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REVIEW: Geologic Time

Total questions: 20

Worksheet time: 11mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

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

2.

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

3.

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

4.
By which method have scientists determined that the Earth is about 4.5 billion years old?
a)
plate tectonics
b)
relative dating
c)
radioactive dating
d)
law of superposition
5.
Fossils of species that existed for short periods and were widespread
a)
uniformitarianism
b)
cyanobacteria
c)
index fossils
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.

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

a)

Mesozoic

b)

Paleozoic

c)

Cenozoic

d)

Precambrian

8.

The dinosaurs and reptiles were dominant in which Era?

a)

Precambrian

b)

Mesozoic

c)

Paleozoic

d)

Cenozoic

9.

90% of Earth’s history occurred during which era?

a)

Precambrian

b)

Paleozoic

c)

Mesozoic

d)

Cenozoic

10.
Which of the following statements about the fossil record is true?
a)
all organisms become fossils
b)
organisms having soft body parts make up most of the fossils
c)
all organisms that have shells become fossils
d)
the fossil record is incomplete
11.
A bug stuck in amber is an example of what type of fossil?
a)
cast
b)
mold
c)
trace
d)
preserved remains
12.
This provides information about the history of life on earth and how organisms lived and evolved over time.
a)
fossil data
b)
fossil evidence
c)
fossil  record
d)
remains of fossil
13.

Which Rock Layer is the oldest?

a)

A

b)

B

c)

C

d)

D

14.

Which of the following represents the largest period of time.

a)

Era

b)

Epoch

c)

Period

d)

Eon

15.

Which of the following represents the shortest period of time.

a)

Era

b)

Epoch

c)

Period

d)

Eon

16.

If the same index fossils are found in different rock strata miles apart, what is probably true about rock layers?

a)

The rock layers nearest the equator are the oldest.

b)

The rock layers are the same age.

c)

The rock layers nearest the poles of the earth are the oldest.

d)

The index fossils don't tell us anything about the rock layers.

17.

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

a)

Precambrian Era

b)

Paleozoic Era

c)

Mesozoic Era

d)

Cenozoic Era

18.

In what Epoch are we currently in?

a)

Cenozoic

b)

Pliocene

c)

Quaternary

d)

Holocene

19.

This timeline of Earth's history is out of order. Rearrange each event so the order is correct, with the oldest event at the left of the timeline.

a)

Gravity pulls together leftover matter from the formation of the Sun. Lots of objects nearby are crashing into each other. Earth is very hot, and mostly made of molten (melted) rock. Nothing is living here yet.

b)

Earth starts to cool down, and its atmosphere, or outer layer of air, starts to form. Oceans and small, single-celled life forms like bacteria start to form, too.

c)

More complex multi-celled life forms, such as underwater plants, start to develop.

d)

Complex sea life, such as fish and other underwater animals, start to spread. The first trees start to appear on land, too.

e)

Dinosaurs everywhere! Lots of large land plants, too, and we start to see huge forests.

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
20.

What do scientists typically use to determine when a geologic time period starts and ends? Choose 3 answers. 

a)

fossil record

b)

mass extinction

c)

appearance of many new species

d)

flipping a coin

e)

using an internet random time generator