Paleontology and Dinosaurs Flashcards

1
Q

What’s the difference between a geologist and a paleontologist?

A

Geologists study the structure and materials of the Earth; paleontologists use geology to study the history of the Earth and prehistoric life.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What does “strata” mean?

A

“layer”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Define the Law of Superposition

A

Under normal circumstances, the deeper the strata, the older its fossils.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What can affect the Law of Superposition so that it isn’t always true?

A

Movement of the tectonic plates - the shifting plates can cause faults that mess with the accuracy of the Law of Superposition. We use geology to determine if that’s the case.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Example: You are 16 years old. Is that your relative or absolute age?

A

Absolute. It is simply how long you’ve been around in chronological years.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Example: You came along after your parents (duh). Should we use absolute or relative age to describe that fact?

A

Relative. We don’t know what the absolute ages of you or your parents are in this example. We can only say you’re relatively younger than your parents

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What’s an index fossil?

A

A fossil that we use to determine the relative age of other fossils in that layer

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What’s the defining feature of a good index fossil?

A

It can be found all over the world in one layer horizontally, but no more than one layer vertically.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What is radiometric dating?

A

Using the half-life of an element as a gauge for the absolute age of a fossil

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Which is longest: Era, period, or epoch?

A

Era

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Which era contained the dinosaurs?

A

the Mesozoic era; the “in-between/middle” era

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Which period of the Mesozoic saw a huge increase in dinosaur size and diversity?

A

The Jurassic period

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Which came first: the Cretaceous or the Triassic?

A

The Triassic

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What does the word “dinosaur” mean?

A

“terrible lizard”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Dinosaur is a specific classification. What was one of the defining characteristics of dinosaurs?

A

Their open hip joint

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What do the prefixes “ptero-“ and “ichthyo-“ in pterosaur and ichthyosaur mean?

A

“wings/flying” and “fish, fish-like”

17
Q

What is a trace fossil?

A

An imprint fossil, like a footprint or a mold of a dinosaur’s body rather than its actual body

18
Q

What type of rock contains the vast majority of fossils?

A

Sedimentary rock