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17 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Absolute Dating (Radioactive Dating) |
A technique used to determine the actual age of a fossil on the basis of the amount of a radioactive element it contains.
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Adaptations
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A behavior or physical characteristic that allows an organism to survive or reproduce in its environment. |
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Cladogram (Branching Tree)
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A diagram that shows how scientists think organisms are related |
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Diversity
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The condition of being composed of distinct forms or qualities |
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Evolution
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The gradual change in a species over time
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Extinct
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A species that is no longer on earth
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Gradualism
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The theory that evolution occurs slowly and steadily |
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Half-life
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The time it takes for half of the atoms in a radioactive element to decay
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Homologous Structures
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Body parts that are structurally similar in related species and that provide evidence for a common ancestor
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Mold
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A type of fossil formed when a shell or other hard part of an organism dissolves leaving an empty space in the shape of the part. |
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Cast
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A type of fossil that forms when a a mold becomes filled in with minerals that then harden.
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Natural Selection
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A process by which individuals that are better adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce than others of the same species.
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Petrified Fossil
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A fossil formed when minerals replace all or part of an organism.
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Punctuated Equilibrium
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The theory that species evolve during short periods of rapid change. |
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Relative Dating
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A technique used to determine which of two fossils is older.
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Sedimentary Rock
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Rock formed of hardened layers of sediments.
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Variation
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Any difference between individuals of the same species. |