Earth History & Fossils Flashcard

Front

What is the oldest layer of rock likely to contain?

Back

The layer containing trilobites.

Front

What is an index fossil?

Back

A fossil found in many rock layers and spread across large areas.

Front

True or False: The remains of living plants or animals are called fossils.

Back

True.

Front

Why are index fossils useful to scientists?

Back

They help to determine the relative ages of rock layers.

Front

What can be inferred if rock layer C is the oldest and rock layer A is the youngest?

Back

Rock layer C formed before rock layer A.

Front

What are fossils?

Back

Fossils are the remains or traces of ancient living organisms preserved in rock.

Front

What is the significance of trilobites in geology?

Back

Trilobites are often used as index fossils to help date rock layers.

Front

How do scientists use index fossils?

Back

Scientists use index fossils to correlate the age of rock layers across different locations.

Front

What does the term 'relative age' mean in geology?

Back

Relative age refers to the age of a rock layer compared to other layers.

Front

What is the Law of Superposition?

Back

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