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Reconstructing Ancient Ecosystems

PROCEDURAL
ScienceDinosaurs & Paleontology|Ages 12—14|ID: mt_8_BxtNDrLZ

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

Mastery Evidence

  • 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

Assessment Prompt

“If [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?”

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