Explore Fossils
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Click here to take the quiz!Who am I?
Have you ever watched the movie, Night at the Museum? In the movie, a Tyrannosaurus rex fossil chases the main character, a monkey specimen plays pranks, and cavemen suddenly appear to startle him. This movie was filmed at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. The. ① 
is a museum dedicated to displaying everything related to the history of nature. is a museum dedicated to displaying everything related to the history of nature. It features exhibits on astronomy (the study of stars, planets, and galaxies), geology (the study of Earth’s materials and history), paleontology (the study of ancient life through fossils), anthropology (the study of humans), zoology (the study of animals), and botany (the study of plants).
is a museum dedicated to displaying everything related to the history of nature. is a museum dedicated to displaying everything related to the history of nature. It features exhibits on astronomy (the study of stars, planets, and galaxies), geology (the study of Earth’s materials and history), paleontology (the study of ancient life through fossils), anthropology (the study of humans), zoology (the study of animals), and botany (the study of plants).
Dinosaur Bone Fossils Displayed at the American Museum of Natural History
Photo : InSapphoWeTrust at flickr.com
The person who plans exhibits, collects specimens, stores, manages, and researches the huge collection at a natural history museum is called a ② ) (or museum educator). Curators also create educational programs and promote exhibits for children, students, and the general public. To become a curator at a natural history museum, one needs expert knowledge in subjects like geology, paleontology, zoology, and botany. Creativity and initiative are also important to design exhibits and develop new educational and promotional methods.
Korea has many natural history museums, including Seodaemun Museum of Natural History, Busan Marine Natural History Museum, Korean Museum of Natural History, Mokpo Natural History Museum, Jeju Folklore and Natural History Museum. Next time you travel, visit a natural history museums to see unique plant and animal specimens, minerals, fossils, and more.
) (or museum educator). Curators also create educational programs and promote exhibits for children, students, and the general public. To become a curator at a natural history museum, one needs expert knowledge in subjects like geology, paleontology, zoology, and botany. Creativity and initiative are also important to design exhibits and develop new educational and promotional methods.
Korea has many natural history museums, including Seodaemun Museum of Natural History, Busan Marine Natural History Museum, Korean Museum of Natural History, Mokpo Natural History Museum, Jeju Folklore and Natural History Museum. Next time you travel, visit a natural history museums to see unique plant and animal specimens, minerals, fossils, and more.
Dinosaur Bone Fossils at the Seodaemun Natural History Museum
Photo Provided : Microbrain000 at wikipedia
What Museum Curators Do
Collect Specimens
Curate Exhibitions
Store & Manage Specimens
Conduct Research
Educate
Click here to take the quiz!Inferring from Fossils
Observing Fossils
Look closely at fossils Ⓐ to Ⓒ and compare them with the shapes of coral, ferns, and clams. Write the features of each living thing and match them with the correct fossil.
Ⓒ Fossil
Example
In shallow, sunlit waters with ③ temperatures, these animals grow attached to rocks and form coral reefs in groups. → Fossil→ ④
temperatures, these animals grow attached to rocks and form coral reefs in groups. → Fossil→ ④ Ⓑ Fossil
Example
This is a type of fern that lives in warm and humid areas. It does not have ⑤ and reproduces with spores. → Fossil ⑥
and reproduces with spores. → Fossil ⑥ Ⓐ Fossil
Example
It is a mollusk that lives in the ⑦ , mudflats, or freshwater and eats tiny microorganisms. → Fossil ⑧
, mudflats, or freshwater and eats tiny microorganisms. → Fossil ⑧ Inferring the Fossil Habitat
The Himalayas are a mountain range between the Indian subcontinent and the Tibetan Plateau. The tallest mountain in the world, Mount Everest (8,848 meters), is located there. Many marine fossils, such as clams and ammonites, have been found high up in the Himalayas.
Location of the Himalayas
Himalayan Mountains
Ammonite Fossil
Artistic Representation of Ammonite
(Photo : Ⓒ 2016 DBCLS TogoTV)
Ammonites were invertebrates (animals without backbones) that first appeared in the Paleozoic Era and became very common in the Mesozoic Era. Their fossils look like snails, but they were actually sea animals with shells, more like squids or nautiluses. Scientists think they lived in a similar way to modern-day nautiluses. Ammonites came in many sizes, from 2 cm to 2 meters wide.
Clam and ammonite fossils are found in the Himalayan Mountains today. What do you think the environment of the Himalayas was like during the Mesozoic Era?
Click here to take the quiz!How Are Fossils Used?
Activity 1
Please follow the instructions and assemble the educational kit in the order specified.
Activity 2: Learning about the environment when rock layers formed through fossils
Fossils allow us to learn about the species, forms, and characteristics of organisms that lived in the past. For instance, fossils of dinosaur eggs tell us that dinosaurs laid ⑩ .
Fossils can also show what environment was like where these organisms lived. Coral fossils show the area was once a warm, shallow sea. Fern fossils show the area was a warm and humid land. Some fossils come from animals that only lived during certain times.
These are called ⑪ , Trilobites are the index fossils of the Paleozoic period, dinosaurs and ammonites are the index fossils of the ⑫ , and the ⑬ is the index fossil of the Cenozoic period.
Geological Periods and Index Fossils
Match the fossils in layers (A) to (D) with the time period they were made.
Activity 3: How Are Fossils Used Around Us?
Have you ever heard of fossil fuels? Fossil fuels are made when the remains of plants or animals are buried deep underground and go through chemical changes from heat and pressure over millions of years. These include coal, oil, and natural gas. Find examples of how coal, oil, and natural gas are used in the following objects. Coal use : ⑱ Oil use : ⑱ Natural gas use : ⑱
<Example>
Ⓐ Airplane
Ⓑ Wooden blocks
Ⓒ Power plants
Ⓓ Flowers
Ⓔ Briquettes
Ⓕ Asphalt
Ⓖ Bus
Ⓗ Pencil lead
Ⓘ Wood
Ⓙ Gas stations
Ⓚ Bricks
Ⓛ Plastic blocks
Ⓜ Cars