Download Earth`s History Unit Test

Earth’s History Unit Test
1.
_______________ fossils form when minerals soak into the buried remains, replacing the
minerals, and changing into rock.
A.
2.
Petrified
B. Cast
C. Trace
D. Carbonized
During which era were reptiles, including dinosaurs, the dominant species?
A.
Cenozoic era
3.
The
A.
B.
C.
D.
law of superposition states that _______________.
each rock layer is younger than the one above it
there is no way to determine relative rock age
each rock layer is older than the one above it
parallel rock layers are the same age
4.
_______________ fossils are used to find the relative age of rocks.
A.
Index
B. Mesozoic era
B. Petrified
C. Paleozoic era
C. Carbonized
D. Cretaceous era
D. Trace
5.
In order for a fossil to be classified as an index fossil, the organism must have
_______________.
A. lived through many periods of earth’s history
B. been found in only a small area of the earth
C. lived only during a short part of earth’s history
D. been similar to other organisms during that time period
6.
In what order to geologists organize blocks of geologic time?
A. Epochs make up periods; periods make up eras
B. Epochs are broken into smaller divisions called periods
C. Periods are broken into smaller divisions called eras
D. Periods are the smallest division of geologic time.
7.
List the rock layers in the picture below from youngest to oldest.
A.
B.
C.
D.
ABCD
DCBA
CBAD
DBAC
8.
The
A.
B.
C.
D.
9.
Most fossils are found in _______________.
A.
relative age of an organism refers to the _______________.
exact age of an object
age of an object within 100 years
age of an object within 1000 years
the age of one object compared to that of another
igneous rocks
B. sedimentary rocks
C. metamorphic rocks
D. volcanic rocks
10. A fossil that forms when the hard parts, i.e. bones, shells, wood, etc., are turned into stone are
_______________.
A.
trace fossils
B. mold and cast
C. petrified fossils
D. index fossils
11. What is the correct order for the eras in the present eon beginning with the earliest?
A. Cenozoic, Paleozoic, Mesozoic
B. Paleozoic, Mesozoic, Cenozoic
C. Mesozoic, Cenozoic, Paleozoic
D. Paleozoic, Cenozoic, Mesozoic
12. The _______________ is often called the “Age of Reptiles.”
A.
Precambrian Time
B. Paleozoic Era
C. Mesozoic Era
D. Cenozoic Era
13. What type of fossil forms when an organism gets trapped in sediment, decays and leaves a
cavity or hollow?
A.
mold
B. trace
C. cast
D. carbonized
14. Which of the following shows the correct era, period and epoch for the time we are in at the
present?
A. Paleozoic era, Cretaceous period, Holocene epoch
B. Cenozoic epoch, Quaternary period, Cretaceous era
C. Cretaceous era, Holocene period, Quaternary epoch
D. Cenozoic era, Quaternary period, Holocene epoch
15. What division of geologic time covers the greatest amount of time and is the earliest span of
time?
A. Precambrian
B. Paleozoic
C. Mesozoic
D. Cenozoic
16. Which type of fossils help geologists match rock layers?
A.
petrified fossils
B. trace fossils
C. index fossils
D. mold and cast fossils
17. Which type of fossil forms when a cavity fills with sediment and mud and hardens into rock?
A.
preserved
B. cast
C. trace
D. carbonized
18. Which layer in the diagram below was formed after the fault was formed?
A.
B.
C.
D.
1
2
3
4
19. The rock shown in the picture below contained fossils of three different ancient organisms. The
table shows the time ranges in which these organisms lived. The rock must have been formed
at a time when all three organisms were living. According to the graph, what is the best
estimate of when the rock was formed?
A.
B.
C.
D.
20. The
A.
B.
C.
D.
25
10
15
20
million
million
million
million
years
years
years
years
ago
ago
ago
ago
geologic time scale divides Earth’s history into units of time based on _______________.
atmosphere and weather conditions
major geological events and different life forms
the appearance and activities of human beings
volcanic and earthquake activity
21. What is the relative age of an intrusion that has formed through other rock layers?
A. The intrusion is younger than all the layers surrounding it.
B. The intrusion is older than all the layers surrounding it.
C. The intrusion is the same age as the top layer it cuts through.
D. The intrusion is the same age as the bottom layer it cuts through.
22. What type of fossil forms when an organism or part of an organism gets trapped in tar, ice or
amber and is preventing from decaying?
A. trace
B. mold
C. preserved
D. carbonized
23. A fossil of a trail or burrow is an example of a
A.
trace fossil
B. mold fossil
C. cast fossil
D. carbonized fossil
24. Using the diagram, select the choice that places the layers in their correct order from the
youngest to the oldest.
A.
B.
C.
D.
2,
1,
8,
8,
3,
2,
7,
7,
4,
3,
6,
6,
5,
4,
1,
5,
1,
5,
5,
4,
6,
6,
4,
3,
7,
7,
3,
2,
8
8
2
1
5
25. Fossilized tracks of dinosaurs have been found when layers of rock have eroded and exposed
the prints. When analyzed, what can these tracks tell us about the creature that made them?
A.
B.
How tall the animal was
How an animal walked and ran
C. How long the animal lived
D. What the animal ate
26. A fossil must be: -naturally formed
-created by organic processes
-very old (at least 10,000 years old)
Select the correct letter for the choices below that are all definitely fossils.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Egyptian mummy, ancient pottery, worm boring in sandstone
imprints of rain drops, trilobite shells, mud shells
dinosaur tracks, mammoth found in ice, seashells in limestone
stone-aged tools, giant shark teeth, seashells found on a beach
27. Marine fossils have been found in exposed rock layers in South Carolina. Which of the following
is the best interpretation of this discovery?
A. Marine organisms evolved from land-dwelling organisms
B. Parts of South Carolina were once covered by water
C. These organisms could live both in water and on land
D. They were carried by humans to South Carolina
28. What do scientists think happened at the end of the Mesozoic era to cause mass extinction?
A. A huge volcanic eruption
B. A major earthquake
C. The impact of an asteroid
D. The over population of dinosaurs
Use the diagram below to answer the next 2 questions.
29. Based on the given rock and fossil evidence
in the diagram, which two letters most likely
indicate parts of the same layer?
A.
B.
C.
D.
A and F
B and D
C and E
D and A
30. Based on the Law of Superposition, which
rock layer is the youngest?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Layer
Layer
Layer
Layer
A
F
C
D
31. Eras of geologic time are subdivided into _______________.
A.
epochs
B. eons
C. centuries
D. periods
32. The Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods of geologic time were all part of which era?
A.
Paleozoic
B. Precambrian
C. Mesozoic
D. Cenozoic
33. Which results of an asteroid impact would have the greatest effect on life on Earth?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Dust stirred up by the impact would make soil more fertile.
Dust and smoke from the impact would change the climate.
Some organisms would be killed by the impact.
Wildfires near the impact would kill plants and animals.
34. How can volcanic activity cause mass extinctions?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Lava can flow over plants growing near the volcano and kill them.
Volcanic activity can cause tectonic plates to move to new places.
Dust from a volcanic eruption can block sunlight and cause many plants and the animals
that eat them to die.
Hot lava and ash from a volcano can melt glaciers, killing animals that live there.
35. Whether an organism survives a catastrophe depends largely on
A.
B.
C.
D.
its adaptations.
its size.
where it lives.
how old it is.