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DSMS Life History
Earth and Life History
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| sedimentary rock | rock formed when sediment is lithified |
| paleontologist | a scientist who studies fossils and ancient life |
| rock cycle | the process involving the formation and recycling of rock |
| extinct | when all of the members of a species die |
| oxygen | gas produced by anaerobic prokaryotes during Precambrian time |
| ozone | forms a layer in the atmosphere that shields solar radiation |
| anaerobic | living without oxygen |
| uniformitarianism | the idea that geologic processes that occur today also occurred in the past |
| igneous rock | rock formed when lava or magma cools |
| superposition | principle that states younger rocks are on top of older rocks |
| Precambrian time | period when there was no oxygen in the Earth's atmosphere |
| Paleozoic era | era when plants and animals first lived on land |
| Cenozoic era | era dominated by mammals |
| Pangaea | a large landmass that contained all the present-day continents |
| metamorphic rock | rock formed when existing rock is squeezed or partially melted |
| 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 |
| geologic time scale | organizes the history of life on Earth |
| plate tectonics | the study of the movement of Earth's continental plates |
| fossil | the solidified remains or imprints of once-living organisms |
| mass extinction | when a large number of species dies off in a short period of time |
| weathering | the gradual breakdown of rock, usually by wind or water |
| erosion | when sediment is carried away, usually by wind or water |
| catastrophism | the idea the geologic events occur suddenly |
| Mesozoic Era | era dominated by dinosaurs |
| crystallization | when a solid forms into an organized structure called a crystal |