Lesson 1 - Are They Among Us? Vocabulary

Front

What is an index fossil?

Back

An index fossil is an organism preserved in rock that is common to a particular time or environment and used to help identify geologic periods.

Front

What is radiometric dating?

Back

Radiometric dating is the method used to find out how old a fossil or rock is by checking how radioactive elements inside it have changed over time.

Front

What is an era in geology?

Back

An era is a subdivision of a geologic eon and is the second-longest period of geologic time.

Front

What is paleontology?

Back

Paleontology is the study of fossilized animals and plants.

Front

What is relative dating?

Back

Relative dating is a way to find out how old a rock layer is by looking at the ages of the layers above and below it.

Front

What is the difference between absolute dating and relative dating?

Back

Absolute dating determines the exact age of a rock or fossil, while relative dating places rocks and fossils in chronological order without providing a specific age.

Front

What are sedimentary rocks?

Back

Sedimentary rocks are types of rocks formed by the accumulation of sediments, often containing fossils.

Front

What is the significance of fossils in geology?

Back

Fossils provide important information about past life forms and the environments in which they lived, helping to date and correlate rock layers.

Front

What is carbon dating?

Back

Carbon dating is a specific type of radiometric dating used to determine the age of organic materials by measuring the decay of carbon-14.

Front

What is an epoch in geology?

Back

An epoch is a subdivision of a geologic period, representing a shorter time frame in the geological time scale.