Evidence for Evolution and Geologic Time Concepts

Which statement best defines absolute dating in geology?

• A process used to find actual ages of fossils

• A way to compare which rock layer is older

• A method to group fossils by body shape

• A technique to map continents over time

What are homologies in biology?

• Random mutations appearing in every generation

• Traits caused only by the environment

• Identical behaviors shared by all animals

• Similar ancestral traits among different species

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NGSS.HS-LS4-1

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What does the fossil record represent?

• The collection of fossil discoveries used to study past life

• A list of living species recorded by scientists

• A database of rock types found on continents

• The timeline of volcanic eruptions worldwide

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NGSS.MS-LS4-1

Biogeography is best described as which field?

• The analysis of fossil chemistry in sediments

• The mapping of earthquake epicenters globally

• The study of the geographical distribution of organisms

• The study of DNA mutation rates in mammals

Which phrase best describes continental drift?

• The gradual movement of continents across Earth’s surface

• The sudden sinking of ocean plates into the mantle

• The constant rising of mountains at plate edges

• The rapid rotation changes of the entire planet

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NGSS.HS-ESS1-5

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Relative dating helps scientists do what?

• Determine the estimated order of events using rock layers

• Calculate the exact age of a single fossil in years

• Measure the size of extinct animals from bones

• Predict future earthquakes from past tectonics

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NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Which statement defines evolution in populations?

• The change of inherited traits in a population over time

• The movement of individuals across country borders

• The daily changes in an organism’s behavior and diet

• The sudden creation of species without ancestors

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NGSS.HS-LS4-2

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What does common ancestry mean?

• Organisms that look alike are always unrelated

• Animals with identical diets must share a parent

• Species that live on the same continent are similar

• Organisms descended from a single ancestor are related

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NGSS.HS-LS4-1

Which evidence type most directly uses half-life measurements of isotopes?

• Absolute dating techniques for determining ages

• Relative dating based on rock layer positions

• Biogeography patterns across separated continents

• Homology comparisons of limb bone structures

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NGSS.HS-ESS1-5

A geologist finds two fossils in the same rock layer. Using relative dating, which conclusion is most supported?

• They must be older than fossils found above

• They are younger than all fossils found below

• They formed at exactly the same calendar year

• They are approximately the same relative age