OGANISMAL BIO TEST 3:

Macroevolution

Large-scale evolutionary changes that occur over long periods, leading to the emergence of new species.

Speciation

The process of new species arising from existing species, often due to geographic isolation or reproductive barriers.

Mass Extinction Events

Significant decreases in biodiversity that can lead to rapid evolution of surviving species.

Adaptation

The rapid evolution and diversification of a species into various forms to suit different environments.

Sedimentary Rocks

The best type of rocks for preserving fossils, as they form layers called strata.

Strata

Distinct layers of sedimentary rock that accumulate over time, preserving fossils and geological history.

Radiometric Dating

A method used to date rocks and fossils by measuring the decay of radioactive isotopes.

Half-Life

The time required for half of a radioactive isotope to decay into its daughter isotope.

Carbon-14 (C-14)

A radioactive isotope with a half-life of approximately 5,730 years, used for dating organic materials.

Uranium-238 (U-238)

A radioactive isotope with a half-life of about 4.5 billion years, used for dating older geological materials.

Great Oxidation Event

A geological event around 2.4 billion years ago when gaseous oxygen began to accumulate in the atmosphere.

Cambrian Explosion

An event approximately 541 million years ago marked by rapid diversification of life and the emergence of complex multicellular organisms.

Plate Tectonics

The scientific theory describing the large-scale motions of Earth's lithosphere, resulting in geological phenomena.

Continental Drift

The movement of continents over geological time, proposed by Alfred Wegener as part of the theory of plate tectonics.

Adaptive Radiations

The rapid evolution and diversification of a species into many forms to adapt to different environments.

Exaptations

Structures that evolved for one purpose but later became beneficial for another function.

Hyracotherium

The earliest known ancestor of modern horses, living around 55 million years ago.

Chicxulub Crater

The impact site of the asteroid believed to have caused the Cretaceous extinction event.

Iridium Levels

Iridium at the K/T boundary is about 30 times higher than normal geological layers, indicating a significant extraterrestrial source.

Holocene Extinction

Also known as the sixth mass extinction, characterized by the significant loss of biodiversity driven by human activities.

Allopatric Speciation

Speciation that occurs when populations are geographically isolated from each other.