A n c i e n t A l a b a m a A d v e n t u r e s. Time Line 1 Time line 2

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1 A n c i e n t A l a b a m a A d v e n t u r e s Let s start our journey with an overview of what is known about the development of life on earth PART 1: Time lines Use the two different time lines linked here to learn about different ways to show a progression of events. At the end of this field trip, you will be asked to design your own time line. As you view these time lines, use the Time Line worksheet (p4) to help your understanding of the concepts presented. You ll need to be thinking about the following questions: How is the passage of time shown? Is this time line done to scale? How can you tell? What types of organisms existed in each era? Which ones still exist today? What was happening to the land? Time Line 1 Time line 2 PART 2: The Fossil Record Use the various links to understand how scientists study fossils. As you explore these simulations and videos, use the Fossil Record worksheet to help your understanding of the concepts presented. Digging for Dinosaurs This site allows you to learn about the tools paleontologists use to unearth fossils. On a Dig This video shows how paleontologists are using new technology to learn more about fossils. This wired science site also contains links to other videos you may find interesting. Rebuilding the bones Can you rebuild a skeleton from a jumble pile of bones? The Dating Game? Use this site to find out about some ways we can find the age of fossils. Try your hand at dating some fossils found in a cross section of sediments.

2 Now let s zoom in on Alabama

3 PART 3: Alabama s Geologic History Geologic Map showing the age of surface rocks from the Paleontology Portal County Map from Alabama Cooperative Extension System In this section, we ll use a variety of sources to learn more about Alabama s Geologic past. You ll want to learn about events that happened all over the state plus focus in on your assigned county. As you explore these sites, use the Alabama worksheet to help your understanding of the concepts presented. Paleoportal for Alabama - This interactive map site shows images of rock location by age with pictures of fossils from that time where available. From this site, you can also explore the geologic history of all 50 states! Alabama Fossils This link takes you to the fossil section of the Encyclopedia of Alabama. It provides a good resource for general information about the state. 16. Geological History of Alabama (APT series produced by Alabama Museum of Natural History) This video is not available on-line. However, it provides an excellent overview of the state s geologic history with a tour of important fossil sites. Your Alabama worksheet provides a guide to help you practice your note-taking skills while watching the video. Sea Level Changes This site provides a series of images showing the level of the oceans around North America. States are outlined so you should be able to keep track of Alabama. Now let s explore Alabama era by era...

4 Alabama Through The Ages PreCambrian Chewacla get a 360 view of the Precambrian rocks at Chewacla State Park Lee County get a closer view of the oldest rocks in the state (Link won t work in this upload so scroll down to page 7) Paleozoic Walker County and Encyclopedia of Alabama overview of fossils from Walker County. Footprints photos of fossils found in Walker county Red Mountain photos of rocks and fossils from the Red Mountain Road cut in Jefferson County (Link won t work in this upload so scroll down to page 9) Mesozoic Alabama Dinosaurs use this link to explore the Alabama Dinosaur skeleton exhibit at the McWane Center. Watch the accompanying videos to see what scientists think about dinosaur adaptations. Cenozoic Spiky-Dinos watch this video to learn more about dinosaur adaptations Badder than T-Rex learn about other, less well known predators Alabama's Tyrannosaurid Information from the Encyclopedia of Alabama about Montgomery County fossils Hadrosaur - Information from the Encyclopedia of Alabama about Dallas County fossils Mosasaur- data and fossils photos from Green County, Alabama (Link won t work in this upload so scroll down to page 11) End of an Era This journal article explains information on a fossil location that records the end of the Mesozoic and the beginning of the Paleozoic The last of the MegaBeasts PBS Nova video shows what North America was like during the Cenozoic. Watch the first segment to get an overview. The rest of the video explores the scientific evidence behind it. Alabama State Fossil - Information from the Encyclopedia of Alabama about Clark and Choctaw County fossils

5 Time Line Work sheet Time Line 1 by National Geographic a) How is the passage of time shown? b) Is this time line done to scale? How can you tell? Time line 2 by Kidipede a) How is the passage of time shown? b) Is this time line done to scale? How can you tell? Putting what you learned together a) What types of organisms existed in each era? Which ones still exist today? Precambrian Paleozoic Mesozoic Cenozoic b) How did life forms change over time? Creating your own time line At the end of this virtual field trip, your group will need to create your own time line of the geologic history of a particular county in Alabama. Choose a format that you are comfortable with and that fits the data. Your time line should: a) show the four eras of geologic time b) be represented to scale. Make sure to indicate the scale you used. c) use graphics to indicate life forms that existed in each era. d) indicate during which eras there were major landform changes e) indicate during which eras your assigned county was underwater f) indicate which era s rocks are currently exposed at the surface in your assigned county. g) indicate what fossil life forms make your assigned county relevant to this project. h) cite any source materials you used for information and images

6 Digging for Dinosaurs Fossil Record a) What does each tool do? On a Dig b) Why can t we use just one tool? c) What type of fossil did you unearth? Use the snipping tool on your computer to capture your fossil. Save it as a jpeg and insert it in this document a) What big find did Dr. Nick Fraser discover? Why was it important? b) What does he usually find? c) What new technology does he use to study it? d) What do non-paleontologists use this technology for? e) How does it get a 3D image? d) what do they do with these images Rebuilding the Bones Use the snipping tool to capture your rebuilt dinosaur. Save it as a jpeg and insert it in this document. The Dating Game a) Explain the general theory behind finding age using radioactive dating b) Try to figure out the ages of the objects in the dating game. Insert your work in this document as a jpeg using your snipping tool.

7 ALABAMA Natural History) 16. Geological History of Alabama (APT series produced by Alabama Museum of Video Notes While watching the video, think about the following questions. Jot down notes to answer them. You will not be able to write down what is said word for word so try to capture the main ideas using key words and phrases. What was going on in Alabama during each era? What types of rocks are associated with different environments? What fossils are found in Alabama? What eras are they from? What parts of the state develop in each era? How does our past affect us today? What have these ancient rocks become? Alabama Through the Ages a) For each Era, give at least one life form that lived in Alabama. State the county where they are found. Precambrian Paleozoic Mesozoic Cenozoic b) Why is it hard to find Precambrian fossils in Alabama? c) Why do you think there are many more websites on the Mesozoic than on the other eras? d) What are some theories that scientist have about the body structures on dinosaurs? Summary thoughts What general trends have you seen in the development of life on earth? How do we know? What did you find the most interesting about this field trip?

8 ALABAMA PRECAMBRIAN ROCKS Chewacla State Park Lee County, Alabama Photos by Dr. Harold Stowell

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10 Red Mountain Birmingham, Alabama 1970 view of Road Cut from Birmingham News files all other photos by Dr. Harold Stowell, 2010

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13 MOSASAURS Alabama GREEN COUNTY, Text and Fossils Photos by Gillian Jacobi Tuscaloosa Academy Science Fair Project 2010 other images from Wikipedia.com ABSTRACT The project tests if the formulas for determining the length of a prehistoric mosasaur are accurate. Four mosasaur skeletons found in Greene County, Alabama were measured (lower jaw length and skull length) to find the total length of the mosasaur. One of these skeletons was a complete mosasaur which is rare. The total length of the complete mosasaur was matched with the estimated total length. BACKGROUND RESEARCH Mosasaurs are large, extinct sea lizards that lived in warm shallow water. Scientists today believe mosasaurs are related to lizards like the Komodo dragon (Prothero 2006:35; These sea creatures lived during the Late Cretaceous period which was 65 to 90 million years ago. Fossils of mosasaurs have been found on all continents and there are about 70 species (Bell 1997:293; Prothero 2006:35). A small mosasaur fossil skeleton is about 6 feet long, while the largest reported is about 55 to 57 feet long and is called Mosasaurus hoffmanni (Lingham-Soliar 1995:156; Thurmond 1969; Thurmond and Jones 1981:148). Mosasaurus hoffmanni was found 200 years ago in The Netherlands (Lingham-Soliar 1995). Paleontologists do not often find a complete fossil skeleton. It is hard to tell how big an extinct animal is because parts of it are missing. When a complete skeleton is found then it is easier to determine the length of an animal.

14 PURPOSE The purpose of this experiment is to test formulas that were created to determine the total length of a mosasaur when only the jaw length or skull length is known. Do the formulas accurately predict the total length of a mosasaur? How long are the mosasaurs of Alabama? HYPOTHESIS If certain measurements of a mosasaur s lower jaw (dentary) or skull length are known then the entire length of that same mosasaur can be determined. MATERIALS Four mosasaurs from the paleontological collection of the Alabama Museum of Natural History were examined. The four mosasaurs represent three different species: 1. Mosasaurus maximus (Two specimens named Sweetie and Moms both of unknown length were found in Greene County, Alabama.), 2. Tylosaurus proriger (One specimen named Bossie of unknown length was found in 1993 along the Tombigbee River in Greene County, Alabama.), 3. Clidastes liodontus (One specimen named Artemis was found in 2002 near H. Hefflin Dam in Greene County, Alabama. This specimen is entirely complete and one of the few complete specimens in the world). METHODS (procedures) The mosasaurs were measured using a measuring tape. Two of the mosasaurs (species maximus) had their dentary (lower jaw) measured by tape measure. The end of the tape was placed at the anterior (front) of the lower jaw and stretched to the most posterior (back) part of the lower jaw. This measurement was the length of the dentary and the measurement needed for calculations of total length of the entire mosasaur (Lingham-Soliar 1995:156; Russell 1967:210, Table 3). The Tylosaurus proriger and Clidastes liodontus were measured from the front tip of the skull to the back part of the skull. This measurement is needed to calculate the total length of these species of mosasaur (Osborn 1899:170; Russell 1967:210, Table 3; Williston 1898:143). For Artemis, the only complete specimen of mosasaur, a string had to be used to get the entire length of the mosasaur. This was because the spine was curved in one area. The string went from tip of the head along the spine to the tip of the tail. Then, the string was laid on the floor and measured.

15 DATA SWEETIE (Mosasaurus maximus) The length of Sweetie s Dentary 97.5cm + 7.1cm (section missing from dentary on Sweetie but present on Moms) = 104.6cm MOMS (Mosasaurus maximus) The length of Mom s complete Dentary = 90.5cm ARTEMIS (Clidastes liodontus) The length of Artemis s complete head = 37.5cm Actual length of Artemis (Complete Specimen) = 8.81 FEET BOSSIE (Tylosaurus proriger) The length of Bossie s complete head = 96.3cm Actual length of Bossie (INCOMPLETE SPECIMEN) = FEET

16 RESULTS SWEETIE (Mosasaurus maximus) The length of Sweetie s Dentary 97.5cm + 7.1cm (section missing from dentary on Sweetie but present on Moms) = 104.6cm Length of Lower Jaw = cm + 60% of cm = cm +.60(104.60cm) =104.60cm cm =167.36cm for Length of Lower Jaw Total Length of Mosasaur = Length of Lower Jaw + 10(Length of Lower Jaw). Total Length = cm + 10(167.36cm) Total Length = cm cm Total Length = cm Conversion to Inches cm 2.54 = inches Conversion to Feet inches 12 = feet* Sources: Lingham-Soliar 1995:156; Russell 1967:210, Table 3 *THIS ALABAMA MOSASAUR IS LARGER THAN THE PREVIOUSLY REPORTED LARGEST MOSASAUR IN THE WORLD. MOMS (Mosasaurus maximus) The length of Mom s complete Dentary = 90.5cm Length of Lower Jaw = 90.5cm + 60% of 90.5cm = 90.5cm +.60(90.5cm) = 90.5cm cm = cm for Length of Lower Jaw Total Length of Mosasaur = Length of Lower Jaw + 10(Length of Lower Jaw). Total Length = cm + 10(144.80cm) Total Length = cm +1448cm Total Length = cm Conversion to Inches cm 2.54 = inches Conversion to Feet inches 12 = feet* Sources: Lingham-Soliar 1995:156; Russell 1967:210, Table 3 Conybeare 1822

17 *This Alabama mosasaur is now one of the largest reported in the world.

18 ARTEMIS (Clidastes liodontus) The length of Artemis s complete head = 37.5cm The head is 12.1% of overall length of mosasaur. 12.1x = 3750 Total Length X = cm Conversion to Inches cm 2.54 = inches Conversion to Feet inches 12 = feet LENGTH OF ARTEMIS BY FORMULA = FEET ACTUAL LENGTH OF ARTEMIS (COMPLETE SPECIMEN) = 8.81 FEET DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FORMULA AND ACTUAL =1.35 FEET Sources: Russell 1967:210, Table 3; Williston 1898:143 BOSSIE (Tylosaurus proriger) The length of Bossie s complete head = 96.3cm The head is 13.8% of overall length of mosasaur. ACTUAL LENGTH OF BOSSIE (INCOMPLETE SPECIMEN) = FEET DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FORMULA AND ACTUAL = 4.45 FEET THERE ARE 4.45 FEET OF BOSSIE S SKELETON MISSING. Sources: Osborn 1899:170; Russell 1967:210, Table x = 9630cm Total Length X = cm Conversion to Inches cm 2.54 = inches Conversion to Feet inches 12 = feet LENGTH OF BOSSIE BY FORMULA = FEET

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20 CONCLUSIONS It is possible to determine the total length of a mosasaur when only the length of the lower jaw or the length of the skull are known. However, the measurement will be an estimate only. When Artemis was measured the actual and formula estimate differed by 1.35 feet. This is due to the fact that the remains may not be entirely stretched out (lengthwise) and it is difficult to get an accurate measurement. It also was found that Alabama has the largest mosasaur in the world. Sweetie (Mosasaurus maximus) is feet long and Mosasaurus hoffmanni from The Netherlands is 57 feet long. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank the Alabama Museum of Natural History for allowing me access to the mosasaur skeletons both stored in collections and on display. I thank Dr. Harry Blewitt for guiding me while I volunteered in his paleontology lab in the summer of 2009 and for advising me on this project. BIBLIOGRAPHY Bell Jr., Gorden L A Phylogenetic Revision of North American and Adriatic Mosasauroidea. In Ancient Marine Reptiles. Edited by Jack M. Callaway and Elizabeth L. Nicholls. Pp Academic Press, San Diego. Lingham-Soliar, Theagarten Anatomy and Functional Morphology of the Largest Reptile Known, Mosasaurus hoffmanni (Mosasaurida, Reptilia) from the Upper Cretaceous, Upper Maastrichtian of the Netherlands. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London B 347: Osborn, Henry Fairfield A Complete Mosasaur Skeleton, Osseous and Cartilaginous. American Museum of Natural History Memoir 1(4): Prothero, Donald R After the Dinosaurs: The Age of Mammals. Indiana University Press, Bloomington. Russell, Dale A Systematics and Morphology of American Mosasaurs (Reptilia, Sauria). Peabody Museum of Natural History Yale University Bulletin 23. Yale University, New Haven. Thurmond, John T Notes on Mosasaurs from Texas. Texas Journal of Science 21: Thurmond, John T. and Douglas E. Jones Fossil Vertebrates of Alabama. University of Alabama Press, University (Tuscaloosa). Williston, Samuel W Mosasaurs. University Geological Survey, Kansas 4:

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