Discovering Devonian Microfossils

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Author:

Charlie Drewes

Subject:

Science and Technology

Institution Name:

Iowa State University

Collection:

Association for Biology Laboratory Education (ABLE)

Grade Level:

Post-secondary

Abstract:

Microfossils are small, fossilized remains of organisms (animal, plant, or protozoa) that require magnification for study. They usually derive from the hard parts of organisms (skeletons, shells, jaws, teeth, seed coverings, etc), and may be imbedded in rock or exist as loose particles within soft substrate. Research studies of microfossils provide insights into ecological and evolutionary relationships among plant and animal communities that existed on earth hundreds of millions of years ago. Microfossils also provide excellent hands-on material for science classroom education in general biology, evolution, and earth sciences. The theme of this lab inquiry is biological, rather than geological. Focus is on retrieval, identification, and characterization of selected microfossils ranging in size from about 0.2 to 2.0 mm. Through hands-on discovery and examination of microfossil specimens, students should gain new insights and greater appreciation of the richness of marine biodiversity from the Devonian Period (ca. 375-400 MYA).

Course Type:

Learning Module

Languages:

English

Material Type:

Activities and Labs, Lesson Plans

Media Format:

Downloadable docs

Conditions of Use:

Custom Permissions
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. Use solely at one's own institution with no intent for profit is excluded from the preceding copyright restriction, unless otherwise noted on the copyright notice of the individual chapter in this volume. Proper credit to this publication must be included in your laboratory outline for each use; a sample citation is given [on the copyright page of each volume]. Upon obtaining permission or with the "sole use at one's own institution" exclusion, ABLE strongly encourages individuals to use the exercises in this proceedings volume in their teaching program.