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8th Grade Science Geo Review

Total questions: 54

Worksheet time: 40mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

The diagrams below represent the rock layers and fossils found at four widely separated rock outcrops.

a)
b)
c)
d)
2.

By April 2005, the surface of Lake Powell, a human-made lake in Utah and Arizona, had fallen 145 feet below its highest level. This revealed many traces of ancient life that had not been observed since this area had been covered with water. Among these traces, discovered in sandstone bedrock, were many dinosaur tracks, ranging in age between 170 and 200 million years old.


What is the correct sequence of the events listed above that led to the formation and exposure of the dinosaur tracks in the surface bedrock along the shoreline of Lake Powell?

a)

B ! C ! A ! E ! D

b)

B ! D ! C ! A ! E

c)

E ! D ! A ! B ! C

d)

E ! C ! B ! D ! A

3.

A 65.5-million-year-old impact crater in Mexico provides evidence for the cause of the

a)

breakup of Pangaea

b)

evolution of the earliest corals

c)

Alleghenian orogeny

d)

extinction of ammonoids

4.

Layers of volcanic ash often serve as useful geologic time markers because ash layers usually

a)

deposit quickly over a wide area

b)

are older than the surrounding rock

c)

can be sampled easily

d)

darken with age

5.

When do scientists think these continents were joined together?

a)

during the Tertiary Period, only

b)

from the Cretaceous Period through the Tertiary Period

c)

from the Devonian Period through the Triassic Period

d)

during the Cambrian Period, only

6.

What is a possible age of igneous rock E?

a)

1.5 million years old

b)

12 million years old

c)

28 million years old

d)

40 million years old

7.

Which letter best indicates when trilobites became extinct?

a)

A

b)

B

c)

C

d)

D

8.

Present-day evidence of the existence of the inland sea during the Pennsylvanian Period is best provided by

a)

marine fossils at point A

b)

seawater at point A

c)

metamorphic rock at point A

d)

terrestrial rock at point A

9.

What is the total number of major glacial periods that have occurred in North America in the last 200,000 years?

a)

5

b)

2

c)

3

d)

4

10.

A very large, circular, impact crater under the coast of Mexico is believed to be approximately 65 million years old. This impact event is inferred to be related to the

a)

appearance of the earliest trilobites

b)

advance and retreat of the last continental ice sheet

c)

extinction of the dinosaurs

d)

formation of Pangea

11.

The sequence of rock layers in the cross section provides evidence that the Muave formation is

a)

younger than the Temple Butte, but older than the Bright Angel

b)

younger than both the Temple Butte and the Bright Angel

c)

older than the Temple Butte, but younger than the Bright Angel

d)

older than both the Temple Butte and the Bright Angel

12.

Volcanic ash deposits found in the geologic record are most useful in correlating the age of rock layers if the volcanic ash was distributed over a

a)

large area during a short period of time

b)

large area during a long period of time

c)

small area during a short period of time

d)

small area during a long period of time

13.

Which column best represents the relative lengths of time of the major intervals of geologic history?

a)

A

b)

B

c)

C

d)

D

14.

What is the geologic age of layer B?

a)

Cambrian

b)

Ordovician

c)

Devonian

d)

Permian

15.

According to the graph, the rate of uplifting was greater than the rate of erosion during which geologic time period?

a)

Silurian

b)

Devonian

c)

Carboniferous

d)

Permian

16.

Which graph shows the relative duration of geologic time for the Precambrian, Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic time intervals?

a)

A

b)

B

c)

C

d)

D

17.

Which pie graph best represents the percentage of total time for the four major divisions of geologic time?

a)

A

b)

B

c)

C

d)

D

18.

During which geologic era did life first appear on land?

a)

Middle Archean

b)

Paleozoic

c)

Middle Proterozoic

d)

Cenozoic

19.

Which number best represents when humans are inferred to have rst appeared on Earth?

a)

1

b)

2

c)

3

d)

4

20.

What type of event usually marks the end of an era?

a)

A mass extinction

b)

An earthquake

c)

Evolution of a species

21.

Each era is divided into

a)

Periods

b)

Eons

c)

Epochs

d)

eras

22.
The Geologic Time Scale is a record of what?
a)
old geologists
b)
sweet geology music
c)
the known history of rocks and fossils
d)
a list of every living thing ever
23.
Paleozoic, Mesozoic & Cenozoic are all
a)
Epochs
b)
Eras
c)
Periods
d)
Eons
24.

The disappearance of a species is known as...

a)

Evolution

b)

Extinction

c)

Migration

d)

Mutation

25.

Based on the law of superposition, where would the oldest rocks be found?

a)

at the bottom

b)

at the top

c)

second from the bottom

d)

second from the top

26.

The Earth is estimated to be _____ years old.

a)

4.6 million

b)

4.6 billion

c)

46 million

d)

46 billion

27.

Past environments can be determined using

a)

plate teconics

b)

fossils

c)

sea floor spreading

28.

Which era does the following characteristic fall into?

SMALL MAMMALS

a)

Paleozoic

b)

Mesozoic

c)

Cenozoic

29.

Which era does the following characteristic fall into?

AMPHIBIANS

a)

Paleozoic

b)

Mesozoic

c)

Cenozoic

30.

Which era does the following characteristic fall into?

LARGE MAMMALS

a)

Paleozoic

b)

Mesozoic

c)

Cenozoic

31.

Which era does the following characteristic fall into?

DINOSAURS

a)

Paleozoic

b)

Mesozoic

c)

Cenozoic

32.

Which era does the following characteristic fall into?

WARM, DRY TEMPERATURES

a)

Paleozoic

b)

Mesozoic

c)

Cenozoic

33.

Which era does the following characteristic fall into?

THE ICE AGE

a)

Paleozoic

b)

Mesozoic

c)

Cenozoic

34.

Which era does the following characteristic fall into?

FIRST PLANTS

a)

Paleozoic

b)

Mesozoic

c)

Cenozoic

35.

Which era does the following characteristic fall into?

THE MIDDLE ERA

a)

Paleozoic

b)

Mesozoic

c)

Cenozoic

36.

Which era does the following characteristic fall into?

FLOWERS

a)

Paleozoic

b)

Mesozoic

c)

Cenozoic

37.

Which era does the following characteristic fall into?

HUMANS

a)

Paleozoic

b)

Mesozoic

c)

Cenozoic

38.

Which era does the following characteristic fall into?

FIRST REPTILES

a)

Paleozoic

b)

Mesozoic

c)

Cenozoic

39.

Which era does the following characteristic fall into?

THE ERA WE ARE CURRENTLY IN

a)

Paleozoic

b)

Mesozoic

c)

Cenozoic

40.

Which era does the following characteristic fall into?

PANGAEA FORMED

a)

Paleozoic

b)

Mesozoic

c)

Cenozoic

41.

Which era does the following characteristic fall into?

INSECTS

a)

Paleozoic

b)

Mesozoic

c)

Cenozoic

42.

Which era does the following characteristic fall into?

THE OLDEST

a)

Paleozoic

b)

Mesozoic

c)

Cenozoic

43.

Which era does the following characteristic fall into?

PANGAEA SPLITS APART

a)

Paleozoic

b)

Mesozoic

c)

Cenozoic

44.

Which era does the following characteristic fall into?

MONKEYS/PRIMATES

a)

Paleozoic

b)

Mesozoic

c)

Cenozoic

45.

Which era does the following characteristic fall into?

FISH

a)

Paleozoic

b)

Mesozoic

c)

Cenozoic

46.

Which era does the following characteristic fall into?

MARINE LIFE MOVES TO LAND

a)

Paleozoic

b)

Mesozoic

c)

Cenozoic

47.
Trilobites were alive during the _____________.
a)
Cenozoic
b)
Mesozoic
c)
Paleozoic
d)
Cretaceous
48.
Name the 4 time frames in order from oldest to youngest.
a)
Precambrian Time, Paleozoic Era, Mesozoic Era, Cenozoic Era
b)
Mesozoic Era, Precambrian time, Cenozoic Era, Paleozoic Era
c)
Paleozoic Era, Mesozoic Era, Precambrian Time, Cenozoic
49.
According to the law of superposition, the oldest fossils are found 
a)
At the top of the rock layers
b)
Near the bottom of the rock layers
c)
In the middle of the rock layers
d)
Somewhat near the surface
50.
Which type of organisms usually become fossils?  
a)
a. organisms that are buried quickly or protected from decay
b)
b. organisms that are ignored by passing animals
c)
c. organisms that live in water
d)
 d. organisms that do not have hard outer shells
51.
What is the Cambrian explosion?
a)
sudden appearance of new, complex species
b)
a sudden volcanic eruption
c)
a sudden decrease in species
d)
a mass extinction event
52.
Scientists chose where units of geologic time began and ended based on major changes in life forms at certain times.
a)
true
b)
false
53.

Which type of fossil is found in the least recently formed sedimentary rock layer?

a)

Early Horses

b)

Dinosaurs

c)

Armored Fish

d)

Trilobites

54.

Human beings evolved during the cenozoic era

a)

True

b)

False