Professor Nick Cutter (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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fandomhigh2025-03-26 07:33 pm
itsananomaly) wrote in fandomhigh2025-03-26 07:33 pm
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Introduction to Paleontology - Period 1
“Good morning,” Cutter began that week’s class as he held onto his usual cup of coffee, “this week we’re going to be looking at Vertebrate paleontology and this is an area of paleontology that seeks to discover, through fossilized remains, the behaviour, reproduction and appearance of extinct vertebrates, which is animals with vertebrae and their descendants. It also tries to connect, by using the evolutionary timeline, the animals of the past and their modern-day relatives. The fossil record shows aspects of the meandering evolutionary path from early aquatic vertebrates to modern fish as well as mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians with a host of transitional fossils though there are still blank areas.”
“The earliest known fossil vertebrates were heavily armored fish discovered in rocks from the Ordovician period about 485 to 444 million years ago with jawed vertebrates emerging in the following Silurian period about 444 to 419 million years ago with the placoderms and acanthodians. The Devonian period from 419 to 359 million years ago saw primitive air-breathing fish to develop limbs allowing them to walk on land, thus becoming the first terrestrial vertebrates, the Stegocephalians,” he finished, smiling over at Connor for him to continue the lecture.
Connor set his coffee down and picked up his note as he stood for his part of the lecture. "Studying fossiled vertebrates can go a long way in helping us to link the Past to Modern Problems. Here are some of the parallel phenomena we can see evidence of from the past. Climate Change: Paleontological data can help us understand how past climate changes have affected life on Earth, providing a long-term perspective on the current climate crisis. Biodiversity: Vertebrate paleontology helps us understand the history of biodiversity and the factors that have led to its decline or increase, which is relevant to modern conservation efforts. Geologic Correlation: Vertebrate fossils are useful for correlating geological formations across different regions, helping us understand the history of continents and their movements. Tectonic History: Vertebrate fossils can provide evidence of past geographic connections between continents, contributing to a better understanding of tectonic history. These and other clues can help us understand where species came from, how they became what we know today, and can even help us make scientific theories about what the next evolutionary step might be for some species." With a small nod and a smile at Cutter, Connor handed the lecture back over.
Cutter smiled as he continued the class, “for the rest of the class I would like you to go over yourmoddable worksheets and as always myself and Mr. Temple are here to answer any questions that you may have,”
“The earliest known fossil vertebrates were heavily armored fish discovered in rocks from the Ordovician period about 485 to 444 million years ago with jawed vertebrates emerging in the following Silurian period about 444 to 419 million years ago with the placoderms and acanthodians. The Devonian period from 419 to 359 million years ago saw primitive air-breathing fish to develop limbs allowing them to walk on land, thus becoming the first terrestrial vertebrates, the Stegocephalians,” he finished, smiling over at Connor for him to continue the lecture.
Connor set his coffee down and picked up his note as he stood for his part of the lecture. "Studying fossiled vertebrates can go a long way in helping us to link the Past to Modern Problems. Here are some of the parallel phenomena we can see evidence of from the past. Climate Change: Paleontological data can help us understand how past climate changes have affected life on Earth, providing a long-term perspective on the current climate crisis. Biodiversity: Vertebrate paleontology helps us understand the history of biodiversity and the factors that have led to its decline or increase, which is relevant to modern conservation efforts. Geologic Correlation: Vertebrate fossils are useful for correlating geological formations across different regions, helping us understand the history of continents and their movements. Tectonic History: Vertebrate fossils can provide evidence of past geographic connections between continents, contributing to a better understanding of tectonic history. These and other clues can help us understand where species came from, how they became what we know today, and can even help us make scientific theories about what the next evolutionary step might be for some species." With a small nod and a smile at Cutter, Connor handed the lecture back over.
Cutter smiled as he continued the class, “for the rest of the class I would like you to go over your
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