Geologic Time Scale Review

While digging in the side of a hill, students found fossils in the rock layers. From the fossils they uncovered, which was the MOST likely progression of environments in that area?

• It was first a forest and then became a lake.

• It was first an ocean and then became a forest.

• It was first an ocean and then became a desert.

• It was first a grassland and then became a forest.

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NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

The fossil record provides evidence of change and common ancestries in organisms. The diagram is a portion of the fossil record that shows the common ancestry of certain organisms. Which is illustrated in the diagram of the fossil record?

• 
  

  Crocodiles appear in the fossil record before turtles.

• Turtles are a common ancestor of snakes and lizards.

• Birds and crocodiles developed separately from turtles.

• Turtles and lizards are more closely related than snakes and lizards.

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NGSS.MS-LS4-2

A geologist uncovered a fossil while digging in the side of a hill. He hypothesized that it was MOST likely from the end of the Paleozoic era or the beginning of the Mesozoic era. How old would the fossil have to be dated in order to support his hypothesis?

• 100 million years old

• 225 million years old

• 400 million years old

• 550 million years old

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NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Scientists estimate that if index fossils were deposited during a certain time frame, then the entire rock layer was also deposited at the same time. A scientist finds Trophite fossils. According to the chart above, in what era and period was this rock layer deposited?

• Cenozoic era; Tertiary period

• Mesozoic era; Triassic period

• Paleozoic era; Permian period

• Paleozoic era; Mississippian period

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NGSS.MS-LS4-1

Based on the principle of superposition, in an undisturbed sequence of rock layers, where would the oldest fossils most likely be found?

• In the topmost layer

• Just below the surface layer

• At the bottom of the sequence

• Scattered throughout the layers

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NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

What is a record of the geologic events and the evolution of the life forms as shown in the rock and fossil records?

• refine

• period

• era

• geologic time scale

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

What era is defined by the dominance of the dinosaurs?

• Paleozoic era

• Mesozoic era

• Cenozoic era

Geologic time begins with a long span of time called ______________ time which covers about 88 percent of Earth's history.

• Paleozoic
• Mesozoic
• Cenozoic
• Precambrian

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NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Geologists divide the time between Precambrian time and the present into three long units of time called ________________.

• periods

• millennia
• centuries
• eras

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NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Eras are subdivided into units of geologic time called ____________.

• periods
• eras

• time

• ages

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