Fossil Geologic Record Part 1

Earth’s surface slowly changes over time. For example, sharp, jagged mountain ranges become lower and more rounded over time. What factor is/are responsible for this change in their shape?

• Deposition

• weathering and erosion

• Movement of continents

• Collusion between continental plates.

In 1897, a British scientist proposed that Earth was between 20 and 400 million years old. Based on radiometric dating, scientists now propose a different age for Earth. Based on the most current radiometric dating data, about how old is Earth?

• 40 billion years old

• 20 billion years old

• 4.6 billion years old

• 4.6 million years old

Florida State University has a large collection of ice cores taken from the Antarctic. What can scientists learn by studying these ice cores?

• History of Earth's climate

• How continents have moved

• How new species eveolved

• Major changes that have taken place on Earth's surface

Trace fossils are much more common than body fossils. Which of the following best explains why trace fossils are more common?

• Trace fossils take less time to form.

• Body fossils require soft sediment to form.

• An organism is more likely to live on soft sediment where trace fossils form.

• A single animal can leave thousands of traces in its lifetime but will leave only one body when it dies.

Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of plants and animals that lived Earth throughout Earth’s history. How does the fossil record of animals compare to the animals that exist today?

• Animals in the fossil record are the same as animals that exist today.

• Animals in the fossil record are ancestors of animals that exist today.

• Animals in the fossil record have no similarities to animals that exist today.

• Animals in the fossil record are more complex than animals that exist today.

A geologist is studying three layers of sedimentary rock in an area. The layers have not shifted from their original positions. The geologist records the relative ages of the rocks. The bottom layer is listed as the oldest. The top layer is listed as the youngest. What did the geologist use determine the relative ages of the rocks?

• Mineral content

• Radioactive decay

• The law of superposition

• The principle of unconformity

What is a geologic column?

• A rock structure that is shaped like a column

• A body of rock that cuts through sedimentary rock layer

• A group of rock layers that are taken out of the ground to study

• A group of rock layers that are placed in order of their relative ages

Which of these choices is an example of the way a geologist would use relative dating?

• Determining the minerals that make up rocks

• Placing rock layers in order of oldest to youngest

• Classifying rocks as igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic

• Using radioactive isotopes to determine the exact age of rock samples

What type of fossil is this?

• Mold
• Cast
• Preserved remains
• Trace fossil

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

Which layer is oldest?

• A
• W
• G
• Z

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4