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WorksheetsEvolution,Relative Dating, Absolute Dating
Total questions: 60
Worksheet time: 1hrs 27mins
Name
Class
Date
1.
The length of time required for half of the radioactive atoms in a sample to decay is its...
a)
era
b)
age
c)
half-life
d)
eon
2.
How does absolute age differ from relative age?
a)
only absolute dating indicates which rock is older than another
b)
only absolute dating finds the age in years
c)
only relative dating finds the age in years
3.
Radiometric dating is possible because the rates of decay of radioactive isotopes _____.
a)
change over time
b)
change from place to place
c)
are constant
d)
vary widely
4.
The time it takes for 50% of the nuclei in a radioactive sample to decay to its stable isotope is called _____.
a)
the daughter product
b)
geologic time
c)
the half-life
d)
the half-time
5.
If the half-life of a radioactive group of atoms is 100 years, then how old is the rock if there have been two half-lives?
a)
25 years
b)
200 years
c)
400 years
d)
800 years
6.
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
7.
Which rock layer in the diagram seems to be the oldest?
a)
F
b)
E
c)
B
d)
A
8.
According to the law of superposition, which layer is the youngest?
a)
A
b)
B
c)
C
9.
Which type of dating method can be used on rock layers by applying the Law of Superposition?
a)
relative dating
b)
absolute dating
c)
radioactive dating
d)
radiometric dating
10.
states that the geologic feature which cuts another is the younger of the two features
a)
law of horizontality
b)
cross cutting relationships
c)
law of superposition
d)
uniformitarianism
11.
Letter "F" is a....
a)
inclusion
b)
intrusion
c)
fault
d)
unconformity
12.
What element is usually used to date fossils?
a)
uranium-235
b)
carbon-14
c)
mercury-203
d)
thorium-234
13.
All plants and ANIMALS contain carbon.
a)
True
b)
False
14.
Traces or remains of organisms that lived long ago
a)
Fossil
b)
Unconformity
c)
Superposition
d)
Column
15.
Fossils are one of the evidence that support this theory that explains how living things descended from earlier organisms.
a)
Law of Superposititon
b)
Radioactive Dating
c)
Absolute Age
d)
Scientific Theory of Evolution
16.
An organism that no longer exists and will never again live on Earth is considered to be _______________.
a)
extinct
b)
evolution
c)
a fossil
d)
half life
17.
The ___________ of a rock is its age compared to the ages of other rocks.
a)
Law of Superposition
b)
Relative age
c)
Evolution
d)
Fossils
18.
______________________ is a change over time. It is a change in characteristics of a species over a period of time.
a)
Law of Superposition
b)
Fossil
c)
Evolution
d)
Radioactive dating
19.
____________________ are fossils that help geologists match rock layers. They are useful, because they are widely distributed in the rock and represent an organism that existed for a geologically short period of time.
a)
Absolute Age
b)
Index Fossils
c)
Half life
d)
Extinct
20.
The _____________ of a rock is the number of years that have passed since the rock formed.
a)
absolute age
b)
carbon dating
c)
extinct
d)
fossil
21.
How old do Paleontologists believe the Earth is?
a)
2015 years old
b)
3.6 billion years old
c)
4.6 billion years old
d)
4.6 million years old
22.
April is older than Zack, who is older than Rick. This is an example of:
a)
Relative Dating
b)
Absolute Dating
c)
Law of superposition
d)
radiometric dating
23.
What determines how closely related two species are?
a)
how recently they shared a common ancestor
b)
how closely they live to each other
c)
the carbon outline of the organism
d)
the relative order in the fossil record
24.
Studying the relationship between organisms by comparing their structures
a)
biological evolution
b)
fossil record
c)
comparative anatomy
d)
variation
25.
Which process forms fossils?
a)
strutural
b)
variation
c)
carbonization
d)
mineralization
26.
Which structure is homologous to the human arm?
a)
fish's gill
b)
bird's bill
c)
insect's wing
d)
bat's wing
27.
Patterns in the fossil record show that species on Earth
a)
always stay the same
b)
adapt to all environmental change
c)
change over time
28.
An example of a fossil formed by mineralization is
a)
a piece of petrified wood
b)
mammoth in ice
c)
insect in amber
d)
carbon outline of a fern
29.
Homologous body parts do NOT always have similar
a)
structures
b)
locations
c)
functions
30.
Which situation offers evidence of extinction?
a)
presence of identical fossils throughout the fossil record
b)
disappearance of a type of fossil in the fossil record
c)
appearance of a new species in the fossil record
d)
appearance of several fossils with similar body plans
31.
Studying relationships between organisms by comparing their embryos
a)
adaptation
b)
variation
c)
embryology
32.
Studying relationships between organisms by comparing their genes and proteins
a)
comparative anatomy
b)
evolution
c)
molecular biology
33.
Overproduction, variation, survival, and inheritance are the four parts of
a)
evolution
b)
molecular biology
c)
natural selection
34.
The two ways scientists can find the age of a fossil are relative dating and
a)
natural selection
b)
embryology
c)
absolute dating
35.
What type of organism leaves a carbon fossil behind?
a)
plant
b)
sea creature
36.
This type of fossil leaves a 3-D impression of an organism behind
a)
cast fossil
b)
trace fossil
37.
Body parts that are structurally similar in related species and that provide evidence of a common ancestor.
a)
Half Life
b)
Fossils
c)
Evolution
d)
Homologous Structures
38.
A trait that lets an organism survive or reproduce
a)
Fossils
b)
Evolution
c)
Adaptation
d)
Half Life
39.
The theory that species evolve during short periods of rapid change.
a)
Gradualism
b)
Punctuated equilibrium
c)
Adaptation
d)
Half Life
40.
Any change in the DNA of an organism
a)
Mutation
b)
Half Life
c)
Missing Link
d)
Variation
41.
Gaps in the fossil record
a)
Missing Link
b)
Sedimentary rock
c)
Fossil
d)
Variation
42.
The law of superposition states
a)
the oldest rock layer is on the top, the younger rock layer is on the bottom
b)
rock layers are always in sequence from oldest to youngest
c)
the youngest rock layer is on the bottom and the oldest is on the top
d)
the oldest layer is on the bottom and the youngest is on the top when it is undisturbed
43.
Ostrich wings are examples of
a)
homologous structures
b)
vestigial structures
c)
adaptations
d)
traits
44.
Dolphins have the same arm structure as wolfs, what type of evidence for evolution does this represent?
a)
DNA
b)
vestigial structures
c)
homologous structures
d)
embryology
45.
Why do embryologist study embryos?
a)
to see if they are related
b)
to understand adaptations
c)
to determine the age
d)
to learn what parents are vestigial
46.
Absolute age is defined as:
a)
The age of rock determined by radiometric dating.
b)
The age of rock based on living animals.
c)
The age of rock based on its location.
d)
The age of rock determined by carbon dating.
47.
According to the law of __________, in horizontal sedimentary rock layers the oldest layer is at the bottom and the youngest layer is at the top.
a)
Superposition
b)
Index Fossil
c)
Alfred Wegener
d)
Geologic Records
48.
What is the term used to identify a scientist who studies fossils?
a)
Paleontologist
b)
Carbon Film
c)
Trace fossil
d)
cast
49.
Trilobites are good index fossils because.... (pick the best answer).
a)
abundant, large
b)
abundant, widespread geographically, and only lived a short time
c)
only lived for a short time period
d)
were large
carbonized
carbonized
50.
The amount of time it takes for 50% of the remaining radioactive material to decay into stable material is called:
a)
radiocarbon dating
b)
radioactive decay
c)
half-life
d)
successive decay time
51.
By saying: "I am older than my sister," is an example of which type of dating used in Geology:
a)
Relative Age/Dating
b)
Absolute Age/Dating
c)
Chronological Sibling Timelies
d)
Fossil Age/Dating
52.
True or False: The geologic record can help scientists to determine past environment and climate conditions.
a)
True
b)
False
c)
Maybe
d)
Sometimes
53.
True or False: An intrusion and fault are ALWAYS younger than the rock they cut through.
a)
True: because the rock layers must be there initially - the fault or intrusion cannot occur in nothing.
b)
False: they are always younger.
54.
An element that has broken down and released particles and energy is said to be _______________.
a)
radioactive
b)
subatomic
55.
Some ELEMENTS can decay over time.
a)
True
b)
False
56.
The element that is the product of radioactive decay is known as the...
a)
daughter element
b)
half-life
c)
parent element
d)
carbon-14
57.
The original element that undergoes radioactive decay is known as the...
a)
daughter element
b)
half-life
c)
parent element
d)
carbon-14
58.
What do fossils, anatomical structures and DNA have in common?
a)
They are all considered evidence for evolution
b)
They are all in humans
c)
They do not have anything in common
d)
They involve animals only
59.
Method by which a geologist can calculate the absolute age of the rock by knowing the half-life of an isotope
a)
radiometric dating
b)
relative dating
c)
absolute dating
60.
The Law of Superposition states that younger rocks lie _________ older ones.
a)
above
b)
below
c)
mixed within
d)
all the time to
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