Prehistoric Animals

Discontinuity surfaces (bedding planes and various types of unconformities), significant changes in mineralogy or grain size or changes in the types of fossils present in the rock may all help identify differing rock layers.

Megalania is related to modern-day monitor lizards and is considered to be a giant, extinct relative of these lizards. Its closest living relatives are believed to be the lace monitors and perenties found in Australia.

Mesosaurus was one of the first marine reptiles. It had numerous thin teeth that weren't adept to catch fish. It is believed that mesosaurus ate plankton.

Ammonites existed in worldwide oceans from 400 to 65.5 million years ago. During that entire period, Baja California was mostly or completely underwater. Ammonites are mollusks that have an appearance very similar to that of nautiloids, which still exist today, but they are more closely related to octopi.

Archaeologists study artifacts, structures, and other physical remains left behind by past civilizations to understand their way of life, social structures, and technological advancements. By analyzing these material remnants, archaeologists can reconstruct the past and provide insights into how ancient societies lived and interacted. Through their work, archaeologists contribute valuable knowledge to our understanding of human history and cultural development.

The Permian-Triassic extinction event was probably caused by tremendous amounts of carbon dioxide that were released from a huge volcanic flow in what is now Russia. This carbon dioxide would have warmed the Earth 5 degrees Celsius (9 degrees Fahrenheit) on average, which would have been enough to evaporate deposits of methane on the ocean floor. This would have warmed the Earth an additional 5 degrees Celsius, for a total rise in average temperature of 10 degrees Celsius (18 degrees Fahrenheit). That would have caused catastrophic climate change, and may have also caused the oceans to lose oxygen content. This would have killed many marine species, and created an ideal habitat for bacteria that create hydrogen sulfide gas. This gas would poison many organisms, on top of damaging the ozone, so that UV light could harm any surviving organisms. 90% of species on Earth died out in this mass extinction.

The Cretaceous-Tertiary Extinction Event was probably caused in part by climate change due to volcanoes releasing carbon dioxide. This climate change weakened many of Earth's species. Then, when an asteroid impacted the Earth and covered the sky in a thick layer of dust, blocking nearly all sunlight, plants died, and so did the animals that depended on them. There is some evidence that the dinosaurs actually survived the first asteroid impact, only to be wiped out by a second impact only 200,000 years later.

Usually a fossil needs to be at least 10,000 years old. However, there is more than just age to a fossil.

Fossils are often made of sediment and rock that has taken the shape of the object. Therefore, it is just just old, it is also mineralized.

The fossil that was found in Bavaria, Germany, is the Archaeopteryx.

The Tertiary Period began roughly 65 million years ago following the mass extinction event that ended the Cretaceous Period. It ended about 2.6 million years ago, marking the beginning of the Quaternary Period.

There were actually three types of plants that evolved in the Mesozoic. Cycads and ginkgos evolved around the late Triassic and early Jurassic. The firsts flowering plants appear in the fossil record during the early Cretaceous period of the Mesozoic era.

A mammoth tooth looks very much like the bottom of a sneaker. These huge molars are designed to quickly dispatch the large amounts of grass they consume.

An arachnid is an invertebrate with only two body parts (the head and abdomen) but no thorax. It has eight legs and moves by moving it's legs forward in ripples. All arachnids have exoskeletons and the group's most famous member is the spider.

No of course Peaches will not die in ice age 4. He will be living and I have been hearing that a lot.

They aren't fragile but they are brittle. Fossils are mineral crystalisations of decayed organic matter. Basically they are rocks.

Megalania fossils have been found in various locations in Australia, mainly in the eastern and southeastern parts of the country. One of the most significant finds was in the Naracoorte Caves in South Australia.

Yes, fossils can form in ice. This process is known as cryogenic fossilization, where the remains of organisms are preserved in ice over long periods of time. This type of preservation provides scientists with valuable insights into ancient ecosystems and species that lived in cold environments.

I am not aware of any dinosaur fossils that have been found in Michigan. During much of the Cretaceous, the time period that most dinosaur fossils are from, Michigan was submerged under the Western Interior Seaway (which drained off millions of years ago).

However, there are some dinosaurs I know of from adjacent areas that may have lived in Michigan, too. There are too many of these to list, but here are some of the most famous ones:

Apatosaurus (known informally as Brontosaurus)

Allosaurus

Stegosaurus

Brachiosaurus

Diplodocus

Coelophysis

Some dinosaurs that lived in rainforest environments include Microraptor, Sinosauropteryx, and Anchiornis. These dinosaurs were small to medium-sized and are known from fossil discoveries in regions that were believed to be lush and forested during the Mesozoic era.

Mass extinctions are usually followed by a period of rapid diversification as surviving species adapt to new environmental conditions and fill ecological niches left vacant by extinct species. This diversification can lead to the emergence of new species and ecosystems over time.

Saber-toothed cats inhabited various environments such as grasslands, forests, and savannas during the Pleistocene era. They were primarily found in North and South America, but some species also lived in Europe and Asia. These cats preferred areas with abundant prey and suitable conditions for hunting.

Yes, fossils can be found preserved in amber. Amber is fossilized tree resin that can capture and preserve insects, small animals, and even plant materials. This provides valuable insights into ancient ecosystems and evolution.

The Paleozoic Era was full of new life and of extinction. However, in the Ordovician Period, the plant life found was green and red algae (Christmas colors!) and stromatoporoids. Stromatoporoids are sponge life creatures that invertebrates, and were ecspecially helpful in reef-forming. The climate in the Ordovician Period was warm and tropical, yet cold and moist. There where, however, many volcanos going off at this time, making it very blackend and rocky. The animals living in this time had mollusks, anthropods, cephalopods, brachipod, trilobite (everywhere!), and orthocerida.

Earth's geography changed dramatically between the beginning and the end of the Tertiary. I could give you a long winded description, but I think you would prefer maps. Under "Related Links" there will be a map for the early Tertiary (called the Paleogene), and one for the later Tertiary (Neogene).

P.S. The Tertiary began 65.5 million years ago and ended 2.6 million years ago.