The Oregon Museum of Science and Technology (OMSI) in Portland has an interesting display of fossils. Fossils are, of course, part of the data that paleontologists use in studying the ancient past and in seeking a better understanding of evolution.
In his book The Blind Watchmaker: Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe Without Design, Richard Dawkins writes:
“Paleontology is the study of fossils. It is a very important branch of biology, because evolutionary ancestors all died long ago and fossils provide us with our only direct evidence of the mammals and plants of the distant past. If we want to know what our evolutionary ancestors looked like, fossils are our main hope.”
Saber-toothed Cat
The fossil of the saber-toothed cat (Smilodon fatalis) was discovered at the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles, California. This animal was as large as an African lion and was more heavily built. According to the Museum display:
“This magnificent cat lived more than 20,000 years ago, during the Pleistocene epoch. It was one of the chief predators of its time. The Smilodon ranged throughout North America but was most common in the far west.”
Mastodons and Mammoths
Mastodons are different from mammoths and from other elephants in that it has a smaller size and simple, low-crowned teeth. In looking at the differences between mastodons and mammoths, Ian Lange, in his book Ice Age Mammals of North America: A Guide to the Big, the Hairy, and the Bizarre, reports:
“While individual teeth of mastodons have cone-shaped grinding surfaces, the eating surfaces of mammoth teeth are formed of ridges, like those of modern elephants. Mammoth skulls were domed while mastodon skulls were low-browed. And while mammoths were considerably taller, mastodons had proportionally longer and more massive bodies.”
Dire Wolf
Another fossil from the La Brea Tar Pits is the Dire Wolf (Canis dirus) which became extinct about 5-8,000 years ago. Like modern wolves, the Dire Wolves worked in packs hunting large mammals such as bison, camels, and horses. Ian Lange, in his book Ice Age Mammals of North America: A Guide to the Big, the Hairy, and the Bizarre, writes:
“The dire wolf had the most powerful jaws and teeth of all the wolves but a smaller brain than today’s wily gray wolf.”
More Paleontology
Paleontology 101: Columbian Mammoths at the La Brea Tar Pits
Paleontology 101: Ancient Cats (Photo Diary)
Paleontology 101: North American Horses, Rhinos, and Camels (Photo Diary)
Paleontology 101: Wolves, Dogs, Cats, and Bears (Photo Diary)
Paleontology 101: A Paleontological Site
Paleontology 101: The California Pleistocene (Photo Diary)