History of Life

Most fossils are found in

• rusty water
• volcanic rock
• sedimentary rock
• the sap of ancient trees

The fossil record shows 

• that most organisms that lived on Earth are now extinct
• that only bones and teeth can become fossilized
• that fossils formed under many different conditions
• a full record of all organisms that have ever existed on Earth

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Sedimentary rock is formed from

• the soft parts of organisms
• the hard parts of organisms
• small particles of sand, silt and clay
• wood, shell and bone

Fossils usually provide Paleontologists information about each of the following EXCEPT and organism's

• structure
• environment
• way of life
• DNA

The length of time for half of the radioactive atoms in a sample to decay is called the

• radioactive date
• half-life
• relative date
• period

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To compare the relative ages of rocks, scientists sometimes use an easily recognized and widespread fossil type called

• a carbon fossil
• a sedimentary fossil
• a radioactive fossil
• an index fossil

Trilobites are useful as index fossils, because each species existed for a

• long period of time over a wide geographic range.
• long period of time over a small geographic range.
• short period of time over a wide geographic range.
• short period of time over a small geographic range.

After Precambrian Time, the basic divisions of the geologic time scale, from larger to smaller, are

• eons, eras, and periods.
• periods, eons, and eras. 
• eras, eons, and periods. 
• periods, eras, and eons

Fossilized evidence of Earth’s first forms of life would consist of   

• vertebrates from the Precambrian.
• invertebrates from the Precambrian.
• eukaryotes from the Precambrian.
• prokaryotes from the Precambrian.

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Which of the following statements about the effect of early organisms on Earth’s environment is true?

• The first photosynthetic organisms caused Earth to cool as they converted oxygen to carbon dioxide.
• The first photosynthetic organisms caused Earth to cool as they converted carbon dioxide to oxygen.
• The first photosynthetic organisms caused Earth to heat as they converted oxygen to carbon dioxide.
• The first photosynthetic organisms caused Earth to heat as they converted carbon dioxide to oxygen.

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