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WorksheetsFossilization Benchmark Review
Total questions: 16
Worksheet time: 8mins
Name
Class
Date
1.
An organism is UNLIKELY to be preserved as a fossil if
a)
it has a shell
b)
it has a skeleton
c)
it is a soft-bodied creature
d)
it is buried soon after death
2.
Which type of fossil preserves no living matter but instead preserves signs of life such as footprints?
a)
bone
b)
trace
c)
body
d)
shell
3.
Which is the most difficult to fossilize?
a)
fish
b)
mammals
c)
plants
d)
snails
4.
Which is NOT a factor that affects fossilization?
a)
age of the organism
b)
hard or soft body parts
c)
predators destroying the body
d)
body decal due to natural elements
5.
The environment plays a crucial role in an organism's ability to fossilize. Which is the best location for fossilization?
a)
bottom of a river
b)
very dry environments, such as land
c)
bottom of a lake covered by sediment
d)
an environment exposed to natural elements
6.
Several factors affect an organisms ability to fossilize. The unlikelihood of fossilization results in large gaps in the fossil record. Which of the following would decrease the likelihood that an organism fossilizes?
a)
organism lower on the food chain
b)
organism higher on the food chain
c)
organism had a hard body rather than a soft body
d)
organism lived in a marine or aquatic environment
7.
Several factors affect an organism's ability to fossilize. Which environment would increase the chance of fossilization?
a)
an environment where erosion is common (erosive environment)
b)
immense sediment-sized (large sediments)
c)
high energy environment
d)
deposition environment (where deposition is occurring)
8.
Several factors affect an organism's ability to fossilize. A sedimentary depositional environment allows organisms to be buried by sediment before which of the following can occur?
a)
scavengers destroy the remains
b)
decay weathering the remains
c)
decay or weathering destroy the remains
d)
decay, weathering, or scavengers destroy the remains
9.
Fish fossils have been found in some places where there is no longer any water. Sometimes, they are found on tops of mountains. What is the BEST explanation for why the fish fossils were found in these places with no water?
a)
Fish used to live on land.
b)
These places were once under water.
c)
The fossils caused the water to dry up.
d)
These places had fish that climbed the mountains.
10.
The discovery of the fossils of prehistoric whales that lived millions of years ago in Mississippi indicate that
a)
the whales were once land-dwelling mammals.
b)
the whales lived in an inland sea, which dried up.
c)
the Gulf of Mexico once covered what is now the state of Mississippi.
d)
the whales were hunted by the native American tribes that lived along the river.
11.
Take a look at the layers of earth and the fossils in each layer. The fossils show us that life forms changed in an area. Compare the oldest life forms to the newest. What comment can you make about the change in the environment?
a)
The environment changed from underwater to land.
b)
The environment changed from land to salt water.
c)
There was no change in the environments over time.
d)
The environment changed from salt water to fresh water.
12.
A geologist is studying a rock core sample of a hillside. Which would be the BEST evidence that this hillside was once covered in water?
a)
The top of the core sample would contain fossils of shells.
b)
The bottom of the core sample would be saturated with water.
c)
The top of the core sample would contain leafy plant material.
d)
Aquatic fossils would be found near the bottom of the core sample.
13.
Native mammals found in Australia are marsupials. There are no naturally occurring placental mammals, which suggests that Australia broke away before placental mammals evolved. Which geological theory explains this phenomenon?
a)
natural drift
b)
natural selection
c)
continental drift
d)
continental selection
14.
The fossil record is the record of life on Earth preserved in rock, as fossils. The fossil record provides evidence of what types of plant animals lived, how long they lived, how they died and how they changed. It also tells about Earth's early environment and how it changed.
What can scientists infer about the period of very early Earth from the lack of fossilized remains of oxygen breathing animals and the dominence of algae?
What can scientists infer about the period of very early Earth from the lack of fossilized remains of oxygen breathing animals and the dominence of algae?
a)
everything was underwater
b)
the atmosphere lacked oxygen
c)
only fish lived during that time
d)
the dinosaurs used all the oxygen
15.
Suppose scientists unearthed a fossil of one of the first pine trees on Earth. This pine tree grew on the earth about the same time as the first
a)
bird
b)
fish
c)
mammal
d)
reptile
16.
Ferns, such as the one in the picture, can be found today. They are usually found growing in warmer climates. However, fossils of ferns have been found in places with cold climates where it often snows today. What can we conclude about the places where the fossils of ferns have been found?
a)
Ferns used to live in cold climates.
b)
These places once had a warmer climate.
c)
These places once had a colder climate.
d)
Someone tried to grow ferns in cold climates.
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