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WorksheetsGeologic Time and Taxonomy
Total questions: 39
Worksheet time: 20mins
Name
Class
Date
1.
The fossil footprint of a dinosaur is an example of a(n)
a)
amber-preserved fossil.
b)
natural cast.
c)
trace fossil.
d)
permineralized fossil.
2.
In which of the following situations would it be more likely for a fossil to form?
a)
A vertebrate dies near a river delta.
b)
An invertebrate dies on a mountain.
c)
A soft-bodied worm dies in a desert.
d)
A mammal dies on a rock bed.
3.
The amount of time it takes for half of a radioactive isotope to decay is known as the
a)
isotope.
b)
half-life.
c)
product.
d)
radiocarbon.
4.
What type of geological dating has estimated the age of the Earth?
a)
Relative.
b)
Index Fossils.
c)
Geologic Epoch.
d)
Radiometric.
5.
A natural cast forms when an organism
a)
is trapped in tree resin, which hardens around it.
b)
leaves an impression in sediment that fills with minerals.
c)
has hard structures that are surrounded by minerals.
d)
becomes encased whole in a material that preserves it.
6.
Fossils that are useful for dating, because they are common, easy to identify, widespread, and existed for a brief time are called
a)
trace fossils.
b)
extinct fossils.
c)
index fossils.
d)
key fossils.
7.
Earth's history is organized by
a)
the Precambrian time scale.
b)
units representing one million years.
c)
the geologic time scale.
d)
which plants lived on Earth.
8.
Which of the following has the longest time span?
a)
An Epoch
b)
Quaternary Period
c)
Paleozoic Era
d)
Jurassic Period
9.
Which of the following Era's saw the rise of the giant dinosaurs?
a)
Paleozoic
b)
Silurian
c)
Juras
d)
Mesozoic
10.
The evolution of primates occured in which of the following time periods?
a)
Cenozoic Era
b)
Mesozoic Era
c)
Paleozoic Era
d)
Precambrian Time
11.
Which of the following contributed most to the intense heat of the early earth in the Hadean eon?
a)
clouds of carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and other gasses
b)
frequent collisions with asteroids and meteorites
c)
lightining strikes and volcanic eruptions
d)
closer proximity to the sun than is now the case
12.
In the lipid membrane hypothesis, it is proposed that liposomes
a)
formed in chimney-like structures at ocean thermal vents.
b)
were the result of lightning striking early Earth.
c)
acted as barriers or membranes between organic molecules and the environment.
d)
served as the genetic material on early Earth.
13.
Stanley Miller and Harold Urey were the first to demonstrate that
a)
the earliest material was RNA, rather than DNA.
b)
meteorites contain amino acids, many of which exist on Earth.
c)
Earth formed from a nebula approximately 4.6 billion years ago.
d)
organic molecules (amino acids) can be formed from inorganic molecules.
14.
Which hypothesis is backed by evidence that suggests that amino acids may have arrived on Earth through impacts from something in space?
a)
iron-sulfide bubbles hypothesis
b)
lipid membrane hypothesis
c)
RNA world hypothesis
d)
meteorite hypothesis
15.
Which hypothesis proposes that early organic molecules formed near ocean hydrothermal vents?
a)
iron-sulfide bubbles hypothesis
b)
lipid membrane hypothesis
c)
RNA world hypothesis
d)
meteorite hypothesis
16.
What discovery supports the hypothesis that RNA was the genetic material in the earliest organisms?
a)
Ribozymes are RNA that can self-replicate.
b)
DNA does not require enzymes to replicate.
c)
Ribozymes need enzymes to replicate.
d)
Chains of RNA will form lipid membranes.
17.
What is the approximate age of the Earth?
a)
6.6 billion years
b)
4.5 billion years
c)
3.8 million years
d)
1.8 million years
18.
Which hypothesis produced tiny capsules that when surrounded by water could absorb and release some compounds in a way that was similar to how bacteria feed and then excrete wastes?
a)
iron-sulfide bubbles
b)
lipid membrane
c)
coacervate
d)
proteinoid microsphere
19.
When one organism lives inside the body of another, and both benefit, the relationship is called
a)
photosynthesis.
b)
permineralization.
c)
mutation.
d)
endosymbiosis.
20.
The fossil evidence indicates that anaerobic prokaryotes such as cyanobacteria were
a)
the first living organisms.
b)
a source of genetic variation.
c)
not capable of photosynthesis.
d)
always found in colonies.
21.
The theory of endosymbiosis states that large prokaryotes engulfed smaller simple prokaryotes that became
a)
the cellular nucleus.
b)
complex amino acids.
c)
mitochondria and chloroplasts.
d)
mitochondria and nuclei.
22.
The rapid diversification of species that occured in the early Paleozoic era is called the
a)
Paleozoic radiation.
b)
Cambrian explosion.
c)
Creraceous mass extinction.
d)
Cenozoic evolution.
23.
Which of the following events ended the Paleozoic era?
a)
mass extinction
b)
earthquake
c)
meteorite
d)
land plants
24.
The earliest ancestors of mammals first appeared during the
a)
Paleozoic era.
b)
Precambrian Time.
c)
Mesozoic era.
d)
Cambrian explosion.
25.
The mass extinction event that is theorized to have killed many species, including the dinosaurs, occurred at the end of which Era?
a)
Permian
b)
Tertiary
c)
Mesozoic
d)
Cretaceous
26.
During the Cenozoic era, which group of organisms underwent the most dramatic radiation?
a)
true birds
b)
mammals
c)
ray-finned fish
d)
flowering plants
27.
What group is the oldest living primate group?
a)
prosimians
b)
hominids
c)
hominoids
d)
anthropoids
28.
Hominins include which of the following organisms?
a)
orangutans
b)
chimpanzees
c)
humans
d)
gorillas
29.
Which of the following distinguishes the genus Homo from the genus Australopithecus?
a)
Its fossils were found in Africa.
b)
its limbs were humanlike
c)
its brain was much larger
d)
its thumb opposed its other fingers
30.
Which of the following statements is correct?
a)
Modern humans evolved from chimpanzees.
b)
Homo sapiens (italicized) has the smallest brain of any hominid so far.
c)
Modern humans arose about 200,000 years ago.
d)
Humans are the only living bipedal species.
31.
The correct order for the levels of Linnaeus's classification system, from general to specific, is
a)
kingdom, species, class, order, family, genus, phylum.
b)
kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species.
c)
phylum, kingdom, family, class, order, genus, species.
d)
species, genus, kingdom, family, order, class, phylum.
32.
Which of the following is correctly written in the binomial nomenclature system?
a)
Canis lupus
b)
Red wolf
c)
Ailurus Fulgens
d)
homo sapien
33.
Which of the following taxa would generally contain the most members?
a)
order
b)
species
c)
phylum
d)
class
34.
Which phrase best describes the Linnaean classification system?
a)
Each genus contains one species.
b)
The taxa are interchangeable.
c)
There is only one kingdom.
d)
Each level includes the more specific levels below.
35.
One limitation of the Linnaean classification system is that it
a)
allows scientists to discuss organisms.
b)
is based on physical characteristics alone.
c)
organizes organisms into groups.
d)
does not use orgamisms' common names.
36.
The embryos of both mammals and reptiles are protected by amniotic fluid. What is this type of trait called?
a)
cladogram
b)
outgroup
c)
derived character
d)
molecular evidence
37.
What do molecular clocks use to measure evolutionary time?
a)
dichotomous keys
b)
mutation rates
c)
physical characteristics
d)
binomial nomenclature
38.
How does mitochondrial DNA differ from nuclear DNA?
a)
Mitochondrial DNA is inherited from both parents, and nuclear DNA is not.
b)
Mitochondrial DNA has a lower mutation rate than nuclear DNA.
c)
Mitochondrial DNA is inherited from the mother only, and nuclear DNA is inherited from both parents.
d)
Mitochondrial DNA is made of amino acids and nuclear DNA is made of nucleotides.
39.
Which time span makes up the vast majority of Earth's History?
a)
Paleozoic
b)
Cenozoic
c)
Mesozoic
d)
Precambrian
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