#4 - Exploring Fossils and Geologic Time

A rock layer contains fossils of marine invertebrates and fish. Referring to the geologic time scale, estimate the possible time period when this rock was formed. What additional evidence could help you narrow down the exact age?

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DOK Level 3: Strategic Thinking

You discover a fossil of a large, armored fish in a rock layer. Using the geologic time scale, identify which period this fossil is most likely from and explain how you reached this conclusion.

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DOK Level 3: Strategic Thinking

A geologist uncovers a rock layer with fern fossils and amphibian tracks. Using the geologic time scale, estimate the era in which the rock was formed.

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DOK Level 2: Skill/Concept

Which era of the geologic time scale is known for the dominance of dinosaurs?

• Paleozoic

• Mesozoic

• Cenozoic

• Precambrian

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DOK Level 2: Skill/Concept

What type of fossil evidence would most likely indicate a rock layer from the Cenozoic Era?

• Trilobites

• Dinosaurs

• Mammals

• Ammonites

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DOK Level 2: Skill/Concept

Explain why the presence of trilobite fossils in a rock layer would suggest a Paleozoic age.

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DOK Level 3: Strategic Thinking

Which period is known as the "Age of Fishes"?

• Cambrian

• Ordovician

• Devonian

• Silurian

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DOK Level 2: Skill/Concept

Describe the significance of index fossils in determining the age of rock layers.

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DOK Level 3: Strategic Thinking

Which of the following is a characteristic of the Mesozoic Era?

• The first appearance of mammals

• The dominance of reptiles, including dinosaurs

• The first appearance of flowering plants

• The extinction of trilobites

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DOK Level 2: Skill/Concept

How can radiometric dating be used to determine the age of a rock layer?

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DOK Level 3: Strategic Thinking