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Geo q's
Geology Midterm
191
Geology
Undergraduate 1
09/24/2011

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Term
What is the law of original horizontality?
Definition
sediment layers are deposited horizontally because of gravity
Term
what do tilted layers of rock mean?
Definition
They have been move sometime after their disposition
Term
What is the law of original continuity?
Definition
All deposited originally as one continuous layer. even if there are disturbances (rifts or valleys) one can assume they were originally horizontal
Term
What is the law of superposition?
Definition
oldest on bottom, youngest on top
Term
What is conformity?
Definition
When Sedimentary layers are completely parallel, and there is no missing time.
Term
What are proofs of missing time geologically?
Definition
discomformities (angular or ordinary). Th
Term
What is a sea level fall and how does it create a disconformity?
Definition
When rock is deposited on sea floor, and the floor rises (or sea level falls) rock becomes exposed to erosion. This create a non horizontal rock layer, which can then be deposited on. This is a non-conformity because you are losing time
Term
What is an angular conformity? how does it happen
Definition
Bc of mountain building, two sets of rocks appear at angles to each other. Mountains are formed at angles, erosion occurs and horizontal layers are deposited above
Term
What does evolution is unidirectional and extinction is forever mean?
Definition
You can't go back and recreate dinosaurs. They are dead for a reason, and their extinction is a factor of a changed environment
Term
What are fossils used for in biostratigraphy?
Definition
used to supplement insufficient information about the era's
Term
What is radioactive decay? why is it used in geological time scales?
Definition
the rate at which radioisotopes decay. Used to date rocks bc you can maeasure amount of radioactive decay in rock
Term
How do you measure fissils dont contain any U235, or U238?
Definition
measure volcanic ash zircon and compare the dates of layers of ash. The ash above them is younger than them and below them is older. So you can gain a relative geologic time period
Term
What does C-14 decay into? what is it's half life?
Definition
N-14, 5730 years.
Term
What % of carbon in the world is c-14? why don't we measure C-13?
Definition
less than 1% of carbon is c-14, we don't measure c-13 or c-12 because those are stable and don't decay radioactively
Term
What is c-14 good for measuring? what is it not good for (what do we use instead)
Definition
good for dating recent things (6000 yr half life) but not good for much older things. instead we use uranium
Term
what is the half life for U-235, 238?
Definition
235 - 713 Ma, and 238 -4.5Ga
Term
How do measure things that are very old but don't contain Uranium?
Definition
We measure age of lava flow or volcanic ash layer near fossil bed, both above and below and gain a range.
Term
How old is lucy? where was she found and what species is she?
Definition
3 Ma, Hadar, ethiopia, australopithecus afarensis
Term
How did we date Lucy?
Definition
She is found below 2.95Ma ash, above 3.18Ma ash, so she is about 3Ma
Term
What is alpha, beta and gamma emission? When does radioactive decay in normal cellular processes?
Definition
alpha - lose two protons and two neutrons. Beta - loss of electron /positron, gamma decay- electron capture. Occurs during photosynthesis.
Term
When was the geologic time scale created?
Definition
1888
Term
List All the eons and times
Definition
Archaen (4.5ga to 2.5ma), Proterozoic (2.5Ga to 540Ma), and Phanerozoic (540 to present)
Term
LIst all periods in the paleozoic (including late phanerozoic) and their times
Definition
Ediacaran (?) cambria (540-495) ordovician (495), silurian (440), devonian (417) carboniferous (354), permian (292)
Term
List all period and times of Mesozoic era
Definition
Triassic (250 -202), Jurassic (202 - 142) and Cretaceous (142 - 65)
Term
List all periods and times of cenozoic era
Definition
Paleogene (65-24), neogene (24 to present)
Term
List all era's and times of phanerozoic
Definition
paleozoic (540 to 250), mesozoic (250 to 65) and cenozoic (65 to present)
Term
List all epochs of paleogene and times
Definition
Paleocene (65 to 55), eocene (55 to 34), oligocene (34 to 24), Miocene (24 to 5.3), pliocene (5.3 to 1.8), Pleistocene (1.8 to 15,000 ya) and holocene ( 15,000 to present)
Term
List all epochs of paleogene and times
Definition
Paleocene (65 to 55), eocene (55 to 34), oligocene (34 to 24), Miocene (24 to 5.3), pliocene (5.3 to 1.8), Pleistocene (1.8 to 15,000 ya) and holocene ( 15,000 to present)
Term
What occured during paleozoic, mesozoic and cenozoic eras? p
Definition
first invertebrates with skeletons, first dinosuars, mammals and birds, acme of mammals and flowering plants
Term
What epoch does the first human family appear in?
Definition
In the pliocene epoch (5.3 MA to 1.8Ma)
Term
What is terra firma?
Definition
View that the world was fixed and immobile.
Term
What is the youngest feature on the planet? how old?
Definition
Oceans, have only been around for 250Ma
Term
How are oceans created and destroyed? how fast are they moving?
Definition
They are created and destroyed at fault lines, move at rate fingernails grow.
Term
Who suggested continental drift?
Definition
Alfred Wegner
Term
What four pieces of evidence did wegner have?
Definition
1) Fit of S. america and africa
2) fossil distribution - Mesosaurus found in east Sa and western africa (not in N.Amer or Asia - continental drift)
3) Distributions of glacial deposits - Scratching marks are radiating outwards, so they all radiate outwards to where gondwana would have been
4) Continuity of mountain belts across oceans - appalachian and atlas mountains is continuous but separated by oceans
Term
What are the three arguments for current plate tectonics?
Definition
1) Ridge on bottom of atlantic ocean (right between Europe and N.A) - mid atlantic ridge 2) As you move towards continents, oceans are older (middle youngest) 3) Magnetic pole reversal --> Paleomagnetics recorded in rocks determine the latitude at which rocks where formed. (have been moving)
Term
What collision forms volcanic arcs?
Definition

ocean plate to ocean plate - either one goes down or up

- volcanic island arc

Ocean plate and continent - ocean goes down

. OCean is more dense (has pressure of whole ocean on top of it). volcanic continental arc
Term
What is the result of continent to continent collision?
Definition
neither can go down, so they make a mountain belt by pushing upwards - exemplified by himalayas
Term
What did gonwana consist of? What was it considered? how long did it last for?
Definition
South America, africa, antartica, India, and Australia. Considered a mega continent , lasted for 3-350 my
Term
What is the combination of all continents called? when did it last happen?
Definition
Called a supercontinent, last time it happened was between 300Ma and 200Ma during carboniferous era --> called pangea
Term
When did pangea exist? What did it affect?
Definition
200-300 Ma, affected evolution of life
Term
When did rodinia exist (what was it?) and what did it affect?
Definition
supercontinent, 1200-800Ma
Allowed for all animal life to be possible by breaking up
Term
What was nuna, when did it exist? what did it's formation allow?
Definition
2000 Ma, allowed for air to be breathable
Term
what were the supercontinents?
Definition
nuna, rodinia, pangea
Term
how is a linear sea created?
Definition
The combination of plates bows up and created a high flat area. This is along a fault line, eventually fails and creates a huge volcano. The rift valley area increases to create a linear sea
Term
What forms from a linear sea?
Definition
A full ocean which contains a mid ocean ridge
Term
What always occurs during continental break up?
Definition
a triple break
Term
what is an example of a linear sea? t
Definition
between the red sea and gulf of aden
Term
what is the rift valley an example of?
Definition
a failed attempt of africa to break into two parts
Term
What is the wilson/supercontinent cycle?
Definition
The theory that oceans are transitory features, only form when continents break up and disperse. They then are destroyed on the other side of the world when contients collide
Term
When was flat limestone in kingston deposited?
Definition
in the ordovician era, around 460Ma
Term
What period was pangea in?
Definition
Late permian
Term
In what period did laurasia split from gondwana?
Definition
By the late cretaceous
Term
When is gondwana officially broken apart?
Definition
by 94 MA (late cretaceous)
Term
When does europe split from asia and north america (laurasia split)?
Definition
Late paleocene
Term
How and when are himalayas created?
Definition
In the late oligocene when India crashed into asia
Term
What allows for evolution in terms of genetic code?
Definition
mutations, allow for code to be changed
Term
What is the gene pool?
Definition
The total amount of genetic information encoded on all individuals in population
Term
How is the pepper moth an example of survival of the fittest?
Definition
When conditions where clean, pre 1880, 99% of moths were speckled. During industrial revolution, 99% became black variety. Now it's back to 50/50. Moths naturally select and those best to camoflauge can survive
Term
In what way is natural selection directional?
Definition
It only moves in one direction, better. It enhances beneficial genes and elimates harmful ones.
Term
What is anagenesis?
Definition
Evolution of species invloving entire population rather than individual species
Term
What is cladogenesis? why does it happen?
Definition
When one species forms two distinct two different species. There is no replacement of ancestral species, rather just a branching out. Happens in response to environmental pressures
Term
What is convergence? what causes it?
Definition
When two species that are very different become more similar due to living in similar environments.
Term
What morphological features of bats are consistent with convergent evolution?
Definition
Their wings, as they are similar to insects, but have no lineage or connection to them
Term
how is the sabre-tooth an example of convergent evolution? Why was it a useful tool?
Definition
It developed independantly in other species at least 5 other times (replictles, placental mammals, etc...). Was useful because they could kill prey by ambushing them from behind and then run away. It's quick and slashing, minimum risk to attacker
Term
What is co-evolution?
Definition
When organisms evolve as response to changes in both their environment and in response to evolutionary changes in other organisms
Term
What are two opposing types of co-evolution?
Definition
Arms race (predator and prey) --> where adaptions on part of the predator lead to adaptions on part of the prey. If zebras get faster, lions don't eat. Lions have to adapt to be better hunter. If lions get better at hunting, zebras will die.

The other type is mutualism, where co-evolution is for the purpose of helping both species , like the co-evolution of flowering plants and mammals.
Term
What way does mutualism work, how does it benefit both parties (example of vector seed dispersal)?
Definition
Works that nuts are produced in order to be eaten by squirrels, but squirrels first bury nuts away from tree and then come back and eat them. If squirrels just forget, then the nut will be implanted and it's beneficial for everyone.
Term
What is the Red Queen effect? who proposed it?
Definition

Every creature is evolving and this affects the evolution of every other creature. Any evolutionary advance by one species forces the rapid evolution of all species that are dependent on it.

Van Valen

Term
What are two reasons evolution occurs/
Definition
Changing environmental conditions, or ecological feedback
Term
How many species have been classified? How many species likely exist?
Definition
2 mill classified, 10 mil likely exist.
Term
What are prokaryotes?
Definition
unicellular, no cell nucleus or organelles
Term
what are Eukaryotes?
Definition
Unicellular or multicellular organisms, have nucleus bound DNA and contain organelles
Term
What is the linean classification system? when was it created?
Definition
It consists of dividing all entities into three main domains: bacteria (normal prokaryotes), archea (extremophile prokaryotes) and eukaryotes. created in 1735-58
Term
how is something classified into a domain?
Definition
based on differences in RNA and protein
Term
What are the kingdoms of eukarya in the linnean system? what did they used to be encompassed in?
Definition
Fungi (non-motile, absord mutrients from other organisms), Plantae (non mobile photosynthesizers) and Animalia. They used to in the grou PROTOCTISTA but this was an artificial grouping with far too many differences in RNA
Term
Name the hierachy from domains to species?
Definition
domain, kingdom, phyla (divisions), classes, orders, families, genera and species
Term
Name the entire biologicial classification of humans?
Definition
domain - eukaryo, kingdom - animalia, phyla - chordata, subphyla - vertebrate, class- mammalia, order - primata, family - hominidae, genera - homo, species - sapiens.
Term
Name the entire biologicial classification of humans?
Definition
domain - eukaryo, kingdom - animalia, phyla - chordata, subphyla - vertebrate, class- mammalia, order - primata, family - hominidae, genera - homo, species - sapiens.
Term
What is phylogeny and what must it reflect?
Definition
The evolutionary history of animals, must be reflected in classification mechanisms.
Term
What is cladistics, when was it proposed?
Definition
method of classifying species of organism into groups called clades that consists only of its ancestor and all it's descendants. Proposed in 1958
Term
What are clades?
Definition
classification/group of species that only contain it's descendants and ancestor organism
Term
What is a monophyletic group?
Definition
a group that contains a common ancestor and all its descendants. The presence of shared derived characteristics is the important trait when creating clades.
Term
What are polyphyletic and paraphyletic groups?
Definition
polyphyltics groups are things that have more than one ancestor, paraphyletic are things that have a common ancestor but don't include all of it's descendants.
Term
What three sets of morphological characters are considered when creating clades?
Definition
Primitive characters --> those relating to original ancestoral features, dervied characters --> characters that first appear in the clade, and convergent/analgous charcters - similar features in unrelated organisms
Term
what are pleisiomorphies?
Definition
characters of the descendant that are shared with the ancestor (like hair on humans)
Term
what are apomorphies?
Definition
characteristics of descendants that differ from their ancestry (bipedal motion for humans)
Term
What does clade nesting mean?
Definition
They can be organized within another clade, thus sharing certain features that may be primitive in a small clade, but derived in the larger clade that clade nest is included in.
Term
What is a cladogram?
Definition
an image that shows the order of evolutionary appearance of derived characteristics.
Term
how are cladograms used in combination with fossils?
Definition
to create phylogram that shows evolutionary relationships over time.
Term
What are 3 strengths and a weakness of cladistics?
Definition
strengths are its rigorous and testable (mathematically analyzable), can be used at all levels of taxonomy (kingdoms and species can all be examined), can also include fossils and living species within the same cladogram.

A weakness is that is can only show relative level of relationship, not absolute degree of relationship between species
Term
What is molecular phylogeny? who proposed it and when?
Definition
It measures degree of substitution of DNA, RNA or proteins to examine the differences between organisms. Proposed by francis crick in the late 60s.
Term
why is mutation important to molecular phylogeny?
Definition
different molecules mutate at different rate - so we can examine based on molecules that rate of substitution and thus the amount of differences
Term
What is a molecular clock, how is it made?
Definition
a ruler to measure the time of origin of different clades (like animals vs plants). you can associate the amount of substitution between species and see how far before they diverged (i.e. 7% substitution means the species diverged 225 ma)
Term
What molecules are good to use for dating older things and which for newer organisms in molecular phylogeny?
Definition
New - fibrinpeptides (substitute at rapid rate), and cytochrome C is good for old things (substitutes very slowly, can show separation of animals and plants)
Term
What are the strengths and weakness of molecular phylogeny?
Definition
Strengths - rigorous and mathematically testable, used at any level of taxonomy, direct measurer of genetic differces (better than cladisitcs because it shows degree of association between organisms). A weakness is that is can only be used on living and recently dead material.
Term
why does amber fossils provide a solution to issues to molecular phylogeny?
Definition
You can extract DNA from fossils in amber and use it to measure substitution of something that is no longer alive (can only do m. phylogeny on live things, so cant change old things like dinosaurs)
Term
What are the single most important source of information of the history of life and why?
Definition
fossils, because they are the remains of ancient organisms. Fossils are restricted to things taht are older than 5000 years old
Term
What are the five categories of fossils?
Definition
Bones, shells, plants (cellulose), Trace fosssils and soft tissue
Term
What are bone fossils made up of? why is this important?
Definition
Made up of phosphate, which is resistant to weathering much more than soft tissues, allows use to see them
Term
what is taphonomy? why is it important?
Definition
The conditions of fossilization, important because it shows us how bones are preserved, or if they are preserved at all
Term
What specific conditions are required for complete fossils?
Definition
Only if animal if buried rapidly during or immediately after death. IF animal is left on surface, weathering, waves and scavengers will even destroy large bones
Term
What are shell fossils made up of? how resistant is this material to weather problems?
Definition
carbonate (calcite or aragonite), and sometimes silica. Not as resistant as phosphoate, but much more than soft tissue.
Term
how are shells typically fossilized?
Definition
After concentration by waves or currents, shells typically leave molds in rock .
Term
How are plants preserved as fossils? what is wood petrification?
Definition
The cellulose inside plants can be preserved as is if plants are dried out or oxygen is exluded and plants aren't deeply buried. wood can be preserved by being petrified through filling all wood pores with silica quartx .
Term
what happens to cellulose buried a few hundred metres deep?
Definition
It will become carbonized, turned into coal by heat and pressure
Term
What are trace fossils?
Definition
tracks, trails, burrows and boring of animals
Term
why are trace fossils important?
Definition
they describe the ethology (behavior) of the animal that made them. Can tell you what animal made them, what activity it was doing and what speed animal was travelling
Term
What are fossil lagerstatten?
Definition
deposits of fossils with preserved soft tissues, extremely important to recreating the history of life. Have contributed to at least 50% of known information about fossils.
Term
Give three examples of fossil lagerstatten?
Definition
frozen mammoths 100,000 yr old in siberian permafrost, paleozoic invertebrates with soft tissues preserved by carbonization or mineralization by pyrite. Amber --> oldest animals we see, sometime can show actions of animals as well
Term
what is the fossil bias?
Definition
There are plenty of animals with soft tissues or mixures of soft and bone, but we only find those which are boned vertebrates. so our perspective of old world is that of plenty hard creatures and no soft ones, when really it's quite the opposite
Term
When was the earth created? First supernova?
Definition
4.567 Billion Ya
Term
How long after supernova were there planetary nebulae, crusts of the planetS?
Definition
2Ma, 100 MA
Term
When was the hadean world? Where was the moon?
Definition
4.5Ga, moon was very close, just collided
Term
What are the three main steps in the synthesis of life?
Definition
Formation of simple organic molecules, combination of simple organic molecules into complex molecules and initiation of replication.
Term
What is the Miller - Urey experiment? what did it prove? what prevented the experiment from working?
Definition
Took a bunch of gases, ran it through an electrode and condensor. He converted hydrogen cyanide to nitrogen, after shocking the experiment (with heat, sound) and it proved that the first step of synthesis (formation of simple molecules) is very easy. Oxygen prevented the machine from working
Term
Do we know how simple molecules become complex molecules?
Definition
Not really, but we think that RNA was the first to evolve.
Term
What was the spiegelman monster? what did it show?
Definition
Took a live virus, provided it with nucleotides and built an RNA with 220 nucleotide. But it didnt create a coat. Showed little bc it was creating life from something that already existed.
Term
What was Eigen experiments? proved?
Definition
He had a stream of nucleotides and a replicase but nothing live. Still created RNA organisms with 120 nucleotides - shows that replication could occur by itself and couldnt be stopped
Term
Where did life originate? three reasons why
Definition
Life originated in mid ocean ridges, where magma comes up. 1) Meterorite bombardment here sterilized upper oceans 2) Prebiotic chemical reactions could occur when you rapidly changed temperatures 3) Thermolithophiles are the only species that we have found that could live in extremes
Term
What are forms of evidence for the meteorites landing on earth prior to 3.8Ga?
Definition
Lunar craterings, with diameters of 100km or more. This would vaporize the oceans it hit
Term
Why were conditions on early earth ideal for formation of life?
Definition
Sterilized by meteorite, hydrothermal vents were nearby. Life evolved in the first billion years.
Term
What are stromatolites? When did they exist?
Definition
Layers of stromatolites that reflect the presence of mats of unicellular organisms. Oldest exist 3.5Ga from warrawoona in western australia
Term
What is the world oldest stromatolite dated to? where?
Definition
Warrawoona, Australia - 3.5Ga
Term
What can be said about cyanobacteria evolutionary tactics?
Definition
They are incredibly conservative, modern entophysalis is nearly identical to eoentophysalis from 2ga
Term
Describe the faint young sun paradox. How is it resolved?
Definition
Actual T on earth today is 21c, but 4.5Ga the sun was only giving off 70% of present light. The T should have been -18 back then and we should have seen ice. The paradox is that there is no evidence of ice in first 2ga. It's resolved because the old atmosphere had tons of greenhouse gases, 20% carbond dioxide. The surface was much warmer.
Term
With regards to faint young sun paradox, why did we not get a runaway greenhouse when solar luminosity increased?
Definition
Carbon dioxide was converted to oxygen by photosynthetic organisms which lowered T and increased oxygen
Term
What were oxygen levels in relation to present oxygen 2 Ga?
Definition
10%
Term
When were the oceans considered iron oceans? what did that mean?
Definition
4.6 to 2.4Ga, ocean contained abundant iron, with minimal oxygen near layers of stromatolites
Term
What were the results of the GEO?
Definition
The first free oxygen in the atmosphere existed
Term
When and what was the canfield ocean?
Definition
1.8 to 0.8Ga atmosphere and surface ocean has measurable oxygen, but deep ocean was oxygen deprived (mainly hydrogen sulfide, not iron)
Term
When did the ocean increase it's oxygen level up to modern levels?
Definition
From 600MA to present
Term
Describe the four steps of the GEO?
Definition
1) Dissapearance of BIF - iron could no longer be dissolved in oceans because of increasing oxygen levels, precipitated out.
2) High levels of oxygen pulled out so much Co2 that we got ice (first glaciations at 1ga)
3) The production of ozone layer
4) Permitted fully aerobic metabolism and eukaryotes
Term
What was the benefit of the ozone layer?
Definition
Shielded earth from UV radiation but also plant organisms modulated earth climate (too hot, more plants, too cold less plants and more CO2)
Term
What ultimately caused the GEO?
Definition
stromatolites - ultimately when there was no more dissolved iron, free oxygen could exist.
Term
What % of modern continents existed at beginning and end of the last part of the archean?
Definition
Goes from 3% to 50%
Term
what was a direct offshoot of the new amount of continents?
Definition
The new continents that were formed were covered with shallow seas, stromatolites grew, liberated oxygen.
Term
With more stromatolites at the end of the archean, what happened (3 things)?
Definition
Set up the organisms, climate feedback loop, created ozone, and produced free oxygen for organisms on earth
Term
How much more effective are aerobic organisms than anaerobic?
Definition
18x
Term
Describe eukaryotes in terms of differences from prokaryotes?
Definition
Eukaryotes have DNA enclosed in nucleus, organelles, complex morphology, ability to form multicellular organisms, Mostly sexual reproduction and aerobic respiration
Term
Describe endosymbiosis
Definition
Mitochondria and chlrooplasts have different DNA, must have evolved from different prokaryotes. Purple bacteria - mitochondria, cyanobacteria - chloroplasts.
Term
how many times has photosynthesis independanty evolved during evolution, what does this prove?
Definition
5x, shows that it is likely due to endosymbiosis.
Term
What are five proofs for early eukaryotic existence?
Definition
1) Hammersley ranges, australia (biomarkers found for cyanobacteria and cell wall in eukaryote - precursor to eukaryotes found 2.7Ga)
2) Acritarchs (small rounded fossils definitely eukaryotic around 1.8ga)
3) Algal compressions (2.3Ga - too big and well constructed to be prokaryotes)
4) Crown group algae - red algae crow group found around 1.2Ga, green crown group found 850MA
5) Testate Amoeba - 750 MA crown group fossil of eukaryotes
Term
When did we get multicellular eukaryotes and what were they?
Definition
Likely around 1.2Ga with red algae
Term
What caused multicellular eukaryotes to evolve?
Definition
Movements of earth's plates...
Term
When was rodinia aggregated and when did it break up?
Definition
aggregated around 1ga, broke up multiple times between 800 and 500 Ma.
Term
What did rodinia's break up cause?
Definition
Caused a series of global glaciations, associated with changes in composition of oceans.
Term
What 3 distinct period exist during the snowball earth glacials?
Definition
The sturtian era (715), the marinoan (600) and the Gaskieres tillite (580)
Term
What did the sturtian glaciation show?
Definition
The first evidence for sponges (sponge fossils)
Term
What did we find because of the Marinoan glaciation?
Definition
After 600, we found mammals embryo, the earliest animals and the first macroscopic algae seaweed
Term
What did learn because of the Gaskiers Tillite?
Definition
Appearance of large, complex life. We found ediacaran prawn 2m near mistaken point, Newfoundland
Term
What did learn because of the Gaskiers Tillite?
Definition
Appearance of large, complex life. We found ediacaran prawn 2m near mistaken point, Newfoundland
Term
Why did glaciations have such a profound effect?
Definition
Each glacier changed the composition of the ocean (from euxinic to oxygenated) and ice even marched towards the equator
Term
What specifically happened to the ocean after the gaskiers glaciation?
Definition
The deep oceans became oxygenated -within 3Ma years of this massive oxygenation, we have 2m prawns.
Term
What 3 main assemblages represent the ediacaran era?
Definition
Avalaon, white sea and Nama
Term
What creatures are typical of the avalon assemblage?
Definition
Rangeomorphs
Term
Describe the structure of rangeomorphs?
Definition
Fractile creatures where each fundamental building block is multiplied, each branch mimicks the larger branch. this allows for bigger growth through modular assembly
Term
how did rangeomorphs feed?
Definition
Water column feeders
Term
What two new clades were found in the white sea shallow water assemblage?
Definition
Erniettomorphs (560-542) and stem group bilaterians
Term
Describe the structure of erniettomorphs
Definition
Soda like stacks - packed tightly (not fractal)
Term
Springinna and Kimbrella are bilaterians found in this era - were they stem group or crown group? What were their feeding patterns?
Definition
stem group bilaterials (had bilateral symmetry) and fed like gastropods. Not a modern snail, but ancestor
Term
What feeding pattern did most ediacaran animals have?
Definition
suspension feeders and osmotrophs (extracted nutrition from sea water)
Term
What type of animal did not exist in the ediacaran biota
Definition
No macrophagous predators or scavengers
Term
What is the NAMA era - where is it based?
Definition
The end of the ediacaran, based from fossils in Namibia.
Term
Name two fossils typical of the NAMA era?
Definition
Oldest shelly fossils and Swarpuntia
Term
What is so special about NAMA site?
Definition
Has ash from cambrian era and ediacaran biota below it - can exactly date fossils and show when one era ended and another began.
Term
Ediacaran biota are simpler than simplest modern phyla - corals - T/F
Definition
T
Term
There are two main aspects to the cambrian explosion - what are they?
Definition
Evolution of armored sponges, small shelly fossils, complex trail fossils. 2) Brachiopods, trilobites, echinoderms and early cambrian chordates
Term
What is the proper name for archaeocyathan?
Definition
heavily armoured sponges - important as first skeletal reef builders
Term
What are sclerites?
Definition
shelly animals that contained spines that armoured their body
Term
What type of fossils reflect evolution of brains? when do they arise?
Definition
trace fossils - complex feeding burrows, burrows of increasing size. Found in cambrian explosion
Term
When do trilobites appear?
Definition
At end of the cambrian explosion (530-525)
Term
What was the dominant group of the cambrian?
Definition
Trilobites (arthropoda)
Term
A fossil with 3 parts is likely a..., with 5 parts ...
Definition
3 parts is a trilobites, 5 an echinoderm
Term
When do echinoderms and chordates first appear? what significance do chordates have?
Definition
First appear at end of cambrian explosion, chordates are the phylum of humans, so it represents the earliest human ancestors per our phyla
Term
What are three reasons why we see a rise in skeletons at beginning of cambrian?
Definition
1) Threshold oxygen factors
2) Empty ecosystem - end of ediacaran had spike of anoxic conditions leads to a clean slate for cambrian biota
3) Ecological feedback - First predators in ecosystems to the cambrian arms race where prey began to burrow and hide in places where skeletons are needed (skeletons for protection), while predators developed better attacking mechanisms like horns as part of their skeleton
Term
When did all of the coelomic phyla develop?
Definition
except byrozoan, all developed in period of 20-25 Mya in cambrian explosion.
Term
What was the main effect of the cambrian explosion in terms of morphology?
Definition
Evolution of skeletons and brain due to cambrian arms race
Term
name six functions for skeletons?
Definition
attachment for muscles, protection from environment, protection from predators, weapons, storehouse of nutrients, elevation above seafloor
Term
What are coelomates?
Definition
Hav einternal fluid filled cavity - developed mostly during cambrian
Term
What is the burgess shale lagerstatte?
Definition
The most important fossil assemblage in the world, records the cambrian explosion and has hundreds of thousands of fossils that preserve soft parts
Term
What caused the soft bodied organisms in the burgess shale to be covered quickly and fossilized?
Definition
Periods of anoxiac lead to organism preservation, carbon impressions as some where pyritized, rapid burials, no tectonics
Term
Where did lobopods normally live, and where in burgess shale? what are they?
Definition
normally live in forest, lived in marine in burgess shale. They are like catepillars
Term
What is anomalocaris?
Definition
The top predator/carnivore of the burgess shale. IT was made up of different supposed individual parts, such as shrimp claws, large arthropods (thorax) and jellyfishes (mouth)
Term
What is the lace crab marella? What did it's discovery tell us about modern artropods
Definition
simplest artropod ever found. found to moult - so because it's the simplest arthropod, we can infer that moulting is innate to all arthropods as even the simplest arthropods had ecdyses - was a synapomorphy
Term
what different parts "made up" anomalcaris?
Definition
The Peytoia shrimp, the aggarian thorax and the jellyfish mouth
Term
What was opabinia?
Definition
8 eyes with long neck, related to anomalcaris
Term
What was pikaia? what does it's physiology prove?
Definition
A proto(pre)chordate. It is similar to modern ampioxus. contains muscles, nerves, gills. shows that the origin of chordates is filter feeders.
Term
What was gould's 1st take home concept?
Definition
Geology is like a bush of evolution, not tree. You see some things that are not of the same height because they failed in the evolution process. The burgess shale is an example of that as most of them died out very shortly aftewards
Term
What was gould's 2nd take home concept?
Definition
The idea that small differences lead to huge evolutionary changes - something that morphological looks tiny or genetically small could differentiate one thing dying out or becoming a crown group
Term
What was gould 3rd take home concept of the burgess shale?
Definition
Though the burgess shale is a bizarre ecosystem with strange experiments in animal evolution, it is quite familiar. It has top predators, herbivored, fauna. It had every major ecological interaction compared to modern oceans
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