History of Life on Earth

The type of animal that gives milk to its young.

Species change over time

How far do the continents move per year?

What Law says that older rocks are layered below younger rocks?

The oldest era, lasted from 4.6 bya to 540 mya.

The time that it takes for half of a sample of an unstable element to decay.

Estimating the age of a rock or fossil by looking at its position in the rock layers.

Era that we are in today. Started 65 mya.

Comparing unstable to stable amounts of elements in rocks or fossils to determine age.

Scientists that use fossils to learn about/understand the history of life on Earth.

Which species was the first to appear?

The term used to refer to humans or human-like species.

The historical order of life that can be observed from the fossils we have collected.

The first organism to use photosynthesis.

Era that ended with a mass extinction cased by a meteorite collision.

Era that lasted from 248 mya to 65 mya.

A type of mammal that has opposable thumbs and binocular vision.

Which species was the second to appear?

Plates that make up the outer layer of the Earth slowly moving causing the continents to move.

Era who's name means "Ancient Life" and had lots of marine life.

Which was the fourth species to appear?

According to scientists, how old is the Earth?

The layer of O3 in our atmosphere that protects us from most of the UV radiation from the Sun.

Era's name means "Middle Life" also when the dinosaurs and reptiles ruled.

The calendar that scientists use to outline the history of the Earth.

When one species dies out completely.

What is the name of the important island group that Darwin spent time on?

Era in which oxygen was added to the atmosphere and in which life began.

The oldest discovered hominid who had brains bigger than apes. Lucy was one of these.

Hominid species in Europe and Asia that had large eyebrow ridges. Often thought of as cavemen.

Which was the last species to appear on Earth?

What divides the eras of time on the geologic time scale?

The solid remains or imprints of once living organisms.

The scientific name for modern humans.

A trait that helps an organism to survive and reproduce.

Many species die out at once.

Our hominid ancestor that created the first known art.

Age of mammals.

Name of the large landmass where all the continents were once connected.

Means to walk upright on two legs.

Which species was the third to appear?

Hominid species that came next after Australopithecus and used fire and tools.

A group of organisms that can mate with one another and produce fertile offspring.

Era that lasted from 540 mya to 248 mya. Started with a huge explosion of new species.

The Earth's first "pollution."

What was the name of the ship that Darwin traveled on?