LibGuides: Historical Geology: Media

Media

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Fossils: Reptiles and Mammals (20:00) This program presents fossil evidence for the evolution of reptiles and amphibians; explains the reasoning processes scientists must use when no direct evidence is available for examination; illustrates field techniques for collecting fragile fossils for transportation to the laboratory, where examination can take place under controlled conditions; and traces the evolution of some modern mammals back through time. After viewing the program, students should know which major features distinguish amphibians from reptiles, when and for how long reptiles were the dominant land animals and by whom they were replaced, and recognize the feature in the fossil remains of land reptiles that may indicate that they gave rise to mammals.
The Record of the Rocks (20:00) This program shows the process of sedimentation, which has preserved those life forms extant at the time the rock was formed and—most strikingly where the Colorado River has cut through the Grand Canyon—exposes a veritable history of life on earth; presents the stratified evidence that simple organisms populated the earth first, followed by increasingly complex forms; demonstrates modern techniques for dating rock samples; and explains why fossils provide important evidence of the theory of evolution. After viewing the program, students should understand the mechanisms that made possible the Colorado River rock record, where the oldest and youngest rocks are and why, how the absolute age of rocks is determined, and the nature and extent of the record provided by rocks.
The Rock Cycle (20:00) In this program a young environmental engineer takes viewers into the field for an in-depth look at the rock cycle and the geologic processes that occur within Earth’s core, mantle, and crust. Using dynamic graphics to illustrate essential terms, the video covers the formation of igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks; their physical and chemical properties; subgroups and examples of each; and where they fit in to the rock cycle. The video also provides an informative overview of minerals and the methods used to classify them.
Rocks and Minerals (23:00) Knowledge of the physics and chemistry of the planet’s “bones” is essential to a complete understanding of Earth science. Ranging from the Mohs scale and specific gravity to silicates, carbonates, and halides, this video delves deeply into the composition, properties, and classification of rocks and minerals. An element of forensic-type analysis is also brought into play, since any stony formation represents a portion of the planet’s history and local conditions. A viewable/printable instructor’s guide is available online.
Zircons: Time Capsules from Early Earth (08:51) Zircons are minerals that typically exist as tiny crystals in rocks. They have, however, a big story to tell. A few zircon crystals have been found that are the oldest Earth materials ever discovered, and they reveal clues about periods of geological time for which there is no direct evidence. Almost entirely as a result of studies of zircons, scientists are developing new hypotheses of what Earth’s first 500 million years may have been like. Travel with this science bulletin to a remote island off Greenland’s coast and a zircon-making lab in New York State to learn how geologists are recovering and understanding these time capsules. From the American Museum of Natural History.

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