Relative Dating and Fossils

William Smith connected strata in different locations by recognizing similar patterns of:

• Coal deposits

• Mine shafts

• Fossils

• Canals

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

Which idea associated with relative dating helped inspire Charles Darwin's work on evolution?

• Earth is extremely ancient

• Water and wind move sediments

• Older rock layers are farther from the surface

• Strata can be folded and tilted over time

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

What is most likely true of all the strata from the Jurassic Period?

• They contain rocks from the Jura Mountains

• They are more than one billion years old

• They contain similar fossils

• They do not contain sedimentary rock

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

Which of the following is an example of a body fossil?

• A perfect mold of a dinosaur bone

• A carbon print left by a leaf

• The skull of a mammoth that fell into a tar pit

• A dinosaur footprint

In order to form a fossil, an organism must usually ______ quickly after it dies

• Decompose

• Go extinct

• Rot

• Be buried

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

A mold fossil is most similar to:

• An eggshell with no egg inside

• A replica of your teeth made at the dentist's office.

• A bone your dog buries in your backyard.

• An insect trapped in tree sap

Which of the following is an example of a trace fossil?

• A skeleton preserved in a tar pit

• A footprint of an extinct animal

• A mummy buried in ice

• An insect preserved in amber

What can you conclude from the fact that so many fossils involve shells, skeletons, and teeth?

• Most organisms on earth have shells, skeletons, or teeth.

• Bacteria and decomposers consume these parts first after an animal dies.

• These parts decay slower than other body parts.

• These parts are more likely to be buried in ice than other body parts.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

What can you infer from the fact that fossil fuels are carbon-based?

• Over time, flesh turns into carbon

• Most life on earth is made from carbon

• Trees are made from carbon, but animals are not

• Swampy environments are carbon-poor environments

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Which of the following correctly lists the layers in order from oldest to youngest?

• A, B, C, D, E

• E, B, C, D, A

• E, D, C, B, A

• C, B, A, D, E

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4