Time Requirements:
This lab should take two hours to complete.
Recording Your Observations:
Download the Lab Report for this lab where you will record your answers to the activities in the lab.
Procedure:
Part 1: Fossil Record
Explore the fossil record at the Grand Canyon National Park. Notice the information that paleobiologists can get about climates and organisms from long ago by examining fossils.
Fossils can be found all around. There are many national parks that have fossils. Visit some of the national fossil parks sites by starting at this website National Park Service: Fossil Parks.
What is your favorite fossil? Search for your favorite fossil online at American Museum of Natural History:Paleontology.
Part 2: Caminalcules as a Model of the Fossil Record
For this part, read about the Caminalcules, which were imaginary animals invented by the late University of Kansas evolutionary biologist Joseph Camin. Then you will create the phylogenic tree for Caminalcules.
Follow the directions on your lab report to create the phylogenic tree. You will need to download the Caminalcules Handout here to cut-out and create your tree.
Once you've created your tree compare it with the original one created by Joseph Camin.
Part 3: Problems
Answer the questions on your lab report based on your work in this lab.