Patterns of Change in Life on Earth

What is the name of the type of fossil that is found in organisms that have body structures that are found both in an ancestral species and in its descendants?

• Cast Fossils

• Index Fossils

• Permineralized Fossils

• Transitional Fossils

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NGSS.MS-LS4-2

Which of the following are examples from the fossil record that show evidence of change in the complexity of organisms over time? Select all that apply.

• Single-celled organisms were present in the fossil record before multi-cellular organisms.

• Multi-cellular organisms were present in the fossil record before single-celled organisms.

• Fish with jaws were present in the fossil record before jawless fish.

• Jawless fish were present in the fossil record before fish with jaws.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

If the fossil record shows that there are no more fossils of a certain species in upper layers of sedimentary rock, what can scientists infer occurred?

• The species became extinct.

• There was a mass extinction.

• The species evolved into a new species.

• The species turned into transitional fossils.

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NGSS.MS-LS4-1

Charles Walcott was an American paleontologist (a scientist who studies the history of life on Earth through the fossil record). Select all of the following that are important details about Charles Walcott's discovery in 1909.

• Found well preserved land organisms

• Found remains of ancient sea organisms

• Found fossils that were 3.8 billion years old

• Found well preserved soft tissues from organisms

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

Fossils can provide evidence of how life has changed over time, how Earth's surface has changed, and clues about what past environments were like.

• True

• False

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NGSS.MS-LS4-1

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

During a school project on ancient life forms, Maya discovers a series of fossils. What does this primarily provide evidence for?

• The age of the Earth

• The extinction of species

• The evolution of life on Earth

• The stability of Earth's climate

Answer explanation

The discovery of fossils primarily provides evidence for the evolution of life on Earth, showcasing the development and changes in organisms over time.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

Over time, life on Earth has become more complex?

• True

• False

Answer explanation

True - The first organisms on Earth were single cell cyanobacteria. Plants, animals, and humans are all complex multicellular organisms.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

Do fossils in younger rock layers have more or less complex bodies than fossils in older rock layers?

• More complex

• Less complex

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NGSS.MS-LS4-1

At one time, several kinds of camels lived in Florida. The evidence comes from fossils found in Florida. Which object would be a fossil that shows that camels once lived in Florida? Choose the correct answer.

• a sinkhole formed by a retreating glacier

• sedimentary rock that formed a long time ago

• a crystal formation suspended from the ceiling of a cave

• remains of an organism preserved by geologic processes

Tags

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?

Choose the correct answer.

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

• structures that will become adaptations when the environment changes

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

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

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2