Eras
What is the longest era?
The Precambrian Era
What is the shortest period?
The Holocene
What are fossils?
Remains or traces of ancient organisms
What is relative dating?
Determining the age of rocks by comparing them to other rocks
What event caused the extinction of the dinosaurs?
A massive asteroid impact
Name the era we live in now.
The Cenozoic Era
Name the period of the dinosaurs.
The Mesozoic Era (Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous)
How do fossils form?
Through the process of sedimentation and mineralization
What is absolute dating?
Determining the exact age of rocks using methods like radiometric dating
What major event happened during the Precambrian?
The formation of the Earth and the earliest life forms
Which era follows the Mesozoic?
The Cenozoic Era
What period did mammals first appear?
The Triassic Period
What can fossils tell us?
Information about past life and environments
Name one method of absolute dating.
Carbon dating, potassium-argon dating, etc.
Name one event that occurred in the Mesozoic era.
The appearance of the first birds
What major event marks the end of the Paleozoic era?
the Permian-Triassic extinction event
Which period is known for the first plants?
The Ordovician Period
Why are fossils important to geologists?
They help in dating rock layers and understanding Earth's history
How can layers of rock help in dating?
They provide a chronological sequence of events
What does the term "mass extinction" mean?
A large-scale event where many species die out in a short period
Name one characteristic of the Cenozoic era.
The rise of mammals and birds
What period came after the Jurassic?
The Cretaceous Period
Name a type of fossil.
Amber fossils, mold fossils, cast fossils, etc.
What is a half-life?
The time it takes for half of a radioactive substance to decay
What is the significance of the Cambrian Explosion?
A rapid diversification of life forms in the oceans