WorksheetsEvidence of Earth's History
Total questions: 13
Worksheet time: 7mins
Name
Class
Date
1.
Which of the following is an example of a geologic process that can be described by the principle of uniformitarianism?
a)
an asteroid impact
b)
a mass extinction
c)
steady erosion
d)
a large earthquake
2.
Which of the following is a type of event that could cause immediate changes in Earth’s global climate?
a)
continental drift
b)
asteroid impact
c)
fossil formation
d)
mass extinction
3.
Which of the following types of geologic evidence could result from an asteroid impact on Earth's surface?
a)
alternating layers of lava and volcanic ash erupted by a volcano
b)
fossils that show a steady rate of evolution in a certain type of organism
c)
petrified trees that have tree rings showing several years of stunted growth
d)
ice cores that show a gradual change in the carbon dioxide content of the atmosphere
4.
The composition of sedimentary rock shows the source of the sediment that makes up the rock. Which of the following would provide the best evidence of how the rock formed?
a)
the rock’s age
b)
the rock’s color
c)
the rock’s texture
d)
the rock’s fossil content
5.
Sometimes a fossil is formed as a result of the movement of an organism in soft sediment. Which of the following are two kinds of trace fossils?
a)
shells and bones
b)
tracks and burrows
c)
bee and beetle in amber
d)
petrified and mummified fossils
6.
The figure below shows one type of physical evidence that scientists use to understand Earth’s past. Imagine that you found this evidence on a mountaintop.
What could you conclude from your discovery?
What could you conclude from your discovery?
a)
This organism is now extinct.
b)
This fossil is older than the mountaintop.
c)
The mountaintop is made of metamorphic rock.
d)
The rocks on this mountaintop were once at the bottom of an ocean.
7.
Florida was once part of Gondwanaland, which was a supercontinent that later divided into Africa and South America. Which statement best describes this process?
a)
A volcanic eruption likely caused Gondwanaland to divide.
b)
The continents have been moving throughout Earth’s history.
c)
Weathering and erosion eventually broke Gondwanaland apart.
d)
Africa and South America go through cycles of dividing and colliding.
8.
A team of scientists is searching for specimens to understand how Earth’s climate has changed in the past. The black boxes in the figure below show where this team has drilled to obtain such specimens.
What were these scientists drilling for?
What were these scientists drilling for?
a)
ice cores
b)
surface landforms
c)
sea-floor sediments
d)
fossils preserved in amber
9.
In 1897, a British scientist proposed that Earth was between 20 and 400 million years old. Based on radiometric dating, scientists now propose a different age for Earth. Based on the most current radiometric dating data, about how old is Earth?
a)
40 billion years old
b)
20 billion years old
c)
4.6 billion years old
d)
4.6 million years old
10.
Florida State University has a large collection of ice cores taken from the Antarctic. What can scientists learn by studying these ice cores?
a)
history of Earth’s climate
b)
how continents have moved
c)
how new species have evolved
d)
major changes that have taken place on Earth’s surface
11.
Trace fossils are much more common than body fossils. Which of the following best explains why trace fossils are more common?
a)
Trace fossils take less time to form.
b)
Body fossils require soft sediment to form.
c)
An organism is more likely to live on soft sediment where trace fossils form.
d)
A single animal can leave thousands of traces in its lifetime but will leave only one body when it dies.
12.
The figure below shows one type of physical evidence that scientists use to understand Earth’s past.
What type of physical evidence is shown in this figure?
What type of physical evidence is shown in this figure?
a)
ice core
b)
fossil
c)
coprolite
d)
tree rings
13.
The composition of sedimentary rock shows the source of the sediment that makes up the rock. Which of the following is a type of sedimentary rock that forms from once-living plants and animals?
a)
quartz
b)
calcite
c)
limestone
d)
sandstone
100 %
