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6 Topic 11
Topic 11 History of Earth
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| relative age | the age of a rock compared to the ages of other rocks |
| absolute age | the age of a rock given as the number of years since the rock formed |
| law of superposition | the geologic principle that states that in horizontal layers of sedimentary rock, each layer is older than the layer above it and younger than the layer below it |
| unconformity | a gap in the geologic record that shows where rock layers have been lost due to erosion |
| radioactive decay | the process in which the nuclei of radioactive elements break down, releasing fast-moving particles and energy |
| radioactive dating | the process of determining the age of an object using the half-life of one or more radioactive isotopes |
| geologic time scale | a record of the geologic events and life forms in Earth's history |
| era | one of the three long units of geologic time between the Precambrian and the present |
| period | one of the units of geologic time into which geologists divide eras |
| invertebrate | an animal without a backbone |
| vertebrate | an animal with a backbone |
| amphibian | a vertebrate whose body temperature is determined by the temperature of its environment, and that lives its early life in water and its adult life on land |
| reptile | a vertebrate whose temperature is determined by the temperature of its environment, that has lungs and scaly skin, and that lays eggs on land |
| mass extinction | when many types of living things become extinct at the same time |
| mammal | a vertebrate whose body temperature is regulated by its internal heat, and that has skin covered with hair or fur and glands that produce milk to feed its young |