Earth History Study Guide
Know your Earth History Vocabulary terms.
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Geology
Sedimentary rock
Plate tectonics
Isotope
Half Life
Radioactive decay
Know your Evolutionary History terms
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Species
lineage
convergent evolution
divergent evolution
vestigial structures
Know how to calculate the half-life of an isotope.
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After 6400 years, 12.5% of the radioactivity remains. What is the half-life of the sample?
Know how to calculate the time taken for an amount of decay to occur given the half life.
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An isotope has a half life of 25 years. How many years for 0.024grams of fully radioactive
material to decay to 0.006g of radioactive material?
Know what absolute and relative (aka sequential) time is. Be able to define these terms.
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Absolute time
Relative time
Know the age of the universe/Earth/ and the approximate age of the appearance of
bacteria/algae/and complex multicellular life.
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Universe
Earth
Bacteria
Algae
Complex multicellular life
human ancestors
Know what a Cladogram is and the three things they help illustrate.
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Know how to construct a cladogram given various anatomical features.
1. According to the cladogram, which character evolved first: the amniote egg or hair?
2. According to the cladogram, which character evolved first: the amniote egg or keratinized skin?
3. According to the cladogram, which character evolved first: keratinized skin or hair?
Know the names and correct sequence of the 7 groups used to classify living things.
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