Radiometric dating
the use of radioactive isotopes as a measure for determining the age of a rock or fossil
Radioactive isotopes
an unstable form of an element that decays into another element by radiation - that is, by emitting energetic particles
Continental drift
the movement of continents relative to one another over time
Taxonomy
The identification, naming, and classification of organisms on the basis of shared traits
Phylogeny
The evolutionary history of a group of organisms
Domains
the highest (most inclusive) category in the modern system of classification. Eukarya, Archaea, Bacteria