NEW
Font size
S
M
L
XL
WorksheetsUnderstanding Geologic Time
Total questions: 34
Worksheet time: 44mins
Name
Class
Date
1.
Which fossil is an impression left by the original organism?
a)
cast
b)
mold
c)
trace
d)
preserved remains
2.
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
3.
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
4.
The Law of Superposition helps scientists to determine what?
a)
The absolute age of rock layers
b)
The age of fossils
c)
The relative age of rock layers
d)
the super powers of rocks
5.
A scientist who studies fossils is called a what?
a)
Fossilologist
b)
Rock Hound
c)
Archeologist
d)
Paleontologist
6.
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
7.
A bug stuck in amber is an example of what type of fossil?
a)
cast
b)
mold
c)
trace
d)
preserved remains
8.
What type of rock do fossils form in?
a)
Igneous
b)
Sedimentary
c)
Metamorphic
d)
Classic
9.
According to the law of superposition, which layer is the youngest?
a)
A
b)
B
c)
C
10.
Why is the fossil record incomplete?
a)
fossils get eroded away over time
b)
most organisms never became fossils
c)
scavengers and decomposers eat them too quickly
d)
all of the above
11.
Paleozoic, Mesozoic & Cenozoic are all
a)
Epochs
b)
Eras
c)
Periods
d)
Eons
12.
Which is the most recent era of time- the one that we are currently in?
a)
Mesozoic
b)
Paleozoic
c)
Cenozoic
d)
Precambrian
13.
Fossils in which minerals replace all, or a part, of an organism is what kind of fossil?
a)
Petrified Fossil
b)
Preserved
c)
Fault
d)
Intrusion
14.
Describe absolute age.
a)
number of years that have passed since the rock formed. It provides the rock with a specific age.
b)
Sedimentary Age
c)
Relative Age
d)
An Intrusion
15.
If an index fossil is found in two rock layers that are separated by an ocean, what do you know about the relationship between the two rock layers?
a)
they are about the same age
b)
they used to be in the same area
c)
the are made of the same kind of rock
d)
the rock layers are unrelated
16.
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
17.
The ________ states that layers of sediment were originally deposited horizontally under the action of gravity.
a)
law of superposition
b)
law of horizontality
c)
uniformitarianism
d)
unconformities
18.
Paleozoic, Mesozoic & Cenozoic are all
a)
Epochs
b)
Eras
c)
Periods
d)
Eons
19.
The name rock is given when it is broken down into smaller pieces.
a)
texture
b)
weathering
c)
sediment
d)
erosion
20.
Scientists chose where units of geologic time began and ended based on major changes in life forms at certain times.
a)
true
b)
false
21.
Trilobites are good __________ fossils because they were abundant and widespread geographically.
a)
cast
b)
index
c)
preserved
d)
carbonized
22.
The dinosaurs and reptiles were dominant in which Era?
a)
Precambrian
b)
Mesozoic
c)
Paleozoic
d)
Cenozoic
23.
Known as the age of the mammals?
a)
Mesozoic Era
b)
Holocene Epoch
c)
Cenozoic Era
d)
Cambrian
24.
The disappearance of a species.
a)
Evolution
b)
Extinction
c)
Migration
d)
Mutation
25.
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
26.
Choose the statement that is most true.
a)
A fossil found in the Devonian layer of rocks is older than a fossil formed in the Ordovician layer of rocks
b)
According to the Principle of Superposition, the Precambrian layer of rocks would be the oldest
c)
Fossil found in the Jurassic rocks are older than fossils found in the Silurian rock layers
d)
The glacial deposits were formed at the same time as the Devonian rock layer
27.
The geologic time scale is divided into:
a)
Relative ages
b)
Absolute ages
c)
Unconformities
d)
Eras and periods
28.
The Principle of Uniformitarianism states the same geologic processes that happened throughout Earth's history are happening today. An example of this principle would be.....
a)
Formation of the Great Lakes
b)
Decreasing size of the rain forest
c)
Erosion that formed the Grand Canyon
d)
A man made dam
29.
Index fossils are used to determine:
a)
How old a rock layer is
b)
How organisms in the past were related to each other
c)
The composition of a rock layer
d)
Which rock layers in different areas are the same age
30.
Scientists can determine the absolute age of rocks using:
a)
Fault lines
b)
Index fossils
c)
Radioactive dating
d)
The law of superposition
31.
Several fish species became extinct millions of years ago. The graphs below show the distribution of fossils of these fishes as they occur in several undisturbed layers of sedimentary rock observable in a cliff face. Which answer(s) will help to explain figure 1?
a)
Meteor impact
b)
Volcanic Eruption
c)
Global Warming
d)
Both options 1 and 2
32.
Intrusion V would be:
a)
Older than layer Y
b)
Younger than layer Y
c)
Same age as Y
d)
It is impossible to determine
33.
A geologist hiking through the woods in Ohio finds rocks containing fossils in a stream bank. The fossils look similar to animals currently living in the ocean. Which conclusion should the geologist make based on the discovery of these fossils?
a)
Fossils washed upstream from the ocean
b)
Animals that live in the stream today lived in the ocean long ago.
c)
The area of the woods and stream was an ocean long ago.
d)
The area with the stream will become part of the ocean in the future.
34.
Base on scientific analysis, which volcanic rock region is the youngest?
a)
Blue
b)
Green
c)
Yellow
Reset
