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Geologic History and Fossils

Total questions: 37

Worksheet time: 28mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Which letter best represents an index fossil?

a)

A

b)

B

c)

C

d)

D

2.
The geologic time scale is a record of....
a)
the history of fossils only
b)
the history of rocks
c)
the history of rock layers and fossils
d)
geologist notes
3.

What two methods are used to divide and classify the geological time scale?

a)

Living organisms

b)

rock strata or layers

c)

DNA

d)

fossils

4.

Earth is thought to be formed ______ years ago?

a)

200 thousand

b)

3 million

c)

4.6 billion

d)

who knows

5.

What is stratigraphy?

a)

the study of the fossilized remains of plants and animals

b)

the study of the layers of rock

c)

the study of how the continents have moved and are still moving

d)

the study of how carbon is stored in Earth's permafrost

6.

What is the Law of Superposition?

a)

All principle that states that rock layers were formed as horizontal layers

b)

A gap in rock layers due to erosion of a weak layer of rock

c)

A principle that states that an intrusive layer of igneous rock will always be younger than the rock it cuts through.

d)

A principle that states that the deeper a rock is, the older it is unless it has been disturbed or altered.

7.

What is the Law of Original Horizontality?

a)

All principle that states that rock layers were formed as flat layers

b)

A gap in rock layers due to erosion of a weak layer of rock

c)

A principle that states that an intrusive layer of igneous rock will always be younger than the rock it cuts through.

d)

A principle that states that the deeper a rock is, the older it is unless it has been disturbed or altered.

8.

What is the Law of Cross-Cutting Relationships?

a)

All principle that states that rock layers were formed as flat layers

b)

A gap in rock layers due to erosion of a weak layer of rock

c)

A principle that states that an intrusive layer of igneous rock will always be younger than the rock it cuts through.

d)

A principle that states that the deeper a rock is, the older it is unless it has been disturbed or altered.

9.

What is Relative Age Dating?

a)

The dating of rocks in how they compare to the rocks that are around them.

b)

The use of fossils to help find the age of a rock.

c)

The use of radioactive elements in rock to find a highly accurate estimate of the age of the rock.

d)

Dating of a rock layer based on how far it is from Earth's core.

10.

Which layer is the oldest?

a)

E

b)

A

c)

B

d)

C

e)

D

11.

Fossils made from organisms that were fairly common and existed only during a certain span of time, used to determine the age of rock layers.

a)

Index Fossils

b)

Unconformities

c)

Inclusions

d)

Trace Fossils

12.

List from youngest to oldest

a)

BAECD

b)

DCEAB

c)

CEABD

d)

ACEDB

13.
By determining the age of fossils, scientists can reconstruct the history of life on Earth
a)
True
b)
False
14.
In layers of sedimentary rock, the _________ layer is usually at the bottom. Each higher layer is _________ than the layers below it.
a)
oldest, younger
b)
youngest, older
c)
youngest, younger
d)
oldest, older
15.
What is a mass extinction?
a)
the extinction of all of Earth's species at ones time
b)
the extinction of many types of organisms at the same time
c)
the end of days
d)
the creation of many species at one time
16.

Which layer is the youngest?

a)

Layer G

b)

Layer F

c)

Layer A

17.
What fossil is the oldest?
a)
d
b)
b
c)
a
d)
c
18.
Where is the magma at in this picture?
a)
none of the above 
b)
c
c)
f
d)
d
19.
In this picture the igneous intrusion is drawn in
a)
pink
b)
orange
c)
blue
d)
purple
20.

Which rock is formed form the cooling of volcanic ash on Earth's surface?

a)

intrusive igneous

b)

foliated metamorphic

c)

extrusive igneous

d)

organic sedimentary

21.

Rocks that form from colling magma inside Earth?

a)

Igneous intrusive

b)

Igneous extrusive

c)

Metamorphic foliated

d)

Metamorphic nonfoliated

22.
The igneous intrusion in this picture is colored in
a)
grey
b)
yellow
c)
blue
d)
pink
23.

What are the oldest fossils and why?

a)

B, C- because they are closest to the top

b)

A, B- because they are closest to the bottom

c)

They are all the same age- because they are all found on layer 2

d)

A, B- because they are found closest to the top

24.

When did fossil A become extinct?

a)

Layer 1

b)

Layer 2

c)

Layer 3

d)

Layer 4

25.

Fossil A is an ancient mollusk, an organism that needs water to survive. Why do you think that the mollusk went extinct in this particular sample of the fossil record?

a)

When the ocean levels rose in layer 4, the mollusk went extinct because they cannot live in water

b)

For some reason, the ocean disappeared causing the mollusk to thrive

c)

For some reason, the ocean disappeared causing the mollusk to go extinct

d)

When the ocean level rose in layer 4, the mollusk thrived because they need water

26.

Do not rush, examine the diagram. How has life evolved starting with the oldest fossils?

a)

Life started in the ocean and over time organism became to appear with no common ancestors. Fish evolved first, then reptiles, then mammals and finally birds.

b)

Life started in the ocean then slowly evolved through natural selection to life on land. Fish evolved first, then reptiles, then mammals and finally birds.

c)

Life started on land and over time humans began to evolve into fish, then reptiles, and birds.

d)

Life started in the ocean as four-legged amphibians which then evolved to palm trees, then to dinosaurs, and eventually into humans.

27.

Why would a FISH fossil be in the DESERT?

a)

A desert formed in an area that was once covered by an ocean.

b)

A bird must have dropped the fish as it flew over the desert.

c)

Water, wind, and ice must have brought the fish to the desert.

d)

The fossil came from a volcano that started on the ocean floor.

28.

Organisms D and C clearly lived in an aquatic (water) environment. Organism A does not look like it lived in the water. What is the most likely explanation for this?

a)

The fossil in layer A died on land and was carried to the water

b)

The fossils in layer C and D did not live in the same location as the fossil in layer A

c)

The environment changed over a long period of time. It used to be under water, but is not anymore

29.

What is a likely event that occurred between fossil layers B and D?

a)

explosion of new species

b)

mass extinction

c)

can not tell from the image

d)

small changes to the environment

30.
The rock formation labeled "P" is a(n)...
a)
fault
b)
intrusion
c)
inclusion
d)
unconformity
31.
Letter "F" is a....
a)
inclusion
b)
intrusion
c)
fault
d)
unconformity 
32.
Letter "A" is an....
a)
inclusion
b)
intrusion
c)
fault
d)
unconformity 
33.
What are the relative ages of the features in order from oldest to youngest?
a)
Limestone, Basalt, Fault, Siltstone
b)
Siltstone, Fault, Basalt, Limestone
c)
Limestone, Fault, Basalt, Siltstone
d)
Limestone, Siltstone, Fault, Basalt
34.
What layer is the youngest?
a)
a
b)
l
c)
d
d)
z
35.
What likely caused the layers to shift?
a)
volcano
b)
weathering
c)
erosion
d)
earthquake
36.
A scientist says that layers Y and M are the same age. How does he know this?
a)
They are found in the same type of rock.
b)
They are the lowest layers.
c)
They have the same type of fossil.
d)
They are near each other.
37.
Which layer or layers prove that this area was once covered by water?
a)
1
b)
2
c)
3
d)
2 and 3

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