Lesson 6.
Fossil Formation and
Classification
General Biology 2
[1/2]
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
Why is it that
scientists know so
much about
dinosaurs even
though these animals
went extinct long ago?
2
It is through these fossils that scientists know
so much about animals and plants that have
long been extinct.
3
How do fossils provide evidence
of evolution?
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Learning Competency
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to do the following:
Explain fossil records as evidence of evolution
(STEM_BIO11/12-IIIc-g-12).
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Learning Objectives
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to do the following:
● Describe how fossils are formed.
● Identify the different types of fossils.
● Explain how fossils provide evidence of evolution.
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Fossils
Fossils
Our knowledge of past life
forms can be attributed to
fossils.
● These are the preserved
remains of organisms from
earlier periods of Earth’s Ancient Earth looked vastly
history. different from Earth of today.
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Fossil Formation
Permineralization
Some organisms have spaces
in their bodies.
● The process of
permineralization
involves groundwater
filling up these spaces. A photo of a petrified wood
fossil which also involves
permineralization.
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Fossil Formation
Carbonization
This happens when
organisms leave behind
the residual carbon while
other elements are shed
off.
Ancient Earth looked vastly
different from Earth of today.
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Fossil Formation
Carbonization
This happens when
organisms leave behind
the residual carbon while
other elements are shed
off.
Imprints of land snails on rocks as
an example of carbonized fossils.
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Fossil Formation
Replacement
The process of
replacement involves the
minerals in organisms’
bodies being replaced by
other minerals.
Petrified tree trunk due to
replacement.
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The Types of Fossils
Mold Fossils
Mold fossils form when
substances like minerals or
sediments press over the body
of a dead organism
A mold fossil.
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The Types of Fossils
Cast Fossils
Cast fossils are formed when
sediments and minerals fill up
the body cavities of an
organism.
A cast fossil
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The Types of Fossils
Trace Fossils
Trace fossils are traces left
behind by organisms in the
past.
● Examples of trace fossils are
fossilized animal tracks,
eggs, and coprolites. A coprolite.
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The Types of Fossils
True Form Fossils
True form fossils are
entire organisms whose
bodies have been
preserved.
A true form fossil in amber
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Remember
The assemblages of fossils in an area
can indicate the type of ecosystem that
was present in that area in Earth’s early
history.
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Dating Fossils
Relative Dating
Relative dating methods
involve estimating sequences
of events.
● This usually involves
sequencing rock layers
through stratigraphy. Stratigraphy involves
sequencing rocks.
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Dating Fossils
Absolute Dating
Absolute dating methods give
a numerical estimate of the
age of rock layers and fossils.
● An example is radiometric
dating, which involves
radioactive decay.
The intake of carbon-14
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Dating Fossils
Absolute Dating
One of the most
commonly-used radioactive
isotopes in dating fossils is
carbon-14 which has a half-life
of 5 730 years.
The intake of carbon-14.
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Index Fossils
Index Fossils
Index fossils are useful
in giving information
about the time when
the organism was alive
compared to other
fossils.
Index fossils
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Check Your Understanding
Identify the term being described in each
statement below.
1. Animal tracks are an example of this type of fossil.
2. Mud filled the inside of a shell. The shell crumbled away
over time but the mud inside was left behind. Identify
the type of fossil formed.
3. An entire insect was trapped in amber. Identify the
fossil formed.
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Check Your Understanding
Identify the term being described in each
statement below.
4. This process involves the groundwater leaving behind
minerals when it fills up an organism, leading to the
formation of a fossil.
5. This process involves the shedding off of other
elements while carbon is left behind, forming a fossil.
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Let’s Sum It Up!
● Our knowledge of past life forms can be
attributed to fossils or the preserved remains of
organisms from earlier periods of Earth’s history.
● Fossilization involves many different processes,
examples of which are permineralization,
replacement, and carbonization.
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Let’s Sum It Up!
● Relative dating methods involve estimating the
sequence of events that are involved in Earth’s
history.
● Absolute dating methods give a numerical
estimate of the age of rock layers and fossils.
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Let’s Sum It Up!
Concepts related to fossil formation
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Challenge Yourself
How do fossils provide evidence of
evolution?
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Photo Credits
● Slide 11: Petrified_wood_closeup_2.jpg by Daniel Schwen, is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via
Wikimedia Commons.
● Slide 13: Australopithecus_africanus_-_Cast_of_taung_child by Didier Descouens, is licensed
under CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
● Slide 15: Leptofoenus_pittfieldae_(male)_rotated by Michael S. Engel and modified by Kevmin, is
licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
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Bibliography
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Walter, John H. Wilson, Tim Hunt, and Bruce Alberts. Molecular Biology of the Cell. New York,
NY: Garland Science, Taylor and Francis Group, 2015.
Boyer, Rodney F. Concepts in Biochemistry. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2006.
Hickman, Cleveland Pendleton, Susan L.. Keen, Allan Larson, William C.. Ober, and Claire W.. Garrison.
Animal Diversity. New York: McGraw Hill Education., 2018.
Hickman, Cleveland P. Integrated Principles of Zoology. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2011.
Miller, Stephen A., and John P. Harley. Zoology. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2010.
Russell, Peter J. Biology: The Dynamic Science. Student Ed. Belmont, CA: Thomson/Brooks/Cole, 2008.
Starr, Cecie, Ralph Taggart, Christine A. Evers, and Lisa Starr. Biology: the Unity and Diversity of Life.
Boston, MA: Cengage, 2019.
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