Earth History Unit Test Review

Which era takes up approximately 90% of geologic time?

• Mesozoic Era

• Precambrian Era

• Cenozoic Era

• Paleozoic Era

The diagram shows a geologic cross-section from a region. What are the relative ages of the rocks from oldest to youngest?

• W, V, X, Z, and Y

• W, Y, V, X, and Z

• W, V, X, Y, and Z

• W, V, Y, X, and Z

A team of paleontologists discovered a fossil that formed when an organism was buried in sediments that changed into rock. The buried organism decayed and left an impression of its shape, which was filled in with sand and mud before hardening into the shape of the buried organism. What type of fossil did the paleontologists discover?

• Cast Fossil

• Mold Fossil

• Petrified Fossil

• Preserved Fossil

How can geologists determine the absolute age of a rock sample?

• by examining the positions of different layers in the rock sample

• by examining the number of different minerals in the rock sample

• by examining the amounts of radioactive parent and daughter atoms present in the rock sample

• by examining the numbers of index fossils present in several layers in the rock sample

A team of researchers discovered a trail of trace fossils of dinosaur tracks. The researchers hope to learn more about the dinosaur that made the tracks by analyzing the fossils. What can the researchers infer from the fossils discovered?

• The carbon imprint in the tracks can help reveal when the fossil was formed.

• The minerals in the tracks can be matched with bone records to identify the type of dinosaur.

• The distance between the tracks can help calculate how fast the dinosaur could walk.

• The fossil’s chemical composition can reveal the conditions in which the dinosaur lived.

The figure below shows a wall of the Grand Canyon. The most recent rocks of the Grand Canyon formed during which geologic period?

• Permian

• Devonian

• Cambrian

• Precambrian

The three cross-sections shown in the diagram represent the rock layers and fossils found at three widely spaced outcrops of sedimentary rock. Letters A, B, C, and D represent four different marine fossils found in rock layers. Which letter best represents an index fossil?

• Fossil A

• Fossil B

• Fossil C

• Fossil D

Which natural event would most likely disturb the location of deep layers of sedimentary rock?

• dip-slip fault formation

• floods

• fossil formation

• hurricanes

The picture is an example of...

• Trace Fossil

• Mold Fossil

• Preserved Fossil

• Permineralized Fossil

Name the 4 time frames in order from oldest to youngest.

• Precambrian Time, Paleozoic Era, Mesozoic Era, Cenozoic Era

• Paleozoic Era, Mesozoic Era, Precambrian Time, Cenozoic

• Mesozoic Era, Precambrian time, Cenozoic Era, Paleozoic Era