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PRESENT DAY ORGANISMS (LAB)
Only certain living organisms have what it takes to become a fossil.
The requirements include having a hard shell and living in or near mud.
The mud acts to protect the hard parts when the organism dies. If the
hard part is buried rapidly, that helps its chances of becoming a
fossil.
In this lab you will look at several organisms and determine the
likelihood of them becoming fossils. Not all organisms have hard parts.
They are some of the largest groups of organisms, like insects and
worms, and they do not have many fossil counterparts.
Some organisms like sharks, only have teeth that are hard enough to
be preserved. Every time a shark bites, they lose a set of teeth. But
there are plenty rows of teeth behind to make sure the teeth are sharp
for the next bite.
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