Fossils

Question 1

What are fossils

Answer 1

The remains of organisms that lived a long time ago and were conserved, especially in sedimentary rocks.

Question 2

What is a biome

Answer 2

The largest ecological unit in the biosphere comprised of a large geographical area with a characteristic fauna and flora

Question 3

What is an ecosystem

Answer 3

The abiotic components of an environment are co-dependent on one another and influence each other

Question 4

Give the two types of forest

Answer 4

Afro-montane(mountain)

Sub-tropical rain forest

Question 5

How are trees arranged in a forest?

Answer 5

Crown
Middle layer(made up of smaller trees and shrubs)
Lower level of ferns and herbaceous plants

Question 6

What indicates poor soil in southern forests

Answer 6

Blackish brown water

Question 7

Name the dating methods

Answer 7

Relative dating 
Paleomagnetic dating
Fauna comparisons 
Dendrochronological comparisons
Radiometric dating

Question 8

What are the different types of fossils?

Answer 8

Form fossils
Body fossils
Moulds 
Trace fossils
Unchanged fossils

Question 9

What is a mass extinction

Answer 9

When massive numbers of species all over the world die simultaneously

Question 10

What is biogeography

Answer 10

Branch of biology that deals with the geographical distribution of plants and animals

Question 11

What is the most primitive form of life on earth

Answer 11

A group of bacteria known as archaea

Question 12

What group of bacteria developed from archaeabacteria

Answer 12

Eubacteria

Question 13

Where were cyan bacteria found

Answer 13

Barberton

Question 14

Why was the development of cyan bacteria that gave of oxygen as waste product of photosynthesis extremely important

Answer 14

Life could now exist anywhere on earth and not only around the warm water
Light energy was used for this process
Only ground substances needed were water and carbon dioxide, both available in abundance
Oxygen was produced as waste product

Question 15

Give the evidence that indicated that a meteorite collision 65mya did cause a mass extinction

Answer 15

Large amounts of iridium in rock layers of this period which are rare in rocks of earth but abundant in meteorites

Shock quartz formed in conditions of extreme impacts and speed can be found in rock layers

An impact crater found in the sea

Question 16

What is the name of the oldest and biggest crater known and where is a t located

Answer 16

The Vredefort dome near Parys

Question 17

Ash and dust from volcanic eruptions hung in a dense cloud over the earth and blocked rays of sun causing:

Answer 17

A cooling down of the earth trapping water in ice caps, causing sea levels to lower and aquatic habitats were changed

Photosynthesis couldn’t occur causing food webs to collapse. An oxygen deficiency resulted causing more organisms to die

Question 18

Why are fossils important?

Answer 18

We can study:
Trends in biodiversity with the aim of understanding current biodiversity issues

Evolutionary relationships and understand more about modern species

Forming of sediments helping us to understand environmental changes of the past and present

We can explore for the minerals especially for mining

Question 19

Why is the fossil record not very complete or representative?

Answer 19

Only 0,1% of all organisms that ever lived formed fossils

Most fossils are from aquatic organisms where sedimentation occurs more readily

Many organisms don’t have hard parts to form fossils

Question 20

What is biodiversity

Answer 20

The variety of organisms that can be foundation by the earth, as well as the interaction between them

Question 21

Genus

Answer 21

Related species are grouped in genus