Lesson One
Most fossils form when living things die and are buried by ______ that hardens into rock over time.
sediment
Geologist use the law of ______ to determine the relative ages of sedimentary rock layers.
superposition
An element that has broken down and released particles and energy is said to be ______.
radioactive
A solid copy of the shape of an organism is a _______.
cast
What is the main spring allergy trigger?
Pollen
A(n) _______________ is an extremely thin coating of carbon on rock.
carbon film
A mass of igneous rock below the Earth's surface is called a(n) ________.
intrusion
______________ is a method of determining the absolute ages of rock.
Radioactive Dating
A hollow area in sediment in the shape of an organism or part of an organism is a _________.
mold
What are the 40 days and nights before Easter known as in Christianity?
Lent
The term ___________ is used to identify a scientist who studies fossils.
paleontologist
Because of _______, most of the geologic record of sedimentary rock layers has been lost.
erosion
________ is the time it takes for half of the radioactive atoms in an element to decay.
Half-life
The number of years that have passed since the rock formed is the rock's _____________.
absolute age
What is the best-selling Easter candy?
Cadbury Creme Eggs
Scientists study _____________ to learn about the history of life, past environments on Earth, and how different groups of organisms have changed over time.
fossil record
A gap in the geologic record is known as a(n) _________.
unconformity
During ____________, the atoms of one element break down to form atoms of another element.
radioactive decay
According to the law of _______, in horizontal sedimentary rock layers the oldest layer is at the bottom and the youngest layer is at the top.
superposition
Which country did the Easter Bunny tradition originate from?
Germany
An organism ________ if it no longer exists and will never live again on Earth.
extinct
The position in which rock layers appear can be changed by gaps in the geologic record and by _______.
folding
Radioactive elements occur naturally in _____ rocks.
igenous
________ is the gradual change in living things over long periods.
Evolution
What is the capital of Ireland?
Dublin