Changing Organisms Vocabulary

cast Imprint fills in with sediment that hardens, NOT the actual organism

mold Organism dies and leaves a mold or imprint (like a cupcake mold)

coprolites Fossilized poop, useful to see what organisms ate and environmental conditions

imprints Organism dies, falls and leaves an outline, footprint or body print

petrification Organism replaced by minerals and rock

mummification Dried out organism preserved; sometimes natural or by humans

fossil Evidence of past life; can be actual remains or evidence (like a footprint or cast/mold)

trace fossils Scattered/widespread evidence of an organism

Index fossil Found over a large area in a small amount of places to serve as a time frame

paleontology Study of past life

geologic history All the events on Earth since Earth began (what organisms were alive, became extinct, environment, geologic events)

relative age Age of something compared to others

punctuated equilibrium Things were the same then different organisms then the same, then different

geologic isolation Species left alone becomes a different species; unable to mate with others

gradualism Organisms changed slowly, or gradually over time; replaced by new species

adaptation Structure or behavior that allows organism to survive

Jean-Baptiste Lamarck Offspring born with traits that help them survive happens over night…

Charles Darwin Evolution – change in organisms over time Usually takes millions of years but can be super fast like in bacteria

natural selection Survival of the fittest Fastest, blends in, larger teeth, can adapt to environmental change

Alfred Wegener Continental drift- theory that continents were and still are moving

Pangaea When all continents were connected together to make 1 super continent

plate tectonics Explains how continents move as a result of convection currents in mantle