The La Brea Tar Pits

A. C. H., was discovered in the loft space above the office of the Keeper of Zoology—the office Hinton had occupied from 1936 to 1945. This was the first concrete evidence implicating Hinton in the Piltdown hoax (Gardiner, 2003). Contained in the trunk were x teeth similarly stained to the materials discovered at Piltdown I, while several other materials, such as elephant and hippopotami teeth and bone fragments, had been whitened similar in fashion to the ‘cricket bat’ found at the Piltdown II site; the cricket bat having been made form an elephant femur. Hinton had experimented with bone and tooth staining (De Groote et al., 2016) predominantly staining them with iron to match the gravels of a Pleistocene era (Gardiner, 2003)… Also among Hinton’s effects, were eight human teeth that had been stained with iron, chromium, and manganese (Gardiner & Currant, 1996), similar to those of the Piltdown site. When the fluorine dating method was implemented this further incriminated Hinton as the findings from the Piltdown I site evidenced “a recent ape jaw and canine had been artificially modified, stained and planted at Piltdown I, along with parts of a similarly stained recent human skull” (De Groote, 2016, p. 4). The method Hinton practiced (evidenced by the findings in his trunk) was unique to him—a signature—therefore, implicating him as the Piltdown

It is difficult to envision that one of the greatest impact craters on Earth that measures up to 180km wide and 900m deep could just vanish just from sight. There have been many different dinosaur extinction theories offered in the recent decades. These range from poisonous plants to mass suicide by dinosaur herds. Although one concept as to how the dinosaurs became extinct has gained a wide acceptance since the 1980’s, involving a major earth impact by a meteor or comet (Icr.org, 2014). This horrific catastrophic event is thought to have extinguished up to two thirds of all animal and plant species, leaving behind a large crater found in Chicxulub, Mexico (LiveScience.com, 2014).

Explain why the author and his colleagues chose to focus on 375 million year old rocks in their search for fossils. Be sure to include the types of rocks and their location during their paleontology work in 2004.

The question of what caused the extinction of megafauna during the Late Pleistocene period is one that archaeologists have struggled to answer for decades, but why should it matter? Discovering with certainty the cause of megafaunal extinction would

The lecture and reading are both about merits and demerits of collecting and buying the fossils by private collectors. The author of the reading states that rare and scientific fossils that are being sold to private collectors would have many negative consequences to scientists and general public. The lecture casts doubt on the claim made in this argument. She thinks that private collectors have rather benefitted for the public and scientists in further exploration of fossils.

The authors said there were signs of human activities in the caves and that there are more archaeological work that need to be done.

The Black Hills Institution crew was very careful when transporting and Sue to Hill City. After arriving, the crew worked hard and carefully on preserving Sue and avoiding to make any mistakes. The people who worked on her when removing rocks and minerals from around the fossil were considered one of the best paleontologists even though they did not have a Ph.D. This said by Phillip Manning Ph.D. It was see y many that the Black Hills Institution knew

Sedimentary rocks interpret dinosaur habitats through encased environmental structures of the past. Through sedimentary rocks, paleoecologists’ can examine the arranged formation of sedimentary structures to specify what type of environment the dinosaurs’ lived in. An example of a specific sedimentary rock structure can be seen through formed weathering and ripple marks by how wind and sand formed distinct patterns in the past layered sediment. These arrangements provide interpretations on the structure of the sediment and the habitat of encased fossils, through modern day comparisons

[w]hen W. W. Orcutt, the original organizer of the geological department of Union Oil of California, reexamined the area in 1901, he discovered "a vast mosaic of white bones" on the surface of a pool of asphalt--the skeleton of a giant ground sloth, a huge armored animal that had been extinct for millions of years. As paleontologists subsequently probed the La Brea tar pits, it became obvious

They chose the time period of 375 million year old rocks because they thought that it was an ideal age to check the transition. They were only able to find fish found in 380 million year old rock and the animals with limbs in 365 million year old rocks. Sedimentary rocks are ideal because they are made due to the turns of the river, ocean and lakes. This is the place where fishes and animals are ideal to live and survive upon. Also the environment, in which they are made, doesn’t destroy the fossils and they preserve them. In 2004, the fossils were found on Ellesmere Island in Northern Canada. This location was chosen because this is the place where there are no humans or roads or any disturbance that would forbid them to dig anywhere they want.

My trip to the La Brea Tar Pits, taught me of the biodiversity that was within California, from the Columbian Mammoths, Shasta Ground Sloth, Dire Wolves, and Sabretooth Cats. The museum emphasized that most of the extinct animals that were on display were extinct due to climate change or hunted by the earliest tribes throughout California and North America. The museum points out that most of these animals were large, but doesn’t show the reason as to why the larger animals went extinct, but the smaller animals survived the extinction. The museum also mentions that night-stalking animals weren’t found in the pits as during the cool temperatures throughout the evening would solidify the asphalt. This extinction was known as the Pleistocene

Walking along the bank of Chartiers Creek I climb a top an array of massive rocks that look as if they had fallen from the hill side when civilization still meant hunter, gatherer. From a top the rocks I sit, and listen to the mollifying sound of the water rush past me. I close my eyes, and let the sound rush over me. I breathe in the fresh spring air which smells like life renewed. I could sit at that spot all day-for the rest of my life maybe-but it’s time to go the next, and final attraction the fossil cliff. The fossil cliff is a roughly fifty foot high sheer cliff. Through the woods I hike to its base, and start to pull away loose stones looking for fossils of long since gone plant, and animal life. A convenient sign explain the high probability for finding fossils in this particular area. I’m yet to find the uncategorized dinosaur fossil which will make me rich, and famous, but I have found a wide variety of plants (that I’m not smart enough to identify) within the rocks. After working up a sweat from walking, getting covered in dust from fossil excavation, and seeing nightfall creeping upon me it’s time to head back to my

The author and his colleagues chose to focus on 375 million year old rocks in their search for fossils because amphibians that look dissimilar to fish were discovered in 365 million year old rocks, while fish without amphibian characteristics were discovered in 385 million year old rocks. Thus, it is possible that the evolutionary intermediary, or the “missing link” between fish and amphibians, would be discovered in 375 million year old rocks, between the two time periods. The rocks examined were sedimentary in composition, as the gradual and relatively gentle formation of sedimentary rock under conditions of mild pressure and low heat are conducive to the fossilization of animal remains. Sedimentary rock is also often formed in rivers and seas, where animals are likely to live. This site provides a resource that describes means by which fossils are formed and how the fossil record may be interpreted, and shows some examples of fossils demonstrating evolution through geological periods: http://www.fossilmuseum.net/fossilrecord.htm. In 2004, Shubin and his colleagues were looking for fossils on Ellesmere Island, in northern Canada. This location was chosen because of its lack of human development, as well as of obstructing natural formations and life forms such as trees, which

My outside source for questions 3 and 4 is a journal by Pat Shipman titled Fossils. This journal was published in The New Scientist Vol. 215, Issue 2876, p. 8-16.

These techniques led to the discovery of the boundary between the two eras. A single thin layer of clay found within predominantly limestone rocks established this. By comparing the marine life found in, above, and below the clay, the marine life, like the dinosaurs, had been terribly affected by the extinction event. The percentage of life in the upper layers was dramatically lower than that in the lower. This was far more compelling than what was suggested by dinosaur’s fossils.