Unit 4- Fall

Question 1

Only a small number of organisms that lived in the geologic past have been fossilized? Why?

Accepted Answer

rapid burial and hard body parts

Question 2

Which of the following is the primary technique for determining the absolute age of a rock?

Accepted Answer

measuring radioactive decay of element isotopes

Question 3

Volcanic rock is found early in the rock record but less frequently in later rock layers. What does this suggest?

Accepted Answer

Volcanic activity was more common in the past than it is today.

Question 4

A scientist is interested in comparing the age of a rock with other rocks. By doing this, the scientist is determining?

Accepted Answer

the relative age of the rock

Question 5

What does the presence of dinosaur footprints in an area where no dinosaur bones were found suggest?

Accepted Answer

Dinosaurs were at some time in the area.

Question 6

Fossils in Precambian rocks are rare, many fossils in rocks from the Phanerozoic eon. What does this evidence suggest?

Accepted Answer

There was a major change in the diversity of life in the Phanerozoic eon.

Question 7

In the diagram, which layer of rock is the oldest?

Accepted Answer

F

Question 8

Geologists look at the relationships among rock layers. Which best describes the information they get from studying this

Accepted Answer

They get a sense of the history of the area they are investigating.

Question 9

A large piece of rock contains a thick-shelled clam fossil. What evidence does this fossil best provide?

Accepted Answer

evidence of an environment of the past in the area where the rock was found

Question 10

Fossils of the same reptile are found in both Africa and South America. Which is a likely explanation for this?

Accepted Answer

Africa and South America were once joined but broke apart.

Question 11

While hiking in the hills you see a wall of rock that contains a Trilobite fossil. What might this fossil suggest?

Accepted Answer

The hills, at one time, were under water.

Question 12

Which of the following events separate geologic time into eras and periods?

Accepted Answer

the appearance and disappearance of groups of organisms

Question 13

The disappearance of organisms from the geologic record provides evidence for which of the following events?

Accepted Answer

periods of mass extinction

Question 14

What does the theory of uniformitarianism state?

Accepted Answer

Geologic processes we see today were also at work in the past.

Question 15

Which of the following could be used to interpret the geologic history of a location?

Accepted Answer

rock layers

Questions 15