GEOL 2207 Lecture Notes - Principle Of Faunal Succession, Biostratigraphy, Extinction Event
Document Summary
A crisis that affects life across the planet. All life on earth part of the biosphere. Thin layer of life that exist on surface of planet that interacts with hydrosphere (oceans, lakes, rivers), atmosphere, and lithosphere (earth"s crust) Evolved through time over billion of years: species evolve or go into extinction over time as biosphere evolves and changes. Geologists and paleontologists measure the passage of geological time as recorded on the geological rock record. 2 concepts of geological record and ancient biosphere. Principle of superposition: nicholas steno, rocks on the bottom are older, rocks on top the youngest, original horizontality, cross-cutting relationships. Method of deduction of relative age of geological sections. Principle of faunal succession: william smith, strata of like age can be recognized by fossils they contain even if large distances separate the outcrops of strata geographically. Because species have evolved thru time: biostratigraphy.
