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In order for organisms
to become fossilized, the organism must be buried
quickly after its death by sediments. Quick burial
prevents dead organisms from being eaten by animals, and
slows the decay process. Plants or animals that lived in
or near water are much more commonly preserved as
fossils as are organisms on land.
Below is a list of possible
fossils we may see during our hike into the Grand
Canyon.
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Name of
Fossil
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Sketch
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Comments
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Crinoid (Sea
lily)
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Can be
regarded as an inverted starfish with a stalk or
stem attached to the underside. The stem parts are
very common as fossils.
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Bryozoan
(moss animal)
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Bryozoans
include a large group of animals that grow in
colonies, and appear moss-like to the naked eye.
These animals had a complete degestive tract, and
were abundant in the Paleozoic.
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Coral
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Kaibab
Limestone
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Derbyia
(Brachiopod)
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In Paleozoic
rocks, the most abundant fossils are brachiopods (‘bracks’
for short).
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Meekella
(Brachiopod)
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At first
site, brachiopods look like a clam shell. On
closer inspection, you will notice that a
brachiopod is symmetrical (if you laid it down
flat and cut it in half, the two halves would be
identical. This is not the case with a clam.
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Productid
(Brachiopods)
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Because
brachiopods were so diverse in the Paleozoic, they
make excellent index fossils.
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