Earth Science I.M.S. BEACH SAND-FOSSILS-FORAMS

 

Name______________ Partner_______________ Date: _____   Period:__________ SCORE:_________/20

NATIONAL SCIENCE EDUCATION STANDARDS IN BOTH LIFE SCIENCE AND EARTH & SPACE SCIENCE (NCR 1996).                       

TERMS: SUPERPOSITION, BIOSTRATIGRAPHY, CORRELATION, Biogenic, ABiogenic.

FORAMINIFERA-LATIN “BEARING PORES OR OPENINGS”
CHARACTERIZATION:
SPIDERS OF THE DEEP SEA           MONIKER:THE SNOWFLAKES OF THE SEA

 

FORAMS ARE MARINE PROTISTS THAT LIVE IN THE WATER COLUMN OR IN SEDIMENTSON THE OCEAN FLOOR. (CALCIUM CARBONATE) SHELLS THAT BECOME PART OF THE FOSSIL RECORD.

MANY SPECIES ARE KNOWN, BOTH FROM THE FOSSIL RECORDAND FORM LIVING ASSEMBLAGES OF MARINE FAUNA.  SOME GENERA HAVE BEEN FOUND AS EARLY AS THE CAMBRIAN TIME (MOST EXTINCT). 


SOME BEACH SANDS CONTAIN OVER 50,000 FORAM SHELLS PER GRAM.

THERE ARE SIX BASIC SHAPES OR FORMS WELL REPRESENTED BY SIX GENERA.

IN SOME PLACES ON THE DEEP OCEAN FLOOR, FORAM SEDIMENTS ARE HUNDREDS TO THOUSANDS OF METERS DEEP.

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PROBLEM: DR. ROCKEL HAS SENT YOU A SAND SAMPLE TO DETERMINE THE AGE OF THE SAND. DINOSAUR EGGS HAVE BEEN FOUND IN THIS SAND LAYER AND SHE NEEDS TO KNOW THE AGE OF THE SAND.

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MATERIALS:   MICROSCOPE/ HAND LENS,TOOTH PICK/ TAPE OR GLUE/ INDEX CARD STRIPS/BLACK PAPER                                                                                                                

 

PROCEDURE: STUDENTS PICK OUT FORAMS WITH WET TOOTH PICK AND GLUE THEM TO THE BLACK PAPER.  MAKE A MICROSCOPE SLIDE OF OTHER FOSSILS LIKE: CORAL, STINGRAY OR SHARKS TEETH.

 

LATER: STUDENTS  USING THE FORAM /SHARK TEETH KEY AND THE FORAM TIMELINE IDENTIFY THE FORAMS/SHARK TEETH AND WHEN THEY WERE DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT GEOLOGIC TIME.

 

1. DESCRIBLE THE SAMPLE:____________________________________________________________

 

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2. SAND PARTICLE SIZE?    FINE       MEDIUM     COARSE     DOES IT MATTER IN FIDING FOSSILS?        YES    NO

 

3. IS THERE DIFFERENT COLOR OF SAND PARTICLES? __________________________________

 

4. OTHER BIOGENIC MATERIAL IDENTIFIED?___________________________________________

 

5. OTHER A BIOGENIC MATERIAL IDENTIFIED?_________________________________________

 

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CONCLUSIONS:

DID YOU IDENTIFY THE AGE OF THE FORAMS (GIVE PERIOD)?________________________________________Virginia    2

 

DID YOU IDENTIFY THE TYPE OF FORAM (GIVE NAME)? ______________________________________________

 

DID YOU IDENTIFY THE AGE OF THE SHARKS TEETH (GIVE PERIOD)?__________________________________

 

DID YOU IDENTIFY THE TYPE OF THE SHARKS TEETH (GIVE NAME  2)?__________________________________

 

WHAT KIND OF ENVIRONMENT WAS THE FOSSILS DEPOSITED IN?_____________________________________

 

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* OPTION: RESEARCH AND PREPARE A REPORT.  INCLUDE THE AGE RANGE OF EACH OF THE FORAMS IDENTIFIED, IF POSSIBLE.  BE PREPARED TO DEFEND YOUR FINDINGS.

 

100% CONCLUSIVE? ______ OTHER EQUALLY SUPPORTABLE HYPOTHESES? _____