What are Lagerstätte?

NGSS Phenomena:
In Australia, there have been several groups of fossils called “Lagerstätte.” These fossils are formed under very special conditions. They usually involve a large event, like a sudden volcano eruption, that traps different living things in a way that they die. When their bodies are trapped, they don’t immediately break down or decompose.

More than bones are often preserved, so we can even see some of the soft tissue shapes in these living things. Through these fossil beds, we’re able to see many different species that were alive at the same time, all together and in excellent detail. Below are fossils found at different time periods in Lagerstätte formations in Australia: Trilobite (1st image), Mandageria (2nd image), Cyanobacteria (3rd & 4th image) and Nimbadon (5th and 6th image). Use these images and organism's names to help you answer the questions.
NGSS Phenomena: A scaley, short fossil with a round head and a thin tail behind it.
A Trilobite found in the Emu Bay Shale which is dated around 515 million years old. More than 50 different species of trilobites were found in the Emu Bay Shale.
Dave Simpson, Wikipedia
NGSS Phenomena: A large, long fish.
Mandageria fossil, found in Canowindra, Australia. Dated around 370 million years old.
NGSS Phenomena: A flat piece of rock, with dark vertical streaks.
A Stromatolite fossil, found in Bitter Springs, Australia. These designs are formed by mats of single-celled organisms, called cyanobacteria. This fossil is dated to be between 767–896 million years old.
James St. John, Wikipedia
NGSS Phenomena: Small, thin green lines appear overlapping each other, looking like partly transparent green worms.
A modern image of the Cyanobacteria under a microscope. These are the single-celled organisms that form a stromatolite by secreting waste that hardens into rock.
Matthewjparker, Wikipedia.com
NGSS Phenomena: The skeleton of a four legged mammal.
A Nimbadon fossil, discovered at Riversleigh, Australia.
By Peter Schouten - Black KH, Camens AB, Archer M, Hand SJ (2012) Herds Overhead: Nimbadon lavarackorum (Diprotodontidae), Heavyweight Marsupial Herbivores in the Miocene Forests of Australia. PLoS ONE 7(11): e48213. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0048213
NGSS Phenomena: A drawing of a four legged hairy animal that looks like a koala, standing on a tree branch.
An artist’s reconstruction of the Nimbadon, a small mammal that fossil evidence leads researchers to believe they lived between 12 and 15 million years ago.
By Peter Schouten - Black KH, Camens AB, Archer M, Hand SJ (2012) Herds Overhead: Nimbadon lavarackorum (Diprotodontidae), Heavyweight Marsupial Herbivores in the Miocene Forests of Australia. PLoS ONE 7(11): e48213. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0048213

1. Organizing these fossils from oldest to youngest, match up each living thing with its place in the blanks below:

- oldest





- youngest

Drag the answers below into the grey placeholders above

Lagerstätte
Mandageria
Cyanobacteria
Trilobite
Nimbadon

2. If a team of scientists was observing a cliff in Australia, and find rock layers in the following order:



Top layer: 400 million years old

Middle layer: Contains fossils

Bottom layer: 600 million years old



What is the most complex fossil that you’d expect to find in the middle layer?

Drag the answers below into the grey placeholders above

Trilobite
Mandageria
Cyanobacteria
Nimbadon

3. Which of these organisms was alive closest to 300 million years ago?

4. The organisms shown are good examples of the level of complexity found during the different time periods. In these Lagerstätte formations, what are 2 patterns you observe between the oldest fossil and the newest fossil? How would this relate to the fossils' relative ages? Justify your response by using the images provided.

5. In the oldest fossils found in Bitter Springs, why can we only find the remains of single celled organisms?

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