It may be adapted for use with high school biology students. The student should also have had an introduction to the concept of geologic time and feel comfortable working with a map. Familiarity with the concepts of petroleum reservoir rock and source rock from studies of earth sciences is useful.
Transportation occurs downslope due to gravity processes.
Therefore, in a sample the students will find a mixture of foraminifera, specifically a death assemblage, representing foraminifera living at one time in that environment and foraminifera transported from shallower water-depths into that environment. Foraminifera preferring parameters characteristic of water-depths greater than 1,000 m would not be found at this sight. The students should interpret past water-depth based on the deepest dwelling form found in the sample. The reconstruction of Miocene environments is applied to the petroleum industry by looking for potential reservoir rock and source rock. Actual sample material containing foraminifera from the Miocene of California will be included with the request, availability permitting.