Evolution and Paleontology Overview

These flashcards cover essential concepts related to evolution, paleontology, and the scientific methods used in studying past life and environmental changes.

What is Leucism?

A genetic mutation caused by lack of pigmentation.

What are mutations?

Changes in an organism's genome that can lead to variations in a population.

Who formulated the natural theory of selection?

Charles Darwin.

What are the five ideas of natural theory of selection?

A. Overproduction B. Struggle for existence C. Variation D. Survival of the fittest E. Heredity.

What is adaptation in biological terms?

Changes in the characteristics of individuals in a population that allow them to cope with long-term environmental changes.

What can happen to species during drastic environmental changes?

A. Survival of species with adaptations, B. Outmigration of nonadapted species, C. Extinction of nonadapted species.

What is paleontology?

The study of the remains of organisms of the past.

What technique is used for dating organic material up to 70,000 years old?

Radiocarbon dating.

What does C-14 stand for?

Carbon-14, a radioactive isotope of carbon.

How do fossils help in understanding geologic history?

Fossils found in rock layers contain information about past life and environmental changes.

What are fossils?

Remains or traces of ancient organisms that lived in the past.

What is one common method of fossil preservation?

Petrification, where organic material is replaced by minerals.

What is the geologic time scale?

A chronological arrangement of Earth's history based on the study of rocks and the fossils they contain.

How do geologists determine the age of rock layers?

By examining the mineral content and the fossils present in those layers.

What does the geologic time scale indicate about the history of life on Earth?

It arranges Earth's history chronologically from the oldest to the most recent biological events.

what is a geologist

a scientist who studies the Earth's solid materials, including rocks and minerals, and their processes.

what is the elements based on the radioactive isotope of other chemical elemeents?

potassium,argon, and etc