Term
| What was the possible cause of the major mass extinction at the end of the Ordovician, as discussed in class? |
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Definition
2 phases:
First face: an ice age that occurred when Gonwanaland moved and became a part of the south pole. The glaciation that happened caused the sea level to drop dramatically, destroying any life that was in the continental shelves.
The second phase occurred at the end of the ice age. The rapid melting cause an extreme rise in sea level destroying all live in the shallow waters. Because of the heat though, life was able to begin rebound |
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Term
| What groups were hit hard in the Permian extinction event? |
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Definition
| Animals that were hit the hardest were the therapsids (the reptile-like mammals) possibly because they were high on the food chain. They died not only because of environmental changes, but because of starvation. Over 75% percent became extinct. All species were impacted though. The total extinction came out to be 80-85% |
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Term
| How long did the Permian extinction even last? |
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Definition
| Simpler life forms began recovering 4-6 billion years after the event. More complex life forms (vertebrates) began to recover approximately 30 my after the event |
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Term
| 1 of 3 theories about the cause of the Permian extinction: Asteroid Impact |
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Definition
| There is little evidence to support this claim |
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Term
| 1 of 3 theories about the cause of the Permian extinction: Hydrogen Sulfide |
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Definition
| Ocean poisoning; Hydrogen Sulfide is extremely deadly in high concentrations |
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Term
| 1 of 3 theories about the cause of the Permian extinction: Volcanic Eruptions |
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Definition
Massive eruptions of basalt may have caused dust clouds that would have blocked out the sun, thus disrupting photosynthesis and causing many food chains to collapse.
The eruptions may have also caused acid rain killing land organisms.
The eruptions would have also emitted carbon dioxide, causing global warming. The million kilometers cubed of basalt flowed out and this would have covered 1000 miles with 300 ft of basalt. |
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Term
| Volcanic eruption theory cont. |
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Definition
eruptions also release gases such as carbon dioxide, sulfer dioxide (creating hydrogen sulfide) and chlorine gas (forming hydrochloric acid in contact with the atmosphere).
There would have also been catastrophic heating of the earth's crust. |
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Term
| How might the Paleotethys Ocean have played a part in the Permian extinction? |
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Definition
| It was a possible stagnant ocean, causing H2S to form in the non-oxygenated, deeper water |
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Term
| Major sequence of events in the Mesozoic plate tectonics of North America |
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Definition
Pangea began to break up, forming Laurasia in the northern hemisphere and Gondwana in the southern hemisphere
-Laurasia continued to break apart forming what would be North America and Eurasia; Gondwana eventually formed South America, Africa, Australia and the Indian subcontinent
-By the end of the Era, the continents had drifted into nearly their present forms |
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Term
| Formation of the Himalayas |
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Definition
| The Indian subcontinent collided with the Asian plate, giving rise to the Himalayas. This DID NOT occur in the Mesozoic, but later in the Cenozoic era |
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Term
| Major features of Mesozoic plate tectonics of North America |
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Definition
The break up of Laurasia took place along the Triassic Rift Basins, located on what is now the east coast of North America.
-Eroding cliffs filled the adjacent basins with poorly sorted red-colored sand stones (red beds of iron-oxide). Diabase dikes (vertical formations) and sills (horizontal formations) of igneous rocks are characteristic of these basins
- |
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Term
| Major features of Mesozoic plate tectonics of North America |
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Definition
| In western United States, there were no continent-continent collisions like on the eastern side, but there were numerous island arc and micro-continent collisions |
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Term
| Major Features of the Mesozoic Plate tectonics of North America |
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Definition
| A major foreland basin was located in what is now the midwestern US. A foreland basin is a depression that develops adjacent and parallel to a mountain belt, in this case the Rocky Mountains. The basin filled with waters from both the Atlantic ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, becoming a huge inland sea. |
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Term
| What major military battle took place in the Triassic Rift Basin? |
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Definition
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Term
| Which of the major features of the Mesozoic plate tectonics of North America influenced the geologic history of Louisiana/ origins of salt domes in La |
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Definition
Gulf formed during the Jurassic when a piece of North aMerica broke off and became the Yucatan Peninsula. The empty space filled with water.
-Due to restricted flow of water into a Basin, evaporation occurred resulting in accumulation of salts (evaporites). Sustained periods of flooding and evaporation of the basin resulted in high concentrations of salt. This area is known as the "LouAnn Salt" and underlies much of the SE US including Arkansas, Louisiana and the Gulf. It is up to 3,000 feet thick in some places.
-Salt is less dense than the sediments around it and behaves as a viscous liquid, allowing it to flow up and form salt domes and even land formations at the surface, such as Avery island. |
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Term
| Economic importance of salt in Louisiana |
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Definition
-Salt is a product
-The movement of salt through and around surrounding rock creates pockets where natural gas and/or oil are trapped. These pockets of concentrated hydrocarbons are obviously very valuable and important to Louisiana |
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Term
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Definition
Dinosaur: terrifying lizard
Archosaur: Ruling lizard; overall term to describe both dinosaurs and pterosaurs |
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Term
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Definition
| Dinosaurs ranged in size from about the size of pigeons to the heaviest dinosaur, the Graffatitan at 100,000 lbs. The advantage of being a big dinosaur was that a large dinosaur was more efficient in its digestion of plant material |
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Term
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Definition
| For many years many paleontologists believed dinosaurs were cold-blooded. However, that has changed due to a better understanding of how metabolism works. Now they believe that dinosaurs were warm blooded because of the amount of energy needed to survive-run, climb, fight-would be difficult to generate in a cold blooded creature. The existence of polar dinosaurs is considered proof of their warm-bloodedness. A cold-blooded creature would have died in such cold temperatures |
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Term
| Dinosaurs are divided into two major groups on the basis of: |
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Definition
| The two groups were characterized based on the shape of their hips. |
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Term
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Definition
| One of the major groups of dinosaurs meaning Lizard hipped. This group is further divided into Theropods (beast footed) and Sauropods (lizard footed). |
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Term
| Theropod (beast footed) characteristics |
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Definition
-Division of the Saurischia
-Bi-pedal: stands on two feet
-3 fingers and 3 toes
-Faster than Sauropods
-Carnivores
-Examples: T-rex, Allosaurus, Velociraptor |
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Term
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Definition
-Division of Sauraschia
-Quadrupeds: walked on 4 feet
-feet resembled paws, rather than with distinct toes
-Examples: Diplodarus, Apatosaurus |
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Term
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Definition
-Bird hipped
-quadrupeds: walked on 4 feet
-herbivores
-Examples: Triceratops, Stegosaurus, Hadrosaurus |
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Term
| Were dinosaurs good parents? What do we know about dinosaur social behavior? |
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Definition
Dinosaurs were social animals and did care for their young after birth. There is evidence that herbivores traveled with carnivores, possible for protection. Some carnivores (ex: T-rex) were solitary, but there is evidence that some carnivores also traveled in small groups as well, and actually worked together to bring down larger dinosaurs (e.g. velociraptors).
-Nothing is definitive is known about how dinosaurs communicated. They did not have larynx's so it is possible they made no real noises at all |
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Term
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Definition
| Dinosaur fossils are either trace fossils--footprints, or casts of skin tissue molded into the rocks in which they are found OR fossils of their hard parts, bones, shells, etc. Occasionally, if the animal died in a non-oxygenated environment some soft tissue has been found. "Skippy," the juvenile scipionyx, was found with its liver, intestines and some muscle still intact |
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Term
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Definition
| It is believed that females had a much higger concentration of calcium in their bone tissue, which they needed for creation of the eggs (specifically the egg shells) in which their young were born. This was first noted in T-rex. Although in this case, it has also been determined that the females were larger. |
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Term
| Who has a picture of the T-rex mating |
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Definition
| The Museo Jurasioa de Austraos (The Jurassic Museum of Austrio, Spain). |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
-Winged Lizards: flying reptiles and the first creatures to have developed the power of flight. First located in the Jurassic Period. The famous "pterodactyl is an example. Its name means winged fingers.
-Closely related to theropods (beast-footed dinos). They had feathers and winds. They also had jaws with teeth and a reptilian tail. |
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Term
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Definition
Named after Confucius.
-Bird with no teeth; just a beak and a very short tail
-Also it is one of the first examples of "sexual dimorphism" meaning, having a distinct physical difference between male and female of the species. |
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Term
| What were the main marine reptiles and how did they differ in appearance? |
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Definition
Crocodiles: looked like...a crocodile
Pleisiosaurs: essentially a big lizard
Icthyosaur: fish lizard
Mosasaur: top carnivorous marine reptile |
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Term
| Food Chains of the Mesozoic: Principle producers on land |
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Definition
| At the beginning of the Mesozoic, gymnosperms (spore producers) were dominant producers on land. As the period progressed, the principle producers became angiosperms (Flowering plants). Angiosperms possessed seed pods, so when animals are the plants they processed, fertilized and then spread the seeds via their poop! And since they had flowers, insects begane to fertilize the plants as they went from flower to flower. |
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Term
| Dominant Plants of the Mesozoic |
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Definition
| Trees and shrubs. There were no grasses yet so there were no grazing animals. Animals in this period were considered "browsing eaters." |
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Term
| Food Chains of the Mesozoic. Principle producers of the sea |
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Definition
The base of the food chain in water were plant-like protists:
Coccolith: possessed plates of calcium carbonate
Ammonoids: an invertebrate animal |
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Term
| Impact of the Cretaceous Extinction Event on the food chains |
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Definition
| Cause a period of perpetual darkness. This killed all of the plants because no light=no photosynthesis. This affected both land and sea plants, therefore effecting both land and sea herbivores. Because the herbivores died, the carnivores died because there wasn't anything to eat. Survivors of the food chain were seeds and spores (eventually repopulating the planet with plants), hibernating animals and small animals and birds that can survive on very little food. Birds and amphibians survived better than all other life forms. |
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Term
| End of Cretaceous Extinction Event |
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Definition
| The end of the Cretaceous Extinction Event, also known as the K-T event, marks the end of the Mesozoic Era and the beginning of the Cenozoic Era. Whatever caused it, the event resulted in the extinction of all dinosaurs, large marine reptiles, ammonoids and all plants and plant-like protists. |
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Term
| Possible causes of the Cretaceous Extinction Event: Asteroid Impact |
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Definition
| -Asteroid Impact: Asteroid struck the earth at about the time of the mass extinction. THe Chicxlub Crater is located on the Yucatan Peninsula that is 20 kilometers wide, which could have been produced by a meteor about 10 kilometers wide. Also, at the boundary within the earth's crust that dates from KT Extinction, there is a deposit of iridium, which is commonly found in meteors. |
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Term
| Possible Causes of the End of Cretaceous Extinction Event |
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Definition
| Widespread Volcanic Activity: Some believe the meteor's impact caused widespread volcanic activity that also occurred at this time. Whether or not the meteor crashed, there were massive eruptions at this time. |
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Term
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Definition
| A huge region of volcanic land features on the Deccan Plateau in India that could only have forms from a massive eruption or series of eruptions. THere is a layer of basalt 6,500 feet thick. And is estimated to once have covered half the nation of India and is still as large as the states of Oregon and Washington combined |
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Term
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Definition
| Another huge volcanic region that covers an area equal to half the size of Europe |
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Term
| Combination of the asteroid impacts and volcanic activity: their impact on the Cretaceous Extinction Event |
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Definition
-Blocked out the sun: The impact of such a meteor might have throw enough debris that ic could block the sun for a period of time. No sun, no plant life
-Created catastrophic waves: The impact of the meteor could have created huge waves that traveled around the globe, drowning virtually everything in their path
-Acid rain: The ash and debris in the atmosphere eventually would be washed out in the form of acid rain. This could kill pretty much any plant and a lot of animals |
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Term
| Main sequence of events in Cenozoic Plate Tectonics |
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Definition
| The Cenozoic era is when the continents moved into their current positions. The Atlantic Ocean continues to open as North America moves west awat from Eurasia. Antarctica comes to rest at the S. Pole |
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Term
| What was unusual about Laramide orogeny? How did it impact the geologic history of Louisiana |
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Definition
| Laramide Orogeny has an unusually vertical uplift, forming this rocky mountains. This is unlike typical horizontal subduction. Sediments washed down as a result, they are deposited i the southern US, including Louisiana |
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Term
| Effect of the Pacific Tectonic plate and the Caribbean plate colliding |
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Definition
| Smashed together and forced the earth's crust up just enough to form the thin land bridge that now connects North and South America. This is very significant in that by closing off the Pacific Ocean from the Gulf of Mexico, ocean currents, and all that they impact were changed forever. The bridge allowed the movement of plant and animal life between the continents. |
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Term
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Definition
| means new life. It is known as the age of mammals. It is when mammals really took control of the planet. |
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Term
| Base of the Cenozoic food chain |
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Definition
Plants-flowering plants, trees and shrubs
This provided food for browsers, which had to have some size to eat well. |
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Term
| Important event in Middle Cenozoic |
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Definition
| The appearance of grasses which provided more food for a wider array of animals (grazers). Rice, wheat and corn began to grow. Grazers began to flourish, and grow larger. This provided a better food supply for carnivores, so they flourished as well. |
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Term
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Definition
really large mammals:
-Dire Wolf
-Mastodons
-Wooly Mammoth
-Saber toothed Cats |
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Term
| Three types of mammals in the Cenozoic |
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Definition
Monotremes: reptilian, lay eggs (e.g. Duck billed Platypus)
Marsupials: Short gestation time, kept in pouch (e.g. Kangaroos, opossums)
PLacentals-(carried in momma's belly) longer gestation, more fully developed, nourished before birth in placenta |
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Term
| Top Carnivores of the Earliest Cenozoic |
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
Mammals that walk on their toe-nails (hooves)
--Odd toed ungulates=horses, rhinos
--Eventoed ungulates= cattle, pigs, sheep and camels
-The early rhino was the larges land animal. It was 18' at the shoulder.
-Later the even toed ungulates expanded at the multi-stomach digestive system evolved. |
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Term
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Definition
| Panama land bridge formed between North America and South America 3 million years ago causing "The Great Exchange" of animals between the two continents. Dogs, cats, pigs moved from North America to South America and armadillos, opossums, and monkeys moved from South America to North America |
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Term
| Why are non-renewable resources non-renewable? |
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Definition
| Non-renewable resources are non-renewable to the extent that they are consumed (now) at rates far faster than they can be produces. Ex: coal, petroleum and natural gas, which take millions of years to produce. Timber is a resource that can be replenished at a sufficient rate. |
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Term
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Definition
1) requires a source rock containing organic matter such as protists or bacteria (not dinosaurs) and the rock must be of the type that will allow the oil to move
2) Heat over time
3) migration-the oil needs to be able to move through the rock to a...
4) resevoir-a kind of rock that is very porous
5) finally, a trap, like the salt domes, which is a large open area in the earth where the oil can accumulate and wait to be discovered |
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Term
| Why is the theory of biological evolution called a theory? |
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Definition
| When it comes to a scientific theory, there is no absolute proof. It's more a case of confirming the reasonability of accepting the theory as a viable explanation for a particular event. The theory of evolution attempts to explain biological changes over vast expanses of time and as such, cannot be proven as a fact because these changes cannot be observed in a lifetime or a thousand lifetimes. Since it cannot be proven, no matter how much sense it makes, it remains only a theory. |
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Term
| What's the difference between a Mastodon and a Mammoth? |
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Definition
| a Mammoth was a grazer, Mastodon was a browser (this was ascertained from their teeth). |
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Term
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Definition
-Wooly mammoth and Columbian mammoth did not compete for food
-Columbian mammoth and American Mostodon did not compete for food
-Columbian mammoth and Sabre toothed cats didn't compete for food |
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Term
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Definition
| were once terrestrial animals |
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Term
| Why is the middle east so enriched with gas? |
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Definition
| Lots of source rock, traps, etc. All the things you need to make oil |
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Term
| What's the largest oil field in the world? |
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Definition
| Al Ghawar in Saudi Arabia |
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Term
| Why will we never run out of crude oil or natural gas? |
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Definition
| Because it will become so expensive no one will be able to afford it. |
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Term
| What effect would the complete melting of ice caps have on Louisiana? |
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Definition
| Sea leve would rise 200 feet. |
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