Fossil Record Vocabulary

Question 1

uniformitarianism

Answer 1

the theory that changes in the earth’s crust during geological history have resulted from the action of continuous and uniform processes.

Question 2

catastrophism

Answer 2

the theory that changes in the earth’s crust during geological history have resulted chiefly from sudden violent and unusual events.

Question 3

paleontology

Answer 3

the branch of science concerned with fossil animals and plants.

Question 4

relative dating

Answer 4

Relative dating is the process of determining if one rock or geologic event is older or younger than another, without knowing their specific ages—i.e., how many years ago the object was formed

Question 5

absolute dating

Answer 5

Absolute dating is the process of determining an age on a specified chronology in archaeology and geology. … Absolute dating provides a numerical age or range, in contrast with relative dating, which places events in order without any measure of the age between events.

Question 6

superposition

Answer 6

Superposition is the ability of a quantum system to be in multiple states at the same time until it is measured. Because the concept is difficult to understand, this essential principle of quantum mechanics is often illustrated by an experiment carried out in 1801 by the English physicist, Thomas Young.

Question 7

isotope

Answer 7

each of two or more forms of the same element that contain equal numbers of protons but different numbers of neutrons in their nuclei, and hence differ in relative atomic mass but not in chemical properties; in particular, a radioactive form of an element.

Question 8

radioactive decay

Answer 8

Radioactive decay (also known as nuclear decay, radioactivity, radioactive disintegration or nuclear disintegration) is the process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by radiation.

Question 9

half-life

Answer 9

half-life, in radioactivity, the interval of time required for one-half of the atomic nuclei of a radioactive sample to decay (change spontaneously into other nuclear species by emitting particles and energy), or, equivalently, the time interval required for the number of disintegrations per second of a radioactive

Question 10

fossil

Answer 10

Fossil Group, Inc. is an American fashion designer and manufacturer founded in 1984 by Tom Kartsotis and based in Richardson, Texas.

Question 11

trace fossil

Answer 11

A trace fossil, also ichnofossil, is a fossil record of biological activity but not the preserved remains of the plant or animal itself.

Question 12

mold

Answer 12

A mold or mould is a fungus that grows in the form of multicellular filaments called hyphae. In contrast, fungi that can adopt a single-celled growth habit are called yeasts.

Question 13

cast

Answer 13

The mineralized impression of the organism left in the sediment is called a mold.

Question 14

unconformity

Answer 14

a surface of contact between two groups of unconformable strata.

Question 15

mass extinction

Answer 15

A mass extinction event is when species vanish much faster than they are replaced.

Question 16

Jurassic period

Answer 16

The Jurassic is a geologic period and stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period 201.3 million years ago to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately 145 Mya.

Question 17

Cretaceous period

Answer 17

Cretaceous Period, in geologic time, the last of the three periods of the Mesozoic Era.

Question 18

Devonian period

Answer 18

The Devonian is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic, spanning 60.3 million years from the end of the Silurian, 419.2 million years ago, to the beginning of the Carboniferous, 358.9 Mya.

Question 19

Quaternary period

Answer 19

The quaternary period began 2.6 million years ago and extends into the present.

Question 20

Permian period

Answer 20

The Permian is a geologic period and stratigraphic system which spans 47 million years from the end of the Carboniferous Period 298.9 million years ago, to the beginning of the Triassic Period 251.902 Mya.