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Sedimentary Processes and Fossils

Total questions: 28

Worksheet time: 28mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Which of the following is MOST likely to become a fossil that is preserved on Earth?

a)

A jellyfish preserved in lava (Ha! Gotta laugh at this one)

b)

A shark tooth preserved in mud that becomes shale

c)

A land mammal that dies on land in mud that eventually becomes mud

d)

A polar bear who dies and is frozen in glacial ice

2.

Fossil remains are most likely to be found in which type of rock?

a)
igneous
b)
volcanic
c)
sedimentary
d)
metamorphic
3.
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
4.
Which type of dating method can be used on rock layers by applying the Law of Superposition?
a)
relative dating
b)
absolute dating
c)
radioactive dating
d)
radiometric dating
5.
The idea states the same processes that occurred in the past operate in the same way as they do in the present.
a)
Absolute Dating
b)
Relative Dating
c)
Catastrophism
d)
Uniformitarianism
6.
Fossils can tell us all of the following information about an organism except:
a)
How the animals might have traveled
b)
What kinds of food the organism eats
c)
What type of environment the organism may have lived in
d)
The organism's life expectancy (or how long the organism will live) 
7.
Several different fossils were found in rock layers in a geologic column.  Above these rock layers, the fossils were almost nonexistent.  Which most likely explains these observations?
a)

The organisms never die, they live forever

b)
All the organisms migrated.
c)
A period of mass extinction occurred.
8.
Which generalization can be made about the relative age of a fossil found in a sedimentary rock bed?
a)
The fossil is younger than the rock layer above it.
b)
The fossil was formed before the rock layer that contains it.
c)
The fossil and the rock were formed in different environments.
d)

The organism died and was buried at the same time the sediment was accumulating only later to become rock.

9.
The age of a rock compared to the ages of other rocks is the rock's
a)
absolute age
b)
geologic age
c)
sedimentary age
d)
relative age
10.

If the same species of terrestrial (land) reptile was found in Africa and South America, what could this evidence support?

a)

the used to be a land bridge between Africa and South America

b)

That reptiles swam accross the ocean

c)

Africa and South America used to be joined together

d)

humans moved the reptiles from one continent to the other and placed them into the rock.

11.

To become fossilized an organism needs to be (2 answers)

a)

have a large body size

b)

buried very slowly

c)

contain hard parts

d)

buried quickly

12.

True or False: All dinosaurs in museums are made of original remains?

a)

False

b)

True

13.

What is the study of fossils called?

a)

Archaeology

b)

Geology

c)

Paleontology

14.

What type of fossil preservation MOST LIKELY took place in order for us to have this:

a)

Trace Fossils

b)

Mineral Replacement

c)

Casts/Molds

d)

Original Remains

15.

The Geologic Time Scale has recorded 'life' in the form of fossils that strongly support which major concept?

a)

The concept of Extinction

b)

The theory of Evolution

c)

The force of gravity

d)

String theory (physics)

16.
How old do Paleontologists believe the Earth is?
a)
2015 years old
b)
3.6 billion years old
c)
4.6 billion years old
d)
4.6 million years old
17.
The Geologic Time Scale is a record of what?
a)
old geologists
b)
sweet geology music
c)
the known history of rocks and fossils
d)
a list of every living thing ever
18.
There have been _____ mass extinction events in Earth's history.
a)
3
b)
4
c)
5
d)
2
19.

Scientist study the ____________________ to learn about the history of life, past environments on Earth, and how different groups of organisms have changed over time.

a)

fossil record

b)

animal record

c)

historical record

d)

Earth record

20.
If scientists found this fossil, what could they infer?
a)
what fish are like today
b)
that this fish lacked oxygen
c)
what kind of animal ate this fish
d)

that the rock that formed this fossil was covered by water

21.

Which of the following terms is the science of dating fossils based on what rock layer they are found in?

a)

Radiometric dating

b)

Stratigraphy

c)

Geology

d)

Fossilography

22.

In which layer did fossil C come into existence? How do you know this?

a)

Layer 1-Because that is the layer it is first seen

b)

Layer 1- Because that is the last layer it is seen in

c)

Layer 2- Because that is the layer it is first seen

d)

Layer 2- Because that is the last layer it is seen in

23.

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

24.

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

25.

Why are similar fossils found all over the world?

a)

The animals swam to new parts of the world before going extinct

b)

The land masses were once connected

c)

The organisms were transported to different areas of the world

d)

They are not similar fossils.

26.

Which organism went extinct before gastropods evolved?

a)

Trilobite

b)

Crinoid

c)

Fern

d)

Ammonite

27.

Use relative age dating to put the rock layers in correct order from oldest to youngest.

a)

B, D, A, E, C

b)

C, E, D, A, B

c)

A, C, E, D, B

d)

C, E, D, B, A

28.

Which is the youngest rock layer?

a)

Siltstone

b)

Conglomerate

c)

Mudstone

d)

Limestone