Geologic Time Scale
What is the Geologic Time Scale?
A system used to determine the age and evolution of fossils
What appeared and evolved during the Precambrian Era
soft-bodied organisms
What kind of fossil is an organism that turned to rock
petrified fossil
What kind of rock is most common (75% of rock)
sedimentary
What is the Theory of Continental Drift
The the continents are slowly moving over time across Earth's surface due to tectonic plates
How is time separated in the Global Time Scale (longest to shortest)?
eons, eras, periods, epochs
Mesozoic Era
What is a preserved fossil
A fossil that is easily identifiable/looks like the organism it is from
What is geology
the study of rocks
What is Pangea?
The theory that all continents used to be connected as one big continent
What is evolution?
The change of an organism species over long periods of time
What Era are we in now
Cenozoic
What kind of fossil shows small details left from the organism
carbon fossil
What are ice cores
cylinders of ice used to learn about Earth's past climate
What can tectonic plates cause?
volcanic eruptions, mountains, earthquakes, etc.
What is stratigraphy
Using earth layers to determine age and evolution of an organism
What are the names of the Eras in order
Precambrian, Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic
What is the difference between a mold fossil and a cast fossil
a mold fossil and the shape of the organism left in an imprint and the cast fossil has the shape left as a raised print
Why is Geology used?
To uncover information about Earth's history
What are the three types of plate boundaries?
divergent, convergent, and transform