History of Life on Earth and Radiometric Dating

Flashcards covering key concepts in the history of life on Earth and principles of radiometric dating.

Age of Earth

4.5-4.6 billion years.

Cyanobacteria

Prokaryotes that produce oxygen through photosynthesis.

Jawless Fish

Fish with a sucker mouth, examples include lamprey and hagfish.

Bony Fish

Fish that stay in water and lay eggs in water.

Amphibians

Organisms that stay on land but lay eggs in water.

Reptiles

Organisms that stay on land and lay eggs on land.

Birds

Animals that stay on land and lay shelled eggs on land.

Mammals

Animals that are mostly found on land and have fertilized eggs that stay inside the organism.

Half-Lives

The time required for half of the radioactive isotopes in a sample to decay.

Radiometric dating

A method used to estimate the age of an object by measuring the content of radioactive isotopes.