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Paleo 200 > Final > Flashcards

Final Flashcards

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1
Q

Carl Linnaeus

A

Swedish naturalist
Founding father of modern taxonomy

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2
Q

Taxonomy

A

The science of naming and organizing organisms into related groups

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3
Q

Binomial Name

A

Two-part name consisting of a genus name and a specific epithet

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4
Q

Genus Name

A

Taxonomic rank above species
First part of a species binomial name

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5
Q

Specific Epithet

A

Second part of a species binomial name

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6
Q

Rule of Priority

A

Once a species has officially been given a binomial name it cannot be changed

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7
Q

Peer-Reviewed

A

Scientific publication that is not published until it has been reviewed by other scientists to verify that the contents are legitimate and scientifically reasonable

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8
Q

Holotype

A

A physical example of a new species
Does not need to be a complete specimen but must show the unique characteristics that make it a new species

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9
Q

Interspecific Variation

A

Individuals that differ in morphology because they belong to a different species

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10
Q

Intraspecific Variation

A

Individuals that belong to the same species but that have different morphologies

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11
Q

Sexual Dimorphism

A

A form of intraspecific variation
Differences in morphology between the males and females of a species
Also known as sexual variation

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12
Q

Ontogenetic Variation

A

A form of intraspecific variation
The variation you can see between young individuals and old individuals of the same species

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13
Q

Individual Variation

A

A form of intraspecific variation
The normal variation that exists among individuals of a given species

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14
Q

Taphonomic Variation

A

Variation that is caused by taphonomic processes like plastic deformation

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15
Q

Biological Species Concept

A

Defines a species as a group of organisms that can successfully interbreed
Cannot be applied to asexual organisms or extinct organisms

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16
Q

Population

A

Any grouping of organisms that live in the same geographic area and interbreed

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17
Q

Morphological Species Concept

A

Defines a species as a group of organisms that share a certain degree of physical similarity

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18
Q

Lumpers

A

Paleontologists who require more differences before they consider two species to be distinct

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19
Q

Splitters

A

Paleontologists who require fewer differences before they consider two species to be distinct

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20
Q

Charles Darwin

A

British naturalist
Proposed the theory of evolution

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21
Q

Heritable

A

A trait that is part of an organism’s genetic code and has a chance to be passed on to the organism’s offspring

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22
Q

Variation

A

Required for selection to occur on any given trait

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23
Q

Advantage

A

Variation that increases the number of reproductive opportunities an organism has
Also known as differential success

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24
Q

Competition

A

Permits only some organisms to successfully reproduce before they die

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25
Natural Selection
The competitive selective process by which detrimental traits are discarded and advantageous traits are retained
26
Shared Common Ancestors
Provide a framework that modern taxonomy uses to categorize organisms
27
Character
Any heritable trait that can be described and labeled
28
Shared Derived Character
A character that is present in two or more groups and their common ancestor but not more distantly related groups Also known as a synapomorphy
29
Convergent Evolution
The evolution of similar traits in two different lineages as a result of similar environments or modes of life
30
Parsimony
The idea that all other things being equal, the simplest answer is usually the right one Also known as Occam’s razor
31
Phylogenetic Trees
Diagrams that show the evolutionary relationships between large numbers of species
32
Node
The point at which two lineages shared a common ancestor
33
Branch
Shows how the descendants of a common ancestor continued to diverge from each other
34
Clade
A group of species that share a common node
35
Thomas Henry Huxley
The first scientist to recognize that birds evolved from dinosaurs
36
Archaeopteryx
A transitional fossil that bridged the gap between dinosaurs and birds
37
Sinosauropteryx
The first non-avian dinosaur to be discovered with feathers (used for insulation not flight)
38
Yutyrannus
Large tyrannosauroid that had feathers
39
Principle of Superposition
The tendency for rock layers to be chronologically stacked Allows a stratigrapher to infer the relative age of rock layers but not the absolute age
40
Stratigraphy
The science of using the arrangement and composition of rock layers to interpret geological history
41
Formation
A large uninterrupted sequence of rock that is made of multiple layers that all share similar properties and that all formed under similar conditions
42
Radiometric Dating
A technique used to determine the absolute age of a rock (does not work on sedimentary rocks)
43
Isotope
A variant of a chemical element that has an unusual number of neutrons
44
The Geologic Time Scale
A standardized series of chronological divisions that parses the Earth’s history into discrete named units
45
The Hadean Eon
4.6 to 4 billion years ago Formation of the Earth and the moon
46
The Archean Eon
4 to 2.5 billion years ago Formation of oldest known fossils (single cells organisms) Oxygenation of the Earth’ atmosphere
47
The Proterozoic Eon
2.5 billion to 541 million years ago First multicellular organisms Poorly represented in the fossil record
48
The Phanerozoic Eon
541 to 0 million years ago Diversification of animals
49
The Paleozoic Era
541 to 252 million years ago
50
The Cambrian Period
541 to 485 million years ago
51
The Cambrian Explosion
Dramatic diversification of aquatic animal life that took place during the Cambrian period
52
The Ordovician Period
485 to 443 million years ago Fish became the dominant aquatic animals
53
The Silurian Period
443 to 419 million years ago Evolution of predatory fish and terrestrial plants
54
The Devonian Period
419 to 359 million years ago First forests, huge jawed fish and first tetrapods
55
The Carboniferous Period
359 to 299 million years ago First amniotes evolved
56
The Permian Period
299 to 252 million years ago Formation of Pangaea Evolution of reptiles into the anapsids, diapsids and synapsids
57
Pangaea
Supercontinent formed during the Permian period
58
The Mesozoic Era
252 to 66 million years ago Also known as the Age of Dinosaurs
59
The Cenozoic Era
66 to 0 million years ago Also known as the Age of Mammals
60
The Paleogene Period
66 to 23 million years ago Diversification of mammals and birds
61
The Neogene Period
23 to 2.6 million years ago First hominids evolved
62
The Quaternary Period
2.6 to 0 million years ago Several large glaciation events Evolution of modern humans
63
The Triassic Period
252 to 201 million years ago Evolution of mammals, dinosaurs and pterosaurs
64
Ichthyosaurs
“Fish lizard” Group of reptiles that adopted an aquatic lifestyle during the Triassic period
65
Plesiosaurs
Group of reptiles that adopted an aquatic lifestyle during the late Triassic period
66
Pterosaurs
Close relatives of dinosaurs The first vertebrates to fly
67
Rhamphorhynchoids
Early pterosaurs
68
The Jurassic Period
201 to 145 million years ago Diversification of sauropods, ornithopods, stegosaurs, pterodactyloids and birds
69
Pterodactyloids
Pterosaurs of the Jurassic period Shorter tails, different wrist bones and large head crests
70
The Early Cretaceous Period
146 to 100 million years ago Evolution of flowering plants, theropods and iguanodonts
71
Mososaurs
Group of reptiles that adopted an aquatic lifestyle during the early Cretaceous period
72
The Late Cretaceous Period
100 to 65 million years ago The apex of non-avian dinosaur diversity Ended with the Cretaceous extinction
73
Alfred Wegener
German researcher Suggested that continents had once been together and had drifted apart
74
Crust
Outermost layer of the earth consisting of continents and ocean basins
75
Mantle
Layer below the crust with a solid upper portion and a flowing lower portion
76
Lithosphere
The crust and the upper mantle Composed of many discrete plates that fit together
77
Asthenosphere
The lower, viscous portion of the mantle
78
Core
Divided into an inner core and an outer core Composed primarily of nickel and iron
79
Outer Core
Molten liquid
80
Inner Core
Solid ball
81
Plates
Pieces of the lithosphere affected convection currents in the asthenosphere
82
Plate Tectonics
The movement of the lithosphere Provides an explanation for continental drift
83
Panthalassa
Single-super ocean that surrounded Pangea
84
Diplodocids
Jurassic long-necks with short front legs and nipping teeth
85
Macronarians
Jurassic sauropods with more robust bodies and longer front legs
86
Ecological Niche
An animals way of life
87
Niche Partitioning
Similar animals avoid competition by specializing in specific niches
88
Thyreophorans
Jurassic herbivores with body armour
89
Allosauroids
Late Jurassic predator with longer legs and stiffer vertebrae
90
Coelurosaurs
Jurassic theropods with a long series of sacral vertebrae, narrow hands, and lightweight tails
91
Laurasia
Composed of North America, Europe and Asia
92
Gondwana
Composed of India, South America, Antarctica, Africa and Australia
93
Titanosaurs
Macronarian sauropods found in Cretaceous Gondwana Most robust sauropods with broad hips and armour/spikes
94
Carcharodontosaurs
Allosaurid theropods of Cretaceous Gondwana Big heads and long jaws
95
Abelisaurs
Carnivorous theropods of Cretaceous Gondwana Short muzzles, short teeth and small arms
96
Ankylosaurids
Ankylosaurs backward pointing horns and tail clubs Herbivores in Cretaceous Laurasia
97
Nodosaurids
Ankylosaurs with smaller skulls and no tail clubs Herbivores of Cretaceous Laurasia
98
Lambeosaurines
Hadrosaurs with large hollow bony crests that were used to amplify their calls Herbivores of Cretaceous Laurasia
99
Hadrosaurines
Hadrosaurs without hollow bony crests (some had different crests thought) Herbivores of Cretaceous Laurasia Also known as saurolophines
100
Marginocephalians
“Fringe heads” Includes pachycephalosaurs and ceratopsians Herbivores of Cretaceous Laurasia
101
Ornithomimids
Coelurosaurs with long clawed forelimbs and a large tail
102
Maniraptorans
Coelurosaurs that evolved a highly specialized wrist bone (semilunate carpal) that allowed the hand to be folded backwards at a sharp angle Includes the oviraptorosaurs, therizinosaurs, dromeosaurs and birds
103
Semilunate carpal
Crescent-shaped bones that allowed the hand to be folded backwards at a sharp angle
104
Oviraptorosaurs
Maniraptorans with large beaks and feathers
105
Therizinosaurs
Maniraptorans with large claws and small herbivorous teeth
106
Faunal Interchange
When plate tectonics bring continents back together leading to the dispersal of animals from one region into another
107
Anapsids
Amniotes that completely lack fenestrae
108
Synapsids
Amniotes with one fenestra on each lateral side of their skull
109
Dimetrodon
Synapsid with a sail that lived during the Permian period
110
Diapsids
Amniotes with one set of fenestrae on the lateral sides of their skulls and one set of fenestrae on the top surfaces of their skulls
111
Lepidosauromorphs
Diapsids with no additional fenestrae
112
Archosauromorphs
Diapsids with two additional sets of fenestrae
113
Antorbital Fenestra
Fenestra in front of each orbit
114
Mandibular Fenestra
Fenestra on the rear of the lower jaw
115
Avemetatarsalians
Archosauromorphs with hinge-like ankles that are more suited to an upright stance
116
Gorgonopsids
Large, sabre-toothed synapsids of the late Permian period
117
Dicynodonts
Large herbivorous synapsids that dominated in the late Permian period
118
Cynodonts
Synapsids that would evolve into mammals
119
Pseudosuchians
Crocodile-line archosauromorphs that dominated in the Triassic period
120
Extinct
Species whose members have all died off
121
Extant
Species that are still present today
122
Iridium
An element that is rare on earth but is a common component of meteorites
123
Tektites
Tiny pieces of rock that have been melted and then cooled
124
Shocked Quartz
A form of the mineral quartz with a unique internal structure that can only be created by exposure to a powerful shockwave
125
Cenotes
Limestone sinkholes arranged in a crescent shape around the Chicxulub crater

Paleo 200 (2 decks)

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