Continental Drift
Alfred Wegener’s Theory of Continental Drift states that the continents were once connected as a large supercontinent called ___________________________ and later _____________________ apart
Pangea
split/drifted
When thinking abut seafloor spread, is the new crust located closer to or further from the ridge?
closer to
__________________ during the development of embryos can show if the organisms are closely related because similarities show they ___________________ a common ancestor.
1. Similarities
2. do have
Survival of the fittest describes natural _______, which is the process in which _______
1. selection
2. organisms with beneficial traits will survive and reproduce.
Define forefeet
Forefeet are the front limbs or feet of an animal, used for walking, running, or grabbing.
Fossil evidence: The fact that fossils of the same animals and plants were found on continents far apart from each other proves that ______________ because ______________:
These continents used to be connected (past).
What type of plate boundary causes seafloor spreading?
divergent
_________ structures in anatomy can determine if the organisms are closely related because similarities show that they _________ a common ancestor. These structures are termed _________.
1. Similar
2. do have
3. homologous
Beneficial traits are the traits that _____ the organism survive in a specific environment.
help
Define 1. extinction and 2. biodiversity
1. Extinction is when a species of plant or animal completely dies out and no members are left alive.
2. Biodiversity is the variety of different living things (plants, animals, and microorganisms) in a particular area or on Earth. Biodiversity is the variety of life in an ecosystem or on Earth.
Tectonic fit: The fact that fragments (pieces) of an old mountain belt were found on continents far apart from each other proves that these continents were once (in the past) ________________ because the continents that are now apart have_______:
1. joined
2. fragments of the same mountain belt features
1. Define tectonic plates
2. Tectonic plate movement is the movement of....
1. Tectonic plates are large pieces of Earth’s crust and upper mantle that move slowly over the mantle. Tectonic plates are huge slabs of Earth’s surface that move and cause changes like earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountains.
2. tectonic plates on earth's crust
2. Fossils found in the bottom rock layer are the _________
1. youngest
2. oldest
Features and adaptations of a species change over time in order for the organism to ____________________ and _________________ in their environment. There is evidence that shows that whales evolved from __________________ animals and moved from land to water.
1. survive
2. reproduce
2. land
Define 1. skeletal system and 2. fossils
1. Skeletal system is the bones that that support, protect, and/or allow for movement of animals and humans
2. Fossils are the preserved remains, traces, or imprints of ancient living things
Jigsaw fit: The fact that the continents fit ______ like pieces of a puzzle proves that the continents used to be ____________.
1. together
2. one big continent
Define divergent, convergent, and transform plate boundaries
1. divergent = drift apart
2. convergent = collide/crash together
3. transform = slide past each other
Scientists find skeletal remains in the top rock layer only. Explain why there are no bones in layers 2, 3, and 4.
The bottom rock layers are _______ than the top rock layers. Scientists don’t find BONES in the older rock layers because animals with skeletons ________________________________
1. older
2. did not exist yet
True/False: In reality, evolution takes place over a very long period of time.
True
Define weathering, erosion, and deposition.
1. Weathering is the process that breaks rocks into smaller pieces.
2. Erosion is the movement of rock and sediment from one place to another.
3. Deposition is the process where moved sediment is dropped and settles in a new location.
1. To cause seafloor spreading, tectonic plates _________
2. Seafloor spreading causes continents to __________
1. drift/move apart (diverge)
2. drift apart
1. Divergent plates cause ___________.
2. Convergent plates cause _________.
3. Transform plates cause ___________.
1. mid-ocean ridges, deep rift valleys, seafloor spread
2. ocean trenches, volcanic arcs, mountains
3. earthquakes
Define the Law of Superposition
In undisturbed rock layers, the oldest layers are at the bottom and the youngest layers are at the top.
Define megafauna
Megafauna are very large animals, especially those that lived in the past. Many lived during the Ice Age and most become extinct
2. Convection currents cause _________
1. In the mantle, hot melted rock (magma) rises and then cools and sinks back down.
2. the plates of the Earth to move