SMART Science August 2007

Let’s Go Fossiling!

Have you ever wondered what lived here many years ago? Would you recognize

anything? Would the environment be different than it is now? Let’s go back not

just a hundred years, but thousands or even millions of years ago. What would it

be like? Fossiling is all about finding evidence of life that lived in an area long ago.

Finding evidence of this past life and the environment is a little bit like traveling in

a time machine, but you don’t have to actually travel to the past.

In this area there is much evidence of life that lived here millions of years ago.

Imagine a time when coal was still ancient plant life and fern trees dotted the

landscape. These fern trees may now be fossils. In some places nearby, we can

find fossilized sea shells. How can this be? We don’t have an ocean! What was the

area like then? Did we always have these beautiful mountains?

Brachiopod in sandstone at New Creek Quarry, WV

Two fossil rich sites in our area are highlighted in the book, Fossil Collecting in the

Mid-Atlantic States by Jasper Burns (Johns Hopkins Press, 1991). There are even

more sites if you look for them. The fossil rich sites in our area mentioned in this

book are best for plant fossils. One of the sites is along GC&P Road in Ohio

County. The ancient fern named Pecopteris is one of the most common fossils

found there. Near Bethany, WV at the base of a road cut we can find many

different types of plant fossils. These fossils are from the Pennsylvanian Period of

Earth’s history. This was between 286 and 320 million years ago! Plant fossils are

often found where there are coal beds. Why would this be true? For directions to

these fossiling sites, see www.smartcenter.org/ovpm/fossilsites

The light grey limestones that are common in many areas of West Virginia, Ohio,

and Pennsylvania are often full of marine invertebrate fossils. These creatures

lived in a warm, shallow inland sea millions of years ago. They had no backbones.

Their exact size and shape are now preserved in rock. Common invertebrate

fossils that we find are brachiopods, crinoids, and corals. The corals are very

similar to the corals that make coral reefs today. Brachiopods look similar to

clams, though not identical. Crinoids look a bit like a life saver roll. Sometimes

their individual segments will be preserved and look like little donuts in rock. If

you find a crinoid “head” it is a true “find”! These did not preserve well. One of the

living relatives of a crinoid is called a sea lily. They are related to starfish. To see

these and other fossils, check out www.smartcenter.org/ovpm/fossilkey

Kayley Miller with fossil in limestone and identification key

Fossils are almost always found in sedimentary rock. The sediments fall to the

bottom of water or are wind blown and the organism falls into the sediment when

it dies. Over many years, the sediments harden into rock. The organism will

decay, but the imprint of the organism may remain. This is called a mold.

Sometimes the organism may be replaced with more rock material in the exact size

and shape of the original organism. This is called a cast.

“Fake Fossil”:

You can make your own “fossil” at home. Just remember that real fossils take

much longer to form. Most scientists agree that something is not considered a

fossil until it is over 10,000 years old!

You will need:

1) playdoh or clay

2) an object to “fossilize”

3) paper plate

4) vegetable oil or non-stick cooking spray

Place the playdoh or clay onto a paper plate and smooth it out. Press your object

into the playdoh or clay and then remove it. (Good objects to try are sea shells,

coins, nuts, leaves, and even thumb prints!) Place the paper plate somewhere so

the playdoh or clay will dry. Check it out over a day or two. Real rock takes much

longer to form, but soon your “rock” will dry and you should see the imprint of

your object. This is called the mold. If you want to make a cast of your object,

wait until the mold dries, spray it with non-stick cooking spray or a little vegetable

oil and then fill it with more clay or playdoh. Let this dry and carefully take your

cast out. It should look like part of your original object.

Where to Find Fossils

If you want to find fossils, look in sedimentary rock layers. Common sedimentary

rocks include limestone, sandstone, and shale. All of these are common in our

area of the country. Why would it be unlikely to find fossils in igneous or

metamorphic rock? To brush up on your rock cycle knowledge, check out our

SMART Science article in Ohio Valley Parent in January 2006. You can view it on

our website at http://www.smartcenter.org/ovpm/january-06.html

For more photos of fossils and outdoor fossil hunting, go to www.smartcenter.org/

ovpm/fossilhunt

Keep looking for interesting fossils. You may even find fossils in the limestone

gravel in your driveway!

Libby and Robert Strong and Richard Pollack work at the West Liberty State College SMART-Center and invite you to visit the SMART-Center website at

www.smartcenter.org