Fossil Record Flashcards
uniformitarianism
the theory that changes in the earth’s crust during geological history have resulted from the action of continuous and uniform processes.
catastrophism
the theory that changes in the earth’s crust during geological history have resulted chiefly from sudden violent and unusual events.
. paleontology
Paleontology is the study of ancient life, from dinosaurs to prehistoric plants, mammals, fish, insects, fungi, and even microbes.
relative dating
the process of determining if one rock or geologic event is older or younger than another.
absolute dating
the process of determining an age on a specified chronology in archaeology and geology.
superposition
the ability of a quantum system to be in multiple states at the same time until it is measured.
isotope
each of two or more forms of the same element that contain equal numbers of protons but different numbers of neutrons in their nuclei, and hence differ in relative atomic mass but not in chemical properties; in particular, a radioactive form of an element.
radioactive decay
Radioactive decay is the emission of energy in the form of ionizing radiation.
half-life
Half-Life is a series of first-person shooter games developed and published by Valve.
fossil
Fossil Group, Inc. is an American fashion designer and manufacturer founded in 1984 by Tom Kartsotis and based in Richardson, Texas.
trace fossil
a fossil of a footprint, trail, burrow, or other trace of an animal rather than of the animal itself.
mold
A mold or mould is a fungus that grows in the form of multicellular filaments called hyphae.
cast
cause (light or shadow) to appear on a surface.
unconformity
a surface of contact between two groups of unconformable strata.
mass extinction
An extinction event (also known as a mass extinction or biotic crisis) is a widespread and rapid decrease in the biodiversity on Earth.
. Jurassic period
The Jurassic period was the second segment of the Mesozoic era. It occurred from 201.3 million to 145 million years ago, following the Triassic period and preceding the Cretaceous period.
During the Jurassic period, the supercontinent Pangaea split apart. The northern half, known as Laurentia, was splitting into landmasses that would eventually form North America and Eurasia, opening basins for the central Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico. The southern half, Gondwana, was drifting into an eastern segment that would form Antarctica, Madagascar, India and Australia, and a western portion that would form Africa and South America. This rifting, along with generally warmer global temperatures, allowed for diversification and dominance of the reptiles known as dinosaurs.
Cretaceous period
Cretaceous Period, in geologic time, the last of the three periods of the Mesozoic Era. The Cretaceous began 145.0 million years ago and ended 66 million years ago
Devonian period
The Devonian is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic, spanning 60.3 million years from the end of the Silurian, 419.2 million years ago, to the beginning of the Carboniferous, 358.9 Mya.
Quaternary period
The Quaternary Period is the third and last of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era.
Permian period
The Permian is a geologic period and stratigraphic system which spans 47 million years from the end of the Carboniferous Period 298.9 million years ago, to the beginning of the Triassic Period 251.902 Mya.
