Fossils tell many stories about past events.
These stories may tell us about the age of rocks and fossils and geologic events such as the movements of continents and mountain building.
We will show you four different fossils and two other images that provide clues about past events.
Your job is to click on which story is being told by the pictures.
REMEMBER: We are showing you six images and there are only two types of stories, so you can select each story more than once.
Which story can be told with clues from this image?
a) How fossils can help us date rock layers
b) What geologic event has occurred
What can Venecardia planicosta fossils tell you? Try again...
Venecardia planicosta is an index fossil that only lived during the Eocene. It can help us date rock layers.
Which story can be told with clues from this image?
a) How fossils can help us date rock layers
b) What geologic event has occurred
What can this map, showing the distribution of Glossopteris fossils, tell you? Try again...
The locations of Glossopteris fossils today can provide clues about the position of the continents in the past.
Which story can be told with clues from this image?
a) How fossils can help us date rock layers
b) What geologic event has occurred
What do you know about ammonites such as this? Try again...
Ammonites existed for only a short period of time, 180-135 million years ago. Their fossils are useful for dating rocks.
Which story can be told with clues from this image?
a) How fossils can help us date rock layers
b) What geologic event has occurred
What kind of information can this marine Turritella found on top of Mt. Diablo give you? Try again...
Turritella is found in marine environments today. Finding their fossils on top of Mt. Diablo today tells us that an uplift event must have occurred.
Which story can be told with clues from this image?
a) How fossils can help us date rock layers
b) What geologic event has occurred
What kind of information can a Glossopteris fossil give you? Try again...
Glossopteris fossils provide information both about the age of rocks AND about the position of continents in the past.
Which story can be told with clues from this image?
a) How fossils can help us date rock layers
b) What geologic event has occurred
How is the law of superposition useful? Try again...
The law of superposition can tell us which rocks (and fossils) are oldest and which are youngest by their relative positions.
