Invertebrate Paleontology
Spring 2004
Lab 1: Fossilization and General Overview of Fossils
Use Textbook Chapter 1, Phylum figure
Goals of this lab: Start getting familiar with fossils of different Phyla (if animals); what characteristics can be seen. To which Phylum/Other group does the fossil belong? What is its way of preservation?
Fossilization questions:
1. What is preserved?
2. How is it preserved (more than one may apply)?
Number Description; Age (collection
number) What
Phylum/group? Preservation? 229-1-1 Cycad tree; Late
Cretaceous Plants HP; P; REP; D 229-1-2 Mussel bed; last ice age Mollusca HP, W, O 229-1-3 Wood (Petrified Forest, AZ);
Jurassic Plants HP, P; PER, REP 229-1-4 Ammonites (coiled, straight); Late
Cretaceous Mollusca (Cephalopods) HP, W (P); O, some DIS 229-1-5 Crinoid stems, Devonian (#3489)
Mollusca Cephalopods) ? MOLDS 229-1-6 Fern leaves;
Carboniferous Plants SP, P; C; D 229-1-7 Fish; Jurassic (Solnhofen
#542) Chordates; (Vertebrates) HP, SP, W; C (skin), O
(bones) 229-1-8 Coral; Recent (few 100s of
years) Cnidaria HP, W; O 229-1-9 Trace fossils;
Ordovician ? ichno 229-1-10 Ammonites, Jurassic Mollusca (Cephalopods) HP,P; REC 229-1-11 Leaf; Late Carboniferous Plants SP, P; C 229-1-12 Brachiopods and Bryozoans;
Ordovician shell bed Brachiopoda and Bryozoa (group
Lophophorates) HP, W Dissolution (molds) 229-1-13 Sea urchin; Cretaceous Echninodermata HP, W; Maybe O, maybe
REC 229-1-14 Beetle; Ice age (La Brea tar
pits) Arthropoda (Insects) SP, W; O (impregnated) 229-1-15 Sponge; Recent (~60
years) Porifera HP, W; O 229-1-16 Mammoth; Ice age Chordates (mammals) HP, P; O 229-1-17 Snails and clams;
Cretaceous Mollusca (gastropods,
bivalves) Molds 229-1-18 Graptolites; Ordovician Chordates
(hemichordates) HP, W; C 229-1-19 Ammonites; Jurassic Mollusca (Cephalopods) HP, W; REC 229-1-20 Snails; Eocene Mollusca (gastropods) HP, W; PER, REP 229-1-21 Snails and Clams; Eocene Mollusca (gastropods,
bivalves) Inner molds 229-1-22 Trace fossil (Zoophycus);
Carboniferous ? Ichno 229-1-23 Mammoth with barnacles; Ice
age Chordates (mammals);
Arthropods HP, P, O ; HP, W, O 229-1-24 Hyolith; Cambrian (Burgess Shale #
B453) ??Maybe Mollusca? P, W; C 229-1-25 Brachiopod; Ordovician Brachiopoda HP, W; Mold (Dissolution),
REC 229-1-26 Crinoidal limestone;
Carboniferous Echinodermata;
(Crinoidea) HP, P; O or REC 229-1-27 Bryozoan; Carboniferous Bryozoa HP, P; O or REC 229-1-28 Leaf and insect; Oligocene
(Florissant # 517, 439) Plants, Arthropoda
(insects) HP, P and W; C 229-1-29 Belemnite; Cretaceous Mollusca (Cepalopods) HP, P; O 229-1-30 Crinoid (Jurassic,
Solnhofen) Echinodermata
(Crinoidea) HP+SP; W; REC, C 229-1-31 Trilobite; Cambrian Arthropoda (Trilobita) HP, P (molded
exoskeleton),C 229-1-32 Crinoid, Carboniferous Echinodermata
(Crinoidea) HP, W; O or REC 229-1-33 Brachiopods; Jurassic Brachiopoda HP, W; O or REC or REP 229-1-34 Trace fossils;
Ordovician ?? Ichno 229-1-35 Ammonite, Jurassic Mollusca (Cephalopods) HP, W; REC 229-1-36 Clams; Eocene Mollusca (bivalves) Molds (small pieces of shell:
REC) 229-1-37 Tooth; Oligocene Chordates (mammal) HP; P; O 229-1-38 Vertebrae; Eocene Chordates (fish) HP, P; O 229-1-39 Snail; Pliocene Mollusca (gastropod) HP, W; REC 229-1-40 Eurypterid, Silurian Arthropoda HP, P; C