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Geological Evidence Review

Total questions: 30

Worksheet time: 3hrs 30mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Refer to the diagram for the question. Which is the best index fossil?

a)

A

b)

B

c)

C

d)

D

2.

Fossil types and distribution of fossils can tell scientist what?

a)

Ancient region's climate and environment

b)

Ancient region's land to water ratio

c)

Current plate and animal life

d)

A chemical composition of a rock layer

3.

If a Scientist wanted to study the genetic make-up of an organism, which would be the best type of fossil to study?

a)

Trace fossils

b)

Permineralized fossils

c)

Preserved fossils

d)

Carbon film

4.

Preserved fossils can be found in all of the following types of materials except for -----.

a)

Ice

b)

Tar

c)

Amber

d)

Wood

5.

All of these things make the best index fossils except for ---.

a)

Fossils that lived for a short period of time

b)

Fossils that lived in many time periods

c)

Fossils that are widespread

d)

Fossils that are unique

6.

This is an image of the female wooly mammoth that was found in Siberia frozen for thousands of years. This wooly mammoth is what kind of fossil?

a)

Mold fossil

b)

Cast fossil

c)

Preserved fossil

d)

Permineralized fossil

7.

Based on this diagram, what fossil is the youngest?

a)

Early horses

b)

Dinosaurs

c)

Armored fish

d)

Trilobites

8.

Fossil evidence has mainly been used to do what?

a)

Explain how the Earth's environment is currently

b)

Subdivide geologic time into units or periods

c)

Identify unconformities in rock layers

d)

Explain catastrophic events that have happened in the past and today

9.

This diagram shows a cross section of rock layers. Which geologic event happened the most recently

a)

C

b)

F

c)

D

d)

E

10.

In an undisturbed sedimentary rock layer, which layer would be the oldest?

a)

A

b)

C

c)

D

d)

E

11.

A team of Scientist discovered a trail of dinosaur tracks and were able to calculate how fast the dinosaur could walk. What type of fossil is this?

a)

Mold fossil

b)

Cast fossil

c)

Trace fossil

d)

Carbon film

12.

Which layer of rock in this cross section represents an intrusion?

a)

C

b)

F

c)

Z

d)

E

13.

In what order were these layers of rock deposited over time?

a)

A, B, C, D, E

b)

C, B, A, D, E

c)

C, D, B, A, E

d)

D, C, B, A, E

14.

What is the relative age of the igneous intrusion?

a)

The igneous intrusion is younger than layer E

b)

The igneous intrusion is older than layer E

c)

The igneous intrusion is the same age as layer C

d)

The igneous intrusion is older than layer F

15.

Compare the relative ages of these rock layers.

a)

The trilobites are younger than the dinosaurs

b)

The trilobites are older than the early horses

c)

The early horses are older than the dinosaurs

d)

The armored fish are younger than the early horses

16.

A team of scientist discovered a fossil that was formed when an organism was buried by sediment and changed into rock. The organism decayed and left an impression of its shape in the rock that was filled with sand and mud before hardening. What type of fossil did these scientist discover?

a)

Cast fossil

b)

Mold fossil

c)

Petrified fossil

d)

Preserved fossil

17.

What type of fossils are unique, lived for a short amount of time, and many of the organisms can be found in rock layers?

a)

Petrified fossils

b)

Index fossils

c)

Trace fossils

d)

Carbon film

18.

What type of fossil is formed when water and minerals soak into buried remains in sediment, replacing the remains and crystalizing them changing them into rock?

a)
b)
c)
d)
19.

Why were jellyfish an uncommon fossil?

a)

They evolved in very small numbers and were rare to find

b)

They have soft body structures that tend to decay leaving no traces after decomposition

c)

They have tiny bodies and were difficult to find after decomposition

d)

They died in swamps and the acid in the water caused the remains to decay

20.

Many fossils that probably lived in the ocean were found in a mountain range. What can be concluded regarding the place in which these fossils are found?

a)

The mountains were once covered by the sea at some point in the past

b)

The mountains were once covered by glaciers at some point in the past

c)

The mountains were once covered by desert land at some point in the past

d)

The mountains were dry and cold in the past

21.

How are volcanic ash deposits useful to geologist?

a)

It shows when an unconformity might have occurred

b)

Serve as a geologic time marker

c)

Serve as an indicator of mass extinctions

d)

Date catastrophic geologic events

22.

What could have caused diversity of mammals and larger mammals to appear in the Paleogene period?

a)

Evolution of humans

b)

Appearance of the first flowering plants

c)

Extinction of the dinosaurs

d)

Appearance of the first vascular land plants

23.

What do fossils preserved in ash deposits reveal about the Earth's past?

a)

There were massive volcanic eruptions in the past

b)

There were more aquatic organisms in the past

c)

The climate was changing from hot to cold in the past

d)

The area was once a part of a mountain range

24.

Pieces of rock and a huge crater were discovered in the Yucatan peninsula. It is believed this discovery was from the giant asteroid that struct Earth almost 65 million years ago. What did this catastrophic event cause?

a)

The ocean levels to rise covering the entire Earth with water

b)

Caused the start of a series of volcanic explosions

c)

Caused a mass extinction of many life-forms at the time

d)

Caused all of the continents to collide to form one large landmass called Pangea

25.

A student studies the geologic time scale and concluded that the dinosaurs became extinct due to humans. Why is the student's claims wrong?

a)

Dinosaurs suddenly evolved into aquatic animals leaving the land for the sea

b)

Dinosaurs died due to the loss of food sources during the Jurassic Period

c)

Dinosaurs evolved into humans after the Cenozoic Era began

d)

Dinosaurs did not exist at the same time as humans according to the time scale

26.

The Law of Superposition helps Scientists determine what?

a)

The absolute age of rock layers

b)

The species in which a fossil is closely related to

c)

The age of a fossil in comparison to other fossils

d)

The diet of most organisms by looking at their fossils

27.

Scientists use radioactive dating to measure ---.

a)

relative time

b)

absolute time

c)

half-lives

d)

time of day

28.
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
29.

Scientists chose where units of geologic time began and ended based on the appearance or disappearance of life.

a)

true

b)

false

30.

What type of event usually marks the end of an Era

a)

A Mass Extinction

b)

A Quinceanera

c)

An earthquake

d)

A Volcanic Eruption