Program Overview
Topic: Mass extinction
Theme: Conditions surrounding mass extinctions of the past are studied to shed light on our modern day situation.
Topics of climate change, habitat loss, and biodiversity are touched upon.
Program Description: Did the dinosaurs go extinct because of some fatal flaw, or was it just bad luck?
Could the same thing happen to us? Through the comparison of conditions surrounding past extinctions and conditions
today, participants discuss modern issues such as climate change. Students then graph real data and identify
correlations between trends; including changing sea levels, atmospheric gases, and volcanic eruptions. This is an advanced
level academic program requiring student participation.
Audience: Grades 10 – 12
Curriculum connections: Grade 10 Science 10: Energy Flow in Global Systems
Grade 11
Biology 20: Ecosystems and Population Change
Science 20: Changes in Living Systems
Grade 12
Biology 30: Change in Populations and Communities
Science 30: Living Systems Respond to Their Environment
Program Objectives:
1.Students will identify differing magnitudes of extinctions (mass extinction and background extinction)
and identify some of the major mass extinction events.
2.Students will identify indicators of extinctions from the fossil and geologic record.
3.Students will compare and contrast the conditions surrounding mass extinctions (especially the K/T now known as KPg) with our modern situation.
4.Students will discuss and draw conclusions about our current situation and make predictions for the future.
Echoes from the Past 1
Suggested Pre-Visit Activities
1. Program Terminology
Following are some terms that you may want to go over with your class before you attend this program.
Absolute age dating: the geologic age of a fossil, geologic event or structure expressed in units of time,
usually years (actual age).
Background extinction: intervals of lower, regular, extinction between mass extinction events
(normal ongoing extinction).
Extinction: the worldwide death and disappearance of a specific organism or group of organisms.
Foraminifera: dominantly marine protozoans with a secreted or agglutinated outer shell enclosing
the amoeboid body (they fossilize well).
Geologic time scale: provides a system of chronologic measurement relating stratigraphy to time that is used
by geologists, palaeontologists and other earth scientists to describe the timing and relationships between events
that have occurred during the history of the Earth.
Mass extinction: worldwide death and disappearance of diverse animal / plant groups that suggest common
and related causes (greater than normal extinctions in shorter than normal period of time).
Mutation: an abrupt change in the genotype (change in DNA) of an organism.
Palaeontology: the study of ancient life, based on the fossil record.
Pollen: small male reproductive bodies produced in pollen sacs of the seed plants (fossilize well).
Radiometric dating: a dating method that utilizes the radioactive decay of certain long-lived, naturally occurring
parent isotopes to stable daughter isotopes, to find absolute ages.
Relative age dating: the geologic age of a fossil organism, rock or geologic feature or event defined relative to other
organisms, rocks, or features or events rather than in terms of years (older than, younger than, same age as).
Spores: asexual, reproductive, or resting body that is resistant to unfavourable environmental conditions
and produces a new vegetative body when the environment is favorable (fossilize well).
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Suggested Pre-Visit Activities
2. Review
Discuss the following mathematical concepts with your class to prepare them for this program as they will be doing
practical applications with data and graphs.
Charting/graphing
Line graphs
Histograms/bar graphs
X-Y axis, coordinates
Correlation, analyzing and interpreting data
Making inferences
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Post-Program Activities
1. Analyze the “Echoes from the Past” Summary Chart below.
At each of the major extinction events, list what factors could be involved. Discuss how each factor or combinations
of factors could have resulted in a mass extinction event.
E.g.,Massive volcanic activity
Increase in greenhouse gases or increase in particles that deflect solar heat
How does this affect biodiversity?
1.Increase in gases could mean increase in temperatures, global warming, sea level rise, weather changes
2.Particles that deflect solar heat, could result in a decrease in temperatures, global cooling, onset of glaciation,
sea level drops, coastal environments exposed, weather changes
3.Position of eruption, longitude/latitude could have a bearing with respect to prevailing winds
Echoes from the Past – Summary Chart
CO2
Sea Level
Volcanism
Extinction
PRE-CAMBRIAN
500
CAMBRIAN
ORDOVICIAN
400
SIL.
600
DEVONIAN
300
CARBONIFEROUS
PERMIAN
200
TRIASSIC
JURASSIC
Major Extinction
100
CRETACEOUS
PALAEOGENE
N Q
Minor Extinction
Millions of years ago (MYA)
Echoes from the Past 4
Post-Program Activities
2. Theories
Many theories have been proposed to explain past extinction events, particularly the extinction that wiped out
the dinosaurs at the end of the Mesozoic Era. Do some research (on the internet or using reference materials
from your library) to investigate the different theories that have been proposed for the causes of these extinctions.
Discuss these theories as a class to see if you agree or disagree with them.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/extinction/index.html
http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/prehistoric-world/mass-extinction/
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/diapsids/extinction.html
http://dsc.discovery.com/earth/wide-angle/mass-extinctions-timeline.html
http://www.endangeredspeciesinternational.org/overview.html
http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/browse?kw=The%20Day%20the%20Mesozoic%20Died&&field_bio_
bio_series[0]=24213
http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/calculating-iridium-fallout-asteroid-impact
http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/following-trail-evidence
(Keywords: mass extinction, Mesozoic extinction, The Day the Mesozoic Died, Iridium)
3. ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION ITEMS
Are we in a mass extinction right now? What will the indicators be? What will be considered the cause(s)?
You can check out some of the same websites below:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/extinction/index.html
http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/prehistoric-world/mass-extinction/
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/diapsids/extinction.html
http://www.endangeredspeciesinternational.org/overview.html
http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/news/mass-extinctions/
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20121101-a-looming-mass-extinction
http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/changing-planet-past-present-future
(Keywords: mass extinctions, endangered species, current mass extinction)
Links to Other Websites
Links to websites are provided solely for your convenience. The Royal Tyrrell Museum does not endorse, authorize, approve, certify, maintain,
or control these external Internet addresses and does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, efficacy or timeliness of the sites listed.
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Teachers resources
A few suggested resources for pre-reading or research:
Morell, V. February, 1999. “The Sixth Extinction”. National Geographic, pp. 42-59.
(other articles in this volume are also good)
National Geographic, September, 2004.
Has a good series of articles called “Geosigns”, “Ecosigns”and “Timesigns”. Multiple authors.
Coppold, M. Winter 2003-2004. “A New View of Diversity.” Marella, no. 18, p. 6.
Rutter, N. Summer, 2004. “Why Mongolia?” Marella, no. 19, p. 1.
Links to Websites:
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
http://www.ipcc.ch/
IUCN — IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature
http://iucn.org/
IUCN – Redlist of Threatened Species
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
(Keywords: climate change, endangered species)
Multiple links:
http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0409/feature1/index.html
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/globalwarming.html
Real Climate — blog site but very good, refers to scientific papers to answer questions and discussions
www.realclimate.org
(Keywords: global warming, threatened species, modern extinction rate)
Links to Other Websites
Links to websites are provided solely for your convenience. The Royal Tyrrell Museum does not endorse, authorize, approve, certify, maintain,
or control these external Internet addresses and does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, efficacy or timeliness of the sites listed.
Echoes from the Past 6