Fossils and the History of Life Test

1. Which is an example of a body fossil?

• an animal burrow

• bone

• footprint

• toothmark

A fossil can form when

• an organism leaves an imprint in sediment, which hardens into stone.

• groundwater minerals seep into preserved bone and shell materials.

• an organism is trapped in sticky plant resin that hardens into amber.

• all of the above

The fossil record describes _______ as documented by the fossils collected so far.

• the history of life on Earth

•  how most species went extinct

• the nature of rock formations

• the amount of species that have ever existed on Earth

 Why doesn't the fossil record include every species that has lived on Earth?

• Very few living things end up as fossils.

• Scientists are unable to determine what species some fossils are.

• Most fossils on Earth have not yet been found.

• The record has not been updated in many years.

The earliest fossils show that Earth's earliest life forms were organisms with

• complex cells.

• a single, simple cell.

•  a nucleus.

• no cells.

Which of the following best describes what the first multicellular animals were like?

• hard-shelled

• single-celled

• soft-bodied

• “simple” organisms

What is adaptive radiation?

• a strategy to preserve fossils

• the appearance of complex cells

• the acclimation of species to their environments

• a sudden, rapid increase in biodiversity

Which factor most likely caused the Cambrian Explosion?

• increasing oxygen levels in the atmosphere

• changes in oceans

• developments in living organisms

• all of the above

Scientists conclude that a fossil species is extinct when

• it vanishes from the rock strata.

• it cannot be studied further.

• the first fossil of a species is discovered.

• too many have been found.

How many mass extinctions do scientists see evidence for in Earth's history?

• 1

• 3

• 5

• 10