Instructional Video

Fossil Sharks

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

Sharks contain a cartilage skeleton, rather than bone, so they rarely appear in the fossil record. The video explains why we find shark teeth and how scientists use that tiny piece of information to learn about sharks. Then, it presents the mystery of the helicoprion. The video links to other Brain Scoop videos on Fossils and Geology.

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CCSS: Adaptable
Additional Tags
Instructional Ideas
  • Research the current theories about helicoprion
  • Discuss what other animals are almost missing from the fossil record due to cartilage
Classroom Considerations
  • Relies on prior knowledge of how fossils form
  • This video is hosted on YouTube
Pros
  • Includes subtitles in five languages to assist with note taking
  • Requires very little class time
Cons
  • None