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Rocks, Fossils, & Ages

Total questions: 20

Worksheet time: 21mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

How are sedimentary rocks formed?

a)

cooling and hardening of lava

b)

applied heat and pressure

c)

compacting and cementing of sediments

d)

melting of rock

2.
If rock layers are stacked on top of one another, where can the oldest layer be found?
a)
The top layer
b)
The middle layer
c)
They are all the same age
d)
The bottom layer
3.
In what kind of rock can fossils be found?
a)
Sedimentary Rocks
b)
Igneous Rocks
c)
Metamorphic Rocks
d)
Granite
4.

How are fossils created?

a)

Traces of organisms get turned into stone.

b)

Dead organisms are buried quickly and remsin undisturbed for millions of years.

c)

Animals get trapped in resin, tar, or ice.

d)

All of the above

5.

According to the Law of Superposition, which layer formed first?

a)

Rock Layer W

b)

Rock Layer X

c)

Rock Layer Y

d)

Rock Layer Z

6.
Fossils give us evidence about which of the following?
a)
plants and animals that lived long ago
b)
how weathering and erosion break down rocks
c)
the other planets in our solar system
d)
the transfer of energy from one form  to another
7.
Finding fossils in an area can help us learn what about that location?
a)
Which places in the region receive the most sunlight
b)
The effect of the climate on the formation of the soil
c)
How modern plants and animals interact there
d)
The kinds of organisms that lived there long ago
8.

People who study fossils are called ____.

a)

meteorologists

b)

histologists

c)

paleontologists

d)

beautificans

9.

Which of the following is NOT an example of a fossil?

a)

a petrified dinosaur bone

b)

an ancient footprint captured in mud

c)

a seashell found on the beach

d)

an ancient mosquito stuck in hardened resin

10.

What happens when a species become extinct?

a)

All of its members have died.

b)

Only a few of its members are still living.

c)

The animals can no longer lay eggs.

d)

All of its members move to another place.

11.

What are the preserved remains or traces of once living organisms from the past called?

a)

amber

b)

fossils

c)

species

d)

extinct

12.

Scientist are comparing a rock layers to layers around it to determine the age of the rock. Which kind of rock age are they calculating with this technique?

a)

relative age

b)

absolute age

13.

What do scientists call a living species that can no longer can be found on our planet?

a)

mutation

b)

Amber Alert

c)

amber

d)

extinct

14.

Which type of fossil is pictured?

a)

Mold

b)

Cast

c)

Trace

d)

Body

15.

A fossil animal has a mouth full of sharp, pointed teeth, what can you infer about the animal?

a)

The animal ate fruits and vegetables.

b)

The organism is a plant.

c)

The animal did not live on land.

d)

The animal ate meat.

16.

What replaces the organic molecules to form a petrified fossil?

a)

amber

b)

cells

c)

fungi

d)

minerals

17.

Which type of fossil can tell you about the BEHAVIOR of ancient organisms? (ex. how they hunted, what kind of home they created, etc.)

a)

mold

b)

cast

c)

trace fossil

d)

preserved remains

18.
What type of fossil is pictured? 
a)
preserved remains
b)
trace fossil
c)
carbon film
d)
petrified fossil
19.
Which type of fossil is pictured? 
a)
petrified fossil
b)
preserved remains
c)
mold
d)
cast
20.

Which statement is NOT true about index fossils?

a)

Index fossils are of organisms that lived over a wide area.

b)

Index fossils lived for a fairly short period of time.

c)

An index fossil allows a scientist to determine the age of the rock it is in.

d)

An index fossil is from a species that currently lives on planet Earth.