Studied by 2 people
Macroevolution
Broad changes above the species level as evidenced by the fossil record.
Fossil Record
The historical record of life on Earth, indicating changes in organisms over time.
Strata
Sedimentary rock layers that serve as a rich source of fossils.
Stromatolites
The oldest known fossils, formed by sedimentary layers on bacterial mats.
Prokaryotes
Single-celled organisms that were Earth's sole inhabitants for more than 1.5 billion years.
Radiometric Dating
A method to determine the absolute ages of fossils using radioactive isotopes.
Eon
A major division of geological time, divided into eras.
Cenozoic Era
The most recent era in Earth's history, characterized by the age of mammals.
Mesozoic Era
The era known as the age of reptiles, including dinosaurs.
Paleozoic Era
An era that precedes the Mesozoic, known for the development of early life forms.
Permian Mass Extinction
A mass extinction event that occurred 252 million years ago, causing the extinction of about 96% of marine species.
Cretaceous Mass Extinction
A mass extinction event that occurred 66 million years ago, marking the end of the dinosaurs.
Iridium
A rare element found in sedimentary rocks that indicates past meteorite impacts.
Mass Extinction
A rapid decrease in biodiversity on Earth, often due to catastrophic events.
Adaptive Radiation
The rapid evolution of diversely adapted species from a common ancestor.
Homeotic Genes
Genes that regulate the development of anatomical structures in various organisms.
Hox Genes
A subset of homeotic genes that dictate body plan and segment identity in animals.
MADS-box Genes
A class of genes that control flower formation and development in plants.
