Science 3.3 Flashcards
A fossil in which an impression of an organism
mold fossil
A fossil in which the hard parts of an organism is a?
A petrified fossil
A fossil in which a mold fossil is filled with minerals
cast fossil
A fossil made by an imprint left behind by an organism
trace fossil
a fossil in which the actual bone and/or tissue of an organism is preserved
true form fossil
extinct marine insects that were plentiful during the early Paleozoic Era
trilobites
the sudden increase in the diversity of life at the beginning of the Paleozoic Era
Cambrian Explosion
The process in which one substance changes into another substance.
radioactive decay
the idea that older rocks are typically found deeper in the Earth than younger fossils
principle of superposition
the time it takes for half of one element to transform into another element
half-life
an element that decays into another element
parent element
an element that is formed when another element decays
daughter element
a visual record of Earth’s history
geologic time scale
a collection of dust and gas that can form planets and stars
nebula
small land masses that appeared during the Archeon Eon
protocontinents
Which were the first vertebrates?
Fish
The Mesozoic Era is known as the age of the ____________________.
Reptiles
How old do most scientists think the Earth is?
4.6 billion years
Which animal is responsible for the Oxygen Catastrophy?
Cyanobacteria
Carbon 14 decays into which element?
Nitrogen
Which is an example of a true form fossil?
Animal in Amber
frozen mammoth,
mummy dinosaur,
bones in La Brea tar pits
How long was the Precambrian Era?
3.93 billion
During which eon did the oceans form?
Archean Eon
Uranium decays into what?
Lead
During which eon did it first begin to rain?
Archean
During which era did fish first appear?
Paleozoic Era
Dinosaurs existed during which era?
Mesozoic Era
What is do most scientists think happened at the end of the Mesozoic?
A mass extinction
What advantages did reptiles have over amphibians?
stronger lungs
leathery skin
leathery eggs
During which era did reptiles first appear?
Paleozoic Era
During which eon was the Earth molten rock?
Hadean
During which eon did multicellural life first appear?
Proterozoic Era
Which of the following means “visible life?”
Phanerozoic
What is the current geologic era?
Cenozoic
Which type animal did not exist during the Paleozoic Era?
Mammals
List the four geological eons in order.
Hadean, Archean, Proterozoic, Phanerozoic
During which eon was the earth first oxygenated?
Archean Eon
What era is know as the age of the mammal?
Cenozoic
During which eon did life first appear?
Archean Eon
What is the name give to the period in which cyanobacteria produced a large amount of oxygen that killed off animals that thrived in low oxygen environments?
Oxygen Catastrophe
What is the name of the ancient super continent which was made up of all current continents?
Pangea
Which type of reptiles only have openings in the skull for their eyes and nose?
Anapsids
Which type of reptiles have two pairs of temporal opening in their skulls?
Diapsids
How do most scientists believe dinosaurs died out?
Giant Asteroid
Why did mammals become so plentiful during the Cenozoic era?
There were fewer large reptiles to eat them and compete for food.
What is the brittle whitish yellow element found in asteroids?
Iridium
What do we call a period of cold and glaciation?
Ice Age
Why were mammals able to survive an asteroid hit while dinosaurs were not?
They were much smaller and didn’t need as much food.
During which era did insects first appear?
Paleozoic Era
What evidence is there for a massive asteroid killing off the dinosaurs?
Iridium
Giant Crater
What human attribute helped man survive prehistoric times?
Our intelligence
