WorksheetsFossils Test Review
Total questions: 29
Worksheet time: 15mins
Name
Class
Date
1.
Trilobite fossils are found in Cambrian rocks but not in Triassic rocks. Which statement best explains why trilobite fossils are missing from Triassic rocks?
a)
trilobites went extinct before the Triassic
b)
fossils did not form during the Triassic
c)
volcanoes and earthquakes destroyed only trilobite fossils during the Triassic
d)
trilobite fossils just haven’t been found yet
2.
All are types of fossils EXCEPT:
a)
mineral replacement
b)
bone neutralization
c)
carbon film
d)
cast and molds
3.
The half-life of Carbon-14 is 5,730 years. How much parent material would be left after 5,730 years?
a)
100%
b)
75%
c)
50%
d)
25%
4.
The absolute age of a rock is the approximate number of years ago that the rock formed. The absolute age of an igneous rock can best be determined by
a)
comparing the radioactive isotopes
b)
comparing the crystal sizes
c)
comparing the relative position
d)
comparing the environment
5.
Unless a layer of rocks has been overturned or shifted, the bottom rock layer
a)
has fossils
b)
is the oldest
c)
has the greatest amount of minerals
d)
has the hardest rocks
6.
What characteristics would make an index fossil useful for determining the relative age of a variety of rock layers?
a)
a wide time range and a narrow geographic range
b)
a wide time range and a wide geographic range
c)
a narrow time range and a wide geographic range
d)
a narrow time range and a narrow geographic range
7.
In what way are index fossils and layers of ash found in ice cores similar?
a)
both were formed only during the Maastrichtian period
b)
both strongly resist chemical weathering
c)
both can be used for relative dating
d)
both only occur in igneous rocks
8.
Ice cores are most useful for determining:
a)
the amount of earthquakes in the past
b)
the atmospheric composition in the past
c)
the number of species alive in the past
d)
speed of geologic plates in the past
9.
Many fossils of marine organisms are found in what is now desert. Which hypothesis best explains this?
a)
marine organisms lived on land in the past
b)
the desert was once an ocean
c)
the desert moved from the equator south
d)
the fossils were moved by people
10.
The age of Earth is measured in _________ of years
a)
hundreds
b)
thousands
c)
millions
d)
billions
11.
A rock is formed by the cementing of layers of sediment. What type of rock is formed?
a)
volcanic
b)
igneous
c)
metamorphic
d)
sedimentary
12.
Jane is older than Fred, who is older than Rick. This is an example of:
a)
absolute dating
b)
Law of Superposition
c)
relative dating
d)
radiometric dating
13.
According to the table, which type of organism evolved first?
Millions of Years Ago Event
360 - 286 First reptiles
410 - 360 First amphibians
440 - 410 First insects
505 - 440 First fish
Millions of Years Ago Event
360 - 286 First reptiles
410 - 360 First amphibians
440 - 410 First insects
505 - 440 First fish
a)
amphibians
b)
fish
c)
insects
d)
reptiles
14.
Which statement is NOT true?
a)
the continents were once combined in a supercontinent called Pangaea
b)
humans and dinosaurs lived at the same time
c)
the Law of Superposition is used for relative dating of rock layers
d)
Ice cores are the layers of ice and snow built up over thousands of years
15.
The collection of all discovered fossils make up:
a)
museum
b)
fossil record
c)
Law of Superposition
d)
index fossils
16.
The time scale of Earth History is called the:
a)
Earth Time Scale
b)
Geologic Time Scale
c)
Earth History Time Scale
d)
Radiometric Time Scale
17.
The time scale of Earth History is called the:
a)
Earth Time Scale
b)
Geologic Time Scale
c)
Earth History Time Scale
d)
Radiometric Time Scale
18.
Identical fossils and rocks are found in both South America and Africa, providing evidence of what?
a)
Continental Drift
b)
Law of Superposition
c)
Rock Cycle
d)
Fossil Record
19.
Humans appeared in the __________ era.
a)
Cenozoic
b)
Paleozoic
c)
Mesozoic
d)
Devonian
20.
During which Era in the geologic time scale was there a great increase in the variety of life forms on Earth?
a)
Cenozoic
b)
Paleozoic
c)
Mesozoic
d)
Devonian
21.
A consequence of changing sea levels over time is all EXCEPT:
a)
expansion and contraction of continental shelves
b)
creation and destruction of inland seas
c)
a natural process of the Earth
d)
speeding up of tectonic plates
22.
Evidence from fossils and rocks indicate that the Earth’s continents were all joined together in asupercontinent known as
a)
Pandora
b)
Pangaea
c)
Panacea
d)
Panera
23.
Which best describes how ice cores are important to the study of geologic history?
a)
they show unconformities, which signal change in deposition
b)
they hold index fossils, which are used to date the different ice cores
c)
they contain evidence showing changes in the atmospheric composition over time
d)
they follow the Law of Superposition, which gives reasons for extinctions of species.
24.
A rock has formed by the cooling of liquid rock beneath the surface of the Earth. Which type of rock formed?
a)
fossilized
b)
sedimentary
c)
igneous
d)
metamorphic
25.
Most fossils are found in _____ rock.
a)
igneous
b)
metamorphic
c)
sedimentary
d)
all of the above
26.
Whether a fossil formed before or after another fossil is described by its _____.
a)
relative age
b)
absolute age
c)
fossil record
d)
radioactive age
27.
Half-life is a measurement of _______.
a)
fossil age
b)
radioactive breakdown
c)
cold climates
d)
relative age
28.
The youngest layers of rock are not always found on the top layer because of
a)
folding
b)
breaking
c)
uplift
d)
all of the above
29.
Which statement is NOT true?
a)
The earth has changed over time
b)
Radioactive elements decay at a set rate
c)
Rocks can be dated using different methods
d)
Fossils are always different ages from the rocks they are found in
100 %
