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WorksheetsFossil Records and Principle of Superposition
Total questions: 23
Worksheet time: 12mins
1. Which statement best describes the Law of Superposition?
Each sedimentary layer of rock represents 1,000 years of Earth’s age, much like the rings of a tree.
In undisturbed layers of sedimentary rock, the upper rock layers are older than the lower rock layers.
In undisturbed layers of sedimentary rock, the lowest layers contain the older rocks.
Rocks that form near volcanoes are older than surrounding rock.
Scientists find dinosaur fossils in the bottom rock layers of a cliff and mammal fossils in the middle rock layer of the cliff. Which could best be concluded from this evidence?
Dinosaurs ate plants.
Dinosaurs were eaten by the mammals.
Dinosaurs lived on Earth before the mammals.
Dinosaurs and mammals lived at the same time.
The diagram shows layers of rock, A, B, C, D, and
igneous intrusion E.
Place the rock layers in order from oldest to youngest.
D – C – B – E – A
A – B – C – D – E
E – D – C – B – A
A – E – B – C – D
Which is a process that allows scientists to compare rock layers with others in a sequence to determine their age?
radiometric dating
absolute dating
relative dating
What can be concluded about the age of fossils in undisturbed rock layers?
The top layer has the oldest fossils.
The bottom layer has the oldest fossils.
The top layer has the oldest and youngest fossils.
Which is used to find the relative age of a rock?
composition of rock layers
position of rock layers
carbon-14 dating
uranium dating
Based on the diagram, which is true?
Layer U is the oldest.
Layer Z is the youngest.
Layer T is older than layer S.
Layer X is older than layer Y.
Which is the best predictor of the relative age of a layer of rock?
thickness of the layer
position of the layer
length of the layer
size of the layer
Scientists have identified four sedimentary rock layers
from an archaeological dig as shown.
Which is most likely the oldest sedimentary rock layer?
Layer R
Layer S
Layer T
Layer U
Based on the law of superposition, which best describes the ages of four undisturbed rock layers relative to one another?
All of the layers of rock were deposited at about the same time and are about the same age.
The youngest rock layer is found on top, and the older layers are closer to the center of Earth.
The oldest rock layer is found on top, and the younger layers are closer to the center of Earth.
The youngest rock layer is found on the bottom, followed by the oldest layer, and then younger layers
Fossils were discovered in four different sedimentary rock layers as shown below.
Which best describes the age of the fish relative to the age of the fern and the age of the shell?
The fish is older than both the fern and the shell.
The fish is younger than both the fern and the shell.
The fish is older than the fern, but younger than the shell.
The fish is younger than the fern, but older than the shell.
An undisturbed rock geologic column has a fossil of a reptile species in the lowest rock layer, an index fossil that was present 1 million years ago in the middle rock layer, and a fossil of a clam species in the topmost rock layer. Which conclusion is most likely correct?
The clam species is older than one million years old.
The reptile species is older than one million years old.
The index fossil is older than the reptile species fossil.
The clam species fossil is older than the reptile species fossil.
An undisturbed rock column contains a fossil of a reptile species in the lowest rock layer, an index fossil that was present 1 million years ago in the middle rock layer, and a fossil of a clam species in the top rock layer. Which statement is most likely correct?
The index fossil formed when a desert habitat made rock layers in the column.
There was a marine habitat over one million years ago that formed rock layers in the column.
There was a desert habitat before a marine habitat that formed the rock layers in the column.
There was a desert habitat more recently than one million years ago that formed rock layers in the column.
Scientists studying rock layers classify the top layer as the most recent, followed by older layers that are uncovered as they dig deeper. Which law explains this method of relative dating?
law of geologic continuity
law of universal position
law of lateral continuity
law of superposition
The diagram below shows several sedimentary rock
layers containing index fossils.
Which layer contains the youngest fossils?
Layer 1
Layer 2
Layer 3
Layer 4
A rock sample is arranged in four undisturbed layers, W, X, Y and Z, as shown in the diagram below.
Which is most likely true about the layers according to the law of superposition?
W is the oldest rock layer and Z is the youngest rock layer.
W is the youngest rock layer and Z is the oldest rock layer.
X is the youngest rock layer and W is the oldest rock layer.
X is the oldest rock layer and Y is the oldest rock layer.
On a geological dig, two fossil samples were found in different rock layers in the same area. One fossil was found in a rock layer that was located below the other. Which can be concluded about the relative ages of the fossils?
The fossil found in the lower layer is older than the one found above it.
The fossils were found in the same area, so they are the exact same age.
The fossil found in the lower layer is younger than the one found above it.
The fossils are different ages, but it cannot be determined which is older or younger.
The rock layers below were dated using the radioactive decay method.
If the layers have been undisturbed, which best represents their arrangement from bottom to top?
W, X, Y, Z
X, Y, W, Z
Z, W, Y, X
Z, Y, X, W
Which method can best be used by the students to determine the relative age of rock layers?
radiometric dating
rock type evaluation
the law of superposition
principle of uniformitarianism
Which conclusion can be made when observing multiple undisturbed layers of rock?
The shallow layers are older than the deeper layers.
The deeper layers are older than the shallow layers.
The deeper layers are younger than the shallow layers.
The shallow layers are the same age as the deeper layers.
Four fossils were discovered and identified
according to the rock layer in which each
was found. Which is the oldest fossil?
bone
fish
shell
fern leaf
Which generalization can be made about the relative age of a fossil found in a sedimentary rock bed?
The fossil is younger than the rock layer above it.
The fossil was formed before the rock layer that contains it.
The fossil and the rock were formed in different environments.
The fossil was formed around the same time as the rock that contains it.
A section of a rock layer is shown.
The evidence in these rock layers best supports which conclusion?
The oldest fossils in this section of rock are trilobites.
Eurypterids are related to modern-day scorpions and crabs.
Eurypterids were the least common type of organism in this
section of rock.
There is some overlap in the presence of brachiopods and ammonites on Earth.
