The Great Fossil Find
Problem:You are a team of evolutionary scientists and the Smithsonian Institute has contracted you to create a new exhibit for a set of recently discovered fossils for their Natural History Museum.
Any day now, you will receive a recently discovered set of fossils which have been dated to exist within the Late Jurassic period. All the fossils were found at a single site and are assumed to belong to a single organism; however this may not be the complete skeleton. (Fossils represent the actual size.) The surrounding soil was also analyzed indicating that this organism lived within a specific biome, identified on a card to arrive with the fossils. You must first analyze the fossils and reconstruct the organism. According to the anatomical structures, what did the organism look like and what key adaptations did it have that enabled it to survive in this specific biome? What habitat does it live in within that biome (land, air, water)? What is its niche(role)?What does it eat (prey)? What eats your organism (predator)?Is it covered with skin, fur, scales, feathers, or something else? How does it move? How does it reproduce and raise its young? Since this is thought to be a newly identified species, what proper “scientific”name would you give it? What principles of natural selection ensured its survival? How did genetics play a role in its evolution?How did it evolve over time and what modern day organism did this species evolve into?
You have beenasked to prepare an8 to 10 minute presentation on your proposed exhibit with a display model. Yourpresentationshouldbelabeled,attractive,colorful,welldesigned,andscientificallyinformative. The completed model must be able to fit on 1/4 of the lab table. Don’tforgettoincludeabibliography ofyoursources.
A group of representatives on behalf of the Smithsonian Institute will judge your presentation and decide whether or not your exhibit is worthy of being displayed at the museum. Goodluck.
Presentations begin:______