WEEKLY LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEETS

Earth Science Grade Eleven, Quarter 2, Week 6B

INDEX FOSSILS

Learning Competency:
Describe how index fossils (also known as guide fossils) are used to define
and identify subdivision of the geologic time scale (MELC S11ES-IIi-j-38)

Specific Objectives:
1. Identify which animal fossils are considered as index fossils;
2. Use index fossils to describe and identify events in geologic time scale.

Key Concepts

Index Fossils

Index fossils are commonly found, widely distributed fossils that are limited in
time span. It is used for the determination of the age of organic rocks and other
fossil assemblages and help to establish relationships between rock units.

The word 'fossil' literally means anything dug out of the earth.

Fossils are vestiges of plants or animals preserved in strata of earth that

give evidence of their presence in the geologic past. In a strict sense, fossils include
not only the remains of organisms or their parts but also anything connected with
an organism proving its existence (trace fossil).

In 1796, William Smith, a British civil engineer, first noted that rock was
characterized by unique sets of fossil taxa. By noting the presence of fossils, it
became possible to correlate rock units of varying lithologies across vast distance
and to establish time horizons in lithologically uniform diachronous rock units.
Certain floral and faunal remains are often found to be restricted to a particular
geologic horizon. Such fossils are known as 'index fossils' or 'guide fossils.
Thus, index fossil is an abundant and easily identifiable fossil with a wide
geographic distribution and a short geologic range.

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_____________________________________________________________________________________
Author: Leoness B. Del Rosario
School/Station: Roxas National High School
Division: Siargao Division
email address: [email protected]
 Geologic range refers to the total length of geologic time that an organism
was, or has been, present on earth.

Animal Index Fossils

a) Ammonites - group of fossils molluscs possessing exogastrically coiled shell;

Perisphinctes tiziani is a Jurassic index fossil and Trophites subbullatus is a Triassic
index fossil.

b) Gastropods - another groups of molluscs have asymmetrical bodies with

usually dextral, spirally twisted shell; Nerinea trinodosa is a Jurassic index fossil.

c) Pelecypods - a mollusc enclosed with bivalved shell and ventrally located

tongueshaped foot; Venericardia planicosta is a Tertiary index fossil.

d) Brachiopods - bilaterally symmetrical coelomate animal with bivalved shell;

Billingsella corrugata is a Cambrian index fossil and Dictyoclostus americanus is a
Carboniferous (Pennsylvanian) fossil brachiopod.

e) Crinoid - a marine invertebrate, usually possessing a cup-shaped body and

five or more feathery tentacles; Cactocrinus multibrachiatus of Carboniferous
(Mississippian) is a good example of index fossil.

f) Trilobites - extinct marine arthropods with more or less oval body divided
into three lobes by two longitudinal furrows; Paradoxides pinus and Bathyurus
extans are index fossils of Cambrian and Ordovician periods, respectively.

Characteristics of Index Fossils

1. An organism must have lived only during a short part of Earth's history.
2. Many fossils of the organisms must be found in rock layers.
3. The fossil must be found over a wide area of Earth.
4. The organism must be unique.

Exercises/Activities

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_____________________________________________________________________________________
Author: Leoness B. Del Rosario
School/Station: Roxas National High School
Division: Siargao Division
email address: [email protected]
 Activity 1 Spot the Difference

What you need: paper and ball pen

What to do:
1. Often you will be required to use the characteristics to decide which fossils in
rock outcrops can be used as index fossils.

2. For example: the diagram below shows several rock outcrops separated by
large distances in each outcrop are several fossils. Which of the fossils shown
is an index fossil?

3. When choosing the right index fossil we can reinterpret the characteristics of
index fossil to help us:

a. Easily Recognizable - is usually not an issue in these problems because

the diagram clearly illustrates each fossil.
b. Widespread - The fossil must show up in each of the different outcrops
(columns).
c. Short Lived - Within each outcrop, the fossil can only appear in one
layer (row).

4. To find the index fossil you must eliminate any fossils that don’t show up in
each rock outcrop and those that show up in more than one layer per
outcrop.

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_____________________________________________________________________________________
Author: Leoness B. Del Rosario
School/Station: Roxas National High School
Division: Siargao Division
email address: [email protected]
 5. We can eliminate “fossil 1” because it shows up in multiple layers in the same
outcrop. (It lived for too long of a time period in Earth’s history to help
establish dates of other rocks).

6. We can eliminate “fossil 2” because it shows up in multiple layers in column

2. (It lived for too long a time period).

7. We can eliminate “fossil 3” because it is only in one layer in one outcrop.

8. After we've eliminated all the fossils that don't fit the requirements, we have
only 1 left that appears in all the outcrops, and in only one layer per outcrop.
So the correct index fossil is .

9. Based on the example given, try to observe the following illustration and
identify which animal fossils do not qualify as index fossil?

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_____________________________________________________________________________________
Author: Leoness B. Del Rosario
School/Station: Roxas National High School
Division: Siargao Division
email address: [email protected]
 Outcrop 3

Outcrop 1

Outcrop 2

Guide questions:
1. Which fossil appears most in outcrop 1?
2. What fossil appears only once in the outcrop?
3. Which animal fossils are considered as index fossils?
4. How can we identify good index fossil?

Scoring Rubric for guide question number 4

2 points Demonstrate full knowledge with scientific explanations and

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_____________________________________________________________________________________
Author: Leoness B. Del Rosario
School/Station: Roxas National High School
Division: Siargao Division
email address: [email protected]
 elaboration
1 point Demonstrate knowledge but fails to elaborate
0 point No answer

Activity 2 Timeline

What you need: paper and ball pen/pencil

What to do:
1. Provided below is illustrations of the Index Fossil Reference Guide and
Geological Time scale table

Figure 1. Index Fossil Reference Guide

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_____________________________________________________________________________________
Author: Leoness B. Del Rosario
School/Station: Roxas National High School
Division: Siargao Division
email address: [email protected]
 Figure 2. Geologic Time Scale
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_____________________________________________________________________________________
Author: Leoness B. Del Rosario
School/Station: Roxas National High School
Division: Siargao Division
email address: [email protected]
 2. Using the geologic time scale presented above, complete the table below to
describe and identify the geologic time scale of the following given animal
fossil.

Era Period Age Scientific Draw Image of Describe

Name of fossil Important
Animal Events
Index Fossil happen
Found
Cenozoic Quaternary Present2. Pecten Evolution of
6 million gibbus humans
years ago

Perisphinctes
tiziani

Leptodus
americanus

Hexamocera
s
hertzrl
Paradoxides
pinus

Guide questions:
1. Which of the following fossils is the oldest?

2. Why is index fossil important?

Scoring Rubric for guide questions number 2

2 points Demonstrate full knowledge with scientific explanations and

elaboration
1 point Demonstrate knowledge but fails to elaborate
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_____________________________________________________________________________________
Author: Leoness B. Del Rosario
School/Station: Roxas National High School
Division: Siargao Division
email address: [email protected]
 0 point No answer

Reflection
Index or guide fossils are organisms that existed for a short period of time,
then went extinct. This short lifetime helps to narrow the possible age of rocks
containing them, more than fossils that existed for a long time. With that, cite
possible applications of the concept of Index Fossil? (Answer in 3-5 sentences)

Rubrics:
5- Practical application is scientifically explained consistent to the concepts and has
no misconception.
4- Practical application is scientifically explained consistent to the concepts, but with
minimal misconception.
3- Practical application is scientifically explained consistent to the concepts, but with
misconception.
2- Practical application is scientifically explained consistent to the concepts, but with
many misconceptions.
1- Practical application is inconsistent to the concepts and has many
misconceptions. 0- No discussion

Reference for Learner

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_____________________________________________________________________________________
Author: Leoness B. Del Rosario
School/Station: Roxas National High School
Division: Siargao Division
email address: [email protected]
8TH GRADE SCIENCE. 2020. Law Of Superposition & Index Fossils. [online]
Available at: <https://clarkscience8.weebly.com/law-of-superposition--index-
fossils.html> [Accessed 4 November 2020].

https://msnucleus.org/membership/html/jh/earth/stratigraphy/lesson3/stratigraph
y3e.html

Ias.ac.in. 2020. [online] Available at:

<https://www.ias.ac.in/public/Volumes/reso/011/10/0069-0077.pdf> [Accessed 4
November 2020].

Jr., G. Tyler Miller. 2016. Earth Science. 856 Nicanor Reyes Sr.St.,
Sampaloc,Manila,Philippines: Rex Book Store,Inc.

Link.quipper.com. 2020. [online] Available at:

<https://link.quipper.com/en/organizations/547ffc25d2b76d00020028ec/curriculu
m#curriculum> [Accessed 4 November 2020].

Pubs.usgs.gov. 2020. Geologic Time: Index Fossils. [online] Available at:

<http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/geotime/fossils.html> [Accessed 4 November 2020].

Pinterest. 2020. Geologic Time Scale, 650 Mya To Present | Geologic Time Scale,
Geology,
Earth And Space Science. [online] Available at:
<https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/9710955416851410/> [Accessed 4 November 2020].

Rowan.k12.ky.us. 2020. [online] Available at:

<https://www.rowan.k12.ky.us/userfiles/994/Classes/1493/Index%20Fossil%20Cha
racteristics%20and%20Correlation.pdf> [Accessed 4 November 2020].

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_____________________________________________________________________________________
Author: Leoness B. Del Rosario
School/Station: Roxas National High School
Division: Siargao Division
email address: [email protected]