Reconstructing Ancient Ecosystems
Reconstruct an ancient ecosystem using multiple independent lines of evidence: isotope analysis of teeth to infer diet and migration, bone histology (growth rings) to estimate age and growth rate, coprolite chemistry for diet, and palaeobotany for habitat — understanding that palaeontology is an evidence-synthesis discipline
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Check understanding
- Explains how stable oxygen isotope ratios in teeth shift with geographic location, allowing detection of seasonal migration
- Explains how annual growth rings in bone cross-sections reveal growth rate and approximate age at death
- Describes how combining evidence from teeth isotopes, coprolites, and fossil plant assemblages builds a richer picture of ancient ecology than any single source alone
“If your child was asked how scientists know a large dinosaur migrated hundreds of kilometres every year, could they explain what kind of evidence they look for and how they rule out alternative explanations?”
Curriculum record
- Type
- Procedural
- Subject
- Science
- Domain
- Dinosaurs & Paleontology
- Age range
- Ages 12–14