Evolution Stuff
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18 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 Fossil | the remains (or an impression) of a plant or animal that existed in a past geological age and that has been excavated from the soil |
| Petrification | gradual change of the original substances of an organism dissolve and are replaced by minerals from the water (turned to stone) |
| Mold | a fossil formed when an organism buried in sediment dissolves, leaving a hollow area |
| Cast | a type of body fossil that forms when crystals fill a mold or sediments wash into a mold and harden into rock |
| Amber | yellowish brown fossil resin that often has particles trapped inside |
| Imprints | a thin object, such as a leaf, that falls into sediment can leave an imprint when the sediment hardens into rock |
| Tar pit | a place in which animals got stuck and their bones were preserved as the material around them hardened |
| Tetrapod | a vertebrate animal having four feet or legs or leglike appendages |
| Paleontologist | a specialist in paleontology |
| Trace fossil | a type of fossil that provides evidence of the activities of ancient organisms |
| Evolved | adapted and changed over a period of time to suit changing environments. |
| Bipedal | term used to refer to two-footed locomotion |
| Geological time scale | A time scale established by geologists that reflects a consistent sequence of historical periods, grouped into four eras: Precambrian, Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic. |
| Radioactive dating | technique in which scientists calculate the age of a sample based on the amount of remaining radioactive isotopes it contains |
| Uranium | a heavy toxic silvery-white radioactive metallic element |
| Lead | a soft heavy toxic malleable metallic element |
| Pentadactyl | having five fingers or toes on a hand or foot |
| Homologus structures | Characteristics that are similar in 2 or more species that have been inherited from a common ancestor |
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