Fossils and Geologic Time

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What is the Western Interior Seaway?

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A large inland sea that existed in North America during the Late Cretaceous period, where sedimentary rocks containing fossils of microscopic ocean organisms can be found.

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How do you determine the relative age of sedimentary rocks?

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By examining the position of rocks in a sequence, using the principles of relative dating.

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What is relative dating in geology?

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A method used to determine the order of events and the relative age of rocks without determining their absolute age.

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What does it mean if a limestone bed is older than a sandstone bed?

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It indicates that the limestone was formed before the sandstone, based on the principles of stratigraphy.

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What are the two large landmasses that Pangaea separated into?

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Laurasia and Gondwana.

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What are fossils?

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Preserved remains or traces of ancient organisms, often found in sedimentary rocks.

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What is the significance of sedimentary rocks in understanding Earth's history?

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They often contain fossils and provide information about past environments and the history of life on Earth.

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What are physical changes in species?

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Changes in the physical characteristics of species over time, often due to environmental changes.

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What is the principle of superposition?

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In an undeformed sequence of sedimentary rocks, the oldest layers are at the bottom and the youngest are at the top.

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What role do fossils play in geologic time?

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Fossils help to date and correlate the age of rock layers, providing a timeline of biological evolution.

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