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Paleontology > Lecture 1 > Flashcards

Lecture 1 Flashcards

1
Q

Paleontology definition

A

Study of ancient creatures

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2
Q

Paleontology meaning

A

Analysis of the fossilized remains and traces of organism

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3
Q

What disciplines are paleontology a part of?

A

Halfway between Biology and Geology

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4
Q

Definition or fossils

A

Obtained by digging

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5
Q

Meaning of fossils

A

Remains or impressions of life forms are preserved thanks to favourable preservation conditions or because of their resistance to chemical or mechanical degradation

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6
Q

What kinds of things can be included by the term fossils that may not be as intuitive?

A

Evidence of the behaviour of animals, even if the body parts are not preserved

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7
Q

Name 4 reasons for the development of palontology

A

Geological mapping
Evolution
Museums
Geological surveys

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8
Q

Explain geological surveys as a reason for the development of paleontology

A

Government surveys in Canada and the US carried out much important paleontological research, documenting the fossils of North America
Key application of fossils to mapping, dating rocks

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9
Q

BC

A

Before Christ

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10
Q

BC meaning

A

Counting backwards from Jesus’ birth

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11
Q

AD

A

Anno Domini

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12
Q

AD meaning

A

“In the year of our Lord”
Counting forwards

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13
Q

CE

A

Common Era

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14
Q

BCE

A

Before Common Era

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15
Q

BP

A

Before Present

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16
Q

BP meaning

A

Before 1950

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17
Q

Years ago

A

From “now” backwards

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18
Q

Phanerozoic time divisions

A

Paleozoic
Mesozoic
Cenozoic

19
Q

Paleozoic time divisions

A

Permian
Pennsylvanian
Mississippian
Devonian
Silurian
Ordovician
Cambrian

20
Q

Mesozoic time divisions

A

Cretaceous
Jurassic
Triassic

21
Q

Cenozoic time divisions

A

Holocene
Pleistocene
Pliocene
Miocene
Oligocene
Eocene
Paleocene

22
Q

Phanerozoic time divisions

A

Quaternary
Tertiary
Cretaceous
Jurassic
Triassic
Permian
Pennsylvanian
Mississippian
Devonian
Silurian
Ordovician
Cambrian

23
Q

Taxonomy

A

Classification of fossil and modern animals into ordered and natural groupings

24
Q

Name the 3 sub-divisions of paleontology

A

Paleoenvironments
Geochronology
Paleozoology & paleobotany

25
Q

Name the 3 sub-classes of paleoenvironments

A

Biomolecular paleontology
Paleobiogeography
Paleoecology

26
Q

Name the 2 sub-classes of geochronology

A

Geochronometry
Biostratigraphy

27
Q

Name the three sub-classes of paleozoology & paleobotany

A

Functional morphology
Growth and form
Evolution theory

28
Q

Applications of paleontology

A

Understanding of the history and evolution of life
Determining the age and depositional environment of sedimentary rocks
Reconstruction of Earth’s history and climate
Geological mapping
Prospecting for petroleum and minerals (using info on age and environment)
Understanding of petroleum deposits
Education, entertainment

29
Q

What does soft parts refer to?

A

Organic matter

30
Q

What does hard parts refer to?

A

Biomineralized, e.g., skeleton, shell

31
Q

What has higher preservation potential? Examples?

A

Hard parts
E.g., calcite, silica/opal, tricalcium phosphate, chirin, sporopollenin

32
Q

What 3 factors does fossilization depend on?

A

Chemical nature of the organisms
Physical robustness of the structures
Taphonomic processes undergone by the remains

33
Q

Taphonomy

A

The study of post-mortem alteration processes

34
Q

Biostratinomy

A

Processes that occur from death to burial

35
Q

Names of processes involved in biostratinomy

A

Biological and chemical processes
Mechanical processes

36
Q

Examples of biological and chemical processes involved in biostratinomy

A

Scavenging, early decomposition

37
Q

What kind of environment allows better preservation? Why? Caveats?

A

Anoxic or hypoxic environment
Because it inhibits decaying activities by aerobic decomposers
However, does not completely inhibit degradation (there are some anaerobic decomposers)

38
Q

Examples of mechanical processes involved in biostratinomy

A

Disarticulation, abrasion, transport, dislocation, fragmentation, etc.

39
Q

Abrasion

A

Progressive wear associated with transport, typically by waves or currents

40
Q

Fossil diagenesis

A

Processes that occur following burial

41
Q

Names of processes involved in fossil diagenesis

A

Lithification
Remineralization

42
Q

Examples of processes involved in lithification

A

Compaction, cementation

43
Q

How is preservation improved generally?

A

If time is reduced between death, and isolation from oxygen and decaying organisms

44
Q

Fossilization is much more likely to occur under water in places where:

A

Oxygen is depleted
Water movement is reduced
Fine sediment is being regularly deposited

Paleontology (14 decks)

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