Term
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Definition
(middle Triassic)
Oldest known gliding animal, only known animal to have gliding membrane attached to hind limbs |
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Term
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Definition
(Cretaceous)
Largest flying vertebrate ever, could have up to 40ft wingspan, type of short-tailed pteranosaur |
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Term
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Definition
| Second largest flying vertebrate ever, type of short-tailed pterosaur |
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Term
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Definition
(late Triassic)
Oldest known mammal
shrew-like, probably fed on insects
probably nocturnal
only had 2 middle ear bones (3rd still part of lower jaw) |
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Term
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Definition
(late Jurassic)
Oldest known bird
- 3 clawed fingers on each wing
- teeth
- long, bony tail
- herextensible second toe ("killing claw")
- Lacks a keel (not a strong flier)
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Term
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Definition
Archaeopteryx
(from Solnhofen Limestone in Germany) |
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Term
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Definition
Archaeopteryx
(note teeth, claws, bony tail) |
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Term
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Definition
(early Cretaceous)
Oldest known placental |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
Ichthyosaur
Note the kink in the backbone at the base of the tail, the large sclerotic ring, the bony blobs of limbs, and the much more pronounced forelimbs |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
Mammoth
Note the domed head and steep slope of shoulders |
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Term
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Definition
Mammoth tooth
Note the flat surface good for grinding grasses (grazer)
Would be 1 tooth per quadrant |
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Term
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Definition
Mastodon
Note the longer, drawn-out head and shallower slope of the shoulders |
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Term
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Definition
Mastodon tooth
Note the tall cusps ("nipple tooth")
Would be 3 teeth per quadrant |
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Term
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Definition
Mosasaur
Note that the tail is half the body length, the clearly separated digits, and that the forelimbs and hindlimbs are roughly the same size |
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Term
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Definition
Multituberculate
(late Jurassic - early Oligocene)
Note the lower incisor, probably nocturnal |
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Term
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Definition
Multituberculate tooth
Note the rows of blocky teeth (tubercles) |
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Term
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Definition
Oreodont
(Eocene - Pliocene)
One of the most abundant fossils found in the Badlands from the Oligocene
Type of artiodactyl |
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Term
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Definition
Plesiosaur
Note the long neck and small head, short tail, and large, relatively equally sized, paddle-like fore- and hindlimbs |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
Titanothere
(Eocene - Oligocene)
Note the slingshot-shaped bony horns protruding off the front
Type of perissodactyl |
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Term
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Definition
(early Cretaceous)
Oldest known marsupial |
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Term
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Definition
(Eocene)
Largest mammalian predator ever to live on land, kind of condylarth
Like giant wolf with hooves
Lived in modern-day Mongolia
A condylarth |
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Term
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Definition
(Oligocene)
Largest mammal to ever live on land
A rhino (type of perissodactyl)
lived in Asia |
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Term
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Definition
(Pleistocene)
Hefty sabertoothed cat
Ambush predator
2,000 skeletons found in Rancho La Brea tar pits |
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Term
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Definition
Smilodon
(Pleistocene)
Note the enlarged canines and sturdy forelimbs (good for ambush) |
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Term
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Definition
Hadean
Archean
Proterozoic
Phanerozoic |
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Term
| 3 Eras of the Phanerozoic Eon |
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Definition
Paleozoic
Mesozoic
Cenozoic |
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Term
| 6 Periods of the Paleozoic Era |
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Definition
Cambrian
Ordovician
Silurian
Devonian
Carboniferous
Permian |
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Term
| 3 Periods of the Mesozoic Era |
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Definition
Triassic
Jurassic
Cretaceous |
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Term
| 3 Periods of the Cenozoic Era (and the epochs they're comprised of) |
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Definition
Paleogene (Paleocene, Eocene, Oligocene)
Neogene (Miocene, Pliocene)
Quaternary (Pleistocene, Holocene) |
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Term
| What was WI like in the Paleozoic? |
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Definition
Warm sub-tropical climate, mostly under a shallow tropical sea
Near the equator |
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Term
| What kind of organisms were found in WI in the Paleozoic era? |
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Definition
| Stromatolites, astraeospongium, corals (rugose and tabulate), jellyfish, bivalves, nautiloids, gastropods, etc |
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Term
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Definition
| Tracks, trails, coprolite, burrows, bite marks |
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Term
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Definition
| Skeletons, teeth, petrified wood, shells, exoskeletons, leaves |
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Term
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Definition
| Unaltered remains/original materials, permineralization, mineral replacement, carbonization, molds (internal and external) |
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Term
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Definition
Deinothere
(Miocene - Pleistocene)
Note the downward-curling tusks coming from the lower jaw -- would have been used to strip bark off trees |
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Term
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Definition
refers to aquatic organisms with terrestrial ancestors
(Ex: marine iguanas, saltwater crocodiles, sea snakes, and sea turtles)
Have lungs NOT gills
Must either return to land to lay eggs or give birth to live young in water |
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Term
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Definition
| Region of late Cretaceous chalk beds located in what was once the Western Interior Seaway (best exposure in western Kansas) |
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Term
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Definition
(late Cretaceous - end Cretaceous)
- front flippers slightly larger than hind
- digits spread apart
- ate fish, squids, other swimming prey
- propelled by tail
- had lungs, no gills
- some evidence for live birth (not conclusive)
- represented in Niobrara Formation
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Term
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Definition
(late Triassic - end Cretaceous)
- 4 large paddle-shaped flippers, all roughly equal in size
- dozens of tightly packed bones instead of digits
- ate fish, squids, other swimming prey
- propelled by flippers
- had lungs, no gills
- no evidence for live birth
- represented in Niobrara formation
- some had gastralia
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Term
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Definition
(early Triassic - late Cretaceous)
- front flippers much larger than hind
- dozens of tightly packed bones instead of digits
- ate fish, squids, other swimming prey
- propelled by tail
- had lungs, no gills
- conclusive evidence of live birth
- NOT represented in Niobrara Formation
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Term
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Definition
| rib-like bones in the abdomens of some vertebrates that provide attachment sites for ab muscles (occur in modern crocs and alligators) |
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Term
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Definition
| ring of bones found in the eyeballs of many vertebrates that help the eyeball maintain its shape, especially under lots of pressure (like deep-sea diving) |
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Term
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Definition
| breastbone with a bony ridge (keel) running down its center that provides a place for flight muscles to attach |
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Term
| 4 groups to develop flight |
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Definition
Insects (modified gill flaps)
Pterosaurs (elongated fourth digit)
Birds (feathers - probably first used for insulation)
Bats (all fingers elongated - "hand fliers") |
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Term
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Definition
| bone found only in pterosaurs that jutted out from the wrist and pointed toward the shoulder, supported part of the wing membrane (NOT A THUMB!) |
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Term
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Definition
| array of strong fibers that reinforced wing membranes and helped stop the spread of tears, found in pterosaurs |
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Term
| Evolutionary trends in pterosaurs |
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Definition
toothed jaws --> toothless jaws
long tails --> short tails
small bodies (hawk-sized) --> large bodies (up to the size of a small plane) |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
| long, stiff, asymmetrical feathers on a wing or tail |
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Term
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Definition
| evolved from reptile scales, most likely evolved for insulation (supported by presence of feathers on some flightless dromaeosaurs) |
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Term
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Definition
(early Cretaceous)
A dromaeosaur with feathers on all four limbs, probably a glider
Found in China |
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Term
| Evolutionary trends between Permian synapsids (pelycosaurs) and Mesozoic synapsids (mammals0 |
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Definition
1. Simplification of the skeleton
2. Sprawling posture --> upright posture
3. Homodont dentition --> heterodont dentition |
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Term
|
Definition
1. Monotremes - egg-laying (3 species)
2. Marsupials - birth live, poorly developed young (270 species)
3. Placentals - birth live, well developed young (4,300 species)
4. Multituberculates (EXTINCT) |
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Term
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Definition
| Formation in China from the early Cretaceous that contained the skeletons of Sinodelphys and Eomaia |
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Term
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Definition
Egg laying mammals
Duck-billed platypus, echidna (long- and short-nosed) |
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Term
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Definition
give birth to live but poorly developed young with strong shoulder girdles who climb up into a pouch to finish developing
Opossum the only marsupial in N Am
Others: koala, kangaroo (270 species) |
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Term
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Definition
give birth to live, well-developed young
About 4,300 species
humans, whales, water-skiing squirrels? |
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Term
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Definition
(late Jurassic - early Oligocene)
Largest clade of mammals to go extinct
Most abundant and diverse during Mesozoic
Large incisors
molars had many cusps ("tubercles") arranged in rows
Reproduced like marsupials
Extinction probably due to rise of rodents |
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Term
| Causes of End-Cretaceous (K-T) Extinction |
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Definition
Volcanic eruption - Deccan Traps in India
Meteorite impacts - Chicxulub crater near Yucatan Peninsula, supported by layer of iridium-rich clay |
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Term
| Results of K-T Extinction |
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Definition
Most large vertebrates go extinct
Major extinction in tropical marine invertebrates (ammonoids) |
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Term
| What's earth like in the Cenozoic? |
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Definition
Continents in roughly the same positions
India collides with Asia mid Eocene
Rocky Mountains forming
South America an island until the Pliocene (3 Ma)
Flowering plants more dominant
Mammals dominant |
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Term
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Definition
Evolutionary dead ends
Experimented with large body size
Common/diverse in Paleocene |
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Term
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Definition
(late Cretaceous - late Eocene)
Hooved mammals (made of keratin), dominant in Paleocene |
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Term
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Definition
Hooved mammal with odd number of toes
Ex: titanothere, horses, zebras, rhinos, tapirs |
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Term
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Definition
Hooved mammals with an even number of toes
Ex: antelope, sheep, deer, elk, moose, cows, bison, camels, giraffes, hippos, pigs, whales, dolphins |
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Term
|
Definition
(Eocene - present)
Group of secondarily aquatic mammals, closely related to hippos
Include whales (basically artiodactyls that no longer have hooves) |
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Term
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Definition
(Eocene - present)
Group of secondarily aquatic mammals, closely related to elephants
Have toenails instead of hooves
Include manatees and dewgongs |
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Term
| Badlands of South Dakota and Nebraska |
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Definition
Great site for Oligocene fossils
Was covered in lush, leafy plants
Can find perissodactyls (titanotheres, rhinos, 3-toed horses), artiodactyls (oreodonts, camels, tiny deer), saber-toothed cats |
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Term
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Definition
(Eocene - Oligocene)
Rhino-like
Largest N Am animals/mammals in Oligocene
2 bony slingshot-shaped projections on end of snout |
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Term
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Definition
(Eocene - Pliocene)
Most common fossil in Badlands
Sheep-sized
Burrowed |
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Term
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Definition
(Oligocene - present)
Group of secondarily aquatic mammals, closely related to bears
Type of carnivoran
Includes walruses, seals, sea lions |
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Term
|
Definition
| internal mod of the brain cavity (NOT the brain itself!), helps judge how developed various senses were |
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Term
| hypsodont teeth & complex enamel patterns |
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Definition
| Adaptations to eating grasses (which contain silica) after grasslands became widespread in the Miocene |
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Term
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Definition
(Miocene - Pleistocene)
Extinct group of elephants with tusks that curled downward from the lower jaw (used to strip bark) |
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Term
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Definition
process whereby species independently evolve similar traits as a result of adapting to similar environments or similar ecological roles
Ex. enlarged canines, long legs/necks |
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Term
| Great American Interchange |
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Definition
(Pliocene)
When mammals on N and S America that had been separated for 60 million years began to migrate after the Isthmus of Panama was uplifted |
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Term
| Mammals on N and S America BEFORE the Great American Interchange |
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Definition
North America: placental mammals only
South America:
Dominant herbivores = placentals
Dominant carnivores = marsupials and terror birds |
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Term
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Definition
3-10 ft tall
hooked beaks
couldn't fly, but ran fast |
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Term
| Mammals on N and S American AFTER the Great American Interchange |
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Definition
North America: gained opossums, porcupines, armadillos, glyptodonts (now extinct), ground sloths (now extinct)
South America: 50% of modern mammals have N Am ancestors
Gained carnivores (dogs, cats, bears, raccoons, foxes, weasels), herbivores (llamas, deer, pigs, tapirs, rabbits), horses, mastodons
Marsupial carnivores and terror birds went extinct |
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Term
|
Definition
EXTINCT
had inflexible shell, many had clubbed tail
Related to armadillo |
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Term
|
Definition
EXTINCT
400lbs to 4 tons
Made it to Alaska
Skeletons found in Iowa and Illinois
Large claws for stripping vegetation |
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Term
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Definition
EXTINCT
400lbs to 4 tons
Made it to Alaska
Skeletons found in Iowa and Illinois
Large claws for stripping vegetation |
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Term
| Ice Age (Pleistocene epoch) |
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Definition
| Consists of about 20 couplets of advancing glaciation followed by rapid melt-off |
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Term
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Definition
Most recent glacial advance in N America
About 33% of land surface covered at peak (currently 10%)
Sea level about 300 ft lower
Asia and North America connected by Bering Land Bridge |
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Term
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Definition
| southwestern corner of Wisconsin that's never been glaciated (more topographic relief) |
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Term
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Definition
| In downtown LA
predator trap (tar pit covered in water)
carnivore:herbivore is 6:1
most common: dire wolf
2nd most common: Smilodon fatalis |
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Term
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Definition
slightly larger than gray wolf
pursuit predator |
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Term
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Definition
Largest, most powerful carnivore in N Am in Ice Age
Short muzzle, long legs, forward facing feet = built for speed |
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Term
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Definition
10-14ft, domed skulls
One flat-topped molar in each quadrant of mouth
most common in grasslands
Last population on Wrangel Island (near Siberia) died 4,000 years ago -- dwarf mammoths (6ft) |
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Term
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Definition
8-10ft, long drawn-out skull
Three molars with cone-shaped cusps in each quadrant of the mouth to chomp leaves
Browsers
Common in forested areas
Died at end of Pleistocene |
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Term
|
Definition
Bear-sized, up to 400lbs
Semi-aquatic
Distinctly separate species from modern beaver |
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Term
| Ice Age mammals that COULD be found in WI |
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Definition
| mammoths, mastodons, giant beavers |
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Term
| Ice Age mammals NOT found in WI |
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Definition
| saber-toothed cat, American lion, American cheetah, dire wolf, short-faced bear |
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Term
| Possible causes of End-Pleistocene Extinction |
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Definition
Humans hunting (not likely, no evidence)
Changes in climate and vegitation |
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Term
| Result of End-Pleistocene Extinction |
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Definition
40+ kinds of large mammals go extinct in N Am (comparable to S Am)
Other continents and sea creatures less affected |
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Term
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Definition
| clade of mammal, consist of sister taxa Marsupials and Placentals |
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Term
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Definition
| Includes all dinosaurs except for birds |
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