Training Module 3 – Cretaceous Creatures

How would you describe your fossil?

1. Isolated teeth

2. Jaws and tooth plates

3. Vertebrae

4. Scales, shells, and plates

5. Bones and bone fragments

Try again! Vertebrae usually have a broad surface that is flat or bumpy.

Try again! Jaws and tooth plates usually have rows of repeating teeth or sockets for teeth that fell out.

Try again! Vertebrae usually circular cups at their ends and struts that stick out along the rim.

Try again! Bone fragments usually have broken cross sections that look like a hollow tube or like the end of a broken pencil.

ID Sheet 4

1. My tooth is shaped like a column or cone.

2. My tooth has multiple cusps that look like big bumps on it.

3. My tooth is shaped like a diamond or a leaf.

4. My tooth is flat and shaped like a triangle and may have tiny serrations along the edge.

5. My tooth is big at the top, shaped like a hexagon, and attached to two thick roots.

ID Sheet 4-D

1. My fossil has a ridge or multiple ridges across the surface.

2. My fossil does not have a ridge across the surface.

3. My fossil is a tooth with serrations along the edge but is too fragmented to further identify.

Try again! Focus on the shapes of your fossils cutting edges. They should curve along their lengths.

Try again! Look at the base of your fossil. It should not have any roots.

Try again! Focus on the size and quantity of the serrations. Also, focus on the overall curvature of your fossil.

Try again! Look at your fossil sideways. It should be thin.

ID Sheet 4-D-II

1. My fossil is long and triangular with straight edges.

2. My fossil is triangular with a few large serrations along the edge and a pronounced ridge at the bottom.

3. My fossil has a wide base with serrations along the edge.

4. My fossil has large hook-shaped serrations along the edge that curve upward toward the tip.

5. My fossil has small round serrations along the edge.

Try again! Look at the flat sides of your fossil. They should be smooth and have ridges.

Try again! Your fossil should be complete (not broken) and triangular in shape.

You did it! You found a cheek tooth from a dromaeosaur dinosaur!

cheek tooth from a dromaeosaur dinosaur with arrow

Fun Facts!

1. A dromaeosaur is a type of dinosaur that had a big hooked claw on each foot.
2. The serrations on the teeth were likely used to help this type of dinosaur slice and eat their food.
3. Dromaeosaurs were covered in feathers and probably looked like big birds.

Place your fossil in the correct box on the Fossil Training Sheet.

Click here to identify another microfossil.

Try again! Look at the flat side of your fossil and focus on the amount of curvature.

Try again! Focus on the base of your fossil. It should have a bulbous region that curves inward toward a narrow neck.

Try again! Focus on the size of the serrations relative to the overall size of your fossil.

Try again! Focus on the shape and symmetry of the serrations and the direction they point.