unit 6 1-66 test 67-71 quiz 10 72-76 quiz 11 Flashcards

1
Q

what percentage of time is represented by the paleozoic era since the precambrian?

A

50% a total of 291 million years

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2
Q

what type of fossil was used to redefine the precambrian-cambrian boundary in 1991?

A

appearance of distinctive trace fossils not body fossils

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3
Q

sort the seven periods of the paleozoic era in order from oldest to youngest

A

cambrian period, ordovician period, silurian period, devonian period, mississippian period, pennsylvanian period and the permian period

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4
Q

how does the us subdivide the carboniferous period

A

the u.s. calls them the mississippian and pennsylvanian periods only in europe they use the carboniferous period

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5
Q

what was laurentia?

A

the name for ancestral north america

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6
Q

in the early paleozoic, where was texas located (in reference to the equator)

A

south of the equator

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7
Q

what is eustatic sea level

A

(world-wide) sea levels were higher throughout most of the paleozoic than the levels of today

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8
Q

describe an epicontinental sea

A

widespread, shallow seas that transgress or regress over a craton

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9
Q

what is a transgressive sea

A

describes a rise in sea level, generally over a craton

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10
Q

describe (draw) a rock sequence associated with a transgressive sea

A

deep-water, sedimentary-rock sequence that overlies shallow-water, sedimentary-rock sequence

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11
Q

what is a regressive sea?

A

describes a fall in sea level, generally off a craton; this would leave behind a stratigraphic sequence

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12
Q

describe (draw) a rock sequence associated with a regressive sea

A

shallow-water sedimentary-rock sequence that overlies deep-water, sedimentary-rock sequences.

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13
Q

in general what can be said about average sea levels during the cambrian as compared to today

A

cambrian had high sea levels transgressive and now the average sea level is lower regressive

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14
Q

what was the transcontinental arch?

A

a series large, late cambrian island arcs that extended to southern new mexico and west texas

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15
Q

where do we find cambrian age rocks in texas?

A

cambrian sand within the bliss sandstone (el paso area) enchanted rock (central texas) hickory sandstone (mason, texas)

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16
Q

what is the cambrian explosion?

A

542 million years many different life forms suddenly appeared in the fossil record
represents the fundamental mysteries of the history of life on earth and the fossil record

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17
Q

why would animals with protective shells be more likely to survive?

A

its an adaptation that would help them survive in the new environment

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18
Q

what is meant by unknown phyla of the cambrian

A

have no living organisms with their basic body plan

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19
Q

which geologic period had the most diverse phyla

A

during the cambrian period

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20
Q

what is the significance of the cambrian chinese fossil site and its fossils?

A

first sign of complex life beginning on earth

the cambrian explosion may have occurred in as little as 10 million years.

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21
Q

why are the burgess shale and its fossils so important to understanding the cambrian period?

A

they suggests the cambrian explosion occurred over a relatively short period of geologic time
provides fossil examples of earths first complex animals
contains some of the best period examples of soft bodied flora and fauna known

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22
Q

what represents the first known vertebrate?

A

earliest known vertebrates are fish

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23
Q

what period is known as the age of the trilobites?

A

cambrian is also known as the age of the trilobites

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24
Q

what marks the end of the cambrian?

A

colder temperatures and mass extinction of most of the trilobites

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25
Q

what type of tectonic zone is associated with orogenies?

A

convergent zones

colliding tectonic plates at convergent plate boundaries or subduction zones

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26
Q

which mountains were formed with the taconic orogeny?

A

the appalachian mountains

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27
Q

why do mountains persist for hundreds of millions of years despite erosion?

A

isostatic rebound the phenomena in which unloading of the crust causes the crust to rise until it attains equilibrium

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28
Q

what do we call the deeper parts of mountains?

A

roots

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29
Q

why is the ordovician ellenberger formation important to texas?

A

it associated 90 large oil fields and 50 major gas fields

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30
Q

when did plants become widespread in the seas?

A

during the ordovician period

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31
Q

which plants may have invaded land during the ordovician?

A

primitive algae and lichens invaded the land masses

32
Q

why is the silurian period fusselman dolostone important to texas?

A

its a major oil and gas producer in the deep wells of west texas

33
Q

what major evolutionary step did fish undergo during the silurian?

A

fish developed a jaw

34
Q

which was the first life form that moved onto land?

A

plants were the first life forms on land 430 milion years ago by algae and vascular plants

35
Q

what was the first animal life form that moved onto land?

A

insects are the earliest animals on land

36
Q

during what period did this land invasion take place?

A

the silurian period

37
Q

at the end of the devonian, laurentia is now called

A

euramerica

38
Q

which state contains a large portion of the mini-continent antler highlands?

A

the state of nevada

39
Q

what mineral is associated with the antler highlands?

A

gold

40
Q

what period is called the age of fish?

A

the devonian period

41
Q

what is a tetrapod?

A

vertebrate animals having 4 feet or leg-like appendages (excludes fish)

42
Q

what advantage might a lobe-fin give to a fish?

A

they will have a stronger fin to help them swim faster

43
Q

besides insects, which was the second group of animals to invade the land?

A

fish walking eusthenopteron

44
Q

when did earths second mass extinction occur?

A

at the end of the devonian period

45
Q

name an important mississippian period formation found in texas and why is it important?

A

the barnett formation oil and gas wells are widespread within the bartlett shale they contribute +$100 billion to the texas economy

46
Q

what type of eggs had to evolve for animals to advance to other environments?

A

amniotic egg

47
Q

which period is known as the age of the insects?

A

the pennsylvanian period

48
Q

how long has cockroaches been around?

A

since the pennsylvania period 318 million years to 299 million years

49
Q

which texas uplift is associated with the ouachita orogeny?

A

the llano area of central texas will be uplifted from great depths

50
Q

which widespread energy mineral was formed in the pennsylvanian period?

A

major coal deposits

51
Q

where are pennsylvanian period age rocks found in texas?

A

in central texas

52
Q

name the three orogenies associated with the appalachian mountains?

A

taconic orogeny oldest
acadian orogeny
allegheny orogeny

53
Q

how long will earths fourth ice age last in the permian?

A

half of the permian period

54
Q

which thick evaporate deposit was formed in the texas permian basin?

A

castile gypsum

55
Q

which texas mountain cliff is an ancient permian reef?

A

el capitan in the guadalupe mountains

56
Q

what valuable resource is found in the texas permian basin?

A

oil and gas deposits

57
Q

what do seymouria, eryops, and diplocaulus have in common?

A

they were along the shorelines of texas

58
Q

which carnivorous mammal-like retiles occurred in the permian period and also in texas?

A

the dimetrodon in archer county, north texas

59
Q

where have dimetrodons been found in texas?

A

in archer county, north texas

60
Q

what can be considered mammal-like?

A

primitive differentiation of teeth, like mammals (all other animals have same style teeth)
they have several mammalian skeletal characteristics

61
Q

what happened at the end of the permian (life forms)?

A

largest mass extinction event ever recorded on earth

62
Q

during which three paleozoic periods did earth suffer major extinctions?

A

late ordovician
late devonian
late permian

63
Q

which of the three was the worst?

A

late permian

64
Q

what is the probable cause of this extinction?

A

we do not know for certain

65
Q

what defines a mass extinction?

A

twice the background rate

66
Q

what is the effect of extinction of a major dominant species?

A

its instrumental in the expansion of minor species to fill the niche left open by the mass exttinction

67
Q

succession of rocks bounded by unconformities and their equivalent conformable strata represents a

A

sequence

68
Q

limestone structures constructed by living organisms are

A

organic reefs

69
Q

devonian black shales in north america are rich in

A

uranium

70
Q

rhythmically repetitive sedimentary sequences are known as

A

cyclothems

71
Q

a modern example of a coal-forming environment is the

A

the okefenokee swamp

72
Q

what is the only phylum that evolved after the cambrian

A

phylum bryozoa

73
Q

how many species of trilobites have been described

A

15,000 species grouped into nine orders

74
Q

the permian invertebrate marine fauna were not widely distributed because

A

of the restricted size of the shallow seas on the cratons and the reduced shelf space along the continental margins

75
Q

which animal is shown in this figure

A

lchthyostega

76
Q

the earliest known fertile land plant was

A

cooksonia