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Geologic Time Scale

Total questions: 62

Worksheet time: 2hrs 30mins

Name
Class
Date
1.
Which period are we currently in?
a)
Quaternary
b)
Holocene
c)
Jurassic
d)
Tertiary
2.
Which era is the longest?
a)
Cenozoic
b)
Cambrian
c)
Precambrian
d)
Phanerozoic
3.
Which layer is a result of an igneous intrusion?
a)
B
b)
C
c)
D
d)
E
4.
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
5.
The picture is an example of .......
a)
trace fossil.
b)
carbonization.
c)
original fossil.
d)
cast.
6.

Jellyfish are one of the oldest species on Earth. In what time period did they first appear?

a)

Precambrian

b)

Paleozoic

c)

Mesozoic

d)

Cenozoic

7.

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

a)

Precambrian

b)

Paleozoic

c)

Mesozoic

d)

Cenozoic

8.

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

a)

Precambrian

b)

Paleozoic

c)

Mesozoic

d)

Cenozoic

9.

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

a)

Preserved fossils

b)

Index fossils

c)

Imprints

d)

Radioactive dating

10.

The Law of Superposition states

a)

Younger rocks layers are on top of older rock layers

b)

Fossils are found in sedimentary rocks

c)

Older rock layers are on top of younger rock layers

d)

Absolute age dating

11.

Which era was the longest, taking up 88% of geologic time?

a)

Precambrian

b)

Paleozoic

c)

Mesozoic

d)

Cenozoic

12.

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

13.

The end of an era, and the end of life for groups of organisms, is called?

a)

Death

b)

Mass extinction

c)

Transition

d)

Turning point

14.

Marine plants and invertebrates were abundant during which era?

a)

Precambrian

b)

Paleozoic

c)

Mesozoic

d)

Cenozoic

15.

Which rock layer is oldest from Site 1?

a)

G

b)

B

c)

A

d)

E

16.
A unit of geologic time that subdivides eras
a)
period
b)
time span
17.
The Triassic Period, the Jurassic Period, and the Cretaceous Period occurred in what era?
a)
Cenozoic
b)
Mesozoic
18.
___________ a record of the geologic events and the evolution of life forms as shown in the fossil record. 
a)
Eras
b)
Geologic Time Scale
19.

How long ago did the Earth form?

a)

4,600 years ago

b)

460,000 years ago

c)

4.6 billion years ago

20.

Which came first in Geologic Time?

a)

Cenozoic Era

b)

Mesozoic Era

c)

Paleozoic Era

d)

Precambrian Time

21.

During which time segment of the Geologic Time Scale did fish first appear?

a)

Cenozoic Era

b)

Mesozoic Era

c)

Paleozoic Era

d)

Precambrian Time

22.

During which time segment of the Geologic Time Scale did dinosaurs live?

a)

Cenozoic Era

b)

Mesozoic Era

c)

Paleozoic Era

d)

Precambrian Time

23.

According to the fossil record, which evolved first?

a)

vertebrates

b)

invertebrates

c)

the evolved at the same time

24.

Mass extinctions occurred at the end of both the ______________ and the _______________ Eras.

a)

Paleozoic and Cenozoic

b)

Cenozoic and Mesozoic

c)

Paleozoic and Mesozoic

d)

None of the above

25.

Which vertebrates have been around longer?

a)

fish

b)

amphibians

26.

Approximately 3.8 billion years ago what first appeared on Earth?

a)

Whales

b)

Water

c)

Wasps

27.

Pangaea formed near the end of the Paleozoic Era. What was Pangaea?

a)

a species of lemur

b)

a lake in Brazil

c)

a giant landmass of continents

28.

Which of the following best describes Earth’s very first atmosphere?

a)

helium and hydrogen gases left over from the formation of the planet

b)

carbon dioxide and water vapor from volcanic outgassing

c)

a 78%-21% nitrogen and oxygen gas mixture

d)

methane and ammonia gases from Earth's interior

29.

What is the leading cause of mass extinctions of life on Earth?

a)

Mass extinctions are most commonly caused by a dramatic change in some part of the earth system that affects key populations of organisms.

b)

Mass extinctions are most commonly by the shock wave from the collision of a comet or meteoroid with the Earth.

c)

Mass extinctions are most commonly by radiation poisoning from the Sun's solar winds.

d)

Mass extinctions are most commonly by floods that cover all of the land masses on the planet.

30.
A unit of geologic time that subdivides eras
a)
period
b)
time span
31.

The second broadest category of geologic time is______________?. The Cenozoic is one of them.

a)

era

b)

eon

c)

epoch

d)

period

32.

The period of geologic time when the biodiversity of life on the planet increased dramatically was

a)

Jurassic

b)

Triassic

c)

Permian

d)

Cambrian

33.

There have been how many major extinction events on planet Earth?

a)

3

b)

4

c)

5

d)

2

34.

The epoch we are currently living in is the

a)

Holocene

b)

Quaternary

c)

Cambrian

d)

Pleistocene

35.

During which periods did the first land plants, vertebrates, and insects appear?

a)

Jurassic-triassic

b)

Ordovician-silurian

c)

Hadean-acheon

d)

Tertiary-quaternary

36.

When did this creature live?

a)

Triassic-Jurassic

b)

Jurassic-Silurian

c)

Cretaceous-Tertiary

d)

Eocene-Oligocene

37.

The period of time where conditions were harsh and no life forms existed was the

a)

Pleistocene

b)

Cambrian

c)

Hadean

d)

Holocene

38.

The period when trilobites and eurypterids appeared was the

a)

Hadean

b)

Cambrian

c)

Holocene

d)

Jurassic

39.

The time when the first jawed fishes and amphibians appeared

a)

Devonian

b)

Jurassic

c)

Cambrian

d)

Hadean

40.

The period when huge land plants were dominant and eventually became the coal and oil we use today.

a)

Cambrian

b)

Carboniferous

c)

Jurassic

d)

Miocene

41.

When large land reptiles first appeared.

a)

Jurassic

b)

Permian

c)

Cambrian

d)

Holocene

42.

Known as the age of reptiles

a)

Mesozoic

b)

Cenozoic

c)

Phanerozoic

d)

Cambrian

43.

The time when mammals became dominant

a)

Jurassic

b)

Oligocene

c)

Cambrian

d)

Hadean

44.

The environmental changes at the very end of the Devonian period significantly impacted shallow warm waters. Which community of species living at the time would have been most impacted?

a)

small mammals

b)

freshwater tetrapods

c)

terrestrial plants

d)

fish and corals

45.

This was caused by the global cooling and lowering of sea levels brought about by the formation of glaciers

a)

Late Devonian Extinction

b)

Ordovician - Silurian Extinction

c)

Triassic - Jurassic Extinction

d)

Cretaceous - Tertiary Extinction

46.

What important event occurred at the beginning of the Paleozoic Era?

a)

The Great Dying

b)

The Cambrian Explosion

c)

The Great Oxidation Event

d)

The Triassic Extinction

47.

When did the first humans appear?

a)

Cenozoic Era

b)

Mesozoic Era

c)

Paleozoic Era

d)

Proterozoic Eon

48.

Following a mass extinction, life on Earth usually...

a)

returns to the way it was before the extinction

b)

recovers after a few days

c)

changes dramatically, as new species become abundant

49.

When did large mammals like the Woolly Mammoth and Saber Tooth Cat become abundant on Earth?

a)

Cenozoic Era

b)

Mesozoic Era

c)

Paleozoic Era

d)

Precambrian Era

50.

Which of the following groups of animals are descended from the dinosaurs?

a)

birds

b)

amphibians

c)

mammals

d)

insects

51.

The Age of Fishes

a)

Devonian Period

b)

Cambrian Period

c)

Vendian Period

d)

Silurian Period

52.

The _________ was the period of giant hard-shelled creatures: arthropods, insects and marine invertebrates.

a)

Permian

b)

Silurian

c)

Devonian

d)

Ordovician

53.

The solar system was forming within a cloud of dust and gas known as the solar nebula, which eventually spawned asteroids, comets, moons and planets.

a)

Hadean

b)

Archean

c)

Proterozoic

d)

Phanerozoic

54.

A giant cloud of dust and gas in space.

a)

star

b)

nebula

c)

meteor

d)

earth

55.

A scientist who studies fossil remains in order to study primitive life forms.

a)

Ecologist

b)

Geologist

c)

Zoologist

d)

Palentologist

56.
In what geologic period did the first forests appear?
a)
Devonian
b)
Silurian
c)
Jurassic
d)
Ordovician
57.
Which is older, the Pennsylvanian or the Mississippian in the Carboniferous period?
a)
Pennsylvanian
b)
Mississippian
c)
They are both the same age
58.

Paleozoic, Mesozoic & Cenozoic are all

a)

Periods

b)

Epochs

c)

Eras

d)

Eons

59.

Name the 4 time frames in order from oldest to youngest.

a)

Paleozoic Era, Mesozoic Era, Precambrian Time, Cenozoic

b)

Mesozoic Era, Precambrian time, Cenozoic Era, Paleozoic Era

c)

Precambrian Time, Paleozoic Era, Mesozoic Era, Cenozoic Era

60.

"ancient life"

a)

Precambrian Era

b)

Cenozoic Era

c)

Mesozoic Era

d)

Paleozoic Life

61.

"age of mammals"

a)

Cenozoic Era

b)

Paleozoic Era

c)

Precambrian Era

d)

Mesozoic Era

62.

"age of reptiles"

a)

Paleozoic Era

b)

Mesozoic Era

c)

Precambrian Era

d)

Cenozoic Era

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