Understanding the formation of fossils in nature (2)

As in the previous section, we were able to know briefly about fossils. How fossils are created and some of the most basic fossils.

>>>Learn about natural fossil formation (1)

This next section will discuss more deeply about fossil research and research. Archaeologists have been exploring fossils since a long time ago, though finding them is very arduous and difficult. In modern times, advanced machines and equipment have greatly benefited them. And so far, fossils are still continuing to reveal what happened in the past.

Journey to find difficult

To understand the animals in nature will require biologists to start with their habitat as well as their habits. For example, if you want to learn about kangaroos, you will have to go to Australia, the pandas must go to China of course. The same is true for archaeologists when searching for fossils. If you find mammoths or some similar species, the area is zoned as cold regions, tundra, glacier . With sedimentary rock fossils, you will have to find stone areas with the same age as the chemical Jelly wants to search. To do this, archaeologists had to study a lot about geology, topography, reference types of maps, analysis of samples from the environment.

The determination of fossil age is not easy. In the previous centuries, when science had not developed modernly, fossil age was determined by studying the age of a rock in the area. The scientists will then study the fossils in them and compare them with the fossils found in other locations for information. Currently, one will use a method called radiocarbon dating . It is a method using C-14 to determine the age of carbon-containing materials or samples with age up to 60,000 years. This technique was invented by chemist Willard Libby in 1949.

Plants fix atmospheric carbon in the process of photosynthesis, so carbon-14 levels in plants and animals when they die are approximately at C-14 levels in the atmosphere at that time. However, the amount of carbon-14 then decreases due to decay, allowing archaeologists to determine the date in which the plant died or when it last fixed carbon. The initial level for computation can be estimated, or directly compared with known time series data from tree-round counting data up to 10,000 years ago (using the word data the trees are alive and dead around that area), or from speleothems, allowing dating to 45,000 years from the present. Calculation results or will indicate the age of the wood or bone sample at the time of the dead plant-animal.

However, there are many fossils dating from the levels of radiocarbon methods that can be fixed and these cases are really difficult. For example, to search for dinosaur fossils, we must find an ancient rock area of ​​about 65 million years old, a three-lobed fossil, and have to look for more ancient areas because of their time ago. up to 245 million years old. And if you want to study the most ancient cyanobacteria on earth, you need to find a region that is about 3.5 billion years old. In general, everything is only relative, whether or not fossil searching is sometimes just a misfortune, although modern has developed many assistive technologies. Another problem is that fossils are rare, so in many cases it takes time to find out, but ultimately after the determination is not fossil.

Excavation and ensure the status quo

As mentioned earlier in the process of fossil formation, organisms will have to be in a certain environment to ensure many factors. For this reason, the amount of fossils is very small compared to the amount of fauna and flora used to exist. Only a small number of species become fossils. Fortunately, fossils are things that can last millions of years, withstand a lot of environmental stress. They are very important, be careful when excavating and preserving. Once amateur excavators find a specimen, they will be encouraged to contact the museum or research facilities to assist, ensuring the best condition.

The excavation process requires great care and thoroughness, and professional tools and professionals are essential. There are many cases where there are fossilized places of some kind of animal, it must be very professional to take them out safely. With large skeletons, archaeologists often have to wrap them in plaster to move to the study site. The tools to remove the soil from fossils are also important, in many cases people have to spray mist to soften the sediment. In the case of fossils with high brittleness, the removal of clinging is at risk. fossilized or broken fossils have to find other ways. Often researchers will strengthen the bone structure with a layer of plastic / glue, which requires a lot of work and requires careful care.

After fossils are removed from rocks, scientists can determine the age of a mass spectrometer, measuring radioisotopes. Other tools include computer tomography (CAT) scans and computer models. If it is a vertebrate, the paleontologist can also access the skeleton as a giant jigsaw puzzle, trying to figure out how to arrange the skeleton to determine its way of life and movement. .

What is achieved

The goal of all difficulties, the above work is for research purposes. Fossil research can lead to information in all aspects, not merely biological. When studying a layer of rock, the scientists searched for fossils in the rock and determined which species lived in that time. Through many studies, life on earth fruit billions of years also gradually revealed through fossils. All searches are intended to create a fossil collection through the earth's ages.

Fossils provide many clues about past life. Here are some examples:

- A sudden increase in the amount of fossil algae may be related to changes in food and climate sources.

- Pollen fossils can reveal plants and plants that grow during specific times, even with species without fossils.

- The size difference of rings in wood fossils may correspond to climate change.

In addition, the fossils from time to time also helped a lot in the study of evolution. For example, the fossils of prehistoric horses compared to modern or similarities between prehistoric dinosaur bones and modern bird bones suggest that perhaps some dinosaurs have evolved into birds . or Many fossils are recognized as intermediaries with past and present species. Scientists can also use fossils to learn about life before, traces on it show how to live. The most obvious proof is the person. A series of fossils, skulls have been known to date people and their evolution in daily life.

Conclusion

The search and study of fossils has brought about great achievements in the study of earth history. Scientists are increasingly working to make new discoveries. Many areas that have never been explored are gradually being explored and excavated. Hopefully, with the efforts of researchers as well as the modern development of machine tools, we are more and more successful and understand more about the past of mankind.