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Geologic Time Scale- WMRS

Total questions: 40

Worksheet time: 58mins

Name
Class
Date
1.
Which era is the longest?
a)
Cenozoic
b)
Cambrian
c)
Precambrian
d)
Phanerozoic
2.

What era did the formation of the earth occur?

a)

Paleozoic

b)

Precambrian

c)

Cenozoic

d)

Cambrian

3.

How old do Paleontologists believe the Earth is?

a)

2019 years old

b)

3.6 billion years old

c)

4.6 billion years old

d)

4.6 million years old

4.

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

5.

What are the four eras in order from OLDEST to NEWEST?

a)

Pre-Cambrian, Paleozoic, Mesozoic, Cenozoic

b)

Pre-Cambrian, Mesozoic, Paleozoic, Cenozoic

c)

Cenozoic, Mesozoic, Paleozoic, Pre-Cambrian

d)

Mesozoic, Pre-Cambrian, Cenozoic, Paleozoic

6.

What are the names of ALL parts of the geologic time scale in correct order from broadest to narrowest?

a)

era, period, eon

b)

eon, era, period, epoch

c)

era, eon, epoch, period

d)

eon, era, epoch, period

7.

Known as the age of reptiles

a)

Mesozoic

b)

Cenozoic

c)

Phanerozoic

d)

Cambrian

8.
The Geologic Time Scale is a record of what?
a)
old geologists
b)
sweet geology music
c)
the known history of rocks and fossils
d)
a list of every living thing ever
9.
Known as the age of the mammals?
a)
Mesozoic Era
b)
Holocene Epoch
c)
Cenozoic Era
d)
Cambrian
10.

Which Era has the most complex organisms?

a)

Cenozoic

b)

Mesozoic

c)

Paleozoic

d)

Quaternary

11.

What is the eon, era, period, and epoch we are living in?

a)

phanerozoic, quaternary, holocene, and cenozoic

b)

phanerozoic, cenozoic, quaternary, and holocene

c)

quaternary, cenozoic, holocene, and phanerozoic

d)

quaternary, cenozoic, phanerozoic, and holocene

12.

The first three eons were: Hadean, Archaean, and Proterozoic. They are better known as:

a)

PreCambrian Time

b)

Phanerozoic

c)

Mesozoic

d)

Cenozoic

13.

What was the earth like during PreCambrian time?

a)

tropical climate with warm shallow seas

b)

vegetation and tectonic movement

c)

cooler temperatures because of nuclear winter

d)

intense volcanic activity, very warm temperatures

14.

Select the best definition for adaptation:

a)

trait or characteristic that causes an organism to survive & reproduce

b)

survival of the fittest

c)

only the strong will survive

d)

evolution by means of natural selection

15.

Which of the following is NOT an example of structural adaptation?

a)

molar teeth

b)

large wingspan

c)

pointed ears

d)

camouflage

16.

An index fossil meets all of the criteria except:

a)

Unique

b)

found across a few areas on Earth

c)

located in one rock layer

d)

lived for a brief period of time

17.

What the two factors that cause extinctions

a)

man-made influences and natural disaster

b)

man-made influences and space

c)

natural disaster and space

d)

natural disaster and oil drilling

18.

Man made extinctions include all of the following except:

a)

global cooling

b)

deforestation

c)

over-harvesting

d)

pollution

19.

Fossils are abundantly found in these types of rocks:

a)

Sedimentary

b)

Metamorphic

c)

Igneous

d)

Chris

20.

In what time period did Pangaea, the super continent, appear?

a)

Precambrian

b)

Paleozoic

c)

Mesozoic

d)

Cenozoic

21.

Dinosaurs, small mammals, and birds are found in this time period.

a)

Precambrian

b)

Paleozoic

c)

Mesozoic

d)

Cenozoic

22.

What are fossils that are abundant, easily recognizable, short lived, and widespread called?

a)

Preserved fossils

b)

Index fossils

c)

Imprints

d)

Radioactive dating

23.

What does absolute age tell us about a rock layer or fossil?

a)

The 'exact' age of a fossil determined by radiometric dating

b)

The relative age of a fossil determined by radiometric dating

c)

Younger rock layers sit on top of older rock layers

d)

Older rock layers sit on top of younger rock layers

24.

Marine plants and invertebrates were abundant during which era?

a)

Precambrian

b)

Paleozoic

c)

Mesozoic

d)

Cenozoic

25.

Which methods of dating are used primarily to compare relative ages of rock layers?

a)

fossil comparison and radioactive dating

b)

law of superposition and fossil comparison

c)

law of superposition and radioactive dating

d)

rate of sedimentation and fossil comparison

26.

Which era's animal life consisted of reptiles, small mammals, and birds?

a)

Paleozoic

b)

Mesozoic

c)

Cenozoic

27.

What era's animal life consisted mainly of invertebrates, vertebrate fish, and arachnids, amphibians, and early reptiles?

a)

Paleozoic

b)

Mesozoic

c)

Cenozoic

28.

What era's animal life consisted of large mammals, increased biodiversity and humans?

a)

Paleozoic

b)

Mesozoic

c)

Cenozoic

29.

Which era's plant life consisted mainly of mosses, ferns, and then evolved to hard-coated and seed plants at the end?

a)

Paleozoic

b)

Mesozoic

c)

Cenozoic

30.

Which era's plant life had developed flowering plants by the END?

a)

Paleozoic

b)

Mesozoic

c)

Cenozoic

31.

In what era did flowering plants become common?

a)

Paleozoic

b)

Mesozoic

c)

Cenozoic

32.

In what era did Pangaea form?

a)

Paleozoic

b)

Mesozoic

c)

Cenozoic

33.

By the end of what era had all seven continents formed?

a)

Paleozoic

b)

Mesozoic

c)

Cenozoic

34.

What era and period did the Alps and Himalayas form?

a)

Cenozoic, Quaternary

b)

Cenozoic, Tertiary

c)

Mesozoic, Jurassic

d)

Mesozoic, Triassic

35.

Which describes the climate of Pre-Cambrian?

a)

Lava, ash in atmosphere, heat, forming atmosphere and oceans

b)

Volcanic activity at plate boundaries, ice age cool climate, mountain ranges cause climate differences

c)

Rapid plate movement caused volcanic activity, climate changes, landmasses moved

d)

Tropical climate and warm shallow seas, sea levels changed, volcanic activity

36.

Which describes the climate of the Mesozoic Era?

a)

Lava, ash in atmosphere, heat, forming atmosphere and oceans

b)

Volcanic activity at plate boundaries, ice age cool climate, mountain ranges cause climate differences

c)

Rapid plate movement caused volcanic activity, climate changes, landmasses moved

d)

Tropical climate and warm shallow seas, sea levels changed, volcanic activity

37.

Which describes the climate of the Cenozoic Era?

a)

Lava, ash in atmosphere, heat, forming atmosphere and oceans

b)

Volcanic activity at plate boundaries, ice age cool climate, mountain ranges cause climate differences

c)

Rapid plate movement caused volcanic activity, climate changes, landmasses moved

d)

Tropical climate and warm shallow seas, sea levels changed, volcanic activity

38.

Which of the following describes the mass extinction that ended the Paleozoic Era?

a)

Mass extinction of marine invertebrates and amphibians

b)

Cambrian explosion

c)

Many large mammal species go extinct

d)

Mass extinction of dinosaurs possibly due to an asteroid hit

39.

Which of the following describes the mass extinction that ended the Mesozoic Era?

a)

Mass extinction of marine invertebrates and amphibians

b)

Cambrian explosion

c)

Many large mammal species go extinct

d)

Mass extinction of dinosaurs possibly due to an asteroid hit

40.

Which of the following describes the mass extinction that occurred during the Cenozoic Era?

a)

Mass extinction of marine invertebrates and amphibians

b)

Cambrian explosion

c)

Many large mammal species went extinct

d)

Mass extinction of dinosaurs possibly due to an asteroid hit