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Earth History List A Vocab Quiz

Total questions: 15

Worksheet time: 45mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Which layer of the Earth is described as the soft layer of the mantle on which the tectonic plates move?

a)

Lithosphere

b)

Asthenosphere

c)

Mesosphere

d)

Outer core

2.

How is a cast fossil formed?

a)

By the decay of organic material

b)

When a mold is filled with sand or mud that hardens

c)

Through volcanic activity

d)

By the compression of plant material

3.

Which era began about 66 million years ago and is known as the "Age of Mammals"?

a)

Mesozoic Era

b)

Paleozoic Era

c)

Cenozoic Era

d)

Precambrian Era

4.

What is the central part of the Earth below the mantle called?

a)

Crust

b)

Core

c)

Lithosphere

d)

Asthenosphere

5.

During which era did mammals become the dominant life form?

a)

Paleozoic Era

b)

Mesozoic Era

c)

Cenozoic Era

d)

Precambrian Era

6.

What is the process called when a fossil is formed by a mold being filled with minerals?

a)

Petrification

b)

Cast formation

c)

Carbonization

d)

Fossilization

7.

Which layer of the Earth is known for being the thinnest?

a)

Core

b)

Mantle

c)

Crust

d)

Asthenosphere

8.

What is an index fossil?

a)

A fossil used to determine the age of a rock layer

b)

A fossil found only in volcanic rocks

c)

A fossil that is always found in sedimentary rocks

d)

A fossil that indicates the presence of water

9.

What is a mold fossil?

a)

A fossil that forms from volcanic ash

b)

A space in a rock shaped like a living thing

c)

A fossil that is always found in ice

d)

A fossil that contains actual remains of organisms

10.

What major event marks the end of the Mesozoic Era?

a)

The rise of mammals

b)

The extinction of dinosaurs

c)

The formation of the first continents

d)

The development of the first plants

11.

Which of the following best describes the mantle?

a)

The outermost layer of Earth

b)

The layer between the crust and core

c)

The innermost layer of Earth

d)

The layer above the atmosphere

12.

What was Pangea?

a)

A type of dinosaur

b)

A supercontinent containing all of Earth's land

c)

A large ocean

d)

A volcanic island

13.

What is a petrified fossil?

a)

A fossil that is still alive

b)

A fossil in which minerals replace all or part of an organism

c)

A fossil found only in ice

d)

A fossil that is radioactive

14.

What is a preserved fossil?

a)

A fossil that is only found in water

b)

A fossil that forms when organisms are prevented from decaying by being trapped in rock, ice, tar, or amber

c)

A fossil that is made of gold

d)

A fossil that is found in volcanic ash

15.

What is a trilobite?

a)

A type of plant fossil

b)

A crablike invertebrate fossil from the Cambrian Period

c)

A type of dinosaur fossil

d)

A bird fossil from the Jurassic Period