Fossils Exploration Flashcards
Science 2024
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.
What marked the division between the Devonian and Carboniferous periods?
The division between the Devonian and Carboniferous periods is by the appearance of primitive trees and the first land animals with backbones.
How many mass extinctions have occurred in Earth’s history?
5
What geological epoch are we living in?
Holocene
What is relative dating?
Relative dating is when scientists use the geologic time scale to compare fossil records from different time periods.
What can scientists infer about a fossil that is found between the Early Jurassic Period and the Late Jurassic Period?
Scientists can infer anything found in the layer between these fossils will come from the Middle Jurassic period.
How do scientists date the majority of fossils?
Scientists date the majority of fossils by relative dating
An extinct organism with reptile or birdlike features; lived on Earth millions of years ago
Dinosaurs
Evidence that an organism once existed in an area; can be part of the organism’s body or a trace fossil which is a mark or print left by the organism
Fossil
The info about Earth’s history that can be gathered from fossils
Record
Describes a species of animals that once lived on Earth but no longer exists
Extinct
A fossil resin from tree sap, usually a translucent, yellow - brown color, which may contain insects or other organisms
Amber
One of several huge piece of Earth’s crust
Tectonic Plate
The study of rocks and Earth
Geology
The opposite ends of a battery, a magnet, or the north and south ends of the Earth
Pole
Comes from the decay of organisms that are then buried in sediments and compressed for millions of years
Fossil Fuels
Solid material, moved by wind, water, ad other forces, that settle on the surface of land or the bottom of a body of water
Sediment
A layer or line above rock above or below another body of rock
Rock Layer
To break down into simple nutrients
Decompose
A set of statements or principles devised to explain a group of facts or phenomenon
Theory
A type of fossil formed when sediment fills a mold of an organic object such as fossil shells, creating a replica of that object made of sediment
Cast
A living thing that needs sun, water, and air to grow ; comes in many shapes and sizes
Plant
A small animal with 3 body sections, 2 antennae, and 6 legs
Insect
To break or wear away
Decay
To change overtime
Evolve
Evidence that an organism once existed in an area; can be a part of the organism’s body or a trace fossil which is a mark or print left by the organism
Fossil
An element that is found in almost all compounds that make up living things
Carbon
A fossil fuel that forms from decomposed plant materials
Coal
That age given in years, of a fossil, a rock, a feature, or an event; usually determined through radiometric dating
Absolute Age
An amount of rock or soil that has been laid down in an area; to drop; to lay down
Deposit
Measurement of the amount of radioactive material (usually carbon 14) that an object contains; can be used to estimate the age of the object
Radioactive Dating
Earth’s crust, both beneath the oceans and continents, as well as the
geosphere
a piece of rock or metal from space that strikes Earth’s surface
Meteorite
the study of fossils and the fossil record
Paleontology
the process of reasoning by drawing a logical conclusion based on factual evidence
Inference
the dating of events based solely upon the order in which they occurred
Relative Age
a state of matter without any defined volume or shape in which atoms or molecules move about freely
gas
the average weather conditions in an area
climate
an imaginary line that divides Earth into Northern and Southern Hemispheres; located halfway between the North and South Poles
equator
cycle
cycle
an organism that is too small for people to see with only their eyes
microorganism
a group of organisms that share similar characteristics and can mate with each other to produce offspring
species
an organism that is made of many cells, cannot make its own food, and can move during at least part of its life; a member of kingdom Animalia
animal
the structure of a living thing
anatomy
extremely old
ancient
a fossil that forms when the remains of an organism leave an imprint in the sediment after the organic material has been completely replaced
mold
a word describing a rock or layer of rocks formed by the lithification of transported or precipitated particles
sedimentary
organs that make up a skeleton
bone
an animal that lives in water, has fins and scales, and breathes through gills
fish
any individual living thing
organism
fossilized evidence of plant existence or animal movements such as root channels, footprints, and burrows
trace fossil
all the living and nonliving things that surround an organism
environment
What are the 5 different ages
Marine Invertebrates, Fishes, Age of Amphibians, Age of Reptiles, and Age of Mammals
What period are we in?
Quaternary
What epoch are we in?
Holocene
What era are we in?
Cenzoic
What eon are we in?
Phanerozoic
What came before birds?
Fish
