The remains of living organisms (or remnants) that have been mineralized is known as this.
What is a fossil?
100
These are scientists who study fossils.
What are paleontologists?
100
This gas isn't believed to have been present in the ancient atmosphere because it would have destroyed any organic molecule that would have formed.
What is oxygen?
100
It's during this period where dinosaurs became dominant.
What is the Jurassic period?
100
This era is thought to have comprised of 90% of the Earth's history.
What is the Precambrian era?
200
This method of determining the age of a fossil is done by comparing its placement with placement of other fossils.
What is relative dating?
200
A distinctive fossil used to compare the relative ages of other fossils is known as this.
What is an index fossil?
200
This is the number of years that it's believed that solid rock first formed on the ancient earth.
What is 4 billion years ago?
200
It's during this period when most of the body plans of known to have existed suddenly appeared.
What is the Cambrian?
200
This is the period in which we currently live.
What is the Quaternary?
300
This is the length of time required for half of the radioactive atoms in a sample to decay.
What is the half life?
300
The proposed divisions of evolutionary time is collectively known as this.
What is geologic column?
300
Large organic molecules can sometimes form into these structures, which are believe to have given rise to the first cell.
What are proteinoid microspheres?
300
This period is known as the "Age of Fishes".
What is the Devonian?
300
It's during this period that most of the modern day coal deposits are thought to have come from.
What is the Carboniferous? (or Mississippian/Pennsylvanian)
400
This is the process by which unrelated animals come to resemble one another.
What is convergent evolution?
400
Evolution into diverse forms that live in different ways is known as this.
What is adaptive radiation?
400
This theory states that RNA "evolved" first and was the only organic molecule that existed on the planet.
What is "RNA world"?
400
It's during these two periods that the first land plants appeared.
What are the Ordovician and Silurian?
400
Many ice ages are believed to have occurred during this period.
What is the tertiary?
500
This is an evolutionary change in one organism followed by corresponding change in another organism.
What is coevolution?
500
The idea of long stable periods interrupted by rapid change is known as this.
What is punctuated equilibrium?
500
This theory of the evolution of eukaryotic cells consists of infolding of the plasma membrane and the engulfing of smaller aerobic and/or photosynthetic prokaryotes by larger cells.
What is the "Endosymbiont Theory"?
500
95% of complex ocean life is thought to have gone extinct at the end of this period.
What is the Permian?
500
It's at the end of this period where the dinosaurs are believed to have gone extinct.