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Earth's History and Fossils

Total questions: 20

Worksheet time: 10mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

In which of the following eras did humans first appear in the fossil record?

a)

Precambrian

b)

Paleozoic

c)

Mesozoic

d)

Cenozoic

2.
During Precambrian Time, simple life forms existed in the oceans of Earth. This was followed, during the Paleozoic Era, by the "great ___________ explosion" when many new life forms appeared on Earth in a very short period of time.
a)
Burgess
b)
Cambrian
c)
Geologic
d)
Jurassic
3.
How do we know that the fossils down the bottom are older?
a)
Law of Superstition (By Stevie Wonder)
b)
Law of "Mr. Lefke says so"
c)
Law of Thermodynamics
d)
Law of Superposition
4.
Early geologists were only able to place rocks in their proper order of formation based on theirlayering. What can this process be defined as?
a)
Principal of original fossils
b)
radiometric dating
c)
carbon dating
d)
relative dating
5.

At the end of the ________________ Era, reptiles, early birds and mammals thrived but the dinosaurs went extinct.

a)

Mesozoic

b)

Cenozoic

c)

Paleozoic

d)

Precambrian

6.
Which of the following is believed to have caused the extinction of dinosaurs?
a)
Earthquake
b)
Volcanoes erupting
c)
Hurricanes and Typhoons
d)
Meteor Strike
7.

Ice cores from Antarctica allow scientists to measure the amounts of atmospheric carbon dioxide from long ago. These samples would BEST provide evidence for:

a)

climate change

b)

continental drift

c)

big bang theory

d)

magnetic field reversal

8.
Which of the following would most likely fossilize?
a)
skin
b)
muscles
c)
bone
d)
internal organs
9.
An organism is UNLIKELY to be preserved as a fossil if:
a)
it has a shell
b)
it has a skeleton
c)
it is buried quickly after death
d)
it is a soft-bodied creature
10.

Very few living things are preserved long enough after death to become fossils. This makes the large collections of fossils in museums all around the world remarkable.


Which of the following are possible processes through which an organism could be fossilized?

a)

Wooly mammoth trapped in ice

b)

Insects trapped in amber

c)

Mass burial of organisms from a flash flood

d)

All of these

11.
Which group of animals was the first to adapt to life on land by developing the following:large lungs,eggs with a waterproof shell,scaly, waterproof skin?
a)
reptiles
b)
birds
c)
amphibians
d)
mammals
12.
Which of the following is a natural factor that can cause extinction?
a)
cutting of rainforest
b)
removing natural habitats
c)
pollution
d)
climate change
13.
According to the fossil record, which of the following best describes what happened to most organisms that have ever lived on Earth?
a)
became endangered
b)
became fossils
c)
became extinct
d)
became adapted and survived
14.

When did the age of mammals begin?

a)

Once the big mean dinosaurs died off. End of Mesozoic

b)

After the Cambrian explosion

c)

After Lunch

d)

The end of the Cenozoic

15.
What was the "Cambrian Explosion"?
a)
When lots of different organisms evolved and thrived
b)
The time when dinosaurs went extinct.
c)
The time when Humans ruled the world.
d)
The period when bacteria thrived in our oceans.
16.
Why are trilobites an important index fossil?
a)
They survived a long time and were found everywhere.
b)
They are soft-bodied and don't create good fossils.
c)
They were around a short geologic time and created many fossils.
d)
They have survived to the present day and have relatives like the horseshoe crab.
17.
How long have sharks been around?
a)
Since the Precambrian
b)
Since the Paleozoic
c)
Since the movie Jaws
d)
Since the Cenozoic began
18.
Why are arctic rabbits white in winter?
a)
They evolved fur to change color with the seasons and camouflage.
b)
They are white year round and easy prey in summer.
c)
They like to make pretty fur coats for humans.
d)
They can change anytime they want.
19.
Why are some reptiles still around even though the dinosaurs went extinct?
a)
The ones that survived are smaller.
b)
The ones that are here today evolved to survive changes in the environment.
c)
The ones that are around today hide from the climate change.
d)
They grew fur and survived the ice ages.
20.
What will most likely cause the extinction of our species?
a)
Asteroid impact or climate change
b)
Aliens take over our planet and make us their pets
c)
Another ice age gradually freezing the planet
d)
A smarter more powerful species evolves and eats us.

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