History of Life on Earth exam Flashcards

The theory that Earth's crust is divided into large solid plates that float on the hot inner mantle.

The movement of tectonic plates resulting in the shifting of continents over time.

The study of the distribution of species and ecosystems in geographic space and through geological time.

A collection of fossils that provides a historical snapshot of life on Earth, though it is biased and incomplete.

The oldest known fossils, formed by photosynthetic cyanobacteria, still existing today.

A period where the majority of species die out in a relatively short time, reshaping life on Earth.

The process by which organisms rapidly diversify into new forms, often following environmental changes.

A period of rapid evolutionary diversification around 541 million years ago.

The process where two separate life forms fuse to create a new life form, also known as endosymbiont theory.

A method for determining the age of fossils by comparing the ratio of carbon-12 to carbon-14.

The time it takes for half of a sample of a radioactive substance to decay.

The theory that evolutionary changes occur rapidly during short periods, punctuating long periods of little change.

The period from Earth's formation to the appearance of most animal groups, dominated by unicellular life.

The current geological era, starting with the Cambrian Explosion and including the rise of multicellular life.

A group of seed-producing plants, including conifers, that were dominant during the Mesozoic era.

Flowering plants that became dominant during the Cenozoic era.

They are an example of adaptive radiation, where finches evolved into different forms due to varying environmental pressures.

The two large landmasses that formed from the breakup of the supercontinent Pangaea.

The largest mass extinction event, occurring at the end of the Permian period.

Organisms with complex cells that have a nucleus, formed through symbiogenesis.

Oxygen was absent in early Earth's atmosphere and became abundant due to photosynthetic processes, influencing the size and complexity of life.

The era dominated by dinosaurs and gymnosperms, ending with a mass extinction.

The current era, marked by the dominance of mammals and angiosperms.

It marks the rapid diversification of life forms and the beginning of the Phanerozoic era.

The theory that eukaryotic cells originated through a symbiotic relationship between different species of prokaryotes.

A process where the quantity of a substance decreases at a rate proportional to its current value, as seen in radioactive decay.

A supercontinent that existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras, later breaking apart due to continental drift.

Cyanobacteria form stromatolites through their photosynthetic processes, creating layered structures.