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Geologic Time - Study Guide

Total questions: 41

Worksheet time: 57mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Describe how geologists separate time periods.

a)

By special events that have happened in that period.

b)

By looking at the Relative Time of a Fossil

c)

By counting the years a fossil has been preserved

d)

By the animals in the time period.

2.

How old do Paleontologists believe the Earth is?

a)

2021 years old

b)

4.6 million years old

c)

4.6 billion years old

d)

3.6 billion years old

3.

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

a)

Precambrian Time, Paleozoic Era, Mesozoic Era, Cenozoic Era

b)

Mesozoic Era, Precambrian time, Cenozoic Era, Paleozoic Era

c)

Paleozoic Era, Mesozoic Era, Precambrian Time, Cenozoic

4.

The time span that lasted the longest was the...

a)

Precambrian

b)

Mesozoic

c)

Paleozoic

d)

Cenozoic

5.

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

a)

Preserved fossils

b)

Index fossils

c)

Imprints

d)

Radioactive dating

6.

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

7.

a model scientists use to describe the timing of events and the relationships between those events in earth’s history.

a)

geologic time scale

b)

era

c)

period

d)

epoch

8.

Saying you are older than your sister is an example of _______.

a)

absolute age

b)

relative age

9.

The end of life for a group of organisms, usually a species, is called a ___________.

a)

wipeout

b)

mass extinction

c)

meteorite

d)

dying off

10.

What era did trilobites, fishes, and other marine organisms dominate?

a)

Precambrian

b)

Paleozoic

c)

Mesozoic

d)

Cenozoic

11.

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

a)

Precambrian

b)

Paleozoic

c)

Mesozoic

d)

Cenozoic

12.

Which era is the most recent, the one that we are currently in?

a)

Mesozoic

b)

Paleozoic

c)

Cenozoic

d)

Precambrian

13.

Which Era occurred last (most recent)?

a)

Cenozoic

b)

Mesozoic

c)

Paleozoic

14.

Which rock strata is the youngest?

a)

A

b)

B

c)

C

d)

D

e)

E

15.

Which rock strata is the oldest?

a)

A

b)

B

c)

C

d)

D

e)

E

16.

Putting laundry in the basket over time best illustrates which rocking dating law?

a)

Radioactive dating.

b)

Law of superposition.

c)

Law of crosscutting.

d)

Law of inclusion.

17.

Dinosaurs and early human ancestors coexisted at one time.

a)

True

b)

False

18.

Which type of rock do fossils form in?

a)

Sedimentary

b)

Intrusive igneous

c)

Extrusive igneous

d)

Metamorphic

19.

Which of the following does NOT preserve fossils?

a)

Amber (tree sap)

b)

Tar

c)

Ice

d)

Magma

20.

What scientific law tells us that in rock strata, the oldest layer is at the bottom and the youngest layer is at top?

a)

Cross-cutting

b)

Original Horizontality

c)

Superposition

d)

Unconformities

21.

What scientific law tells us that if one rock layer crosses over other layers, then that layer of rock will be younger than any rock layers that it crosses?

a)

Cross-cutting

b)

Original Horizontality

c)

Unconformities

d)

Inclusions

22.

List from youngest to oldest

a)

BAECD

b)

DCEAB

c)

CEABD

d)

ACEDB

23.
According to the law of superposition, which layer is the youngest?
a)
A
b)
B
c)
C
24.

The _________ was used as a prime location to see rock strata

a)

Yosemite

b)

Grand Canyon

c)

Death Valley

d)

Muir Woods

25.

The Andes Mountains in South America contain dozens of fossils of marine animals. How might you have described the landscape of the Andes mountain area long ago? What type of environment was it long ago.

a)

Marine animals lived on land.

b)

The Andes Mountains once were under water.

c)

The Andes Mountains were formed by an earthquake.

26.

Burgess Shale Park was an ancient ________.

a)

Sea

b)

Mountain

c)

Forest

d)

Desert

27.

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

28.

The end of the Mesozoic Era was most likely caused by?

a)

A meteor

b)

Too much oxygen

c)

Lowering sea levels

d)

An ice age

29.

What two methods are used for determining the age of rocks and fossils?

a)

Relative and Absolute Dating

b)

Carbon and Water Dating

c)

Sedimentary and Igneous Rocks

d)

Spatial and Layered Dating

30.
According to the law of superposition, the oldest fossils are found 
a)
At the top of the rock layers
b)
Near the bottom of the rock layers
c)
In the middle of the rock layers
d)
Somewhat near the surface
31.
This rock was formed by smaller pieces of rock that settled at the bottom of a lake millions of years ago. What type of rock is this?
a)
Sedimentary
b)
Igneous
c)
Metamorphic
32.

The intrusion is older than layer C.

a)

true

b)

false

33.

These are the preserved remains or evidence of ancient living things.

a)

fossils

b)

corals

c)

teachers

d)

rocks

e)

boomers

34.

Index fossils are like a "bookmark". Why is this true? Por que los fosiles indice son como un marcador de libros?

a)

They "mark" where in the geological timescale nearby fossils and rocks are, just like "marking" a page in a book

b)

They refer to a specific time period, just like a bookmark is only referring to one specific page in the book

c)

They are a "shortcut" so that geologists do not have to radiometric date, just like you don't have to read the whole chapter to see where you left off

35.

Rock layers are called __________.

a)

data

b)

cake

c)

strata

d)

fossils

36.

The geologic time scale is used to organize Earth’s history based on strata and the fossil record.

a)

True

b)

False

37.

Most of the rock exposed on the Earth’s surface are sedimentary rocks.

a)

True

b)

False

38.

The ______________________ states that as layers accumulate over time, the rock at the bottom is older than the rock toward the top.

a)

law of inertia

b)

law of gravity

c)

law of superposition

39.

Which layer is the oldest?

a)

Layer A

b)

Layer B

c)

Layer C

d)

Layer D

40.

Which layer is the youngest?

a)

Layer A

b)

Layer B

c)

LAyer C

d)

Layer D

41.

How prepared are you for the summative next week?

a)

We have a Summative next week??!!

b)

I need to study a lot to be prepared to complete the CER for the summative next week

c)

I am almost ready to complete the CER for the summative next week

d)

I am ready to write my CER for the test !!!