|
paleontology
|
The science of fossil, of ancient life-forms, and their evolution.
|
|
|
biosphere
|
All the area occupied or favorable for occupation by living organism. It includes parts of the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere
|
|
|
fossil
|
An impression, cast, outline, or track of any animal or plant that is preserved in rock after the original organic material is transformed or removed.
|
|
|
faunal succession, principle of
|
The evolutionary sequence of life form, especially as recorded by the fossil remains in a stratigraphic sequence.
|
|
|
paleobiogeography
|
The science that studies the past distribution of plants and animals.
|
|
|
plankton
|
Generally tiny animals or plants that live floating in water.
|
|
|
pelagic sediment
|
"Deposit found in deep water far from shore and may be predominantly either organic or inorganic in origin. Such deposits are light colored, reddish or brown, fine grained, and generally contain some skeletal remains of plankton organisms. Those that contain less than about 30% of organic remains are called red clay; those that contain more than about 30% of organic remains are known as oozes"
|
|
|
stromatolite
|
A fossil form representing the growth habit of an algal mat
|
|
|
biochemical precipitate
|
A sediment, especially of limestone or iron, formed from elements extracted from sea water by living organism.
|
|
|
adaptive radiation
|
Evolutionary diversification of a taxon's morphology, ecology, physiology, behavior and other characteristics over a geologically short time interval leading to the appearance of a number of new taxa.
|
|
|
adaptation
|
A feature of an organism that serves one or more functions useful to the organism.
|
|
|
adaptive breakthrough
|
An evolutionary innovation that affords a group of organisms a special ecologic opportunity and often leads to the adaptive radiation of that group.
|
|
|
foraminifer
|
A class of oceanic protozoa most of which have shells composed of calcite.
|
|
|
foraminiferal ooze
|
A calcareous sediment composed of the shells of dead Foraminifera.
|
|
|
benthic foraminifera
|
Benthic protozoans (i.e., live on the seafloor) which may form carbonate tests. The tests are preserved in sediment and form an important basis for paleoceanographic reconstructions.
|
|
|
belemnite
|
Extinct invertebrate animal (cephalopod) known from cigar-shaped fossil.
|
|
|
algal mat
|
A layered communal growth of algae observed in fossil an in present day tidal zones associated with carbonate sedimentation.
|
|
|
oncolites
|
Small accumulations of algae that formed in warm shallow water and were rolled back and forth by currents to become shaped liked little balls. (Found in 350Myr Lower Paleozoic Mississippian Leadville Limestone at Horseshoe Cirque, Fairplay Co)
|
|
|
planktonic foraminifera
|
Planktonic protozoans which may form carbonate tests. The tests are preserved in sediment and form an important basis for paleoceanographic reconstructions.
|
|
|
algal ridge
|
The durable structure formed by coralline algae that buttresses the front of a modern coral reef.
|
|
|
palynology
|
The study of pollen, living and fossil.
|
|
|
dinoflagellates
|
Single-celled, microscopic algae which are found as fossil from the mid Triassic to the present. Modern dinoflagellates are often responsible for the phosphorescence of the sea and toxic red tide. Fossil dinoflagellates are used to date and correlate rocks from the Triassic to the Quaternary.
|
|
|
isotopes in paleoceanography
|
"Stable isotope of some light elements occuring in nature in given ratios fractionated by the biosphere and thereby providing informative signals about the latter. Most useful ratios are 16O/18O; 12C/13C. Marine organisms biomineralize using oxygen in the water."
|
|
