Evolution on Earth

The collection of fossils and their placement in order  

Documents the existence, diversity, extinction, and change of life throughout the Earth’s life history

Not all types of organisms in the past have left fossils that can be retrieved because of the necessary conditions for fossils

States that in undisturbed rocks layers, the youngest layer is on top and the oldest on bottom

Many thousands of layers of sedimentary rock provide evidence for the long history of the earth and for the history of changing life forms (fossils)

More recently deposited rock layers are more likely to contain fossils resembling existing species

Movements of continental and oceanic plates caused mountains and deep ocean trenches to form and change the Earth’s crust

Sea level changes over time have changed continental shelves, created & destroyed inland seas, and shaped land surface

The evolution of Earth’s living things is linked to the movements of the plates

Sea level changes as plate tectonics cause the volume of oceans and height of land to change

The movements of the plates cause changes in climate, and in the types of living things in particular places

Most species that have lived on the earth are now extinct

Occurs when the environment changes and the organisms of that species do not have the traits needed to survive and reproduce in the changed environment

Some organisms from the past are similar to organisms today, but some are quite different