Relative Dating, Fossils, Geo Time Vocab w/picts – Flashcards
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Paleontology
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The science of studying fossils to learn more about life on Earth
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Relative Dating
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a method of determining whether an event or object, such as a fossil, is older or younger than other events or objects without referring to the object's age in years
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Superposition
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a principle that states that younger rocks lie above older rocks if the layers have not been disturbed
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Geologic Column
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combined data collected from all known undisturbed rock sequences from different parts of the world put together in an IDEAL ordered arrangement
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Unconformity
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a break in the geologic record created when rock layers are eroded or when sediment is not deposited for a long period of time
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Absolute Dating
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any method that measures the age of an object or event in an exact amount of years rather than measuring the age relative to another object or event; radiometric dating
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Fossils
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the traces or remains of organisms that lived long ago, most commonly preserved in sedimentary rock
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Index Fossil
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a fossil that is used to establish the age of a rock layer because the fossil is distinct, abundant, and widespread and the species that formed that fossil existed for only a short span of geologic time (ex. trilobite)
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Amber
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(tree sap) insects get caught tree sap and die, more sap is added and then the sap hardens, this preserves the insect
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Petrified Fossil
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fossils in which minerals replace all or part of the organism ex. petrified wood
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Era
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a part of an eon; what an eon gets chunked into
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Eon
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largest divisions of time; divided into eras
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Extinction
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the death of every member of a species
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Geological Time Scale
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Divides Earth's 4.6 billion year old history into time intervals.
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Tar seeps/Tar pits
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Thick petroleum oozes to Earth's surface and traps animals like the saber tooth tiger form 10,000 to 40,000 years ago.
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What determines a new eon, or chunk of time in the geologic time scale?
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Major changes in Earth's surface, climate or types of living things.
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Cenozoic Era
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65.5 million years ago to the present. Known as Age of the Mammals. We are part of this era! Continents move to present day positions.
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Biggest to Smallest Divisions of Time
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Eons-Eras-Periods-Epochs
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How does Earth change quickly and slowly?
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Quickly-Volcanoes, earthquakes, and asteroid impacts Slowly-erosion, deposition, pressure, and melting
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Geology
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Study of Earth (its history, the processes of Earth (glaciers, plate tectonics, the rocks and minerals of Earth)
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tooth marks in fossilized dinosaur egg shells
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evidence that some dinosaur preyed on other dinosaurs, what type of food they ate
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thousands of fossilized rhinoceros bones found together
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evidence that they lived in herds
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smooth or rough edges on fossilized leaves
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evidence of climate (smooth= warm climate) (jagged= cool climate)
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How scientists decide to divide earth's history
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when a major change in life forms or climate take place
