Earth Systems Unit 5 Objectives and Review Sheet (Chapters 21-23) Objectives Section 21.

1: The Rock Record 1. Explain why scientists need a geologic time scale. 2. Distinguish among eons, eras, periods, and epochs. 3. Characterize the groups of plants and animals that dominated eras in Earths history. Section 21.2: Relative-Age Dating 1. Describe uniformitarianism and explain its importance to geology. 2. Apply geologic principles to interpret rock sequences and determine relative ages. 3. Compare and contrast different types of unconformities. 4. Explain how scientists use correlation to understand the history of a region. Section 21.3: Absolute-Age Dating 1. Compare and contrast absolute-age dating and relative-age dating. 2. Describe how scientists date rocks and other objects using radioactive elements. 3. Explain how scientists can use certain non-radioactive material to date geologic events. Section 21.4: Fossil Remains 1. Explain methods by which fossils are preserved. 2. Describe how scientists use index fossils. 3. Discuss how fossils are used to interpret Earths past physical and environmental history. Section 22.1: Early Earth 1. Describe the evidence that indicates Earth is 4.56 billion years old. 2. Describe the heat sources of early Earth. Section 22.2: Formation of the Crust and Continents 1. Summarize the process by which the Earth differentiated. 2. Explain the origin of Earths crust and continents. 3. Describe how the continents grew during the Precambrian. Section 22.3: Formation of the Atmosphere and Oceans 1. Describe the formation of Earths atmosphere and oceans. 2. Identify the cause for the increase in oxygen gas in the atmosphere. 3. Explain the evidence that atmospheric oxygen existed during the Proterozoic. 4. Assess the importance of oxygen and water on early Earth. Section 22.4: Early Life on Earth 1. Describe experimental evidence showing how life might have begun on Earth. 2. Compare and contrast prokaryotes and eukaryotes. 3. Describe Earths first multicellular organisms. Section 23.1: The Paleozoic Era 1. Define the term passive margin. 2. Explain how transgressions and regressions indicate sea-level changes. 3. Discuss the tectonic forces that shaped Laurentia during the Paleozoic era. 4. Summarize the changes in Paleozoic life-forms. Section 23.2: The Mesozoic Era 1. Discuss how the breakup of Pangaea affected Earths life-forms and paleogeography. 2. Explain how the mountains of western North America formed. 3. Identify possible causes of the extinction of the dinosaurs. Section 23.3: The Cenozoic Era 1. Assess the extent of glaciation during the Cenozoic. 2. Describe the tectonic activity in North America during the Cenozoic. 3. Explain how climate change affected life-forms during the Cenozoic.

Review Questions: Answer using complete sentences on a separate sheet of paper. CHAPTER 21 1. What is the geologic time scale and why is it important to scientists? 2. Contrast eons, eras, periods, and epochs. 3. Describe mass extinctions. 4. Describe at least three groups of plants and animals that were dominant throughout Earths history. 5. Describe uniformitarianism. 6. What is the relationship between relative-age dating and uniformitarianism? 7. Summarize each of the four ways to determine relative ages. 8. Explain how scientists use correlation to understand the history of a region. 9. Contrast absolute-age dating and relative-age dating. 10. Describe how scientists date rocks and other objects using radioactive elements. 11. Describe the three non-radioactive ways scientists can date objects and events. 12. Define evolution. 13. Describe at least four ways fossils are preserved. 14. What is the significance of index fossils? CHAPTER 22 15. Describe how crustal rock and solar system evidence are used to estimate that Earth is 4.56 billion years old. 16. Describe the three heat sources of early Earth. 17. How does differentiation occur on Earth? What is the result? 18. How was Earths earliest crust formed? 19. Describe how continents were formed. Be sure to use the terms microcontinents, craton, Precambrian shield, and Canadian shield. 20. Describe Laurentias role in mountain-building. 21. Summarize how Earths atmosphere was formed in a minimum of four sentences. 22. Summarize how Earths oceans were formed in a minimum of three sentences. 23. What does primordial soup refer to? 24. Describe experimental evidence showing how life might have begun on Earth in a minimum of three sentences. 25. Contrast prokaryotes and eukaryotes. 26. Describe Earths first multicellular organisms. CHAPTER 23 27. Define paleogeography. 28. What is the paleogeography of the Paleozoic era? 29. During a passive margin, what is or is not occurring? 30. Explain the tectonic forces that shaped Laurentia during the Paleozoic era. 31. How do transgressions and regressions indicate sea-level changes. 32. Discuss how evaporates and glaciation also indicate sea-level changes. 33. Describe how Laurentia became deformed. 34. Describe how life-forms changed during the Paleozoic era in a minimum of five sentences. 35. What caused Pangaea to begin to break apart? 36. Describe how Earths paleogeography changed due to the breakup of Pangaea in at least three sentences. 37. Describe how Earths life-forms changed due to the breakup of Pangaea in at least three sentences. 38. Describe how scientists believe the mass extinction of dinosaurs occurred. 39. How much of Earths history is encompasses in the Cenozoic era? 40. Discuss climate changes that occurred during the Cenozoic era. 41. In a minimum of four sentences, describe the tectonic activity of the Cenozoic era. 42. How did life-forms change during the Cenozoic era?