Nano fossils

1. and their Application
NANOFOSSILS

2. Content
 Introduction
 How is a fossil formed?
 Classification of fossils
 Classification of nanofossils
 Applications
 Conclusion
 References

3. Introduction
Fossils are the remains of living things.
 remains of plants
Fossil leaf

4. Introduction
Fossils are the remains of living things.
 remains of plants  remains of animals
Fossil shell Fossil alligator

5. Introduction
 Fossils aren’t just the remains of living things. Fossils can be
something that a living thing made.
Fossil dinosaur footprint

6. IntroductionHOW IS A FOSSIL FORMED?

7. HOW IS A FOSSIL FORMED?
1. Sediment
An animal is buried by
sediment, such as
volcanic ash or silt,
shortly after it dies. Its
bones are protected
from rotting by the
layer of sediment.

8. HOW IS A FOSSIL FORMED?
2. Layers
More sediment layers
accumulate above the
animal’s remains, and
minerals, such as silica
(a compound of silicon
and oxygen), slowly
replace the calcium
phosphate in
the bones.

9. HOW IS A FOSSIL FORMED?
3. Movement
Movement of tectonic
plates, or giant rock
slabs that make up
Earth’s surface, lifts up
the sediments and
pushes the fossil
closer to the surface.

10. HOW IS A FOSSIL FORMED?
4. Erosion
Erosion from rain,
rivers, and wind wears
away the remaining
rock layers.
Eventually, erosion or
people digging for
fossils will expose the
preserved remains.

11. Classification of fossils
Depending on the size and nature , fossils are classified
into :-
Plant Fossil
Vertebrate Fossil
Invertebrate Fossil
Microfossil
Nanofossil

12. Depending on the size and nature , fossils are classified
into :-
Plant Fossil
Vertebrate Fossil
Invertebrate Fossil
Microfossil
Nanofossil
Classification of fossils

13. Classification
Depending on the size and nature , fossils are classified
into :-
Plant Fossil
Vertebrate Fossil
Invertebrate Fossil
Microfossil
 Size is in between 1000 to 50 micron
Observed under Paleontological microscope like
Binocular, Stereo Binocular, Phase contrast
microscope
Classification of fossils

14. Classification
Depending on the size and nature , fossils are classified
into :-
Plant Fossil
Vertebrate Fossil
Invertebrate Fossil
Microfossil
Nanofossil
 Microfossils less than micrometer , comes under
nanofossils category.
Used to observe under electron microscope
e.g. SEM, TEM etc.
Planktonic in nature.
Classification of fossils

15. Classification
Nanofossils
 Coccoliths nanofossils
 Calcareous nanofossils
 Thomas Huxley
 Individual plates of CaCo2 formed
by coccolithophores.
 which are arranged around them in
a coccosphere.
Classification of nanofossils

17. Classification
Nanofossils
 Coccoliths nanofossils
 Calcareous nanofossils
 Heterococcoliths  Holococcoliths
 formed by radial array of
elaborately shaped crystal units.
Classification of nanofossils

18. Classification
Nanofossils
 Coccoliths nanofossils
 Calcareous nanofossils
 Heterococcoliths  Holococcoliths
 formed by minute calcite rhombohedral
crystals, arranged in continuous arrays.
Classification of nanofossils

19. Classification
Nanofossils
 Coccoliths nanofossils
 Calcareous nanofossils
 Remains of golden brown, single celled
algae, also known as ‘nanos’.
 Slowly covered by remains of other plants
and animals and bits of mud and sand.
 Preserved in rocks; can be part of a
limestone or shale.
 Age: Around 200 Ma from Triassic.
Classification of nanofossils

20.  Used in forensic studies.
 A very large number of individual Coccoliths
may be preserved in a tiny amount of
sediment. Hence only very small quantities of
sample are needed to produce statistically
valid results.
 Used to determine the origin of building for Medieval
churches in Denmark.
 Calcareous nanofossils can be used to help determine
the temperature and current patterns of ancient
oceans.
 It can be use as a biostratigraphic marker.
Applications

21. The size of nanofossils range between 1 nm to
100 nm.
Calcareous nanofossils are one of the primary
organisms at the base of the food chain.
Heterococcoliths are formed by radial array of
elaborately shaped crystal units whereas
holococcoliths are formed of minute
calcite rhombohedral crystals, arranged in
continuous arrays.
Conclusion

22.  Books & Journals
 Bown P.R. (1993) New holococcoliths from the Toarcian-Aalenian
(Jurassic) of northern Germany. Senckenbergiana Lethaea, Pp:
407-419.
 Young, J.R., Davis, S.A., Bown, P.R., and Mann, S. 1999. Coccolith
ultrastructure and biomineralisation. Journal of Structural
Biology, Pp: 195-215.
 Websites
 INA – International Nanoplankton
Association http://www.nhm.ac.uk/hosted_sites/ina/
 UCL Earth Sciences http://www.es.ucl.ac.uk/
 http://www.thefreedictionary.com/nanofossil
 www.teara.govt.nz/en/fossils/page-7
 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coccolith
References