Earth History Final Review

Which best describes a fossil that helps determine the relative age of a rock layer?

• trace fossil
• index fossil
• radioactive fossil
• unconformity fossil

Which process would be most effective in determining the age of fossils embedded in rock?

• relative dating
• absolute dating
• use of index fossils
• use of core sampling

Which characteristic of carbon-14 dating helps scientists determine the approximate time a species became extinct?

• Carbon-14 is not present in more recent fossils
• Carbon-14 increases at a constant rate over time
• Carbon-14 decreases at a constant rate over time
• Carbon-14 can only be found in fossils of a certain period

What role do faults play in the Law of Superposition?

• Faults create new types of rock.
• Faults are younger than the layers they cut through.
• Faults are the same age as the layers they cut through.

The diagram shows a section of land that has been undisturbed and includes a fossil.What can be concluded about the fossil?

• It is younger than the limestone.
• It is older than the shale.
• It is approximately the same age as the limestone.
• It is approximately the same age as the sandstone.
  

What initial catastrophic event is most likely responsible for the extinction of the dinosaurs?

• the impact of many tornadoes during a massive storm
• the impact of a large asteroid or comet hitting Earth's surface
• the rise of sea levels caused by melting glaciers
• the rise of mammals that became predators of dinosaurs
  

The image shows fossils found in a section of sedimentary rock.In which layer are the oldest fossils found?

• Layer A
• Layer B
  
• Layer C
• Layer D
  

Which condition best supports fossil formation?

• A dead organism is eaten by scavengers and shredded.
• A dead organism is slowly decomposed by bacteria and insects.
• A dead organism is washed away in a flood and buried under rocks.
• A dead organism is quickly buried under mud and sand.
  

Geologists studied fossils taken from the top of a mountain. The chart lists several fossils taken from this location as well as their original habitat.What can be concluded based on the fossil evidence?

• The mountain climate was once much warmer than it is today.
• The mountain climate was once much colder than it is today.
• The mountain was covered by water at some point in the past.
• The elevation in the area was much higher at some point in the past.
  

Which explanation best describes why marine fossils have been discovered in rock layers in a desert environment?

• A catastrophic event occurred in the area in the past.
• Continental drift moved the rock layers from the coast to the desert.
• The area was once completely covered by water.
• Volcanic activity had once occurred in the area.