WorksheetsGeologic Time Scale and the History of Earth
Total questions: 62
Worksheet time: 42mins
When did the first fish and amphibians appear in the fossil record?
Mesozoic era
Paleozoic era
Cenozoic era
Precambrian era
When did the first bacteria evolve?
Cenozoic era
Mesozoic era
Precambrian
Paleozoic era
What is the second longest time span in the geologic time scale? Examples are Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic.
Eon
Period
Epoch
Era
What are eras divided into? Examples are Cambrian, Jurassic, Crustaceous, and Tertiary.
epoch
era
period
eon
The entire history of the Earth can be divided into the Precambrian (ancient) Eon and the Phanerozoic (current) Eon. Which of the following most correctly represents the percent of Earth's history occupied by each?
88% Precambrian, 12% Phanerozoic
12% Precambrian, 88% Phanerozoic
81% Precambrian, 19% Phanerozoic
19% Precambrian, 81% Phanerozoic
Which of the following best describes Earth’s very first atmosphere?
helium and hydrogen gases left over from the formation of the planet
carbon dioxide and water vapor from volcanic outgassing
a 78%-21% nitrogen and oxygen gas mixture
methane and ammonia gases from Earth's interior
During which time span did the Earth form?
Precambrian
Paleozoic
Mesozoic
Cenozoic
During which time span did the oceans form?
Precambrian
Paleozoic
Mesozoic
Cenozoic
During which time span did the atmosphere form?
Precambrian
Paleozoic
Mesozoic
Cenozoic
During which time span did the first life appear?
Precambrian
Paleozoic
Mesozoic
Cenozoic
During which time span did cyanobacteria begin photosynthesis?
Precambrian
Paleozoic
Mesozoic
Cenozoic
During which era did the first multicellular life forms appear?
Precambrian
Paleozoic
Mesozoic
Cenozoic
Which era is known as "The Age of the Fishes?"
Precambrian
Paleozoic
Mesozoic
Cenozoic
Which era is known as "The Age of the Dinosaurs?"
Precambrian
Paleozoic
Mesozoic
Cenozoic
Which era is known as "The Age of the Mammals?"
Precambrian
Paleozoic
Mesozoic
Cenozoic
During which era did Pangaea break apart?
Precambrian
Paleozoic
Mesozoic
Cenozoic
During which era did the ice ages occur?
Precambrian
Paleozoic
Mesozoic
Cenozoic
During which era did life first appear on land?
Precambrian
Paleozoic
Mesozoic
Cenozoic
In which time period are we currently living?
Precambrian Time
Paleozoic Era
Mesozoic Era
Cenozoic Era
Jellyfish are one of the oldest species on Earth. In what time period did they first appear?
Precambrian
Paleozoic
Mesozoic
Cenozoic
Dinosaurs, small mammals, and birds all lived during which era?
Precambrian
Paleozoic
Mesozoic
Cenozoic
Which of the following is used as evidence to construct the geologic time scale?
fossils
radiometric age data
composition of different rock layers
all of the above
Iridium is an element that is common in meteors bur very rare on Earth. An iridium layer 65.5 million years old has been discovered in rock layers in many different locations all over the world. For which of the following hypotheses does this discovery provide evidence?
The supercontinent Pangaea began to break apart during the Mezozoic Era.
A glaciation event caused the mass extinction that marks the end of the Ordovician period.
An impact event caused the mass extinction that marks the end of the Cretaceous period.
The "Cambrian Explosion" that marks the evolution of complex organisms happened at the beginning of the Phanerozoic eon.
When did the Earth's crust form the first continents?
Precambrian
Paleozoic
Mesozoic
Cenozoic
What were the only organisms alive during the Precambrian?
bacteria
trilobites
jellyfish
humans
What term means many or even most species abruptly disappear from Earth?
mass extinction
evolution
ice age
glacier
Which is the correct order of eras from oldest to youngest
Cenozoic, Mesozoic, Precambrian, Paleozoic
Mesozoic, Cenozoic, Paleozoic, Precambrian
Precambrian, Paleozoic, Cenozoic, Mesozoic
Precambrian, Paleozoic, Mesozoic, Cenozoic
What happened during the "Cambrian explosion"?
There was a major increase in the number and diversity of invertebrate species in a short period of time.
Mammals began to dominate the Earth
An asteroid caused a mass extinction
When the oldest rocks were formed
Cenozoic
Palezoic
Precambrian
Mesozoic
"Ancient Life"
Cenozoic
Paleozoic
Precambrian
Mesozoic
"Middle Life"
Cenozoic
Paleozoic
Precambrian
Mesozoic
"Recent Life"
Cenozoic
Paleozoic
Precambrian
Mesozoic
Which came first?
oceans
bacteria
dinosaurs
people
Which came first?
grass
bacteria
dinosaurs
people
Which came first?
mammals
fish
dinosaurs
birds
Nebraska was once underwater.
True
False
Nebraska was once the home to mammoths.
True
False
What are fossils that are not the actual organism but evidence of that organism's existence.
index fossils
trace fossils
petrified fossils
original preservation
During a science class, Grace and Mia were discussing how different conditions can preserve remains. Which of the following is a condition that will preserve remains?
amber
frozen in permafrost
tar
all of these are correct
During a school field trip to a natural history museum, Olivia and Maya learned about ancient creatures. The guide showed them some fossilized feces and asked, "What are these called?"
coprolites
index fossils
gastroliths
amber
During a school trip to a natural history museum, Emma learned about smooth stones that dinosaurs swallowed to help digestion. What are these stones called?
coprolites
index fossils
gastroliths
amber
During a science class, Oliver found a piece of hardened tree sap in the school garden. What is this substance called?
coprolites
index fossils
gastroliths
amber
While exploring a rocky area, Charlotte found a hollowed out impression in a rock that was the same shape as a leaf. What is this type of fossil called?
cast
mold
trace fossil
index fossil
During a field trip, Arjun discovered a fossil that formed when a hollowed-out impression in a rock, a mold, filled with sediment and then hardened. What type of fossil did Arjun find?
cast
mold
trace fossil
index fossil
. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of an index fossil?
has a wide geographic range
is hard to find
is easily recognized
existed for a short geologic time
A woolly mammoth found frozen in the permafrost of Siberia is an example of...
a mold
an altered hard part
a cast
preserved remains
Luna and Ava are studying fossils in their science class. What kinds of things can they learn from fossils? Check all that apply.
what organisms were alive in the past
changes in climate
how organisms have changed (evolved)
how much soda cost in 1942
when an organism went extinct
Which is an example of absolute age?
"This trilobite is older than that dinosaur."
"That stromatolite is the absolute oldest fossil I've ever seen."
"Velociraptors lived 71-75 million years ago."
"The oldest sedimentary layer is on the bottom."
A whale bone that originally contained 200 grams of radioactive carbon-14 now contains 25 grams of carbon-14. How many half-lives have passed since this whale was alive?
1
2
3
4
If carbon-14 is heated, the length of its half-life period would
increase
decrease
remain the same
Carbon-14 can only be used to determine the age of
recently living things (thousands of years old).
recent rocks (thousands of years old).
very old fossils (millions of years old).
very old rocks (millions of years old).
What happens to a carbon-14 atom that has gone through radioactive decay?
It disappears.
It turns into nitrogen-14
It becomes soil.
It flips over so the radioactive side is face-down.
Which radioactive substance would probably be used in dating the recent remains of a plant found in sedimentary deposits?
carbon-14
rubidium-87
potassium-40
uranium-238
Why is radioactive decay useful for determining absolute age?
Radioactive substances decay at a predictable rate.
All Earth materials contain the same radioactive substances.
The mass of radioactive isotopes in a material is equal to the age of the material.
The half-life of a radioactive substance decreases by half after a certain amount of time.
The older the rock the less parent element is found in the rock.
True
False
What are the oldest fossils and why?
B, C- because they are closest to the top
A, B- because they are closest to the bottom
They are all the same age- because they are all found on layer 2
A, B- because they are found closest to the top
Which fossil is the youngest?
fossil A
fossil B
fossil C
fossils A and B are the same age
Which layer contains the youngest fossil?
layer 1
layer 2
layer 3
layer 4
Which fossil is the youngest
1
2
3
4
