Fossils and the History of Life

When scientists studied geological columns from different parts of the world, they discovered something interesting: the fossils of dinosaurs and many groups of reptiles and marine invertebrates disappeared at the top of the Mesozoic section. What is the most likely explanation of this evidence?

• The organisms evolved very quickly into new organisms.

• Organisms likely migrated to different parts of the world.

• An extinction event caused many of the organisms to die off.

• The areas no longer had the conditions needed for fossilization.

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NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

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A scientist conducts a geological survey of an area and discovers fossils of Tropites in the sediment.

Based on the evidence, approximately how long ago did the Tropites live?

• 145 million years ago

• 180 million years ago

• 240 million years ago

• 541 million years ago

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Which of these is not a significant discovery that Charles Walcott made in the Burgess Shale?

• well-preserved land organisms

• soft tissues of organisms preserved in great detail

• fossils over 500 million years old

• the remains of an ancient ocean

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NGSS.MS-LS4-1

Which of these best describes the tiny leg bones that some whales have, which do not aid in their movement or serve any other function?

• structures that grow and improve in function as they are used

• structures that will become adaptations when the environment changes

• structures that are a remnant of the adaptations that the whale’s ancestors needed to survive on land

• structures that function at certain times of the year or under certain conditions

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NGSS.MS-LS4-2

Two species might have similar skeletal structures that have different functions. What do these types of structures suggest about the relationship between the two species?

• Common structures with different functions suggest that the species live in the same habitat.

• Common structures with different functions suggest that the species do not share a common ancestor.

• Common structures with different functions suggest that one of the species never learned how to use the structure properly.

• Common structures with different functions suggest that the species share a common ancestor that also had a similar structure.

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NGSS.MS-LS4-2

Snakes have traces of leglike structures that are not used for movement. Which inference is supported by this fact?

• Snakes do not have ancestors.

• Snakes are an example of transitional fossils.

• Snakes share a common ancestor with animals that have legs.

• Snakes and animals that have legs are part of the same species.

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NGSS.MS-LS4-2

How long ago did whales and pigs have a common ancestor?

• about 15 million years

• about 45 million years

• about 55 million years

• about 65 million years

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Which piece of evidence could be used to show that woolly mammoths and modern elephants are directly related to each other and share a common ancestor?

• They both eat only plants

• They share similar anatomical features, such as long trunks.

• They both produce one large offspring at a time, usually in the spring.

• Their social behavior includes traveling in herds for warmth and protection.

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NGSS.MS-LS4-2

Scientists have found several remains of woolly mammoths in the Arctic tundra. Scientists want to recreate the fossilization event in order to understand how the animals died. Which of these experiments would most closely model the process by which a woolly mammoth would have been fossilized?

• freezing a specimen in the freezer and then embedding it in ice

• submerging a specimen in epoxy glue and then hardening the glue

• placing a specimen in wet cement and then removing it to leave an imprint

• covering a specimen in sand and then exposing it to tremendous pressure

The first picture shows an artist’s drawing of the extinct worm Aysheaia, based on fossil evidence. The second picture shows a modern velvet worm.

Based on the images, which statement identifies a characteristic that would cause scientists to think the two organisms might be related?

• They are about the same size.

• They eat the same kind of food.

• They live in the same types of habitats.

• They have very similar body structures.

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