Vocabulary
Aging
Aging Part 2
Fossil Identification
Random
100
Define "Fossil" in one sentence.
Any preserved evidence of past life found in rocks or soil.
100
Define Relative Age and Absolute Age
Relative age: aging through sequence of events. Estimate.
Absolute Age: Age with a specific number and unit.
100
Define Uniformitarianism
Events and things that occur in modern day; had to have also happened in the past.
100
The following is describing what type of Fossil:
An imprint left when an organism decays and leaves a hollow space.
Mold Fossil
100
Explain how a fossil is formed in a couple of sentences.
After an organism dies; it begins to decay and gets buried under sediment rock. This applies pressure on the decayed organism and causes it to fossilize.
200
State the Law of Superposition in simple terms.
Sedimentary layers where older layers are below younger layers.
200
What does the Principle of Horizontality tell us about sedimentary layers.
Sediments (new earth layers) are always initially deposited in horizontal layers.
200
The half-life of Potassium-40 is 1.3 billion years. If an igneous rock contains 12.5% of Potassium-40; about how many years have gone by?
3.9 billion years.
200
Which type of fossil results from a thin layer of carbon left behind that outlines an organism?
Carbon Film Fossil
200
Draw a picture of folding occurring in Earth's Layers.
300
What is a fault? Give two examples of them.
A fault is a break in earth's crust or layers. Folding and unconformity.
300
Put these in order of Oldest to Youngest.
A,B, C, D
300
If we compare Location A to Location B what is one conclusion that we can make? What would you call the Snail shell?
Location A: Consists of four layers, and has a snail shell in the second layer from the top.
Location B: Contains the same snail shell but only has 2 of Earth's layers, and the shell is at the bottom.
Conclusion: Location B is older than Location A because it is smaller and therefore has gone through more erosion. Also, the snail shell is found in a lower position.
Snail Shell is an Index Fossil.
300
How would you classify dinosaur footprints? Name the fossil and explain why.
Trace Fossil because it is showing the behavior of the dinosaur.
300
What type of fossil is shown below:
Cast Fossil
400
Define unconformity, and draw a picture of it.
A gap in the rock record where new layers of earth form on top of very old layers.
400
What is the order of the following image from Youngest to Oldest?
E, D, A, B, C
400
Carbon-14 has a half-life of 5,730 years. If a fossil originally had 70 mg, how much is left after 17,190 years?
8.75 grams.
400
What type of fossil is shown below:
Petrified Fossil
400
What is the name of a scientist that studies fossils?
What is the name of a scientist that studies rocks and Earth's Layers?
Paleontologist
Geologist