Patterns in Fossil Record

Which layer contains the oldest fossil?

• Layer 1

• Layer 2

• Layer 3

• Layer 4

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Which of the following would be an example of absolute age?

• Fossil A is older than Fossil B

• Fossil A and Fossil B are the same age

• Fossil A is 10 million years old

Which of the following is an example of relative age

• Fossil A is older than Fossil B

• Fossil A is about 10 million years old

• Fossil B is 2 million years old

Which layer contains the youngest fossil?

• layer 1

• layer 2

• layer 3

• layer 4

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

Organisms D and C clearly lived in an aquatic (water) environment. Organism A does not look like it lived in the water. What is the most likely explanation for this?

• The fossil in layer A died on land and was carried to the water

• The fossils in layer C and D did not live in the same location as the fossil in layer A

• The environment changed over a long period of time. It used to be under water, but is not anymore

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

What is a likely event that occurred between fossil layers B and D?

• explosion of new species

• mass extinction

• can not tell from the image

• small changes to the environment

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

Starting at layer H (at the bottom) what pattern do you notice as you move up towards layer B

• organisms become more complex

• random arrangement of organisms

• organisms go from water only to land only

• organisms become more simple

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

450 million year old rocks contain fossils of jawless fish. 400 million year old rocks contain fossils of jawless fish AND fish with jaws. What does this evidence suggest?

• fish with jaws appeared earlier in the fossil record

• fish with jaws and jawless fish appeared at the same time in the fossil record

• jawless fish appeared first in the fossil record

• fish with jaws no longer exist

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

The trend for a certain type of fish is that over time, the species increases in the number of teeth they have. A new fossil is found to have 34 teeth. Use the chart to estimate the age of this fossil.

• 20 million years old

• 30 million years old

• 70 million years old

• 100 million years old

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

Which of the following is NOT a possible explanation for the 5 mass extinctions in Earth's history

• major climate changes

• increase in volcanic activity

• artificial selection

• asteroid impact