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12. Minerals: The Materials of Earth 17. Sedimentary Rocks: The Key to Past Environments 19. Running Water I: Rivers, Erosion and Deposition |
Episode 11. Evolution Through TimeWhat does the fossil record suggest about early life on earth? Describe the ways fossils can be formed. Summarize why the preservation of life is skewed towards marine organisms. What are prokaryotic cells? What are eukaryotic cells, and what makes them more advanced? How did the advent of eukaryotes fuel evolutionary change? What is the significance of the Cambrian Explosion, and what does it represent? Describe the early Paleozoic. What happened in the mid-Paleozoic? How did the increase in free oxygen contribute to the expansion of life on land? What happened to the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere? Discuss mass extinctions. What new life forms appeared in the Mesozoic? How have paleontologists changed their theories about dinosaurs? What may have caused the mass extinction at the end of the Mesozoic? What was preserved at Rancho La Brea? Why are microfossils important to the understanding of ancient environments? Discuss Darwin's theory of evolution. What effect are humans having on the earth's biosphere? Download the PDF version here |