L&A Fossils of Amherst
Island


Let's travel to the Southern most
point of Lennox and Addongton County, Amherst
Island

Amherst  Island is known for it's bird watching,
bicycling, Crafts,Painters and Fossils.

Yep the South Eastern side of Amherst Island is a fossil haven.

And now a geological lesson on Fossils

 

The modern use of the word 'fossil' refers to the physical evidence of former life, from a period of time prior to recorded human history.This prehistoric evidence includes the fossilized remains of living organisms, impressions and molds of theirphysical form, and marks/traces created in the sediment by their activities. There is no universally agreed age at which the evidence can be termed fossilized, however it'sbroadly understood to encompass anything more than a few thousand years.

Very few plants and animals are lucky enough be turned into fossils.

When an animal or plant dies its generally rots away to nothing.

Sometimes though, when the conditions are just right and burial is quick, it may be fossilized.
There are several different ways fossils are formed. 

Let's go through the five basic steps of fossilization for a typical 'mold and cast' fossil.

******

An animal or plant dies and its body sinks to the sea floor.
The softer parts of the animal/plant rots away, leaving only its skeleton.
The skeleton is buried by sediment (like mud or sand) falling from the ocean above.
The sea floor is an great place for fossilization, which explains why many fossils are marine type, like on Amherst Island.
Although land animals may die and be swept out to sea to be buried in the same way.

******

Over time
the sediment surrounding the skeleton thickens and begins to turn to stone.
The skeleton continues to be buried as sediment is added to the surface of the sea floor.
As the sea floor sinks, pressure increases in the lower layers of sediment and it turns it into hard rock.

******

The skeleton dissolves and a mold
is formed.
Now buried at depth and surrounded by stone, the skeleton
is dissolved by ground water.
This leaves a cavity (or hole) preserving the shape of the original skeleton.
This cavity is known as a natural mold.

******

Water rich in minerals enters the mold, and fills the cavity. 
The minerals crystallize inside the mold and a cast is formed.
 This cast has the same shape as the original skeleton, but none of its internal features.

******

The fossil is exposed on the Earth's surface.
Millions of
years later, the rock surrounding the skeleton rises to the Earth's surface (this happens during mountain building, earthquakes and other earth processes).
The rock is worn away by wind and rain, and the fossil is now exposed, waiting to be found!



So what type of fossils will you find on Amherst Island?
Plenty, but you will have to tell me.

While in the area to set up this earth cache, we found that between these 2 sets of coordinates

N 44° 10.418 W 076° 37.545
and
N 44° 10.367 W 076° 37.603

there were 5 fossil types.
How many will you find?


This earth cache is suited for Kids and
Adults.
Everyone will enjoy the area hunting for fossils.

So in order
to log this Earth Cache you can choose the

"Kids" questions
or
The "Adult" questions.

Once you have the answers goto my Geocaching profile and e-mail me the answers, do not post the answers in your online log.

Kids Questions

Find 2 types of fossils and describe what they look like.
Describe what fossil there was most of, that you found.
Describe what type of fossils was the least, that you found.
What is the biggest fossil you found (describe it)

Adult Questions

Look at the chart above and name 2 fossils you found.
How many types of fossils did you find?
What type of fossil is mostly found here, Why is that?
Guess what the altitude or distance above sea level 
GZ is, then take a reading, Did you guess high or low? Why?


Like all my Earth Caches, the idea is to have fun, and learn a bit about geology.

Don't sweat it, if you are not 100 percent sure about your
answers, just do you best and it will be accepted.

Photo's are always welcome, but are not mandatory for logging this Earth Cache.

Once your answers are sent, please log your find, I will contact you if there is an issue.



Please
do not seek this Earth Cache until
9am on August 27th,
2011
Thank-you