Middle Paleozoic Era Quiz

What periods are included in the Middle Paleozoic Era?

• Silurian and Devonian

• Carboniferous and Permian

• Cambrian and Ordovician

• Triassic and Jurassic

Which land masses collided to form Euro America?

• Baltica, Siberia, and Gondwana

• Laurentia, Baltica, and Avalonia

• Gondwana, Siberia, and Laurentia

• Avalonia, Siberia, and Gondwana

What was the first step in the formation of the Appalachian Mountains?

• Antler orogeny

• Taconic orogeny

• Caledonian orogeny

• Avalonian orogeny

What event marked the beginning of mountain building in the western margin of Laurentia?

• Taconic orogeny

• Caledonian orogeny

• Antler orogeny

• Acadian orogeny

Which modern US states contain terrain generated by the Antler orogeny?

• Texas and Arizona

• California and Nevada

• Oregon and Washington

• Montana and Idaho

What type of deposits indicate increased aridity and evaporation during the Middle Paleozoic?

• Metamorphic rocks

• Igneous rocks

• Sedimentary rocks

• Evaporites

What organisms were primarily responsible for building reefs during the Middle Paleozoic?

• Rugos and tabulae corals

• Cephalopods and trilobites

• Bivalves and gastropods

• Sponges and algae

What major change in terrestrial environments occurred at the end of the Middle Paleozoic?

• Spread of deserts

• Expansion of glaciers

• Spread of forests

• Formation of large lakes

What was a significant consequence of the spread of forests during the Devonian?

• Rise in sea levels

• Formation of new mountain ranges

• Cooling and a mass extinction

• Increased volcanic activity

Which mass extinction event occurred at the end of the Devonian?

• The second of the big five

• The fourth of the big five

• The third of the big five

• The first of the big five