Fossils and Extinction Worksheet
Name:
P:
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1. What are possible causes of mass extinctions?
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2. What effects do mass extinctions have on surviving species?
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3. What is the definition of convergent evolution?
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4. What is the definition of adaptive radiation?
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5. What is the definition of gradualism?
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6. What is the definition of a fossil?
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7. What is the definition of a fossil record?
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8.
Given the diagrams below, answer the questions that follow (if you don’t have colors, simply label your
shading):
9. What are the two major techniques to date fossils?
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10. How does relative dating differ from radioactive dating?
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11. What percentage of Earth’s species have gone extinct over time? ________________
12. On the lines below, describe punctuated equilibrium.
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