Vocabulary & Concepts
What is geology?
The study of Earth's structure and history
What is a fossil?
The remains or traces of ancient life preserved in a rock
Archaean, Proterozoic, and Phanerozoic
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Freebie! 100 points!!
What nickname is given to the Mesozoic era?
The "Age of Reptiles"/ "Age of Dinosaurs"
What is the study of rock layers and layering called?
Stratigraphy
In a rock layer, which layer of strata is the oldest?
The bottom layer
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Freebie! 200 points!!
Where did most life exist during the early Paleozoic?
In the oceans
What nickname is given to the Cenozoic era?
The "Age of Mammals"
What is the term for the sequence of events in Earth's history?
The Geologic Time Scale
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Freebie! 300 points!
Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic
What supercontinent formed at the end of the Paleozoic era?
Pangaea
Name the three main periods of the Mesozoic era.
Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous
What process caused continents to move and form mountains?
Plate tectonics
What's the difference between relative and absolute dating?
Absolute dating is the actual, accurate age. Relative dating compares the ages.
What era did continental drift occur in?
Mesozoic era
How many periods are there in the Paleozoic erea?
6 periods (Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, Carboniferous, and Permian
Name 3 types of fossils they might find from the Mesozoic era?
Dinosaurs, reptiles, and plants
What is the scientific name for rock layers?
Strata
What can fossils tell us about Earth's history?
Which eon makes up 542 million years ago to today?
Phanerozoic
Name one key development in life that occurred during the Paleozoic era?
Plants and animals began to evolve
True or False: Archaologists would find fossils of early humans from the Cenozoic era.
True; early humans are mammals.