Historical Geology: Evolution of Earth and Life Through Time

Cover......Page 1
Title......Page 2
Statement......Page 3
Copyright......Page 4
About the Authors......Page 5
Brief Contents......Page 6
Contents......Page 7
Preface......Page 12
Ch 1: Outline......Page 17
Ch 1: Introduction......Page 18
Origin of the Universe and Solar System and Earth’s Place in the Cosmos......Page 20
Why Earth Is a Dynamic and Evolving Planet......Page 26
Organic Evolution and the History of Life......Page 28
Geologic Time and Uniformitarianism......Page 29
How Does the Study of Historical Geology Benefit Us?......Page 30
Ch 1: Important Terms......Page 32
Ch 1: Review Questions......Page 33
Ch 2: Outline......Page 34
Ch 2: Introduction......Page 35
Matter—What Is It?......Page 36
Minerals—The Building Blocks of Rocks......Page 37
Igneous Rocks......Page 39
Sedimentary Rocks......Page 43
Metamorphic Rocks......Page 45
Economic Geology......Page 50
Ch 2: Summary......Page 51
Ch 2: Review Questions......Page 52
Ch 3: Outline......Page 54
Early Ideas About Continental Drift......Page 55
What Is the Evidence for Continental Drift?......Page 57
Earth’s Magnetic Field......Page 60
Magnetic Reversals and Seafloor Spreading......Page 61
Plate Tectonics: A Unifying Theory......Page 62
The Three Types of Plate Boundaries......Page 64
How Are Plate Movement and Motion Determined?......Page 71
The Driving Mechanism of Plate Tectonics......Page 73
Plate Tectonics and the Distribution of Life......Page 75
Plate Tectonics and the Distribution of Natural Resources......Page 76
Ch 3: Summary......Page 78
Ch 3: Review Questions......Page 79
Ch 4: Outline......Page 81
How Is Geologic Time Measured?......Page 82
Early Concepts of Geologic Time and Earth’s Age......Page 83
James Hutton and the Recognition of Geologic Time......Page 86
Relative Dating Methods......Page 87
Numerical Dating Methods......Page 88
Geologic Time and Climate Change......Page 95
Ch 4: Summary......Page 97
Ch 4: Review Questions......Page 98
Ch 5: Outline......Page 100
Ch 5: Introduction......Page 101
Stratigraphy......Page 102
Fossils and Fossilization......Page 107
The Relative Geologic Time Scale......Page 111
Stratigraphic Terminology......Page 113
Correlation......Page 117
Numerical Dates and the Relative Geologic Time Scale......Page 119
Ch 5: Review Questions......Page 121
Ch 6: Outline......Page 123
Sedimentary Rock Properties......Page 124
Depositional Environments......Page 132
Interpreting Depositional Environments......Page 140
Paleogeography......Page 141
Ch 6: Summary......Page 143
Ch 6: Review Questions......Page 144
Ch 7: Outline......Page 146
Evolution: What Does It Mean?......Page 147
Mendel and the Birth of Genetics......Page 151
The Modern View of Evolution......Page 152
What Kinds of Evidence Support Evolutionary Theory?......Page 159
Fossils: What Do We Learn From Them?......Page 163
Ch 7: Summary......Page 165
Ch 7: Review Questions......Page 166
Ch 8: Outline......Page 167
Ch 8: Introduction......Page 168
What Happened During the Hadean?......Page 169
Archean Earth History......Page 171
The Atmosphere and Hydrosphere......Page 176
Life—Its Origin and Early History......Page 179
Archean Mineral Resources......Page 183
Ch 8: Important Terms......Page 184
Ch 8: Review Questions......Page 185
Ch 9: Outline......Page 187
Proterozoic History of Laurentia......Page 188
Proterozoic Supercontinents......Page 193
Ancient Glaciers and Their Deposits......Page 195
Proterozoic Life......Page 197
Proterozoic Mineral Resources......Page 202
Ch 9: Summary......Page 205
Ch 9: Review Questions......Page 206
Ch 10: Outline......Page 208
Continental Architecture: Cratons and Mobile Belts......Page 209
Paleozoic Paleogeography......Page 210
Early Paleozoic Evolution of North America......Page 213
The Sauk Sequence......Page 214
The Tippecanoe Sequence......Page 217
The Appalachian Mobile Belt and the Taconic Orogeny......Page 222
Early Paleozoic Mineral Resources......Page 224
Ch 10: Important Terms......Page 226
Ch 10: Review Questions......Page 227
Ch 11: Outline......Page 229
Late Paleozoic Paleogeography......Page 230
The Kaskaskia Sequence......Page 234
The Absaroka Sequence......Page 239
History of the Late Paleozoic Mobile Belts......Page 243
Late Paleozoic Mineral Resources......Page 249
Ch 11: Summary......Page 251
Ch 11: Review Questions......Page 253
Ch 12: Outline......Page 254
Ch 12: Introduction......Page 255
The Emergence of a Shelly Fauna......Page 256
The Present-Day Marine Ecosystem......Page 257
Paleozoic Invertebrate Marine Life......Page 258
Mass Extinctions......Page 268
Ch 12: Summary......Page 270
Ch 12: Review Questions......Page 271
Ch 13: Outline......Page 273
Vertebrate Evolution......Page 274
Fish......Page 275
Amphibians—Vertebrates Invade the Land......Page 281
Evolution of the Reptiles—The Land Is Conquered......Page 282
Plant Evolution......Page 285
Ch 13: Summary......Page 291
Ch 13: Review Questions......Page 292
Ch 14: Outline......Page 294
The Breakup of Pangaea......Page 295
Eastern Coastal Region......Page 298
Gulf Coastal Region......Page 300
Western Region......Page 301
What Role Did Accretion of Terranes Play in the Growth of Western North America?......Page 311
Mesozoic Mineral Resources......Page 312
Ch 14: Important Terms......Page 313
Ch 14: Review Questions......Page 314
Ch 15: Outline......Page 316
Marine Invertebrates and Phytoplankton......Page 317
Aquatic and Semiaquatic Vertebrates......Page 319
The Diversification of Reptiles......Page 320
The Origin and Evolution of Birds......Page 329
The Origin and Evolution of Mammals......Page 331
Mesozoic Climates and Paleobiogeography......Page 333
Mass Extinctions—A Crisis in Life History......Page 334
Ch 15: Review Questions......Page 336
Ch 16: Outline......Page 338
Ch 16: Introduction......Page 339
Cenozoic Plate Tectonics—An Overview......Page 340
Cenozoic Orogenic Belts......Page 341
North American Cordillera......Page 345
The Continental Interior......Page 352
North America’s Southern and Eastern Continental Margins......Page 354
Paleogene and Neogene Mineral Resources......Page 357
Ch 16: Summary......Page 358
Ch 16: Review Questions......Page 359
Ch 17: Outline......Page 360
Pleistocene and Holocene Tectonism and Volcanism......Page 361
Pleistocene Stratigraphy......Page 363
Onset of the Ice Age......Page 365
Glaciation and Its Effects......Page 367
What Caused Pleistocene Glaciation?......Page 374
Glaciers Today......Page 376
Ch 17: Summary......Page 377
Ch 17: Review Questions......Page 378
Ch 18: Outline......Page 379
Marine Invertebrates and Phytoplankton......Page 380
Cenozoic Vegetation and Climate......Page 382
The Age of Mammals Begins......Page 384
Paleogene and Neogene Mammals......Page 388
Pleistocene Faunas......Page 396
Intercontinental Migrations......Page 399
Ch 18: Review Questions......Page 400
Ch 19: Outline......Page 402
Prosimians......Page 403
Anthropoids......Page 404
Hominids and Hominins......Page 406
Ch 19: Summary......Page 416
Ch 19: Review Questions......Page 417
Epilogue......Page 418
Appendix A: English-Metric Conversion Chart......Page 425
Appendix B: Classification of Organisms......Page 426
Appendix C: Mineral Identification......Page 431
Appendix D: A Refresher on Structural Geology......Page 434
Glossary......Page 438
Answers to Multiple-Choice Review Questions......Page 445
Index......Page 446