Fossil Record Flashcards
Uniformitarianism, also known as the Doctrine of Uniformity, is the assumption that the same natural laws and processes that operate in the universe now have always operated in the universe in the past and apply everywhere
Uniformitarianism
the theory that changes in the earth’s crust during geological history have resulted chiefly from sudden violent and unusual events.
Catastrophism
Paleontology or palaeontology is the scientific study of life that existed prior to, and sometimes including, the start of the Holocene Epoch.
Paleontology
elative dating is the science of determining the relative order of past events
Relative dating
Absolute dating is the process of determining an age on a specified chronology in archaeology and geology.
Absolute dating
In physics and systems theory, the superposition principle, also known as superposition property, states that, for all linear systems, the net response at a given place and time caused by two or more stimuli is the sum of the responses that would have been caused by each stimulus individually.
superposition
Isotopes are variants of a particular chemical element which differ in neutron number. All isotopes of a given element have the same number of protons in each atom.
Isotope
Radioactive decay is the process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by emitting radiation
Radioactive decay
As an example, the radioactive decay of carbon-14 is exponential with a half-life of 5,730 years.
Half-life
the remains or impression of a prehistoric organism preserved in petrified form or as a mold or cast in rock.
Fossil
A trace fossil, also called an ichnofossil, is a geological record of biological activity.
Trace fossil
A mold or mould is a fungus that grows in the form of multicellular filaments called hyphae. In contrast, fungi that can adopt a single-celled growth habit are called yeasts
Mold
an object made by shaping molten metal or similar material in a mold.
Cast
a surface of contact between two groups of unconformable strata.
Unconformity
An extinction event is a widespread and rapid decrease in the biodiversity on Earth. Such an event is identified by a sharp change in the diversity and abundance of multicellular organisms.
Mass extinction
The Jurassic was a geologic period and system that spanned 56 million years from the end of the Triassic Period 201.3 million years ago to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period 145 Mya.
Jurassic 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
Cretaceous period
The Devonian is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic, spanning 60 million years from the end of the Silurian, 419.2 million years ago, to the beginning of the Carboniferous, 358.9 Mya
Devonian period
The Quaternary Period is divided into two epochs: the Pleistocene (2.588 million years ago to 11.7 thousand years ago) and the Holocene (11.7 thousand years ago to today).
Quaternary period
The Permian is a geologic period and system which spans 46.7 million years from the end of the Carboniferous Period 298.9 million years ago, to the beginning of the Triassic period 251.902 Mya.
Permian period
