What are Trace Fossils? | A New Way to Museum

Summary

In this educational video, Dr. Rhys Barrick from the Sternberg Museum introduces trace fossils, which are remnants of ancient life forms' activities rather than their physical remains. He explores various types, including footprints, burrows, and coprolites (fossilized feces), each revealing insights into prehistoric creatures' behaviors and environments. Dr. Barrick also discusses gastroliths, stomach stones used by marine reptiles, and borings made by shipworms and predatory moon snails. The video is a fascinating exploration of how trace fossils contribute to our understanding of the past.

Takeaways

• 🐾 Trace fossils are remnants of the activities of ancient animals and plants that are preserved in the fossil record, even when the organisms themselves are not.
• 👣 Common types of trace fossils include footprints and tracks, which can provide insights into the types of animals present in a particular ecosystem and their behaviors.
• 🐛 Tracks and trails of invertebrates, such as worm burrows, can reveal information about the environment, including oxygen levels and sedimentation rates.
• 💩 Coprolites, or fossilized feces, can offer evidence of an animal's diet and are more likely to be preserved if they contain bone material or other hard parts.
• 🌊 Gastroliths are stomach stones that some marine animals swallowed to help grind food or for ballast to control buoyancy, and their presence can indicate the animal's feeding and habitat behaviors.
• 🕳️ Borings are holes made by organisms, such as shipworms in wood, and can provide clues about the types of organisms that lived in a particular environment.
• 🐚 Predation evidence, like holes in shells made by moon snails, can show the interactions between predator and prey species and the defensive adaptations of prey.
• 🔍 Trace fossils are valuable for understanding the environment and behaviors of prehistoric life, even when body fossils are scarce or absent.
• 👨‍🏫 Dr. Rhys Barrick from the Sternberg Museum of Natural History highlights the educational importance of trace fossils in understanding the past.
• 🌟 The video encourages viewers to engage with the content by liking, subscribing, and supporting the museum's educational efforts for more fascinating discoveries.

Q & A

What are trace fossils according to Dr. Rhys Barrick?

Trace fossils are traces of animals and plants that lived long ago, where the organisms themselves weren't preserved in the fossil record, but remnants of their activities and lifestyles are.

Why are footprints considered trace fossils?

Footprints are considered trace fossils because they are impressions left by animals that can become hardened into rock, providing a trace of the animal's foot which helps in identifying the type of animal.

How can footprints provide information about an ancient ecosystem?

Footprints can indicate the number of different types of animals present in an ecosystem, and by analyzing the size and spacing of footprints, one can infer the animal's size, gait (walking or running), and potentially its behavior.

What is another common type of trace fossil besides footprints?

Another common type of trace fossil includes tracks and trails of invertebrates, which can be seen as tubes or burrows in the sediment, indicating the movement and activities of organisms like worms.

How do burrows and trails of invertebrates inform us about the environment?

Burrows and trails can reveal the oxygen levels in the environment, as deep burrows suggest a high oxygen environment. They can also indicate the presence of predators, the energy levels in the ecosystem, and sediment deposition rates.

What is a coprolite and how can it provide information about an animal's diet?

A coprolite is fossilized feces, which can provide insights into an animal's diet. The presence of bone material or plant remains like seeds within coprolites can help identify what the animal was consuming.

Why are gastroliths significant in the fossil record?

Gastroliths, or stomach stones, are significant because they indicate that certain marine animals, like plesiosaurs, used them to grind food or for ballast to control buoyancy, providing information about their feeding and swimming behaviors.

What are borings in the context of trace fossils?

Borings are holes or tunnels made by organisms, such as shipworms boring into wood, which are preserved in the fossil record. They provide evidence of predation, shelter construction, and the ecological roles of the organisms that created them.

How can the study of trace fossils contribute to our understanding of ancient environments?

The study of trace fossils can contribute to our understanding of ancient environments by revealing details about the behavior of organisms, the oxygen levels, the presence of predators and prey, and the overall energy and sedimentation dynamics of the ecosystem.

What is the significance of finding a track of a camel in the fossil record as mentioned by Dr. Barrick?

Finding a track of a camel in the fossil record is significant because it provides a direct trace of an animal's presence in the past, which can help in understanding the types of animals that inhabited certain areas and the environments they lived in.