wayground logo

Free Printable Worksheets

Font size

S
M
L
XL
Worksheets

Fossils

Total questions: 17

Worksheet time: 1hrs 7mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Define the term "Radioactive dating"

4 lines
2.

Using group names such as "reptile", list the sequence in which the vertebrate groups appeared in the fossil record

4 lines
3.

The first fauna appeared in which epoch?

a)

Ediacarian

b)

Cambrian

c)

Triassic

d)

Ordovician

4.

The development of amphibians a occured during which epoch?

a)

Ordovician

b)

Permian

c)

Silurian

d)

Devonian

5.

What occurred during the Triassic period?

a)

Gymnosperms increased in abundance

b)

Flowering plants form widespread rainforests

c)

Reptiles increase in number

d)

Large rise in the number of birds and mammals

6.

During what epoch did flowering plants diversify and increase in abundance?

a)

Triassic

b)

Jurassic

c)

Cretaceous

d)

Eocene

7.

What events occurred during the Jurassic epoch?

4 lines
8.

Which three events occurred during the Pleistocene epoch?

a)

Ice ages

b)

Large rise in numbers of birds

c)

Large mammals began to appear

d)

Primitive humans appeared

9.

Describe 5 different types of fossils and how they form.

4 lines
10.

Explain why the fossil record is incomplete.

4 lines
11.

Give a brief description, explaining how the geological time sale was constructed.

4 lines
12.

Some scientists estimate that only 25% of dinosaurs that existed have been discovered as fossils. Using your knowledge of what is required for the formation of fossils, explain why we will never find the examples of all the dinosaurs.

4 lines
13.

Using the decay curve for potassium to argon (page 110 of your text) how old is a fossil that had 0.1 or one-tenth of its potassium-40 remaining?

a)

Roughly 2500 million years

b)

Roughly 3500 million years

c)

Roughly 4000 million years

d)

Roughly 5000 million years

14.

Which of the following are needed of an index fossil?

a)

Have been fairly wide spread

b)

Must be from a vertebrate

c)

Be easy to identify

d)

Have been abundant

e)

Have lived for a narrow window of time

15.

The study of the layers of strata (columns of sediment) is known as:

(a)  

16.

This index fossil is known as a

(a)  

17.

This index fossil is known as a

(a)