Earth History - Assessment

1.

Multiple Choice

30 sec

1 pt

What evidence would a scientist use to determine the age of rock in a layer?

index fossils

living fossils

resin fossils

trace fossils

2.

Multiple Choice

30 sec

1 pt

What is the most logical conclusion about a layer of rock near the top of a canyon?

The layers near the top are older than layers below.

The layers near the top are younger than layers below.

The top layer will have more fossils than layers below.

The top layer will have less fossils than layers below.

3.

Multiple Choice

30 sec

1 pt

The diagram shows rock layers taken from two different locations that may be far apart from each other.What can be concluded based on the diagram?

Location 1 has terrestrial fossils, and Location 2 has aquatic fossils.

The layers in Location 1 are much older than the layers in Location 2.

The layers in Location 1 are younger than the layers in Location 2.

Layers from both locations with similar fossils are about the same age.

4.

Multiple Choice

30 sec

1 pt

The diagram shows a section of land that has been undisturbed and includes a fossil.What can be concluded about the fossil?

It is younger than the limestone.

It is older than the shale.

It is approximately the same age as the limestone.

It is approximately the same age as the sandstone.

5.

Multiple Choice

30 sec

1 pt

What technological process has been used by scientists to determine that the age of the Earth is about 4.5 billion years old?

seismic waves to locate fossils deep in the Earth's crust

radioactive dating of rocks in the Earth's crust

x-rays of rocks and the Law of Superposition

electron microscope images to study fossils

6.

Multiple Choice

30 sec

1 pt

What initial catastrophic event is most likely responsible for the extinction of the dinosaurs?

the impact of many tornadoes during a massive storm

the impact of a large asteroid or comet hitting Earth's surface

the rise of sea levels caused by melting glaciers

the rise of mammals that became predators of dinosaurs

7.

Multiple Choice

30 sec

1 pt

The diagram shows layers of rock that have been disturbed.Which layer of rock is the oldest?

Layer A because other layers were formed in it.

Layer B because it is under layers C and D.

Layer D because it is the least eroded.

Layer F because it is on the top.

8.

Multiple Choice

30 sec

1 pt

Which statement can be best supported by the fossil record?

Most of the organisms on Earth have not changed over time.

Most life forms that existed on Earth are now extinct.

Humans and dinosaurs have existed on Earth at the same time.

Human have lived on Earth for most of geologic history.

9.

Multiple Choice

30 sec

1 pt

The image shows fossils found in a section of sedimentary rock.In which layer are the oldest fossils found?

Layer A

Layer B

Layer C

Layer D

10.

Multiple Choice

30 sec

1 pt

Which is the most likely reason for specific mass extinction of living organisms?

increased tilting of the Earth's axis

energy surges from the Sun's surface

the impact of asteroids or small comets on the Earth's surface

increased volcanic and earthquake activity along crustal plate boundaries

11.

Multiple Choice

30 sec

1 pt

Which condition best supports fossil formation?

A dead organism is eaten by scavengers and shredded.

A dead organism is slowly decomposed by bacteria and insects.

A dead organism is washed away in a flood and buried under rocks.

A dead organism is quickly buried under mud and sand.

12.

Multiple Choice

30 sec

1 pt

In the geologic history of the Earth, which time is characterized by the dominance of reptiles and the presence of small mammals, birds, and flowering plants?

Cenozoic

Mesozoic

Paleozoic

Precambrian

13.

Multiple Choice

1 min

1 pt

Geologists studied fossils taken from the top of a mountain. The chart lists several fossils taken from this location as well as their original habitat.What can be concluded based on the fossil evidence?

The mountain climate was once much warmer than it is today.

The mountain climate was once much colder than it is today.

The mountain was covered by water at some point in the past.

The elevation in the area was much higher at some point in the past.

14.

Multiple Choice

30 sec

1 pt

The diagram shows rock layers taken from two different locations.The layers with the same letter are believed to be approximately the same age. What is the most likely explanation for why Layer B is missing in Location 1?

It was deposited last.

It eroded.

It evaporated.

It was dug out.

15.

Multiple Choice

30 sec

1 pt

Which explanation best describes why tropical plant fossils have been found on islands in the Arctic Ocean?

Birds and insects carried seeds to the island.

Seeds of plants have been carried by ocean currents.

The island drifted from a tropical region to its present location.

Spores of the plants were carried by air currents to the island.

16.

Multiple Choice

30 sec

1 pt

Which explanation best describes why marine fossils have been discovered in rock layers in a desert environment?

A catastrophic event occurred in the area in the past.

Continental drift moved the rock layers from the coast to the desert.

The area was once completely covered by water.

Volcanic activity had once occurred in the area.

17.

Multiple Choice

30 sec

1 pt

What have scientists mainly used to subdivide geologic time into different units or periods?

fossil evidence

catastrophic events

rock layers

unconformities

18.

Multiple Choice

30 sec

1 pt

The map shows Africa, South America, and the Mid-Ocean Ridge in the Atlantic Ocean. How does area C affect continental movement?

new continent creation

oceanic plate subduction

sea floor spreading

underwater mountain erosion

19.

Multiple Choice

30 sec

1 pt

The fossils of the same species of lizard were collected from rock layers in two different continents. What evidence does it suggest?

The two continents were in different hemispheres.

The two continents were once part of a single large continent.

The lizard migrated across the ocean to the other continent.

The lizard evolved on two continents at the same time.

20.

Multiple Choice

30 sec

1 pt

The scientist in the photo is removing an ice core from a metal casing (tube) in order to analyze ancient gas bubbles trapped in the ice. Which geologic law or principle best explains how scientists use ice cores to learn about Earth's past climate?

law of crosscutting relationships

principle of lateral continuity

law of superposition

principle of inclusion

21.

Multiple Choice

30 sec

1 pt

The diagram shows a sedimentary rock sample that contains igneous rock intrusions.Which sequence shows the age of the fossils from oldest to youngest?

5, 4, 3, 2, 1

3, 5, 4, 2, 1

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

5, 4, 2, 1, 3

22.

Multiple Choice

1 min

1 pt

The time line shows the evolution of life forms during the geologic time scale.Which statement is supported by the time line?

Dinosaurs became extinct 150 million years ago.

Birds evolved approximately 275 million years ago.

Animals started inhabiting land approximately 300 million years ago.

Insects and amphibians appeared approximately 325 million years ago.

23.

Multiple Choice

30 sec

1 pt

A researcher drills a cylindrical piece of ice from a glacier in the Antarctic to analyze its composition. What might be the purpose of the researchers’ actions?

to calculate the average snowfall for each year in the past

to find the kinds of plants that survive in the Antarctic

to investigate past climate and atmospheric conditions

to study the minimum temperatures in which certain organisms can survive

24.

Multiple Choice

30 sec

1 pt

A geologist examines a rock outcrop obtained from a region with the rock layers labeled from 1 to 6.In what order were the rock layers likely deposited over time?

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 6

5, 4, 3, 6, 2, 1

6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

25.

Multiple Choice

30 sec

1 pt

Review the diagram showing an igneous intrusion (D) within layers of sedimentary rock.What is the relative age of the igneous intrusion?

The igneous intrusion is younger than layer A.

The igneous intrusion is the same age as layer C.

The igneous intrusion is younger than layer E.

The igneous intrusion is the same age as layer F.

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