WorksheetsUnit 6 Fossils and Geologic Time
Total questions: 40
Worksheet time: 20mins
If a fossil is present in many rock layers and then suddenly disappears and is not found in younger layers, what can be determined
the fossil evolved into something unrecognizable
an extinction happened that wiped this organism out
magma or lava has solidified over the top of the rock containing the fossils causing them to be hidden
weathering and erosion smoothed the rocks and you cannot see the fossils
How have scientists determined the beginning and end of geologic eras?
by the # of mass extinctions in each era
by the life forms and fossils present during each era
by the number of years in each
by climate change
Which description correctly describes the "relative age" of a layer of rock?
the rock is 5.3 million years old
radioactive isotopes decay and give us an exact age of rock
older rock is on the bottom and younger rock is on the top
all of these are relative age terms
What should be said about this picture?
it is inaccurate because during this era there was an ice age
it is inaccurate because humans evolved much earlier than dinosaurs
it is an accurate depiction of geologic time
it is inaccurate, dinosaurs and humans did not live in the same era
What was the Cambrian Explosion?
The massive eruption from volcanoes during the Cambrian Era
The explosion from the asteroid that hit during the Mesozoic Era
the explosion of life from the high levels of oxygen after the Precambrian Era
solar radiation that caused the Great Dying during the Paleozoic Era
which geologic era is shown here:
Percambrian
Paleozoic
Mesozoic
Cenozoic
Which of the following would describe an index fossil:
geographically widespread
lived a short specific period of time
found all over the world (abundant)
all of the above
Words such as isotope, radioactive decay, 5.4 million years, are associated with:
absolute age
relative age
epcohs
periods
A tropical fossil is found in Antarctica. What could this tell you?
that tropical plants have adapted to grow in antarctica
that the past environment of Antarctica was once warm
that someone moved the fossil to Antarctica
all of these make sense
Which of the following is a trace fossil?
wooly mammoth frozen in ice
elephant preserved in tar
corprolite, or feces fossil
insect trapped in amber
Fossils provide clues to:
the earliest development of the solar system
future life, cloud, cover, and weather
past environments, climate, and geologic events
all of these
If you want to know what past animal and plant life were like in an area, which would help you the most:
type and distribution of fossils in the area
banding patterns of carbon-14 in the rocks
present plant and animal life
amount of solar radiation in an area
Almost all fossils are found in what type of rock?
sedimentary
igneous
metamorphic
volcanic
Which of the following words means "turned to stone"
exhumed
petrified
carbonized
solidified
Which of the following would be an index fossil
the trilobite and the ammonite snail shell
the fan shaped shell and the trilobite
the cone shaped shell
the trilobite only
Which environment is the best for fossil formation?
dry areas with wind and sand
molten areas of lava and magma
areas covered with water and sediment
an area with a high number of decomposers and scavengers
Which fossil is older?
Cactocrinus
Neptunia
Trophite
Monotis
Which fossil formed during the Jurassic period?
Leptodus
Scaphites
Nerinea
Paradoxides
Which of the following geologic eras is shown in the picture (no life, hellish environment):
Precambrian
Paleozoic
Mesozoic
Cenozoic
This era contains the least amount of fossils in the rock record because of their single celled, soft bodies and ancient harsh environment:
Precambrian
Paleozoic
Mesozoic
Cenozoic
According the map, which area would you believe to be made of igneous rock from the fossil description:
South Georgia (yellow area)
North Georgia (purple area)
Northwest Georgia (brown area)
Southeast corner (white area)
Which mass extinction was the worst in history?
1
2
3
5
What is another name for the Great Dying (# 3) on the mass extinction chart:
K-T extinction
Cretaceous-Tertiary Extinction
Permian extinction
holocene extinction
Which number on the extinction chart is the one that killed the dinosaurs:
1
3
4
5
Causes of mass extinctions include:
asteroid impacts
climate change
volcanic eruptions
all of these
Why were the insects of the Paleozoic Era so large?
Oxygen levels were so high their respiratory systems could grow larger
Oxygen levels were so low, they had to adapt their bodies to grow larger in order to breathe
There were no predators that could destroy them at this time
all of the above
The first things on Earth to make oxygen at the end of the Precambrian Era was/were:
Algae
Stromatolites
Bacteria
Plants
trilobite fossils show changes during different periods of time. What caused these changes?
periods of destruction in the rock record
evolutionary development
radioactive decay
mass extinctions
The movie ice age would be set in what Geologic Era?
Precambrian
Paleozoic
Mesozoic
Cenozoic
What do scientists believe will cause the 6th mass extinction
asteroid impact
a volcanic eruption
human impact on the environment
a new predator that emerges and feeds on humans
A scientist who studies fossils is known as a/an:
A paleontologist
An archeologist
An Environmentalist
an anthropologist
The principle of _________________ states that the kinds of fossils (plants and animals) change through time and vary in their complexity.
Fossil Dynamics
Evolutionary Extinction
Fossil Succession
Natural Selection
The picture here would be from what geologic era?
Precambrian
Paleozoic
Mesozoic
Cenozoic
The age of "Fish" is known as which era:
Precambrian
Paleozoic
Mesozoic
Cenozoic
What do scientists believe cause the Permian extinction or the Great Dying?
asteroid impact
human beings
mantle plume eruption
global flooding
What do scientists believe caused the K-T extinction that killed the dinosaurs?
asteroid impact
mantle plume eruption
global flooding
mega earthquake
Known as the "Age of Reptiles"
Paleozoic
Mesozoic
Precambrian
Cenezoic
Another word for an oceanic environment is:
lithified
petrified
marine
archaic
An evolutionary breakthrough that allowed organisms to move from the land to the water was:
spine like tails
gills that breathed water
the egg
all of these
Mass extinctions overall are caused by:
new predators
environmental change
pandemics
invasive species
