beneath them
•

are younger
fossils 1 other material found the top will be than
layers
•

in
any younger older

material found lower down

v

layers of rock found deeper in the earth 's crust is older than upper layers
°

seq .
of rock
layers may be turned upside down

possible for fossils / artefacts to be hurried by animals /

humans time after the deposition of sediment
early ,
some .

of the above it
specimen be layers
•

than
may younger some .

A B C

considered
same age
L )

L )
correlation of rock strata
(
study horizontally )
b correlation of rock strata

frm diff
involves
matching layers of rock
°

. areas

be done the rook itself & also studying the fossils it contains
by examining by
°

can

•
identical
layers of rocks tht contain the same fossils be assumed to be of the same
may age .

>
index fossils
°

widely distributed fossils

•
were on earth for
only a limited time period
•
can correlate rock strata to other known strata /
other locations

ideal fossils found

index are in a wide geographical
but limited to few strata
area , a
only
 fluorine
2 .

dating
•
when bones are left in soil ,
natural fluoride ions present in

water in soil replace some of the ions in the bone itself

•

older fossils contain more fluoride ions

conc .
of groundwater fluoride ions varies frm place to place
& frm time to time

↳ X decide absolute
ages
↳
used for fossils found
only in same area

PHYLOGENETIC TREES

GEOLOGICAL TIME SCALE

fossils t bones

fossils = mineralised traces / indirect traces/

impressions of past orgs . left behind in

soil / rock
dating fossils

> no .
of half lives fossil has
undergone