(LINKS TO
PAST FOSSIL FRIDAYS)
Community College (LRCCD)
Geology
& Earth Science Instructor: Arthur Reed,
P.G.
Happy Fossil Friday!
Friday
November 20, 2020
Instructor:
Arthur Reed, P.G.
Fossil Leaf
Hard
parts like bones and shells preserve more easily than softer tissue. Less
durable things like plants, insects and feathers fossilize by carbonization.
This process begins after burial as building pressure forces volatile elements
like hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen out of the original
material. The leftover carbon faithfully mimics the details of the original
soft parts.
This
is a fossil leaf of Plagianthus betulinus (or
Ribbonwood). It's 1.6 million years old and was
collected from the Waipaoa Valley in New Zealand. Ribbonwood is still found in forests and
gardens today. It is one of New Zealand’s few native deciduous trees, shedding
its leaves annually in the autumn and winter.
Fossil
plants are important indicators of past environmental conditions. They tell us
about things like temperature and humidity millions of years ago. Because of
this, we can use them to infer how the climate has changed over time, and how
our biodiversity might change under differing climate change scenarios.
Fossil
Leaf Hunting Video narrated by: Elizabeth Lovelock,
MSc, UCSB
NOTE:
Corrections are always appreciated!