Midterm 1 Part 3

Question 1

What two principles were used to develop the relative Geologic Time Scale?

Answer 1

Fossil Succession and Superposition

Question 2

What causes strata to be turned upside down?

Answer 2

Tectonic plates moving

Question 3

What is faunal succession?

Answer 3

Same thing as fossil succession. Different species from different times are found in specific rocks (based on age).

Question 4

Define Index fossils

Answer 4

characteristic fossils of certain geological time periods

Question 5

True or False: Fossil succession developed after Darwin’s theory of natural selection?

Answer 5

false.

Question 6

Which cladistic group is identified by the sharing of evolutionary novelties/common ancestor?

Answer 6

Monophyletic

Question 7

True or False: Dinosaurs have been found in Antarctica

Answer 7

TRUE

Question 8

Why do paleontologists favor cladistics over other models?

Answer 8

Does not assume the fossil record is complete and unites taxa based on shared characteristics

Question 9

Which rock type canNOT be radioactively dated?

Answer 9

Sedimentary

Question 10

What is the closest relative to Dinosaurs?

Answer 10

Silesaurus

Question 11

What are the two Archosaurian clades?

Answer 11

Crocodilians and BIRDS

Question 12

What event caused dinosaurs to become the dominant terrestrial species?

Answer 12

Triassic-Jurassic extinction

Question 13

What feature is unique to dinosaurs?

Answer 13

Muscle attachment to the humerus

Question 14

True or False: DInosaur diagnostic characteristics are mainly related to posture.

Answer 14

True

Question 15

What allowed scientists to find the absolute age of rocks?

Answer 15

Radiometric dating

Question 15

What allowed scientists to find the absolute age of rocks?

Answer 15

Radiometric dating

Question 16

When is it acceptable to use radiometric dating with carbon materials?

Answer 16

When the object is between 100 and 70k years. After that, the carbon is gone.

Question 17

What types of rocks can be dated radiometrically?

Answer 17

Igneous

Question 18

True or False: Scientists use radiometric dating on sedimentary rock.

Answer 18

False

Question 19

True or False: Organic matter that is heated and put under pressure can turn into oils and gases.

Answer 19

True

Question 20

True or False: The finer the grain of rock, the more likely it is to preserve fossils.

Answer 20

True

Question 21

Define Lithification

Answer 21

Turning loose sediment into rock

Question 22

How does lithification occur?

Answer 22

As more and more sediment is deposited on top, it becomes heavier and more compacted. The water disappears. There’s a reduction in the amount of poor space.

Question 23

What are the four steps of creating sedimentary rock?

Answer 23

Weathering, Transportation, Deposition, Lithification

Question 24

Why are so many sedimentary fossils found in fluvial and lacustine environments?

Answer 24

Because of the weathering and transportation process involved in creating sedimentary rock. There's water involved in moving sediment.

Question 25

What is a Deltaic depositional environment?

Answer 25

The space between standing water (like a lake or ocean) and a river.

Question 26

What is an Eolian depositional environment?

Answer 26

Sand dunes/areas between dunes

Question 27

What animals originated in the late Triassic (other than Dinosaurs)?

Answer 27

Crocodilians, Mammals, Dinosaurs, Pterosaurs, Plesiosaurs, Lizards

Question 28

Tetrapod

Answer 28

Terrestrial vertebrate

Question 29

What are the two main tetrapod clades?

Answer 29

1. Amphibians 2. Amniotes

Question 30

What characterizes amniotes from amphibians?

Answer 30

Special leathery eggs (vs. laying eggs dependent on water) and a better pelvis with vertebrae.

Question 31

True or False: Reptiles have more skull bones than amphibians

Answer 31

False

Question 32

Characteristics of basal tetrapods (amphibians)

Answer 32

Eggs in water, tons of skull bones, weaker limbs, larva stage

Question 33

What was the break-through that allowed vertebrates to fully conquer land?

Answer 33

The amniotic egg. This egg had a harder shell that made it possible to lay eggs out of water. There is an amniotic sac surrounding the baby. The egg holds fluid but the shell prevents evaporation.

Question 34

Sauropsid

Answer 34

Reptile

Question 35

Complete the statement: The better developed limbs and hip bones allowed reptiles to adapt to _____ on land.

Answer 35

Walk

Question 36

How many temporal fenestra does an anapsid skull have?

Answer 36

0

Question 37

Examples of anapsid reptiles (basal reptiles, different from basal tetrapods)

Answer 37

Turtles - tortoises

Question 38

How many temporal fenestra does a diapsid skull have?

Answer 38

2

Question 39

How many temporal fenestra does a Euryapsid skull have?

Answer 39

1 at the top of the skull.

Question 40

Examples of Euryapsid vertebrates

Answer 40

Marine reptiles like plesiosaurs and ichthyosaurs

Question 41

Examples of synapsid vertebrates

Answer 41

Mammals and their descendants

Question 42

How many temporal fenestra does a synapsid vertebrate have?

Answer 42

One, lower down

Question 43

thecodonts

Answer 43

Teeth set in sockets

Question 44

What are some examples of Archosaur characters?

Answer 44

Thecodonts, Muscle attachment to the femur, diapsid, Antiorbital fenestra, mandibular fenestra, unidirectional air flow through lungs

Question 45

Definition of Dinosauria

Answer 45

Triceratops + Birds

Question 46

What were the first dinosaurs to ever live?

Answer 46

Probably Eoraptor?

Question 47

What was the Triassic-Jurassic extinction?

Answer 47

Some extinction event that killed all the archosaurs except the dinosaurs and some crocodilians

Question 48

Who were the key players in the great dinosaur rush?

Answer 48

Cope and Marsh

Question 49

Who were the key players in the dinosaur renaissance?

Answer 49

John Ostrom, Robert Bakker, Polish Mongolian expedition by the Soviets

Question 50

Microevolution

Answer 50

Shows evolution between one species to the next in terms of hundreds of thousands of years.

Question 51

Macroevolution

Answer 51

Usually involves changing kingdoms and phylums and takes place over millions of years Also refers to MAJOR changes within a species

Question 52

Mentulary bone? Spelling?

Answer 52

Found only in female dinosaurs. Stores calcium for egg laying

Question 53

Obligatory quadraped

Answer 53

Must walk on 4 leggs all the time

Question 54

Obligatory biped

Answer 54

Must walk on 2 legs al lthe time

Question 55

Facultative quadraped

Answer 55

can walk on 4 legs, but usually walks on 2

Question 56

Facultative biped

Answer 56

can walk on two legs but usually walks on 4

Question 57

Index fossils

Answer 57

guide fossils