Fossil Record Flash cards

Question 1

uniformitarianism

Answer 1

the theory that changes in the earth’s crust during geological history have resulted from the action of continuous and uniform processes.

Question 2

catastrophism

Answer 2

In geology, catastrophism theorises that the Earth has largely been shaped by sudden, short-lived, violent events, possibly worldwide in scope.

Question 3

paleontology

Answer 3

Paleontology, also spelled palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of life that existed prior to, and sometimes including, the start of the Holocene epoch.

Question 4

relative dating

Answer 4

Relative dating is the science of determining the relative order of past events, without necessarily determining their absolute age.

Question 5

absolute dating

Answer 5

Absolute dating is the process of determining an age on a specified chronology in archaeology and geology.

Question 6

superposition

Answer 6

Quantum superposition is a fundamental principle of quantum mechanics.

Question 7

isotope

Answer 7

Isotopes are two or more types of atoms that have the same atomic number and position in the periodic table,

Question 8

radioactive decay

Answer 8

Radioactive decay (also known as nuclear decay, radioactivity, radioactive disintegration or nuclear disintegration

Question 9

half-life

Answer 9

Half-Life is a series of first-person shooter games developed and published by Valve.

Question 10

fossil

Answer 10

Fossil Group, Inc. is an American fashion designer and manufacturer founded in 1984 by Tom Kartsotis and based in Richardson

Question 11

trace fossil

Answer 11

A trace fossil, also ichnofossil, is a fossil record of biological activity but not the preserved remains of the plant or animal itself.

Question 12

mold

Answer 12

A mold or mould is a fungus that grows in the form of multicellular filaments called hyphae

Question 13

cast

Answer 13

The mineralized impression of the organism left in the sediment is called a mold.

Question 14

unconformity

Answer 14

An unconformity is a buried erosional or non-depositional surface separating two rock masses or strata of different ages

Question 15

mass extinction

Answer 15

An extinction event is a widespread and rapid decrease in the biodiversity on Earth.

Question 16

Jurassic period

Answer 16

The Jurassic is a geologic period and stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period 201.3 million years ago to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period,

Question 17

Cretaceous period

Answer 17

Cretaceous Period, in geologic time, the last of the three periods of the Mesozoic Era.

Question 18

Devonian period

Answer 18

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,

Question 19

Quaternary period

Answer 19

The Quaternary is the current and most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the International Commission on Stratigraphy.

Question 20

Permian period

Answer 20

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,