FOSSILS
The word fossil is derived from Latin and means “to dig” or “to be dug up.” A fossil is evidence of prehistoric life. It can be any part of a plant or animal or some physical evidence that an animal or plant lived, such as a footprint, leaf imprint, or an artifact of early man. Fossils are clues to the life that once existed and to the environment in which they lived. We can collect fossils for fun as a hobby, or our collecting can be developed into a job or career.
Classification of Fossils
To make the study of animals and fossils easier and more meaningful, we need to have some method of grouping related forms together. We call this classification. In doing this, paleontologists follow essentially the same scheme used by biologists, except that fossil groups are not as well-represented as modern groups. The world of living things is divided into six Kingdoms. 4-H’ers should be familiar with the following four Kingdoms, which are represented by Algae, Plants, Animals, and Protista (single-celled animals). These Kingdoms are divided into Phyla, which are further divided into Classes, Orders, Families, Genera, Species, in decreasing order of importance. The following is an illustration of classification used on the common cat, Felis domestica:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Genus: Felis
Species: domestica
For the purpose of international uniformity, the generic and specific names are always Latinized and should be underlined or printed in italics. Paleontologists (people who study fossils) commonly recognize twelve phyla in the Animal Kingdom.
1. Porifera – the sponges (fossil record poor)
2. Cnidaria (Coelenterata) – Jellyfishes and corals (corals abundant as fossils)
3. Platyhelminthes – Flatworms (not known as fossils)
4. Nemathelminthes – Threadworms (not known as fossils)
5. Trochelminthes – Wheelworm (not known as fossils)
6. Annelida – Segmented or annulated worms (fossil record poor)
7. Echinodermata – Starfish, Crinoids, Sand Dollars, Sea Cucumbers (abundant as fossils)
8. Bryozoa – Moss-like animals (abundant as fossils)
9. Brachiopoda – the “lamp shells” (abundant as fossils)
10. Mollusca – Clams, oysters, snails (abundant as fossils)
11. Arthropoda – Crabs, insects, trilobites
12. Chordata (Vertebrata) – Animals with backbones (abundant as fossils)
The bold-faced Phyla are the fossilized animals we find in Kansas.
Classification of Fossils
To make the study of animals and fossils easier and more meaningful, we need to have some method of grouping related forms together. We call this classification. In doing this, paleontologists follow essentially the same scheme used by biologists, except that fossil groups are not as well-represented as modern groups. The world of living things is divided into six Kingdoms. 4-H’ers should be familiar with the following four Kingdoms, which are represented by Algae, Plants, Animals, and Protista (single-celled animals). These Kingdoms are divided into Phyla, which are further divided into Classes, Orders, Families, Genera, Species, in decreasing order of importance. The following is an illustration of classification used on the common cat, Felis domestica:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Genus: Felis
Species: domestica
For the purpose of international uniformity, the generic and specific names are always Latinized and should be underlined or printed in italics. Paleontologists (people who study fossils) commonly recognize twelve phyla in the Animal Kingdom.
1. Porifera – the sponges (fossil record poor)
2. Cnidaria (Coelenterata) – Jellyfishes and corals (corals abundant as fossils)
3. Platyhelminthes – Flatworms (not known as fossils)
4. Nemathelminthes – Threadworms (not known as fossils)
5. Trochelminthes – Wheelworm (not known as fossils)
6. Annelida – Segmented or annulated worms (fossil record poor)
7. Echinodermata – Starfish, Crinoids, Sand Dollars, Sea Cucumbers (abundant as fossils)
8. Bryozoa – Moss-like animals (abundant as fossils)
9. Brachiopoda – the “lamp shells” (abundant as fossils)
10. Mollusca – Clams, oysters, snails (abundant as fossils)
11. Arthropoda – Crabs, insects, trilobites
12. Chordata (Vertebrata) – Animals with backbones (abundant as fossils)
The bold-faced Phyla are the fossilized animals we find in Kansas.