fossil record Flashcards
uniformitarianism
the assumption that the same natural laws.
catastrophism
that explains the differences in fossil forms encountered in successive stratigraphic levels as being the product of repeated cataclysmic occurrences and repeated new creations.
paleontology
scientific study of life of the geologic past that involves the analysis of plant.
relative dating
the process of determining if one rock or geologic event is older or younger than another, without knowing their specific ages
absolute dating
measure the physical properties of an object itself and use these measurements to calculate its age.
superposition
superposition property, states that, for all linear systems, the net response caused by two or more stimuli.
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
the process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by radiation.
half-life
is the time required for a quantity to reduce to half of its initial value.
fossil
the preserved remains of plants and animals whose bodies were buried in sediments, such as sand and mud, under ancient seas, lakes and rivers.
trace fossil
geological records of the activities and behaviors of past life.
mold
a mark or cavity made in a sedimentary surface.
cast
a molded orthopaedic appliance that may be composed of fibreglass or plaster useful in the immobilisation of a fracture site for the purposes of healing.
unconformity
a break in time in an otherwise continuous rock record.
mass extinction
when species vanish much faster than they are replaced.
