Lecture 13 Flashcards
Fossil
The preserved remains of plants and animals, typically found in sedimentary rock. Fossils can be body fossils (actual remains) or trace fossils (evidence of activity, like footprints).
Fossilization
The process by which organic material is replaced with minerals, turning it into stone. This occurs after an organism dies, decomposes, and is buried by sediment.
Taphonomy
The study of the processes that affect an organism’s remains from death to fossil recovery, including decomposition, burial, and preservation.
Paleontology
The study of the history of life on Earth through fossils, including plants, animals, and microbes.
Archaeology
The study of past human activity through material remains, such as artifacts, structures, and other evidence of behavior.
Paleoanthropology
The study of human evolution through the fossil and archaeological records, combining methods from paleontology, archaeology, and other disciplines.
Stratigraphy
The study of rock layers (strata) and their formation, composition, and relationships over time. It is used to determine the relative ages of fossils and artifacts.
Relative Dating
A method of determining the age of fossils or artifacts relative to one another, often using stratigraphy or biostratigraphy, without providing an exact date.
Absolute Dating
A method of determining the precise age of fossils or artifacts in years before present, using techniques like radiometric dating or dendrochronology.
Lithostratigraphy
A relative dating technique that uses the correlation of rock layers to estimate the age of different areas.
Tephrostratigraphy
A type of lithostratigraphy that uses volcanic ash layers to match rock layers across different sites and determine their relative age.
Biostratigraphy
A relative dating technique that uses the presence of specific fossil species to correlate and date rock layers based on the principle of faunal succession.
Paleomagnetism
The study of the Earth’s past magnetic field recorded in rocks, used to date rock layers based on changes in magnetic direction over time.
Potassium-Argon Dating
An absolute dating technique that measures the decay of potassium-40 into argon-40 in volcanic rocks. It is used to date materials from 10,000 years ago to 4.5 billion years ago.
Radiocarbon Dating
An absolute dating technique that measures the decay of carbon-14 in organic materials. It is used to date materials from 200 years to about 55,000 years ago.
Dendrochronology
The study of tree ring patterns to determine the age of trees and calibrate radiocarbon dates.
Uranium Series Dating
An absolute dating technique that measures the decay of uranium into other elements in materials like cave formations. It is used to date materials from hundreds to millions of years ago.
Thermoluminescence
An absolute dating technique that measures the last time a stone was exposed to high heat. It is used to date materials like burnt stone tools and pottery, ranging from 100 to 1,000,000 years ago.
Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL)
An absolute dating technique that measures the last time a grain of sand was exposed to sunlight. It is used to date materials like quartz and feldspar, ranging from 1,000 to 400,000 years ago.
Aeolian Deposition
Sediment deposited by wind, such as sand dunes or volcanic ash.
Lacustrine Deposition
Sediment deposited in lake environments, often fine-grained and layered.
Alluvial Deposition
Sediment deposited by rivers or streams, often characterized by layers of sand, silt, and gravel.
Colluvial Deposition
Sediment deposited by gravity on hillsides, such as landslides or rockfalls.
Karstic Systems
Landforms created by the dissolution of soluble rocks like limestone, often including caves and sinkholes.
Rock Shelters & Caves
Natural formations that provide shelter and often preserve fossils and artifacts due to their protected environments.
Provenience
The precise location where an artifact or fossil is found, which is crucial for understanding its context and relationship to other materials at the site.
Context
The surrounding environment and associations of an artifact or fossil, which are essential for interpreting its age, function, and significance.
Excavation
The process of carefully removing soil and sediment to uncover artifacts and fossils, which must be done systematically to preserve context.
Faunal Succession
The principle that fossil species succeed one another in a predictable order, which can be used to date rock layers.
