Assignment #2- Fun with Fossils

Assignment Number 2.

Further work with the Paleobiology database.                                  DUE 19 Oct 2017 by 5PM

https://paleobiodb.org/#/                                                                     Hardcopy only

         Pick one of your ‘finds’ and do the following (for extra credit, do this for two):

Part 1. Description of your fossil organism.

• 1.     Using one of the fossils found on the field trip, use the keys within the Kues paper to identify it as fully as you can. Include a screen shot of your find (take a picture with your phone), with measurements.
• 2.     How ‘big’ was this animal (use biovolume – formula for these are in attached excel workbook)?
• 3.     Tell me about this animal. What ecological information can you find out from the PBDB (or other sources) about this organism? How did it make a living?
• 4.     What changes in environmental conditions might have been particularly important in determining the survivorship of this genus (or family) over time?

Part 2: Duration and spindle diagrams

• 1.   What is the stratigraphic range of the genus this fossil belongs to? The probable temporal duration? Please provide this at the genus (if you can) and family level.
• 2.     Plot a spindle diagram of the diversity of this group (at the family level) over time. Provide your scale.
• 3.     Was this organism influenced by any of the major extinction events over the Phanerozoic? Which ones? What factors might have led to changes you observe?

Formulas for converting different shapes into bio volume (all in mm measurements)

cylinder shape = pi * r^2 * H

Cube shape = L* W* H

conical shape = 1/3* pi* r^2 *H

spherical shape = 4/3* pi * r^3

3D ellipsoid = 4/3* pi* (L/2) * (W/2) * (H/2)