Term
| Loss of Banded Iron Formations and the appearance of redbeds |
|
Definition
| Banded Iron Formations are formed from iron oxidizing in the oceans. As iron is oxidized out of solution, the oxygen is released into the atmosphere, allowing it to oxidize iron on land, forming redbeds. |
|
|
Term
| chlorophyll and atmosphere |
|
Definition
| As plants developed chlorophyll they were able to convert CO2 into oxygen, over time creating our current atmosphere |
|
|
Term
| heat flow and greenstone belts |
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Definition
| heat flow beneath the earths crust caused cratons to collide, forming greenstone belts between them due to the heat and pressure metamorphosing rocks. |
|
|
Term
| Mesasaurus and Gondwanaland |
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Definition
| The Mesosaurus lived and died in Gondwanaland, and the resulting fossils on separate continents allow us to piece together the continents previous locations. |
|
|
Term
| coccolithophores and the Cliffs of Dover |
|
Definition
| The Cliffs are made primarily of coccoliths, which are plates created by coccolithophores. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| They are both vertebrate, as birds evolved from certain dinosaurs |
|
|
Term
| Glossopteris flora and the theory of plate tectonics |
|
Definition
| The presence of fossil Glossopteris flora on the peripheral of southern hemisphere continents reinforce the idea of Gondwanaland as an ancient supercontinent whose plates moved to where they are now. |
|
|
Term
| Ring of Fire and subduction zones |
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Definition
| subduction zones at the edges of the Pacific ocean plates with continental plates cause the creation of volcanoes, which form the Ring of Fire around the edges of the Pacific ocean. |
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|
Term
| Ophiolite suite and subduction zones |
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Definition
| Earths oceanic crust and parts of the upper mantle are uplifted onto land during the orogeny from subduction zones |
|
|
Term
| detrital uraninite and pyrite and the composition of the early atmosphere |
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Definition
| presence of detrital uraninite and pyrite enforce the idea of an anoxic atmosphere, since they both are readily oxidized. |
|
|
Term
| neoteny and human evolution |
|
Definition
| Over generations, a species undergoes significant physical changes, and its "neotenous" form becomes its "normal" form. Adult humans' similarities to juvenile chimps reinforces this idea |
|
|
Term
| Evidence for the age of the Earth |
|
Definition
| Radiometric dating of meteorites, which are thought to have formed the same time as Earth. |
|
|
Term
| Evidence for an anoxic atmosphere in the Archean |
|
Definition
| Presence of detrital uraninite, pyrite, and banded iron formations, and a lack of redbeds. |
|
|
Term
| Evidence for abiotic origin of life |
|
Definition
| Millers experiment, potential life forms on meteorites, and synthesization at hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor |
|
|
Term
| Evidence for a rise of oxygen in Ediacarian time |
|
Definition
| sulfur ratios between sulfides and carbonate-associated sufates |
|
|
Term
| How and why are the planets beyond the asteroid belt different from those in board of the asteroid belt? |
|
Definition
| Planets beyond the asteroid belt are many composed of lighter elements such as hydrogen and helium, due to centripetal force caused by the suns gravity. The asteroid belt marks a point between the denser and less dense planets. Also why planets beyond the asteroid belt have potential to be larger - less dense materials are affected less by the gravity of the planets. |
|
|
Term
| Define Uniformitarianism and Actualism |
|
Definition
Uniformitarianism: The processes which have shaped the Earth are unchanging through time, and everything has been changing at a constant rate.
Actualism: Similar to Uniformitarianism, but takes into account sudden drastic changes which happen every now and then. |
|
|
Term
| List and define Steno's 3 principles |
|
Definition
Superposition: Younger rocks on top of older rocks.
Original Horizontality: Sediment is distributed flat and evenly.
Original Lateral Continuity: Sediment is distributed continuously and any breaks are due to erosion |
|
|
Term
| What differentiates the Phanerozoic from the pre-Cambrian |
|
Definition
| The Pre-cambrian marks the time before there were any rocks containing conspicuous fossils. Phanerozoic saw the first trilobites and similar shelly fauna |
|
|
Term
| How does oceanic crust differ from continental crust |
|
Definition
| Continental crust is mostly felsic, and oceanic crust is more mafic and much more dense. |
|
|
Term
| Define and identify the major types of unconformities |
|
Definition
Angular: rock underneath not horizontal
Disconformity: Erosion before deposition of next layer
Nonconformity: Sediment distributed on layer of igneous or metamorphic rock |
|
|
Term
| What criteria are needed for preservation of soft parts? How likely is this to occur |
|
Definition
| Must be buried in oxygen-poor, fine grained sediment, or "frozen" in ice, amber, or tar. Very rare. |
|
|
Term
| What types of unique conditions can Archaebacteria tolerate? |
|
Definition
| High temperatures, low to no oxygen, acidic/salty conditions. |
|
|
Term
| What are the criteria of an Index Fossil? |
|
Definition
| Present for a relatively short period of time, widespread geographically, abundant, physically identifiable |
|
|
Term
| Explain why Radiocarbon Dating has limited usefulness in geology |
|
Definition
| Carbon isotopes are only found in biological matter, and has a maximum life-span of 70K years. |
|
|
Term
| Define, differentiate, and give an example of Horotely, Tachytely, and Bradytely |
|
Definition
Horotely: average rate of evolution: horses
Tachytely: fast rate of evolution: elephants
Bradytely: slow rate of evoltuion: the Brachiopod Lingula |
|
|
Term
| What are the hypothesized steps in the differentiation of the Earth's interior and exterior? |
|
Definition
| During the Hadean, the Earth was molten enough to "flow" to some extent. This allowed the denser material to sink to the center, as the lighter material moved to the exterior, where it cooled and hardened |
|
|
Term
| Explain the Miller Experiment and how it helps us understand the beginning of Life on Earth. What role did clay play? |
|
Definition
| Miller simulated conditions of early Earth, and was able to yield some basic amino acids. This shows a way that life could have been formed. Clay, when dried, forms a ladder-like pattern, which acts as a catalyst for the proteins to form. |
|
|
Term
| What do meteorites tell us about the composition of the solar system? |
|
Definition
| They tell us the composition of other planets, as well as how the Earth was formed from a collision of parts of these other planets |
|
|
Term
| Explain the process of allopatric speciation |
|
Definition
| A physical barrier appears, separating some members of a species. The two separated groups develop independently, and after a removal of the barrier, they are brought back together, but can no longer interbreed due to genetic differences |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A "mother-load" of fossils, providing a window into past environments. They require fast burial, in low oxygen environments. |
|
|
Term
| Explain the difference between allopatric and sympatric speciation |
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Definition
| Sympatric speciation does not require a physical barrier, but rather is the result of part of a species filling a new niche, while the others remain unchanged. |
|
|
Term
| What drove the evolution of skeletons? |
|
Definition
| Protection from U.V., protection from predators, and protection from drying out in inter-tidal conditions. |
|
|
Term
| What are the three major lagerstatten in the Cambrian and what important types of fossils do they preserve? |
|
Definition
Sirius Passet in Greenland: arthropods and sponges
Chengjiang in China: bottomdwellers such as brachiopods and trilobites
Burgess Shale in Canada: trilobites |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| periods of evolutionary stability |
|
|
Term
| What is the importance of the Wopmay Orogeny? When did it occur? What does it tell us about the size of continental landmasses at this time? |
|
Definition
| The first major orogeny, early Proterozoic in Canada, continents were becoming large enough to have the momentum for mountain building upon collision |
|
|
Term
| Explain the evolution of Eukaryotes |
|
Definition
| Prokaryotes ingest other cells, becoming symbiotic |
|
|
Term
| What is the significance of complex trace fossils in the preCambrian Belt Group? |
|
Definition
| It showed that soft-bodied organisms were becoming large enough to make an impact on their environments |
|
|
Term
| What is the importance of the Ediacaran fauna? |
|
Definition
| They were the first large fossils, and were able to survive as soft-bodied sea-floor-dwelling organisms due to a lack of predators |
|
|
Term
| List the major sea level cycles (Sloss Cycles) of the Paleozoic and during which periods they existed |
|
Definition
Sauk:pre-Cambrian - Ordovician
Tippecanoe: Ordovician - Devonian
Kaskaskia: Devonian - Mississippian
Absaroka: Pennsylvanian - Permian |
|
|
Term
| Explain the difference between the Flysch and Molasse phases of sedimentation during orogenies |
|
Definition
| The Flysch phase fills in a foreland basin with sediment as it is pushed further down, the Molasse phase covers over the top with more sediment |
|
|
Term
| Explain how trilobites prove the accretion of exotic terrains to the eastern margin of North America. Name the genus of trilobite. |
|
Definition
| Peridoxies, native to western Europe, were found in Boston, proving that part of the European landmass got stuck to North America during a collision. |
|
|
Term
| What type of orogeny is the Taconic Orogeny? |
|
Definition
| Peripheral Foreland Basin |
|
|
Term
| What is the difference between Stromatolites and Stromatoporoids? |
|
Definition
| Stromatoporoids are reef building sponges, Stromatolites are mats of accumulated sediment, cemented together by oranisms |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Extinct, primitive, jawless fish, covered in bony plates |
|
|
Term
| What are Sepkoski's three evolutionary faunas? What taxa compose the Paleozoic fauna? |
|
Definition
Paleozoic, Cambrian, and modern Paleozoic.
crinoids, brachiopods, cephalopods, tabulate and rugose corals, and blastoids |
|
|
Term
| Explain the hypothesized causes for the two steps of the end Ordovician Mass Extinction |
|
Definition
| It got cold, killing of the warm-adapted fauna, then got hot, killing of the cold-adapted fauna |
|
|
Term
| Explain why the Michigan Basin contains large amounts of evaporates during the Silurian |
|
Definition
| A drop in sea level caused minerals like salt to drop out of solution |
|
|
Term
| What was the dominant predator during the Silurian? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Why do we see a wedge-shaped package of sediment thickest in the east that formed during the Devonian in New York State? |
|
Definition
| The Acadian Orogeny formed a clastic wedge deposited in a retroarc foreland basin, which eroded towards the west. |
|
|
Term
| List and describe two possible reasons for widespread black shale deposits during the Devonian |
|
Definition
High sea levels drown organic matter with little to no oxygen.
High salinity causes stratification of the ocean floor. |
|
|
Term
| What type of basin formed during the Acadian Orogeny? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| How do the White Mountains of New Hampshire relate to the Acadian Orogeny? |
|
Definition
| The overriding Acadian plate formed a magmatic arc on the east coast of NA |
|
|
Term
| What type of basin formed during the Antler Orogeny? |
|
Definition
| Peripheral Foreland Basin |
|
|
Term
| When was the time period on Earth with the largest reefs ever? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What types of brachiopods were dominant during the Ordovician? Silurian? Devonian? Carboniferous? |
|
Definition
O: Orthids and Stromatoporoids
S: Speriferids and Pentamerids
D: Atrypids and Speriferids
C: Productids |
|
|
Term
| When did Amonoids first appear? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What interesting patterns do we see with trilobite morphology during the Devonian? What might have been driving these patterns? |
|
Definition
| They developed defensive mechanisms like spikes and spines to protect them from predators |
|
|
Term
| Explain the evolution of jaws in fish |
|
Definition
| a modification of the 3rd and 4th gill supports, which eventually came to work like hinges |
|
|
Term
| What different types of fish were around during the Devonian? |
|
Definition
| Agnathids, Placoderms, Stracoderms, Acanthodians |
|
|
Term
| What is the importance of the Gilboa Forest? |
|
Definition
| It was the earliest complete terrestrial ecosystem which was preserved well enough to study |
|
|
Term
| What major changes occur in the terrestrial environment during the Devonian? |
|
Definition
| First large, vascular trees - Archaeopteris - invade land |
|
|
Term
| What is the importance of the relatively recently discovered fossil Tiktallik? |
|
Definition
| The missing link between lobe-finned fish and amphibians |
|
|
Term
| List and explain the differences between the major orogenies that formed the Appalachian Mountains |
|
Definition
Taconic: Peripheral, NA went under Ocean
Acadian: Retroarc, NA went over Acadian plate
Alleghanian: Retroarc, NA went over part of Africa, final folding and metamorphosing occured. |
|
|
Term
| Explain a cyclothem, what types of sediment occur where in the cycle and what causes the observed patterns in sedimentation |
|
Definition
| Worldwide rise and fall of sea level, spasmatic up/down tectonic motions cause cyclic climate change |
|
|
Term
| Explain the process of coal formation |
|
Definition
| Organic plant material is deposited in an anoxic area and compressed |
|
|
Term
| What major taxonomic group dominated the sea floor during the Mississippian? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Explain the ecological variation seen in Carboniferous plants |
|
Definition
| Lycopsids, ferns, and scaly-barked trees in wet coal swamps. Cordaints, sphenopsids, and gymnosperms in dry areas |
|
|
Term
| Why could insects attain such great sizes during the Carboniferous? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What is the age of the oldest reptiles? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What evidence is there for a cool climate in the Lower Permian? |
|
Definition
| Glacial expansions and fossilized trees at high altitudes |
|
|
Term
| What major group of arthropods went extinct at the end of the Permian? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What are the three major Floras of the Permian? How are they related to latitude? |
|
Definition
| Uramerican around the equator, Glossopteris in the south, Siberian in the north |
|
|
Term
| What percentage of marine fauna went extinct at the end of the Permian mass extinction? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What caused the two separate pulses of extinction at the end of the Permian? |
|
Definition
| Global cooling and climatic instability, and then the largest episode of basaltic eruptions |
|
|
Term
| When did Pangaea begin to break up? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What types of deposits are preserved along the East Coast of NA associated with the early stages of formation of the Atlantic Ocean? |
|
Definition
| Arkosic conglomerates and sandstones, overlayed by mafic igneous intrusions such as basalt |
|
|
Term
| What two major orogenies occurred in the Triassic on the western margins of NA and SA? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What type on ammonoid was dominant in the Triassic? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What do we know about the feeding habits of Placodonts? How? |
|
Definition
| Used round blunted teeth to crush shells of brachiopods and bivalves. Shell fragments in areas where they lived |
|
|
Term
| What are the two main types of dinosaurs? What is used to differentiate? |
|
Definition
| Ornithician and sauriscian. hip bones |
|
|
Term
| What are the major sloss sea level sequences and when did they occur? |
|
Definition
Zuni: Jurassic to Cretaceous
Tejas: Cenozoic |
|
|
Term
| What evidence is there for aridity during the early Jurassic of NA |
|
Definition
| Massive sandstone deposits |
|
|
Term
| What is special about Archaeopteryx? |
|
Definition
| Link between dinosaurs and birds, characteristics of both |
|
|
Term
| From which major group of dinosaurs did birds evolve? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Stones which herbivorous dinosaurs swallowed to help break up plant material |
|
|
Term
| When were Ichthyosaurs dominant? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What type of animal built large reefs during the Cretaceous? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| List the styles and dates of the major orogenies that affected NA |
|
Definition
Taconic: Ordivician, peripheral
Acadian: Devonian, retroarc
Alleghanian: Carboniferous, retroarc
Anlter: Devonian, peripheral
Sanomian: Triassic, peripheral
Sevier: Jurassic, retroarc
Nevadian: Cretaceous, retroarc |
|
|
Term
| When did the largest turtles ever live? Flying animals? |
|
Definition
| Cretaceous. T: Arkelon F: Pterosaurs |
|
|
Term
| When did flowering plants radiate? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| List 4 lines of evidence for a major collision of an extra-terrestrial body with the Earth at the end of the Cretaceous |
|
Definition
1. Crater in the Yucatan Penn.
2. Shocked quartz grains
3. Iridium at KT
4. Striated dolomite
5. Microtectites |
|
|
Term
| What element is found in abundance at the KT boundary? How does this support the theory of ET impact? |
|
Definition
| Iridium, not found naturally on Earth |
|
|
Term
| What major groups went extinct at the KT boundary? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What evidence is there for a warm early Paleogene? |
|
Definition
| Melting of glaciers, oxygen isotope records in marine organisms |
|
|
Term
| When did the largest sharks ever live? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What happened to the number of toes on horses as they evolved? |
|
Definition
| Decreased from 3 to the current 1 |
|
|
Term
| What types of animals replaced raptorial dinosaurs as one of the top land predators in the Paleogene? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| When did the uplift of the Colorado Plateau occur? What type of tectonic activity was associated with this? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What was the Great American Interchange? |
|
Definition
| North and South American species developed independently, then the Panamanian land bridge allowed migration |
|
|
Term
| What major factor led to the build-up of glaciers in Antarctica? |
|
Definition
| Cold circumpolar current kept warm water away, and being on a pole meant less direct sunlight |
|
|
Term
| What are 6 lines of evidence for major glaciation at the end of the Neogene? |
|
Definition
| 1. Erratics 2. Glacial Scouring 3. Lowering of sea level 4. kettle lakes and till 5. Migration of species in front of ice sheet 6. Lowering of land |
|
|
Term
| How does the modern day distribution of gorillas in Africa support climate change during the late Neogene? |
|
Definition
| Originally lived in one big forest, drying out broke the forest into two separate areas where gorillas experienced allopatric speciation, then rejoining the forest kept them separate due to not being able to interbreed |
|
|
Term
| What are prairie potholes? |
|
Definition
| Kettle lakes formed by an ice block being surrounded by sediment then melting |
|
|
Term
| What are the two hypotheses for the mega-faunal extinction during the Holocene? |
|
Definition
| Humans over hunting, rapid climate change |
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