Study aid for GEOL162- Exam 2 - Spring 2008

Chapter 6- Fossils

• Know what a laggerstatten is and why they are important
• Know what a fossil is and how we classify them
• Know what the following things are
  • Trilobite
  • Archaeopteryx
  • Crinoid
  • Horseshoe Crab
• Know the different kinds of fossilization
  • Molds and casts
  • Impressions
  • Mineral replacement
  • Petrification & mineralization
  • Mummification
  • “pickling”
  • Entombing
• Know what a psuedofossil is
• know about the classification of animals and plants (systematics) , who developed these concepts, and how it is organized
• know about the theory of evolution and the evidence in support of this theory
• know the historical development of evolutionary theory
• know the different kinds of fossils
• know what factors contribute to the occurrence of fossils in the rock record
• know the current theories on the way speciation (new species) occurs
• know what the differences are bewteen stratophenic and cladistic phylogenic classification.
• know how fossils are used
• know what an index fossil is

Chapter 8- Archean

• Know the theories on the origin of the universe.
  • Big Bang theory
• Know the theory on the origin of our solar system-Solar Nebular Hypothesis
• Know the theory on the formation of the Earth-Accretion models, hot and cold
• Know what evidence there is for the characteristics of the Early Earth
• Know where the water for early oceans is hypothesized to have come from
• Know what factors contributed to the development of the early atmosphere and what happened to allow its subsequent modification.
• Know what evidence exists for the chemical makeup of the early atmosphere
• Know what record exists for the Hadean period.
• Know what record exists for the Archean - Shields and Cratons
• Know the ages of the oldest rocks on Earth and the areas with which they are associated - e.g., Australian Craton & shield.
• Know when Plate Tectonics likely began and what contributed to its rather tardy beginnings (1 billion years after the earth was constructed)
• Know the hypotheses for the origins of life that have their basis in science and scientific theory
• Know what forms organisms in the Early Precambrian took on ( e.g., algae and stromatolites)

Chapter 9- Proterozoic

• Know what was happening in terms of Plate Tectonics on a global scale at this time -Rodinia
• Know what was occurring in Laurentia (North America) during the Proterozoic- see map of North America which shows provinces
• Know what occurred in the Paleoproterozoic and again in the Neoproterozoic that had a profound impact on both terrestrial and marine settings on a global scale (Glaciations and Tectonic activity)
• Know where Neoproterozoic rocks can be found in North America- i.e., core of mountain ranges, craton
• Know what happens as time progresses from the Middle proterozoic to the Neoproterozoic in terms of life forms- Rise of Metazoans - multicellular organisms
• Know what the significance of Ediacaran fauna are and where they can be found
• Know what the atmospheric conditions where like during the Neoproterozoic (late Proterozoic) and how they likely differed from the conditions of the Archean.
• Know what the terrestrial conditions were like during this time as well-what lived there, what weathering and erosion were like, and how the aforementioned circumstances affected sediment depositional settings

Chapter 10- Early Paleozoic events

• Know what features were originally used to distinguish the Precambrian system from the Cambrian system
• Know what is used to determine the base of the Cambrian rocks
• Know what occurs at the Precambrian / Cambrian boundary in terms of life
• Know what happens in terms of Plate Tectonics and eustatic sea level during the Early Paleozoic and how it affects Cratonic depositional sequences
• Know the significance of the Sauk and Tippecanoe cratonic (Sloss) sequences and examples of lithostratigraphic units that illustrate how the rocks are time transgressive rock units.
• know what critters were dominant during the Cambrian
• Know why the Burgess Shale fauna is important, where the shale units are located, and what time frame it occurs in.
• Know where North America was with respect to the equator and why that would be important.
• Know when Pangaea began to form, and its inflluence on North America

General Stuff to know as well...

In assessing if you know and understand the above material, make sure that you use the appropriate terminology for describing things- For example, Transgression, Regression, Orogenesis, Craton, Shield, Pillow basalts, System, Period, Eon, Lithostratigraphy, Biostratigraphy, etc. This is by no means a complete list. rather it should get you thinking along the appropriate lines of the terminology that must be used to fully understand the concepts and ideas that are discussed above.

In addition, make sure you KNOW YOUR GEOLOGIC TIME SCALE, as well as basicprinciples for determining relative time.