The fossil record refers to all fossils discovered and the information derived from them about past life forms on Earth over millions of years.
Fossil Record cheat sheet for homework
Paleontology: The scientific study of life existent prior to, and sometimes including, the start of the Holocene Epoch roughly 11,700 years before present.
The study of rock layers and layering (stratification). It is used to establish the dates of fossils.
A method used to date rocks and other objects based on the known decay rate of radioactive isotopes.