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49 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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comparitive anatomy |
the comparison of the structures of different organisms |
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homologous structures |
similar structures that related species have inherited from a common ancestor |
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mold |
hollow area in sediment in the shape of an organism or part of an organism |
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cast |
solid copy of the shape of an organism |
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petrified fossils |
fossils where minerals replace all or part of an organism |
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trace fossils |
fossils that provide evidence of the activities of ancient organisma |
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paleontologists |
scientists who study fossils |
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gradualism |
evolution occurs slowly but steadily |
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punctuated equilibria |
hypothesis that accounts for gaps in the fossil records |
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habitat |
the specific environment that provides the things the organism needs to live, grow, and reproduce |
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extinct |
species that has no surviving members |
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classification |
process of grouping things so they're easier to study |
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taxonomy |
the study of classifying living things |
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binomial nomenclature |
scientific naming system |
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genus |
classification grouping that contains similar organisms |
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prokayotes |
organisms whose cells lack a nucleus |
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eukaryotes |
organisms with nuclei |
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branching tree diagrams |
probable evolutionary relationships among organisms |
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shared derived characteristics |
usually a homologous structure, like a backbone, that is shared by all organisms in a group |
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Geology |
study of the structure of the planet Earth and the forces that make up and shape Earth |
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Erosion |
running water, ice, or wind, break down rocks and carry the pieces away |
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Uniformitarianism |
a principle that states the geologic processes that operate today also operated in the past |
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igneous rocks |
rocks formed when molten material from beneath the Earth's surface cools and hardens` |
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Sedimentary rocks |
rocks made of sediments that have been deposited and then pressed together to form solid rock |
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Metamorphic rock |
rocks made when an existing rock is changed by heat pressure or chemical reactions |
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Rock cycle |
a series of processes on and beneath the Earth's surface that slowly change rocks from one kind to another |
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Magma |
molten material beneath Earth's surface |
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Lava |
magma flowing onto the surface |
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relative age |
the age of a rock compared to other rocks |
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absolute age |
age of rock based on when it was formed |
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law of superposition |
the oldest layer is at the bottom, the higher layer is younger |
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extrusion |
lava that hardens on the surface |
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intrusion |
rock that is formed from magma that pushes into bodies of rock and hardens |
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fault |
a break in Earth's crust |
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unconformity |
the surface where new rock layers meet a much older rock surface beneath them |
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inclusion |
a piece of rock that is contained in another rock |
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index fossil |
a fossil that must be widely distributed and represent a type of organism that existed only briefly |
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plates |
major pieces of land |
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theory of plate tectonics |
Earth's plates move slowly in various directions |
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continental drift |
the slow movement of continents |
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geologic time scale |
a record of the life forms and geologic events in Earth's history |
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Eras |
the three long units between Precambrian and the present |
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Periods |
subdivisions of ears |
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Invertebrates |
animals without backbones |
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Vertebrates |
animals with backbones |
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Amphibian |
an animal that lives part of its life on land and part of its life in water |
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Reptiles |
animals with scaly skin and lay eggs |
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Mass extinction |
many living things die out |
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mammal |
warm blooded vertebrate that feeds its young milk |
