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WorksheetsEarth's History Unit Test
Total questions: 54
Worksheet time: 5hrs 30mins
Which of these provides the BEST evidence that the distribution of Earth’s oceans has changed over time?
hot spots on ocean floors
seismic activity along plate boundaries
sediment buildup on continental slope
marine fossils found on land masses
Scientists estimate that if index fossils were deposited during a certain time frame, then the entire rock layer was also deposited at the same time.
A scientist finds Trophite fossils. According to the chart above, in what era and period was this rock layer deposited?
Cenozoic era; Tertiary period
Mesozoic era; Triassic period
Paleozoic era; Permian period
Paleozoic era; Mississippian period
Which method would be BEST for scientists to use to determine the absolute age of a Precambrian igneous rock?
Index fossils
law of superosition
radiometric dating
law of original horizontality
A teacher gave students this diagram of rock layers. The teacher directed the students to determine the relative age of each rock layer based only on the information presented in the diagram.
Which method can BEST be used by the students to determine the relative age of these layers?
radiometric dating
rock type evaluation
the law of superposition
principle of uniformitarianism
Which environmental condition MOST likely existed at the time a fossil formed?
Organism remains were deposited in an area of open space
Organism remains were covered by lava flow.
Organism remains were buried with little oxygen.
Organism remains were buried in an area where a lot of erosion occurred.
When two fish die, Fish A sinks to the bottom of a lake and Fish B washes up on the rocky lake shore.
Why is a fossil more likely to form from the body of Fish A than from the body of Fish B?
Soft parts of the fish will decay more quickly in the water.
Sediments in the water will quickly cover the fish
Scavengers in the water will eat the remains of the fish.
Currents in the water will move the fish.
A scientist drew some diagrams of ancestors of elephants based on fossil evidence.
Which is the BEST conclusion that can be made from comparing the diagrams?
Elephant species have changed over time.
Ancient elephants were better adapted than modern elephants
Elephant habitats have remained the same over time.
Elephant fossil evidence is widespread and complete
Scientists are able to conclude that a forested ecosystem existed in Antarctica millions of years ago by studying:
the current climate
the fossil record
glacial movement
seafloor spreading
Which statement best describes the Law of Superposition?
Each sedimentary layer of rock represents 1,000 years of Earth’s age, much like the rings of a tree.
In undisturbed layers of sedimentary rock, the upper rock layers are older than the lower rock layers.
In undisturbed layers of sedimentary rock, the lowest layers contain the older rocks.
Rocks that form near volcanoes are older than surrounding rock.
What do earthquakes tell scientists about the history of the planet?
Earth’s climate is constantly changing.
The continents of Earth are continually moving.
Dinosaurs became extinct about 65 million years ago.
The oceans are much deeper today than millions years ago.
What information can radioactive dating give?
relative age of a rock sample
absolute age of a rock sample
number of trace fossils in a rock sample
number of index fossils in a rock sample
What is most likely indicated by high concentrations of dust and ash in an ice core?
tsunamis
tidal waves
earthquakes
volcanic eruptions
Which best describes lava intrusions in rock layers?
A. fossil rock
igneous rock
sedimentary rock
metamorphic rock
Geological evidence shows that fossil ancestors of Australian species are the same as fossil ancestors of species in Africa, South America, India, and Antarctica. Which best explains this?
Rocks containing fossils of these organisms were carried to other places by ocean currents.
Global climate changes occurred, forcing animals to migrate from their native lands.
The same organisms evolved separately on different continents.
These areas were once connected as one continent as Pangaea
Which crop would most likely survive a sudden change in the environment?
corn plants that have been cloned from the same plant
corn plants that have a high degree of genetic variation
corn plants that have been treated with the same concentration of pesticides
corn plants that have been genetically modified to only grow in direct sunlight
The lizards shown above live in the same desert environment. Which is most likely true about these lizards?
The lizards have equal death rates because they both have predators in the desert environment.
The lizards have equal survival rates because they have each adapted to the desert environment.
The light-colored lizard has a better survival rate because its skin allows it to blend in more with the desert environment.
The dark-colored lizard has a better survival rate because its skin is better able to absorb sunlight in the desert environment.
The image above shows four species of finches Charles Darwin found on the Galapagos Islands.
Q: How has genetic variation impacted these birds’ survival as they coexist in the same ecosystem?
Genetic variation has allowed the birds to adapt to feed upon different sources on the island.
Genetic variation has caused the birds to develop larger eyes in order to more easily spot prey and predators.
Genetic variation has caused the birds to be active during different times of the day in order to avoid competition.
Genetic variation has allowed the birds to adapt to have different appearances in order to camouflage in the environment.
Based on the idea of “survival of the fittest,” which characteristic is most important for the survival of a species of organisms?
long life span
large body size
genetic variation
ability to run or fly
Which is the best example of an index fossil?
corals found in rock layers worldwide
dinosaur bones found only in Australia
footprints of different types of dinosaurs
casts of bird feathers found in all layers of rock in an area
A fault is found that cuts through lower rock layers but not those above it. What can most likely be concluded?
The fault is the same age as the layers it cuts through, and the same age as the layers above it.
The fault is younger than the layers it cuts through, and younger than the layers above it.
The fault is younger than the layers it cuts through, but older than the layers above it.
The fault is older than the layers it cuts through, but younger than the layers above it.
Which data can be directly determined by studying ice core samples?
changes in plant life
changes in animal life
changes in climate patterns
changes in energy resources
Which is the most accurate method scientists can use to estimate Earth’s age?
relativism
superposition
relative dating
radioactive dating
The geologic map below shows several rock formations exposed when a road is cut through a hillside.
Which formation in this geological map is youngest?
1
2
3
4
What do we call a trait or behavior that gives an organism and advantage in their environment? This gives them a better chance of survival and reproduction.
adaptation
variation
trait
advantage
What theory has the most evidence to support why the dinosaurs died out?
There was an asteroid that hit the Earth 65 million years ago
There was an unusual number of volcanic eruptions 65 mya
The rise rise of the mammals 65 mya caused a competition for food
A major climate change caused by global cooling
The increasing population of cyanobacteria used CO2 to create food. The oxygen produced as a byproduct of photosynthesis interacted with Methane in the Earth's atmosphere causing a decrease in both greenhouse gasses. The lower levels of methane and carbon dioxide caused
a major global cooling and glaciation event
a major global warming and mass extinction
the ozone stabilization event
the Cambrian explosion event
About 2.5 billion years ago cyanobacteria appeared in the oceans. These photosynthesizing microbes used CO2 and light to produce food. O2 was a byproduct of this reaction. Over Millions of years the oxygen levels increased creating an event known as the
Great oxygenation event
KT mass extinction
Great warming event
Cambrian Explosion
This particular fossil fuel formed from dead marine animals and phytoplankton collecting at the bottom of the ocean during the mesozoic era.
glaciation
fossils
crude oil
coal beds
In which epoch are we currently living?
Mississippian
Pennsylvanian
Paleocene
Holocene
What is the leading cause of mass extinctions of life on Earth?
Mass extinctions are most commonly caused by a dramatic change in some part of the earth system that affects key populations of organisms.
Mass extinctions are most commonly by the shock wave from the collision of a comet or meteoroid with the Earth.
Mass extinctions are most commonly by radiation poisoning from the Sun's solar winds.
Mass extinctions are most commonly by floods that cover all of the land masses on the planet.
The entire history of the Earth can be divided into the Precambrian (ancient) Eon and the Phanerozoic (current) Eon. Which of the following 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
A group of organisms that are closely related and can mate to produce fertile offspring
Fossil
Paleozoic
Era
Species
The struggle among living things to get the necessary amount of food, water, and shelter
Species
Organism
Adaptation
Competition
Who studied animal variations of the Galapagos islands, which led to theory of natural selection.
Linnaeus
Lamarck
Darwin
Anning
A process by which individuals that are better adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce than other members of the same species.
Inheritance
Evolution
Natural Selection
Hypothesize
Changes in the gene pool over time. For example: In our Darwinian simulation lab your population changed. The most effective adaptations became prominent in the population over time.
Mitosis
Genetic Variation
Gene Pool
Genetic Drift
On the Galapagos Islands, different finches evolved on different islands to fit their environment. When a species develops unique traits because it is trapped in one area this is called:
Geographic isolation
Geologic separation
General relocation
Genetic differentiation
One female salmon can lay hundreds of eggs. Why doesn't the salmon population increase dramatically?
Salmon reproduce asexually
Most offspring do not grow up to reproduce
Salmon eggs don't hatch
Salmon are extinct
What eon, era, period, and epoch are we currently living?
Phanerozoic eon, Cenozoic era, Quaternary period, and Holocene epoch
Precambrian eon, Mesozoic era, Quaternary period, Eocene epoch
Archean eon, Cenozoic era, Jurassic period, Holocene epoch
Phanerozoic eon, Cenozoic era, Tertiary period, Holocene epoch
