The History of Life on Earth
Scientists who study fossils, especially those of prehistoric life, such as dinosaurs.
Paleontologists
Formed from deposits of pre-existing rocks or pieces of once-living organism that accumulate on the Earth's surface.
Sedimentary Rock Formation
A period of time when a large number of species die out across a wide geographic area.
Mass Extinction
The differences that exist between individual organisms within a species.
Variation
A hard outer covering that protects animals, or a mechanical device that helps humans perform tasks.
Exoskeleton
What is the specific role or function of an organism in an ecosystem, including its habitat, food sources, and interactions with other species.
Niche
The oldest rock layers are at the bottom of a sequence, and the youngest layers are at the top.
Law of Superposition
The process by which an organism changes to survive in its environment.
Adaption
The geographic patterns of where different species are found across the world
Biogeography
An offspring of two animals or plants of different subspecies, breeds, varieties, species, or genera.
Hybrid
Preserved evidence of ancient organisms' interactions with their environment
Trace Fossils
A description of how old something is in relation to other things, without providing a specific date or number.
Relative Age
The process by which new species are created through evolution.
Speciation
The study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment
Ecology
The act of changing something or changing your behavior to make it suitable for a new purpose or situation.
Adaptation
Fossilized tree resin that contain preserved organisms.
Amber Fossils
Studying preserved remains of ancient organisms provides evidence of how life has changed over vast time periods.
Fossil Record
Inheritable changes in their DNA that can cause physical differences.
Mutation
The process of dividing large areas of habitat into smaller, isolated pieces.
Habitat Fragmentation
The process by which new species form from a population without geographic isolation.
Sympatric Speciation
A process that turns organic tissue into a fossil by filling its pores with minerals.
Permineralization
Fossils that have characteristics of both ancestral and descendant species.
Transitional Fossils
The process through which populations of living organisms adapt and change.
Natural Selection
The process by which new species are created through evolution.
Speciation
An offspring of two animals or plants of different subspecies, breeds, varieties, species, or genera.
Allopatric Speciation