The History of Planet Earth

Front

What is the relative age of a rock?

Back

The relative age of a rock is not the number of years since it formed, but rather its age compared to other rocks.

Front

What can we learn from fossils?

Back

Fossils provide evidence of how Earth's environment has changed over time.

Front

What questions can be answered by studying fossil layers?

Back

We can determine which organisms lived before, after, or at the same time as others.

Front

Who proposed the Continental Drift Theory?

Back

Alfred Wegener proposed the Continental Drift Theory.

Front

What does it imply if a fish fossil is found on top of a mountain?

Back

It suggests that a sea once covered that area.

Front

What is the significance of the fossil record?

Back

The fossil record provides a historical account of life on Earth and shows how species have evolved.

Front

What is the principle of superposition in geology?

Back

In undisturbed sedimentary rock layers, the oldest layers are at the bottom and the youngest are at the top.

Front

What is paleontology?

Back

Paleontology is the study of fossils and ancient life forms.

Front

What does the term 'extinction' mean?

Back

Extinction refers to the end of an organism or a group of organisms, meaning they no longer exist.

Front

What evidence supports the theory of plate tectonics?

Back

Evidence includes the fit of continental coastlines, fossil distribution, and seismic activity.