Chp 8, Fossils Flashcards
What are Fossils?
Remains of once-living organisms
What is Taphonomy?
The study of what happens to an organisms remains
What is Sedimentary?
Rock formed when the deposition of sediment creates distinct layers of stratas
Who is William Smith?
An engineering surveyor that created the hypothesis Principle of Faunal Succession
What is the Principle of Faunal Succession?
The relative positions of strata and fossils found in the layers are the same
What are the 3 ways Fossilization can occur?
1) Organism remains are in an oxygen free environment.
2)Volcanic ash buries remains
3) Remains are transformed into sedimentary rock
What are the Key stages missing in fossil record?
1)Paleo. have only searched in minimal places
2)Fossils are preserved in some places
3) Rock sequences containing fossils are not complete in all places
What the most commonly found fossils?
Bones and teeth
Order of evolution organized by Paleo. ?
Paleozoic, Mesozoic, Cenozoic
Who is James Ussher?
Archbishop who asserts that Earth was created on Sunday, Oct 23, 4004 BC
Who is Niels Stensen aka Nicolaus Steno?
Pioneer of Steno’s Law of Superposition: Principle that the lower the stratum, the older its age
What is Biostratigraphic dating?
Chemical dating method that uses the associations of fossils in strata to determine each layers approximate age developed by William Smith
What is Fluorine dating?
One of the 1st chemical dating methods proposed by chemist James Middleton
What is an example of fluorine dating?
Paleontologist Kramberger applied fluorine dating to human remains, proves that both animals Krapina Neanderthals were in Pleistocene area
What is an example of Bio.strat dating?
Irish elk fossil predates northern Eur. site, 10,600 yBP
What is the 1st evidence for Cultural dating?
Pebble tools: 3.3 mya
Who is A.E Douglass?
Pioneer of Dendrochronology chronometric dating method that uses a tree-ring count to determine numerical age
Who is Willard Libby?
Pioneer of Radiocarbon dating, method 14C to 12C is measured to provide an absolute date for a material younger than 50,000 yrs