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Definition
| Scientist who studies the Earths’ processes and history that have shaped it. |
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Geologic Time Scale
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Definition
| A record of the geologic events and life forms in Earth’s history. |
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| Divisions of Geologic Time Scale |
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Definition
| Based on large, profound geologic changes to life forms Ex. eons, eras, and periods |
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Definition
| Four main divisions of Geologic Time Ex. Precambrian, Paleozoic, Mesozoic, Cenozoic |
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| Earliest era of Earth's history where single cell organisms (like bacteria) and simple multicellular organisms lived. |
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| "Middle Life", often known as Age of Dinosaurs |
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| "Ancient Life", when organisms started in water but transitioned into amphibians where they lived on land and in water; dense trees |
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| "Recent Life", often known as Age of Mammals and first evidence of humans |
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Definition
| Preserved remains or traces of living things |
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| Hollow area in sediment that is in the shape of an organism |
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Definition
| Solid copy of an organism |
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Definition
| Minerals replace all or part of a once living organism Ex. petrified wood |
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Carbon Film Fossil
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Definition
| Extremely thin carbon layer leaving the picture of a bug or leaf |
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Perserved Remains
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Definition
| All of organism is trapped Ex. bug in amber, frozen mammoth |
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Definition
| Fossil showing activity or evidence of a living organism |
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Definition
| Method where geologists compare different layers of rock to determine an age |
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Definition
| Rule that the oldest layer of rock will always be on the bottom layer |
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Definition
| Rock that forms from lava that cools; younger than the rocks it is on top |
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Definition
| Rock formed from cooling lava; always younger than any layer other rock layers |
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Definition
| Crust, Mantle, Outer Core, Inner |
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Definition
| Method of relative dating that compares ice layers to determine the age and atmosphere existing when ice froze |
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| Method where geologists use radioactive dating to put dates on rock layers |
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Definition
| Isotope used to determine the age of younger or once living materials |
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Definition
| Isotope to date older materials; half life is 4.3 billion years |
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Definition
| Amount of time it takes for an isotope to decay 50% |
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Definition
| When a radioactive atom loses particles and gives off energy |
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Definition
| Original isotope before material decays |
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Definition
| Isotope remaining whenever the parent element experiences decay |
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Term
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Definition
| When an element has the same number of protons and electrons, but a different number of neutrons |
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