Chapter 5 Vocabulary Flashcards

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1
Q

Uniformitarianism

A

A principle that geologic processes that occurred in the past can be explained by current geologic processes.

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2
Q

Catastrophism

A

A principle that states that geologic change occurs suddenly.

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3
Q

Relative Age

A

The approximate age of fossils or other objects in rock layers determined by comparing whether the surrounding rock layers are younger or older.

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4
Q

Relative Dating

A

Any method of determining whether an event or object is older or younger than other events or objects.

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5
Q

Geologic Column

A

An ordered arrangement of rock layers that is based on the relative ages of the rocks and in which the oldest rocks are at the bottom.

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6
Q

Absolute Dating

A

Any method of measuring the age of an event or object in years.

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7
Q

Paleontology

A

The scientific study of fossils.

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8
Q

Fossil

A

The trace or remains of an organism that lived long ago, most commonly preserved in sedimentary rock.

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9
Q

Trace Fossil

A

A fossilized mark that formed in sedimentary rock by the movement of an animal on or within soft sediment.

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10
Q

Mold

A

A mark or cavity made in a sedimentary surface by a shell or other body

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11
Q

Cast

A

A type of fossil that forms when sediments fill in the cavity left by a decomposed organism.

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12
Q

Index Fossil

A

A fossil that is used to establish the age of a rock layer because the fossil is distinct, abundant, and widespread and the species that formed that fossil existed for only a short span of geologic time.

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13
Q

Geologic Time Scale

A

The standard method used to divide Earth’s long natural history into manageable parts.

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14
Q

Eon

A

The largest division of geologic time; divided into eras.

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15
Q

Era

A

A unit of geologic time that includes two or more periods

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16
Q

Period

A

A unit of geologic time that is longer than an epoch but shorter than an era

17
Q

Epoch

A

A subdivision of geologic time that is longer than an age but shorter than a period.

18
Q

Extinction

A

The death of every member of a species.

19
Q

From largest to smallest, name the geological time divisions

A

Eon, era, period, epoch