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Rocks & the Fossil Record

Total questions: 43

Worksheet time: 35mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

According to this Principle, if one geologic feature cuts across another feature, the feature that it cuts across is older.

a)

Cross-Cutting Relationships

b)

Superposition

c)

Original Horizontality

d)

Lateral Continuity

e)

Inclusion

2.

According to this Principle, if one geologic feature cuts across another feature, the feature that it cuts across is older.

a)

Cross-Cutting Relationships

b)

Superposition

c)

Original Horizontality

d)

Lateral Continuity

e)

Inclusion

3.

______ is a hard, translucent fossilized resin, typically yellowish in color. This is usually tree sap.

a)

Amber

b)

Fossil

c)

Trace Fossil

4.

A frozen organism does not decay because

a)

it is dried out.

b)

most bacteria can't survive freezing temperatures.

c)

most bacteria survive freezing temperatures.

d)

it needs water to decay.

5.
The number of years that have passed since the rock formed is the rock's
a)
relative age
b)
law of superposition
c)
absolute age
d)
index fossil
6.

One method used to estimate the absolute age of a stream is to

a)

count the nmber of streams that join the stream along its full length.

b)

measure the amount of sediment.

c)

measure the rate at which water flows through the stream during a flood.

d)

measure the rate at wich the stream erodes its bed.

7.

The way fossils are formed in very dry places is called

a)

petrification

b)

mummification

c)

sedimentation

d)

imprinting

8.

Whihc of the following are all ways that organisms can be fossilized?

a)

freezing, pretrification, desiccation, amber

b)

desiccation, pretrification, mummification, amber

c)

amber, pretrification, mummification, freezing

d)

mummification, desiccation, pretrification, freezing

9.

The theory that Earth's history can be explained by current geologic processes is:

a)

Catastrophism

b)

Uniformitarism

c)

Superposition

d)

Unconformity

10.

If an igneous intrusion is observed thorugh a layer of sedimentary rock, what geological law applies?

a)

law of superposition

b)

law of crosscutting relationsips

c)

law of thermodynamics

d)

law of uniformitarianism

11.

Index fossils found in rock layers in different areas of the world indicate that the rock layers

a)

are still forming.

b)

formed during the same period of time.

c)

formed during different periods of time.

d)

never fully formed.

12.

In radiometric dating scientists compare the proportion of a radioactive parent isotope to a stable

a)

sister isotope

b)

mother isotope

c)

daughter isotope

d)

child isotope

13.

Organisms that formed index fossils

a)

were destroyed by igneous rocks.

b)

were destroyed by sedimentary rocks.

c)

lived during long spans of geologic time.

d)

lived during short spans of geologic time.

14.

Younger layers of undisturbed sedimentary rock are above older layers of according to

a)

the principle of sedimentarianism.

b)

angular unconformity.

c)

the principle of uniformitarianism.

d)

law of superposition.

15.
The age of a rock compared to the ages of other rocks is the rock's
a)
absolute age
b)
geologic age
c)
sedimentary age
d)
relative age
16.

Almost all fossils are discoved in

a)

metamorphic rock.

b)

sedimentary rock.

c)

igneous rock.

d)

volcanic rock.

17.

Fossil imprints are

a)

carbonized isotopes of organic material.

b)

carbonized trace fossils.

c)

carbonized bones of animals or fish.

d)

carbonized impressions of plants or fish.

18.

Why is radioactive decay used to determine the absolute age of rocks?

a)

Radioactive decay cannot be used to determine the age of rock.

b)

Radioactive decay does not happen at a constant rate.

c)

Radioactive decay happens very quickly.

d)

Radioactive decay happens at a relatively constant rate.

19.

How is radioactive decay used to determine the absolute age of rocks?

a)

Radioactive substnaces are compared to non-radioactive substnaces.

b)

Daughter isotopes are compared to sister isotopes.

c)

Isotopes of different compounds are compared.

d)

Parent isotopes are compared to daughter isotopes.

20.

Carbon-14 is an isotope

a)

that cannot be used to date objects.

b)

used to date objects less than 70,000 years old.

c)

formed by radioactive decay.

d)

used to date objects over 6,000 years old.

21.
A break in the geologic record that is made when rock layers are eroded over a long period of time
a)
Law of Superposition
b)
Law of Crosscutting
c)
Relative Dating
d)
Unconformity
22.

An unconformity is a(n)

a)

layer of sedimentary rocks.

b)

gap in the rock record.

c)

intrusion.

d)

layer of rocks with unusual fossils.

23.

Which of the following enviroments would most likely NOT contain fossils?

a)

sediment deosited in a riverbed

b)

a thick deposit of dried mud

c)

layers of sand that accumulate over thousands of years

d)

intrusive rock formed from cool magma

24.

Which of the following is important if an organism is to become a fossil?

a)

slow burial and soft parts

b)

rapid burial and hard parts

c)

rapid burial and soft parts

d)

slow burial and hard parts

25.
The best index fossils have which two traits?
a)
widespread geographically, long lifespan
b)
widespread geographically, short lifespan
c)
specific place, long lifespan
d)
specific place, short lifespan
26.

The circled fossil is only found over a short period of time in one geologic layer, so it could be used to date the layer it was found in. What do we call this type of fossil?

a)

bone fossil

b)

bad fossil

c)

crab fossil

d)

index fossil

27.
Scientists use radioactive decay to measure...
a)
relative time
b)
absolute time
c)
half-lives
d)
time of day
28.

How many grams of Carbon-14 will remain after 17,100 years- C-14 has a half life 5,730 so 17,100 is about 3 half lives?

a)

32 g

b)

16 g

c)

8 g

d)

4 g

29.
You find a rock sample with radioactive atoms present.  If 25% of the original radioactive atoms were present, how many half-lives has the rock been around for? (Hint, at Half-Life = 0, you start with 100%)
a)
zero
b)
1
c)
2
d)
3
30.
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
31.

What percentage of Rubidium-87 will remain after 4 half-lives?

a)

25%

b)

12.5%

c)

6.25%

d)

3.125%

32.

What type of fossil is formed when mud fills in the hollow spaces around something hard, such as a shell, and then hardens. This results in a hollow space shaped exactly like the original object?

a)

amber

b)

mold

c)

petrified

d)

cast

33.

Which type of fossil is formed when water deposits minerals to fill in a space. This fossil has the exact same shape as the original organism?

a)

petrified

b)

imprint

c)

cast

d)

mold

34.

This is a fossil in which minerals replace part or all of an organism. making it rock like.

a)

imprint

b)

cast

c)

petrified

d)

amber

35.

The remains or traces of prehistoric life found in sediment and sedimentary rocks.

a)

fossils

b)

unaltered remains

c)

altered remains

d)

carbonization

36.

A fossil that shows the activity of organisms

a)

index fossil

b)

cast and mold

c)

preserved fossil

d)

trace fossil

37.

Which of the following is NOT a way a fossil can be preserved?

a)

tar

b)

amber

c)

water

d)

ice

38.

What type of rock forms fossils?

a)

Intrusive Igneous

b)

Extrusive Igneous

c)

Sedimentary

d)

Metamorphic

39.
What are the remains, imprints, or traces of once-living organisms?
a)
index fossils
b)
fossil
c)
mold
d)
cast
40.

Which layer is OLDER? Layer M or Intrusion P?

a)

Layer M

b)

Intrusion P

41.
Which of the following is the oldest?
a)
Layer L
b)
Intrusion D
c)
Intrusion H
d)
Layer E
42.
Which of the following correctly lists the layers in order from oldest to youngest?
a)
A, B, C, D, E
b)
E, B, C, D, A
c)
E, D, C, B, A
d)
C, B, A, D, E
43.

Which layer is OLDER? Intrusion M or Layer D?

a)

Intrusion M

b)

Layer D