Review: Geologic History

Cassie is studying rock formations. Which of the following principles can Cassie use to date the rocks in the different layers of the formation?

• The youngest layers of rock will contain fossils.

• The oldest layers of rocks will be on the bottom.

• The oldest layers of rock will be primarily igneous rocks.

• The youngest layers of rock will be primarily sedimentary rocks.

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NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

On a trip to the desert, Geraldo finds fossils of ancient oceanic shells. Which of the following best explains how these fossils ended up in the desert?

• Oceanic storms washed the shells into the desert.

• The desert was once covered by an ocean that receded.

• Earthquakes shifted debris from the ocean into the desert.

• Animals carried the shells from the ocean to the area for food.

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

Scientists have evidence that the Earth has gone through several "ice ages" in which most of the Earth's surface was covered by thick sheets of ice. Which of the following would provide support that these ice ages existed?

• a lack of the fossils of any living organisms

• an absence of human remains or civilizations

• the extinction of plant life in the fossil record

• finding fossils of cold-adapted organisms in warm climates

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NGSS.MS-LS4-1

Sammie is using radiocarbon dating to determine the age of a sample of objects. Which best explains why radiocarbon dating can be used to determine the accurate age of these items?

• A. They contain radioactive isotopes that decay at a constant rate.

• B. They are made primarily of radioactive carbon that is easy to detect.

• C. They give off radioactive isotopes when an electrical charge is applied.

• D. They have been exposed to large amounts of radioactivity in the atmosphere.

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NGSS.HS-PS1-8

Scientists have found fossils from a land-dwelling animal, called Kannemeyerid, in Canada and in Africa. These findings provide evidence for which of the following scientific theories?

• Only certain continents were inhabitable.

• Many land-dwelling animals could also swim.

• Earth's continents were once joined together.

• Animals evolved in the same way on two continents.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

Thomasine has a sample of materials and needs to determine its age. She can determine its relative-age by comparing the rock layer the sample came from to another rock layer. Why is it sometimes difficult to determine the age of materials in this way?

• The oldest layers of rock are too close to the Earth's liquid mantle.

• The youngest layers of rocks do not contain enough materials to evaluate.

• The sequence of rock layers can be disturbed by erosion and earthquakes.

• The rock layers have too many different types of rocks to determine their age.

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NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Scientists use fossils to help them date the age of rocks. What else can studying fossils provide evidence for?

• the development of animal behaviors

• the total number of organisms on Earth

• the conditions on Earth before life existed

• the climatic changes that occurred on Earth

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NGSS.MS-LS4-1

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

Scientists hypothesize that 66 million years ago an enormous asteroid hit Earth, sending out a cloud of dust into the Earth's atmosphere. Which of the following would be evidence to support this hypothesis?

• Fossils show that all plant and animal life became extinct.

• The fossils of ancient trees show very little growth during this time.

• A large portion of the asteroid is still embedded in the Earth's crust.

• An identical layer of sediment can be seen in different parts of the world.

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NGSS.MS-LS4-1

NGSS.MS-ESS3-2

Cory is explaining the principle of superposition to his friend. Which of the following is the best explanation Cory could give?

• "Layers of rock are usually made of completely different substances."

• "In an area of undisturbed rock, the oldest layers of rock will be on the bottom."

• "The age of rocks can be determined by the ratio of radioactive isotopes present."

• "To estimate the age of rocks accurately, use fossils embedded in the rock layers."

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NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Scientists have observed that some of the features in rocks found in North America are very similar to those found in other continents, like Africa. This could be considered evidence for which of the following scientific theories?

• The continents used to be joined together.

• The ocean had once covered most of Earth.

• A large asteroid hit Earth millions of years ago.

• A group of early humans traveled across the oceans.

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-3