What is a fossil?
Evidence of past life that can include skeletal as well as trace material
________ is a term used to define 88% of Earth's history prior to the start of the Paleozoic Era.
Precambrian
The fossil record is biased toward preserving organisms with hard parts.
True
A mammoth frozen in the Arctic tundra of Siberia would be an example of which type of fossilization?
Mummification
Match the relative dating principles with the correct definition. Unconformities
Missing Time
When correlating rock between widely separated areas or between continents, what feature do geologists rely on the most?
Fossils
Which era are we currently in?
Cenozoic
The first life on Earth developed during the Cambrian Period.
False
What is an index fossil?
Organisms that were geographically widespread but limited to a short span of geologic time
Match the relative dating principles with the correct definition. Lateral Continuity
Rock extend in all directions until they reach the edge of a basin or pinch out
Match the relative dating principles with the correct definition. Superposition
The oldest is on the bottom, the youngest on top
What is correlation?
Matching up rocks of similar age in different regions
In cast and mold fossilization, the cast is the hollow space in the rock that subsequently becomes filled with mineral matter.
False
Match the relative dating principles with the correct definition. Inclusions
Chunks of weathered rock are older than the rock they are contained in
A worm burrow is an example of which type of fossilization?
Trace Fossil
Match the relative dating principles with the correct definition. Cross-Cutting Relationships
Faults, fractures are younger than the rocks they cut through
What is the definition of relative dating?
Putting events in order from first to last
Match the relative dating principles with the correct definition. Original Horizontality
Sedimentary layers/lava flows are deposited in flat layers
Rapid burial is an important condition favoring preservation.
True
What is an isotope?
An atom that has more or fewer neutrons than it should