G11 - 20.1 The Fossil Record

What is a fossil?

• A living organism

• A type of rock

• A modern animal

• The preserved remains or traces of an organism

What does the fossil record provide evidence for?

• The history of human civilizations

• The evolution of life on Earth

• The existence of extraterrestrial life

• The age of the stars

Which era is known for the dominance of dinosaurs?

• • Archean

• • Cenozoic

• • Mesozoic

• • Paleozoic

What is radiometric dating used for?

• • To find the location of fossils

• • To classify living organisms

• • To identify extinct species

• • To determine the age of rocks and fossils

Which of the following is a limitation of the fossil record?

• Not all organisms leave behind fossils

• It is abundant and well-preserved

• Fossils can be easily dated

• It only shows the most recent organisms

Which fossil is most likely to be found in sedimentary rock?

• • A meteorite

• • A mammoth in ice

• • A dinosaur bone

• • A lava flow

What is the primary reason for the gaps in the fossil record?

• Fossils are destroyed by weather

• Many organisms did not fossilize

• Fossils were never created

• Fossils are too difficult to find

which radioactive isotope to be used to date recent fossils from about 60,000 years ago?

• potasium-40

• uranium-238

• rubidium-87

• carbon-14

What is the geologic time scale?

• A method to classify living organisms

• A timeline of Earth's history based on rock layers and fossils

• A measurement of time in seconds

• A scale of temperature changes over time

Why are soft-bodied organisms less likely to be fossilized?

• They decay quickly and leave no trace

• They are not important in ecosystems

• They are only found in water

• They do not live long