In 1859, when Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species was first published, the fossil record was poorly known, and Darwin described the lack of transitional fossils as "the most obvious and gravest objection which can be urged against my theory", but explained it by the extreme imperfection of the geological record.[1] He noted the limited collections available at that time, but described the available information as showing patterns which followed from his theory of descent with modification through natural selection.[2][3] Indeed, Archaeopteryx was discovered just two years later, in 1861, and represents a classic transitional form between dinosaurs and birds.[3]
Many more transitional fossils have been discovered since then and it is now 
considered that there is abundant evidence of how all the major groups of animals are related, much of it in the form of transitional fossils.[3]
Researchers from the United States and Canada have found a fossil skeleton of a newly discovered carnivorous animal, Puijila darwini. New research suggests Puijila is a "missing link" in the evolution of the group that today includes seals, sea lions, and the walrus.
For this project do one of the following:
Read one of these articles about the Puijila: Article 1, article 2
Or watch this video
Then you must find and link to an article or web page or video about something to do with fossil records, especially fossil records that fill in gaps, like these transitional fossils.
Finally you must write 2 paragraphs (each paragraph should be at least 3 well constructed sentences) about the site you have chosen and its importance in the advancement of science.
This project is due by midnight, Friday 5/1.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6522090/
ReplyDeleteThis article explains about a new animal species that paleontologists discovered in Barcelona. This new animal is about 13 million years old. They discovered that it was a new ape species that most likely lived in both Africa and Europe.
The paleontologists said that this kind of ape is probably what created everything else that came later in the ape species. They said if it wasnt the one that created everything else, then it was very closely related species that made it all rise and happen. Paleontologists figured out that this type of ape didn't swing through trees with the curved fingers of an orangutan. It also didn't do the knuckle walk. They said it was a different type of animal.
LP - Red
Click Here There was a tropical asian turle found in asia, high in the canadian artic. It was thought that millions of years ago the artic was much more warmer.
ReplyDeleteThe fossil also portrays that the turle took advantage of these warm condtions to migrate to the northpole on a land bridge. Even though this was a pathway for the turtles to be found in the east coast of north america, there is so exclamation of how they are also found on the west coast.
Click Here
ReplyDeleteThere was a tropical asian turle found in asia, high in the canadian artic. It was thought that millions of years ago the artic was much more warmer.
The fossil also portrays that the turle took advantage of these warm condtions to migrate to the northpole on a land bridge. Even though this was a pathway for the turtles to be found in the east coast of north america, there is so exclamation of how they are also found on the west coast.
JE RED
sorry i always forget about this haha
This article was about a gap in evolution that was filled by a primitive flat fish fossil. It talks about an arrangement that arises during the youth of every flat fish, where the symmetrical larva undergoes a metamorphosis to produce an asymmetrical juvenile. One eye sort of migrates up and over the top of the head of the flat fish before finally stopping ,when it is mature, on the opposite side of it’s skull. Before this primitive flat fish was discovered they though that there was no possible way evolution could have created this transition. But this primative fish proves other wise.
ReplyDeleteI think that this process of filling in the gaps is very important in the advancement of science. Without this critical information then we would not be able to find out how evolution really works and if it does in fact really exist. This procedure answers questions and brings up new ones in the process. This process will help us to find out that evolution is not just a theory but a true reality that is even happening now at this very moment.
fossilsCme green
Arctic FossilsIn doing research for this article, I found many interesting facts which made me think about the importance of transitional fossils in regards to the formation of many different species of today. Fossils provide many clues into the way certain plants or animals existed many years ago. It almost seems to be like a giant puzzle.
ReplyDeleteIn the article I chose, researchers chose to explore the Canadian Arctic for evidence on how fish could have evolved into land animals. They found a flat headed animal in the side of a cliff which resembled a fish but also had many features found in land animals. I thought the most interesting part of the whole article was how they determines that by the position of the creatures eyes it meant that it probably lived in shallow water.
This article reminded me of the research we did a few weeks ago about the T-REX. I had mentioned then that I felt a great amount of guess work must be involved in trying to put together characteristics of certain species from pieces of bones which are not always found under the best of circumstances. Surprisingly enough, this most recent article I chose stated that nearly a complete skeleton was found, which saves the scientists the trouble of trying to piece together many tiny fragments, thus perhaps making a more precise assessment possible.
AT Yellow
Click HereI chose this article because I think that it gives a good description of what a fossil is.In the article it shows what type of peservitive are in fossiles like teeth, bones and chitinous exoskeletons. It explains the importance of fossiles and how we can find information on just a small fossile.
ReplyDeleteThe importance of a fossile is that they give us a picture of what we could not have seen when that certain animal of even plant existed.
They help us understand where certain species evolved from. Fossils vary in size from microscopic, such as single cells, to gigantic, such as dinosaurs it dose not matter how big or how small they still help us figher out the past with out actually seeing it. This is an advancment because it allows us to learn about the past.
red MNM
This article talks about how scientists have found petrified Chinese salamanders. These salamanders were suffocated in volcanic ash about 150 million years ago. The preserving process was so good that in some instances, the soft internal organs have left a mark.
ReplyDelete'Pompeii' salamanders fill fossil gapThese petrified Chinese salamanders are giving scientists new information about amphibian evolution. The specimens were 85 million years older than any other salamanders pulled out of the fossil record. The creatures show clearly that they have changed very little since they were running under the feet of dinosaurs in the Jurassic Period.
LA yellow