Fossils Exploration Flashcards
Science 2024 (81 cards)
What did scientists begin to understand in the 1800s?
In the 1800s scientists were only beginning to understand fossils came from ancient animals.
What is the Theory of Evolution?
The Theory of Evolution is that the various types of animals and plants have their origin in other preexisting types and that the distinguishable differences are due to modifications in successive generations.
What is the job of a paleontologist?
The job of a paleontologist is the study of fossils to discover how life on Earth has changed or evolved over time.
How can scientists trace the history of Earth?
Scientists trace the history of Earth by combining fossil evidence with other information.
What do fossil records tell us?
Fossil records tell us that billions of years ago, the only life forms on Earth were simple unicellular organisms.
What has happened to most organisms that have lived on Earth?
What has happened was most organisms that have lived on Earth have become extinct.
According to scientists, what are all extinct organisms related to?
All extinct organisms are related to living ones, and their similarities can be traced using fossils.
Describe what has happened to horses over time.
They have developed. Horses, overtime, have had five padded toes, and lived in forests. The fossils show that this species slowly evolved into modern horses, which are tall, live on grasslands, and have hoofed feet.
Why is fossilization rare?
Fossilization is rare because not every living thing has been preserved. Overtime fossil have been destroyed by earth and its natural processes.
Describe how whales have evolved over time.
Whales have evolved over time from land animals to sea animals, their feet and legs changed shape, adapting to the new environment and eventually becoming flippers.
What happened to animals when landmasses split or when the climate changed?
When landmasses split or when the climate change the animals evolved in response.
What do fossils tell a story of?
Evolution
What is evolution?
The theory that various types of animals and plants have their origin in other preexisting types and that there modifications are due to changes in generations.
What helps us understand the changes in Earth’s environment?
Fossil record helps us understand the changes in Earth’s environment.
How can scientists tell if a region of Earth was once warmer?
Scientists can tell if a region of Earth was once warmer if they find plant fossils in an Arctic environment.
How can scientists reconstruct ancient ecosystems?
Scientists reconstruct ancient ecosystems using fossil records.
How does studying rock layers help scientists?
Studying rock layers help scientists because they can describe what the animal and plant communities in that area were.
How old is Earth?
4.6 billion years old
What are the oldest fossils found?
The oldest fossils found that have been found are those of bacteria that lived about 3.8 billion years ago.
When did the diversity of life increase?
The diversity of life increased rapidly after the evolution of the first multicellular organisms.
What did scientists create to understand the age of Earth?
Scientists created systems called geological time scales to understand the age of Earth.
What did scientists use to create this system?
Scientists used fossil records to create this system.
What are the 4 time periods that make up the geological time scale?
The four time periods that make up the geological time scale are eons, eras, periods, and epochs
How do scientists mark the boundary between each division?
Scientists mark the boundary between each division by marking the appearance, disappearance, or change in dominance of particular fossil groups.
