Geologic Time Scale Quiz

What is the timeline created by geologists called?

• Astronomical timescale

• Volcanic timescale

• Paleontological timescale

• Geologic timescale

What do geologists look for in sedimentary rock layers to map out Earth's history?

• Fossil record

• Mineral composition

• None of the above

• Both A and B

What rule helps geologists determine the relative ages of rock layers and fossils?

• Law of Original Horizontality

• Law of Lateral Continuity

• Law of Crosscutting Relationships

• Law of Superposition

What is the name of the rule that states the feature that cuts through the other is younger?

• Law of Superposition

• Law of Crosscutting Relationships

• Law of Original Horizontality

• Law of Lateral Continuity

What are fossils that are only found on a specific section of the geologic timescale called?

• Unique fossils

• Index fossils

• Special fossils

• Specific fossils

What evidence can help geologists figure out a rock's relative age?

• Mineral composition

• All of the above

• Fossils

• Geologic events

When did the first multicellular life form according to the geologic timescale?

• 200,000 years ago

• None of the above

• 600 million years ago

• 3.8 billion years ago

What did relative dating help geologists figure out about the evolution of life?

• All of the above

• First single cellular life formed 3.8 billion years ago

• Stegosauruses were extinct before T-Rex's existed

• Modern humans didn't exist until about 200,000 years ago