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Fossil Evidence of Change
14.1 Fossil Evidence of Change
• Land Environments
• 4.6 BILLION years ago
Gravity pulled the
densest molten body to
the centre of the planet.
50 million years later, a
solid crust formed on the
surface.
The surface was rich in
lighter elements, such as
silicon.
Land Environments
Gravity pulled the
densest molten body to
the center of the planet.
50 million years later, a
solid crust formed on the
surface.
The surface was rich in
lighter elements, such as
silicon.
E x a m p le
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Fossil Formation
Nearly all fossils are
formed in sedimentary
rock.
• The organism dies and is
buried in sediments.
• The sediments build up
until they cover the
organism's remains.
• Minerals may replace
organic material or the
organism decays and an
impression is left.
Palaeontologist
Is a scientist who studies
fossils. Their job is to:
• Attempt to read the record
of life left in rocks.
• infer the diet of an
organism and the
environment in which it
lived.
Dating Fossils
Relative dating is a method
used to determine the age of
rocks by comparing them with
those in other layers.
Relative dating is based on
law of superposition which
states that younger layers of
rock are deposited on top or
older layers.
Dating Fossils continued........