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WorksheetsFossil Record and Evolution
Total questions: 20
Worksheet time: 15mins
Name
Class
Date
1.
Which of the following could form a fossil?
a)
Bone
b)
Shell
c)
Seeds
d)
All of the above
2.
Most fossils form when organisms that die become buried in sediments
a)
True
b)
False
3.
Which of the following is true about molds and casts
a)
A mold forms when hard parts of an organism buried by sediments are gradually dissolved
b)
A mold that becomes filled in with hardened materials forms a cast
c)
A cast is a copy of the shape of an organism
d)
All of the above
4.
The formation of any fossil is a common event
a)
True
b)
False
5.
By determining the age of fossils, scientists can reconstruct the history of life on Earth
a)
True
b)
False
6.
In what way can scientists determine the ages of fossils?
a)
relative dating
b)
radioactive dating
c)
law of superposition
d)
All of the above
7.
In layers of sedimentary rock, the _________ layer is usually at the bottom. Each higher layer is _________ than the layers below it.
a)
oldest, younger
b)
youngest, older
c)
youngest, younger
d)
oldest, older
8.
Relative dating can only help scientists determine whether one fossil is older than another.
a)
True
b)
False
9.
Scientists use unstable elements that decay, called _________ elements, to determine the actual age of a fossil.
a)
radioactive
b)
cation
c)
anion
d)
petrified
10.
What is the half-life of a radioactive element?
a)
How old it is when it is middle aged
b)
The time it takes for half of the atoms to decay
c)
The time it takes for half of the atom to form
d)
How old it is when the Earth is middle aged
11.
Potassium-40 breaks down into __________ over time
a)
Argon-40
b)
Neon-40
c)
Helium-40
d)
Radon-40
12.
The millions of fossils that scientists have collected are called
a)
The Geologic Time Scale
b)
The Origin of Species
c)
The Fossil Record
d)
A really neat fossil collection
13.
What is the largest span of time in the Geologic Time Scale?
a)
Eras
b)
Periods
c)
Years
d)
Precambrian Time
14.
What is NOT a name of one of the three eras on the Geologic Time Scale?
a)
Jurassic
b)
Paleozoic
c)
Mesozoic
d)
Cenozoic
15.
What is a mass extinction?
a)
the extinction of all of Earth's species at ones time
b)
the extinction of many types of organisms at the same time
c)
the end of days
d)
the creation of many species at one time
16.
What is the difference between gradualism and punctuated equilibria?
a)
Gradualism is slowly but surely and P.E. are rapid changes preceeded followed by long periods of little or no change
b)
P.E. is slowly but surely and Gradualism are rapid changes preceeded followed by long periods of little or no change
c)
Gradualism had no intermediate forms of species
d)
punctuated equilibria has intermediate forms of species
17.
The butterfly diagram on the right refer which model?
a)
Selection
b)
Gradualism
c)
Punctuated Equilibrium
d)
Adaptive
18.
What is slow change over a long period of time in a species called?
a)
Punctuated equilibrium
b)
Phylogeny
c)
Stasis
d)
Gradualism
19.
How do fossils provide evidence that evolution has happened on Earth?
a)
Fossils show how the sizes of certain animals has changed drastically over millions of years
b)
Fossils show that some species have gone extinct
c)
Fossils show how life forms present today are different than those from the past
d)
Different sedimentary rock layers provide evidence for how the environment has changed over time
20.
Which statement best describes a relationship between these organisms?
a)
Organism A was probably more primitive than Organisms B and C
b)
Organism A was probably more complex than organism B and C
c)
All of these organisms probably lived at the same time
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