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History of Life on Earth exam

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  • Plate Tectonics
    The theory that Earth's crust is divided into large solid plates that float on the hot inner mantle.
  • What is continental drift?
    The movement of tectonic plates resulting in the shifting of continents over time.
  • Biogeography
    The study of the distribution of species and ecosystems in geographic space and through geological time.
  • What is the fossil record?
    A collection of fossils that provides a historical snapshot of life on Earth, though it is biased and incomplete.
  • Stromatolites
    The oldest known fossils, formed by photosynthetic cyanobacteria, still existing today.
  • What is a mass extinction?
    A period where the majority of species die out in a relatively short time, reshaping life on Earth.
  • Adaptive Radiation
    The process by which organisms rapidly diversify into new forms, often following environmental changes.
  • What was the Cambrian Explosion?
    A period of rapid evolutionary diversification around 541 million years ago.
  • Symbiogenesis
    The process where two separate life forms fuse to create a new life form, also known as endosymbiont theory.
  • What is radiocarbon dating?
    A method for determining the age of fossils by comparing the ratio of carbon-12 to carbon-14.
  • Half-Life
    The time it takes for half of a sample of a radioactive substance to decay.
  • What is punctuated equilibrium?
    The theory that evolutionary changes occur rapidly during short periods, punctuating long periods of little change.
  • Precambrian Time
    The period from Earth's formation to the appearance of most animal groups, dominated by unicellular life.
  • Phanerozoic Era
    The current geological era, starting with the Cambrian Explosion and including the rise of multicellular life.
  • What are gymnosperms?
    A group of seed-producing plants, including conifers, that were dominant during the Mesozoic era.
  • Angiosperms
    Flowering plants that became dominant during the Cenozoic era.
  • What is the significance of the Galapagos finches?
    They are an example of adaptive radiation, where finches evolved into different forms due to varying environmental pressures.
  • Laurasia and Gondwana
    The two large landmasses that formed from the breakup of the supercontinent Pangaea.
  • What is the Great Dying?
    The largest mass extinction event, occurring at the end of the Permian period.
  • Eukaryotes
    Organisms with complex cells that have a nucleus, formed through symbiogenesis.
  • What is the significance of oxygen in Earth's history?
    Oxygen was absent in early Earth's atmosphere and became abundant due to photosynthetic processes, influencing the size and complexity of life.
  • Mesozoic Era
    The era dominated by dinosaurs and gymnosperms, ending with a mass extinction.
  • Cenozoic Era
    The current era, marked by the dominance of mammals and angiosperms.
  • What is the significance of the Cambrian Explosion?
    It marks the rapid diversification of life forms and the beginning of the Phanerozoic era.
  • Endosymbiont Theory
    The theory that eukaryotic cells originated through a symbiotic relationship between different species of prokaryotes.
  • What is exponential decay?
    A process where the quantity of a substance decreases at a rate proportional to its current value, as seen in radioactive decay.
  • Pangaea
    A supercontinent that existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras, later breaking apart due to continental drift.
  • What is the role of cyanobacteria in stromatolites?
    Cyanobacteria form stromatolites through their photosynthetic processes, creating layered structures.