Geologic Time & Fossils Quiz

Fossils of a shellfish was found high on the top of a mountain. Which BEST explains how this is possible?

• the shellfish were dropped there by flying birds

• the rocks of the mountain were once under water

• the shellfish were brought there by humans millions of years ago

• the rocks of the mountain were formed from an underwater volcano

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Scientists who study fossils are called

• astronomers

• paleontologists

• biologists

• geologists

On the geological time scale, the Early and Late ____________ are subdivisions of the Cretaceous period.

• ages

• periods

• epochs

• eras

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Primitive horses are found in the rock layers of the early-to-middle Eocene Epoch. In what Era will you find the fossils of primitive horses?

• Cenozoic

• Tertiary

• Paleogene

• Mesozoic

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Fossil A is found in a rock layer above a layer containing Fossil B. Which fossil is probably older?

• Fossil A

• Fossil B

• Both are the same age

• Can't be determined

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Geologic time begins with a very long span called Precambrian Time. Precambrian Time ended about 544 million years ago. Since then, the basic units of geologic time are, in order from longest to shortest:

• eras - periods - epochs.

• eras - epochs - decades.

• orders - epochs - periods.

• epochs - periods - centuries.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Wendy is a paleontologist and finds a fossil of a bony fish (2) buried in the sediment on the coast. After observing and recording several key features of the fossil as well as the area, what conclusion might she be able to make (from the diagram)?

• that the bony fish fossil is 2 million years old

• that bony fish developed before land plants

• that the Earth was once covered with water

• that the fossil is not native to that location

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

On the geologic time scale, we currently live in the latest time of the Cenozoic era (current time). What period & epoch do we live in?

• Tertiary, Holocene

• Quaternary, Holocene

• Cenozoic, Quaternary

• Late, Cretaceous

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

To find the relative age of a fossil you can use....

• a fossil index & law of superposition

• carbon dating & law of superposition

• absolute age & other fossils

The law of superposition states...

• the oldest layer is on top of sedimentary layers, the youngest is on the bottom.

• the youngest layer is on top of sedimentary layers, the oldest is on the bottom

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4