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GEOL 2155 > Mid Term #1 > Flashcards

Mid Term #1 Flashcards

1
Q

What is a fossil?

A

Remains or traces of past life preserved in the rock record

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2
Q

What did people originally think about fossils?

A

Placed in rocks via supernatural processes
Not related to extinct organisms
Fish swan into cracks in rock
Thought to be mythical creatures

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3
Q

The Lying Stones

A

Beringer (1667-1738)
Given ‘fossils’ by students
Published book about his ‘findings’

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4
Q

Nicholas Steno

A

1638-1686

Observed shark teeth in fossils record and recognized that they were produced by modern organisms

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5
Q

Taphonomy

A

Study of processes involved between the death of an organism and its discovery in the fossil record

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6
Q

Why study taphonomy?

A

Better understand what can and cannot be done with the data found in the fossil record

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7
Q

Original Remains

A

Little or no alteration of remains (relatively rare)

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8
Q

Permineralization

A

Space in microstructure are filled with minerals (calcite or silica)

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9
Q

Replacement

A

Growth of a secondary mineral at the expense of the original material
Silicification (SiO2)
Pyritization (FeS2)

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10
Q

Recrystallization

A

Change in mineral structure from aragonite to more stable calcite
Most bivalves construct shell out of aragonite
Results in loss of anatomical detail

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11
Q

Dissolution

A

Original material is completely removed while not being replaced
Results in a void if surrounding sediments are sufficiently rigid

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12
Q

Trace Fossils

A

Non-body fossils caused by organisms

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13
Q

What are some types of Trace Fossils?

A 
Feed traces
Footprints
Root casts
Burrows
Coprolites
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14
Q

The Devil’s Corkscrew

A

First discovered in 1800s
Up to 10m in height/depth
Initially thought to be a massive root system
Burrows of terrestrial beaver Paleocastor

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15
Q

Preservational Control Factors

A 
Rate, quantity and composition or remains
Environmental conditions (pre-burial)
Time to burial
Post-depositional sedimentary conditions
Fate of sediments once lithified
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16
Q

Taphonomic assesment

A 
Biochemical fidelity
Anatomical fidelity
Spatial fidelity
Temporal resolution
Compositional fidelity
Completeness of time series
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17
Q

Biochemical Fidelity

A

How the chemical composition of the specimen has been altered since death
How the chemistry of the environment has aided or restricted preservation

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18
Q

Anatomical Fidelity

A

How the physical structure of the specimen been modified since death
What is responsible ofr the changes

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19
Q

Types of Biochemical Fidelity

A

Permineralization
Replacement
Original Material

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20
Q

Types of Anatomical Fidelity

A

Disarticulation/Dismemberment

Decomposition

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21
Q

Spatial Fidelity

A

How the specimen has been transported since death

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22
Q

Temporal Fidelity

A

How can we control for time-averaging withing unites and assemblages

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23
Q

Compositional Fidelity

A

Is given fossils assemblage an accurate representation of the source ecosystem
Eventually not worth the time to find more fossils

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24
Q

Completeness of Time Series

A

How consistent is the overall fossil record in the area in question
How might htis affect your interpretations of change through time

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25
Q

How do we control for taphonomic biases?

A

Recognition of biases
Statistical methods
Understanding general depositional characteristics of relevent environments/ages

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26
Q

What are the subdivisions of Time Scale?

A

Eons
Eras
Periods
Epochs

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27
Q

Eon

A

Greatest expanse of time

Phanerozoic (visible life)

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28
Q

Era

A

Subdivision of an eon
Cenozoic (recent life)
Mezozoic (middle life)
Paleozoic (ancient life)

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29
Q

Steno’s Principles

A

Superposition
Original Horizontality
Lateral Continuity
Principle of Cross Cutting

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30
Q

Superposition

A

Younger sediments overlie older sediments

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31
Q

Original Horizontality

A

Sediments are depositied in horizontal layer (no matter what they look like in outcrop)

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32
Q

Lateral Continuity

A

Gaps between outrops do not necessarily indicate gaps in deposition

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33
Q

Principle of Cross Cuttin

A

New things disrupt older things

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34
Q

Correlation of Rocks

A

The process of demonstrating correspondence between geographically disparate stratigraphic units

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35
Q

Types of Correlation

A

Lithostratigraphic Correlation

Temporal Correlation

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36
Q

Lithostratigraphic Correlation

A

Link rock units of similar types

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37
Q

Temporal Correlation

A

Linking rock units of a similar age

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38
Q

Biostratigraphy

A

The correlation of rock units on the basis of their characteristic fossil taxa

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39
Q

Index Fossil

A

A species or genus whose fossils are characteristic of a particular span of geologic time and are used for relative dating

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40
Q

What makes a good index fossil?

A

Abundant
Easily identified
Geographically widespread
Evolve quickly

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41
Q

Absolute ages

A

Calculated using radiometric dating methods

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42
Q

Antoine-Henri Bacquerel

A

1853-1908
French physicist who discovered radioactivity of Uranium in 1895
Radioactive decay forms basis for radiometric dating

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43
Q

Dating with Radioactivity

A

Provides numeric ages that specify the actual number of years that have passed since an event occurred

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44
Q

Radioacivity

A

Each atom has a nucleus of protons and neutrons orbited by electrons
Some nuclei spontaneously break apart and emit energy in a process called radioactivity
Radioactive decay

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45
Q

Radioactive Decay

A

Breakdown of a radioactive isotope

46
Q

Isotopes

A

Atoms of the same atomic number that have different atomic masses

47
Q

Atomic Number

A

Number of protons in nucleus of atom

48
Q

Atomic Mass

A

Sum of masses of protons and neutrons in an atom

49
Q

Parents

A

Unstable isotopes

50
Q

Daughter Products

A

Isotopes formed by the decay of parents

51
Q

Radiometric Dating

A

Provides reliable means to calculate ages of rocks and minerals that contain particular radioactive isotopes

52
Q

Radiometric Decay

A

Radioactive isotopes decay at known rates

Need igneous rocks

53
Q

Dating with Radioactivity

A

Increase in daughter atoms just matches the drop in parent atoms, which makes radiometric dating work

54
Q

What can you radiometrically date?

A

Igneous rocks
Organic Tissue
Metamorphism

55
Q

Importance of Radiometric Dating

A

Radiometric dating is a complex procedure that requires precise measurement
Rocks have been dated at more than 3 billion years
Confirms the idea that geologic time is immense

56
Q

Carbon 14

A

Half-life is 5,530 yrs, not useful for dates older than 70,000

57
Q

Taxonomy

A

Science of naming organisms and placing them into classifications
Base unit is species

58
Q

Species

A

Members of a population who can breed and produce viable offspring

59
Q

Taxon

A

A group of organisms united by the possessions ofa particular suite of characteristics

60
Q

Synapomorphy

A

Shared derived characteristics

61
Q

Taxonomic Hierarchy

A 
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species
62
Q

Carl Linnaeus

A

1707-1778
Swedish naturalist
Developed taxonomic hierarchy
Devised universal rules of taxonomic nomenclature

63
Q

Biological Species

A

Members of a population who can breed and produce viable offspring

64
Q

Morphological Species Concept

A

Species differentiated on the basis of morphological differences

65
Q

Species Characteristics

A

Large Cranial capacity, reduced brow ridges and relatively gracile skeleton

66
Q

Genus Characteristics

A

Enlarged cranial capacity relative to earlier taxa

Tool use

67
Q

Family Extinct Species

A

Hominidae - Pan, Gorilla, Pongo

68
Q

Genus Extinct Species

A

H. erectus
H. neaderthalensis
H. habilis

69
Q

Family Characteristics

A

Large body size
Lack of a tail
Long gestation period
Alticial young (require nourishment at birth)

70
Q

Order Characteristics

A 
Primates
Five digits
Presence of nails
Enlarge cranial capacity
Closed orbits
71
Q

Class Characteristics

A 
Mammalia
Mammary glands
Sweat glands
Hair
Three ossicles
72
Q

Phylum Characteristics

A 
Chordata
Notochord
Post-anal tail
Dorsal hollow nerve cord
Pharyngeal gill slits
Endostyle
73
Q

Kingdom Characteristics

A

Animalia
Eukaryotic
Heterotrophic
Go through blastula stage

74
Q

Protostomes

A

Blastopore becomes mouth

Sponges, Cnidarians, Lophotrochozoa, Arthropods

75
Q

Deuterostomes

A

Blastopore becomes the anus

Echinoderms, Chordates

76
Q

Systematics

A

Branch of biology that deals with the classification and taxonomy of organisms

77
Q

Jean Baptiste Lamark

A

Species adapted to their environments

Organisms do not pass down acquired traits

78
Q

Biogeography

A

Distribution of organisms in nature is not random

79
Q

Key Points from On the Origin of Species

A

Individuals in a population are not all identical
This variation is heritable
Variation affords different abilities to individuals in a population
Through selective breeding, man can alter species
If man can artificially direct change, it can also happen in nature

80
Q

Natural Selecetion

A

Fitness = probability of successful reproduction
Inheritable traits that increase fitness are more likely to be passed on to subsequent generations
Advantageous traits become more frequent in the population as disadvantageous traits are selected against

81
Q

Who does Selection act on?

A

Individual

Either survives to reproduce or doesn’t

82
Q

Who does evolution act on?

A

Population

Change in gene frequency within a population from generation to generation

83
Q

Genetics

A

Offspring inherit genetic material from their parents

Traits are coded for by DNA which joins together to form genes, which are linked to form chromosomes

84
Q

Sexual Reproduction

A

Results in constant recombination of genetic material within a population
Constant source of variation

85
Q

Types of Mutations

A

Deletion
Inversions
Duplication

86
Q

Deletions

A

DNA base pair is removed from strand

87
Q

Inversions

A

DNA bases are reversed

88
Q

Duplications

A

DNA sequence is erroneously repeated

89
Q

Large Populations

A

More genetic material
New traits take longer to express themselves
More variability in which to respond to a selective pressure

90
Q

Small Populations

A

Can evolve rapidly
Traits that increase fitness can be spread throughout the population easily
Vulnerable to rapid extinction

91
Q

Speciation

A

The process through which a new species is formed

92
Q

Modes of Speciation

A

Phyletic Gradualism

Punctuated Equilibrium

93
Q

Phyletic Gradualism

A

Evolution occurs at a constant rate, with speciation being a gradual process

94
Q

Punctuated Equilibrium

A

Taxa exist for long periods of time with little net genetic and morphological change, with speciation occurring rapidly

95
Q

Convergent Evolution

A

Taxa from separate evolutionary lineages converge upon similar body plans or adaptations

96
Q

Dollo’s Law

A

Evolution is not a reversible process

The probability of reversing a lengthy series of environmental and internal variables is extremely low

97
Q

Origination Rate

A

Rate at which new taxa evolve/are found in the fossil record

Can increase rapidly when new niches are invaded

98
Q

Extinction

A

The end of a genetic lineage

99
Q

Mass Extinctions

A 
End Ordovician
End Devonian
Permo-Triassic
End Triassic
End Cretaceous
100
Q

Accretion Disks

A

The sun formed within such a cloud of gas and dust, shrinking in on itself by self- gravitational collapse until it began to undergo nuclear fusion

101
Q

Early Earth’s Atmosphere

A

Compose primarily of volcanic gases

CO2, N2, H2, CO, NH3, CH4, HCl

102
Q

Origin of the Oceans

A

Formed from water vapour emitted during volcanism

Some input from comets

103
Q

Atmosphere

A

O2 is produced by photosynthesis

Oldest producers are photosynthetic cyanobacteria

104
Q

Living Cells

A

Prokaryotes

Eukaryotes

105
Q

Prokaryotes

A

Single celled organisms that lack a cell nucleus

Include domains Archaea and Bacteria

106
Q

Eukaryotes

A

Single and multicellular organisms that posses a cell nucleus
Include Kingdoms: Protista, Fungi, Plantae and Animalia

107
Q

Ancient Stromatolites

A

Giant, reef-forming stratolites from the Archean would have contributed oxygen to the atmosphere

108
Q

Alive

A

Grow
Metabolize
Reproduce
Maintain homeostasis

109
Q

Building Blocks of Life

A

Protein
Nucleic acids
Organic phosphorous compounds
A container

110
Q

Synthesis of Amino Acids

A

Heat
Ultraviolet Light
Sunlight
Radioactivity

GEOL 2155 (3 decks)

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