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Microfossils: the Ocean's Storytellers

Microfossils are microscopic single-celled organisms that belong to the Kingdom Protista (or Protoctista). Examples include calcareous nannofossils, foraminifera, diatoms, radiolarians, and silicoflagellates; planktonic organisms that inhabit the sunlit surface waters of the world ocean. The tiny shells of microfossils contribute to the sediments that cover vast areas of the seafloor.

This website has a poster (pdf) that shows several different images of microfossils, taken through microscopes, as well as activities for students (pdf) simulate the identification and use of these microfossils to examine past climate change and Earth history. Activities include: Small Creatures-Big Science, Secrets of the Sediments, Nannofossils Reveal Seafloor Spreading Truth. [Source: Joint Oceanographic Institute and the School of Rock] Grade level: K-College.

LINK (http://www.joiscience.org/posters/microfossils) >>
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