Refutation Two bird species living today the touraco and the hoatzin have claws which allow them to hold onto branches Other toothedbirds are also known to have lived in the same period Asymmetrical feathers prove that it was flying like modern birds ID: 702747
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Slide1
ArchaeopteryxSlide2
Missing link between reptiles and birds?Slide3Slide4
Refutation
Two bird species living today, the
touraco and the hoatzin, have claws which allow them to hold onto branches. Other toothed-birds are also known to have lived in the same period.Asymmetrical feathers prove that it was flying like modern birds
OstrichSlide5
The five major mass extinctions
Due to incomplete fossil record, the exact amount of mass extinctions are not known for sure. However 5 are known for sure:
439 mya – drop in sea levels due to formation of glaciers followed by spontaneous rising of sea levels due to melting of glaciers364 mya – unknown causes250 mya – comet or volcano eruption*199 mya – global flooding and volcanic eruption
65 mya – asteroid impact in the gulf of Mexico - volcanic eruptions*Current? – mega faunal extinction Slide6
Fossils
Ancient life forms that have been preserved in rocks, tar, sap and ice. –
palaentology Sedimentary rocks are the richest source of fossils.The process of fossil formation:Sand and silt from land are swept into water bodiesThe dead organism settles to the bottomMineral salts settle to the bottom and enter into the body of the organism and turns it into stone – petrify/ petrificationIf decomposition occurs before petrification
, the fossil is just an imprint on the organism.If petrification occurs first, the fossil is the actual organismSlide7
Fossils
Over time, layers of sedimentary rock pile up in
strata.Oldest layer at the bottomYoungest layer on top.By studying the different layers, a time line is created and information is gathered.Fossils that are known to have formed in a particular period – they were found in a specific strata – index fossils – used in relative datingExamples of fossils – pg 314Slide8
Relative / radiometric datingSlide9
Determining the Age of Fossils
Living organisms contain carbon -12 and carbon -14
Carbon -14 is radioactive.
When the organism dies, the carbon -14 becomes nitrogen-14.Carbon-14 turns to nitrogen-14 at a fixed rate.Scientists are able to work out the age of the fossil by comparing the ratio of carbon -14 to total carbon and nitrogen-14.
Radiometric dating – the processSlide10
Key Events in Southern Africa
One of the oldest evidence of life on Earth is found in Barberton in Mpumalanga.
These are fossilized photosynthetic bacteria cells. These fossil are about 3400 million years old.
The bacteria had jelly like substance around it.Fine rock particles became attached to the jelly like substance, this forces the bacteria to grow upward to search for light.This results in the formation of a structure called stromatolites.
Fossil EvidenceSlide11
Key Events in Southern Africa
These are dome-shaped mat like layers of rock.
StromatolitesSlide12
Key Events in Southern Africa
The oldest known multi cellular organism is found in Namibia.
The multi-cellular organisms are sponges called Otavia.
They are found in limestone rocks found in northern Namibia.These fossilized sponges are thought to be 650 million years old.A similar type of fossil and fossils of other soft body invertebrates have been found in North Cape.
Oldest fossil of multi-cellular organismSlide13
Key Events in Southern Africa
Fossils of algae and early land plants have been found in the Eastern Cape near Grahamstown.
These fossils are about 350 million years old.A nearly 280 million year old fossil of cone bearing plants have been found near Mooi River and Escourt in Kwa Zulu Natal.
A picture of Glossopteris
fossilSlide14
These fossils are called G
lossopteris.
These Glossopteris occupied Gondwanaland for almost 60 million years. These plants were responsible for the coal deposits found in Southern Africa.The picture is a reconstruction of what the Glossopteris
may have looked like.Key Events in Southern AfricaGlossopterisSlide15
Map showing Coal Deposits in South
A
fricaSlide16
Fossils of reptiles such as
Lystrosaurus
and Thrinaxodon have been found in the Karoo.
Key Events in Southern AfricaReptiles
These reptiles were believed to give rise to mammals.They lived between 280 and 100 million years ago.
Lystrosaurus
ThrinaxodonSlide17
Key Events in Southern Africa
Dinosaurs lived 210 million years ago in Lesotho, north-eastern Free State, Kwa Zulu Natal and the north eastern parts of Eastern Cape.
This is supported by findings of fossilized footprints of dinosaurs in these areas.
Fossilized dinosaur bones have been found in Maluti and Drakensberg mountain ranges.DinosaursSlide18
Euskelosarus
was a very early dinosaur.
It was a herbivore.The first fossils of the skull and skeleton were found near Ladybrand in the Eastern Free State.
EuskelosarusKey Events in Southern Africa
DinosaursSlide19
Fossil tourism
Fossil tourism is a type of ecotourism, but in fossil tourism the main attraction is its fossils.
One of the most famous fossils sites is the Cradle of Humankind.
The Cradle of Humankind is found in Gauteng and North West Province.Slide20
Fossil tourism
Found in Sterkfontein, Swartkrans, Kromdraai regions.
It is a World Heritage Site since 1999.It is one of the richest source of fossils of early humans.
Nearly half of all human-ancestor fossils have been found here.Cradle of HumankindSlide21
Fossil tourism
The West Coast Fossil Park is found in the Western Cape Province.
It is found along the west coast, a few kilometers inland of the Langebaan Lagoon.This was once a phosphate mine.It has the greatest diversity of five million old fossils.
It contained the fossils of the first bear ever found south of the Sahara.Fossils of the extinct true seal and four extinct species of penguins were found here.West Coast Fossil ParkSlide22
Fossil tourism
The many hand on activities at the park that makes it very exciting for the tourist.
Tourists can sift in the sand looking for fossils, with the promise that if you find something new ( no one has found) then it will be named after you.
Plans have been put into place to start a national fossil and rock art route, that joins the Fossil Park to the Cradle.West Coast Fossil ParkSlide23
Fossil tourism
Important fossils have been moved to museums once they have been discovered.
The dinosaur fossil found in the Karoo have been moved to the museum in Graaff-Reinet.
The museums become important fossil tourist attractions.MuseumsSlide24
Fossil tourism
Fossil tourism:
1. Creates jobs.2. Generates income for people living in these areas.
3. Creates business opportunities for travel agents and tour operators.
Advantages of Fossil TourismSlide25
Terminology:
1. Remains
of ancient life forms preserved in rock.2. The study of fossils.
3. Means to turn into stone.4. Shape left behind when the organisms start to decay before it becomes petrified.5. The layers in which sedimentary rock pile up.
6. Fossils which have occurred in a particular period of time and then can be used to determine the age of other fossils by comparison with them.Slide26
Terminology:
7. The
hardened form of liquid sap.8. Finding
the age of the fossil by comparing it to another fossil or geological event.9. Method to find out how long ago a particular fossil was formed.10. Dome-shaped mat like layers of rock.
11. Type of ecotourism, where the main attraction is its fossils.