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Earth and Life Vocab
Term | Definition |
---|---|
oxygen | gas produced by anaerobic prokaryotes during Precambrian tine |
paleontologist | a scientist who studies fossils and ancient life |
rock cycle | the process involving the formation and recycling of rock |
metamorphic rock | rock formed when existing rock is squeezed or partially melted |
catastrophism | the idea the geologic events occur suddenly |
Cenozoic era | era dominated by mammals |
anaerobic | living without oxygen |
Precambrian time | period when there was no oxygen in the Earth's atmosphere |
Paleozoic era | era when plants and animals first lived on land |
ozone | forms a layer in the atmosphere that shields solar radiation |
extinct | when all of the members of the species die |
sedimentary rock | rock formed when sediment is lithified |
uniformitarianism | the idea that geological processes that occur today also occurred in the past |
mass extinction | when a large number of a species die in a short period of time |
geologic time scale | organizes the history of life on Earth plate tectonics |
igneous rock | rock formed when lava or magma cools |
Pangaea | a large landmass that contained all the present day continents |
superposition | principle that states younger rocks are on top of older rocks |
fossil | the solidified remains or imprints of once living organisms |
absolute dating | dating method that determines a fossil or events exact age |
relative dating | dating method that compares the age of one specimen or event to another |
erosion | when sediment is carried away, usually by wind or water |
weathering | the gradual breakdown of rock. usually by wind or water |