The Mesozoic and Cenozoic Eras
Practice Test
1.
What is a pterosaur?
a.
a swimming reptile that resembles a modern dolphin
b.
a flying reptile that had light, hollow bones like modern birds
c.
a modern-day turtle that evolved in the Mesozic Era
d.
a mammal that lived in the Mesozoic grasslands
2.
What is the Mesozoic commonly referred to?
a.
the Permo-Triassic Extinction age
b.
the Age of the First Mammals
c.
the Age of Humans
d.
the Age of Reptiles
3.
The last major orogeny in western North America was characterized by __________.
a.
igneous intrusions
b.
vertical uplifts
c.
folding
d.
low-angle faults and folds
4.
What is a sauropod dinosaur?
a.
one type of saurischian dinosaur
b.
a herbivorous dinosaur
c.
all of the above
d.
a quadrupedal dinosaur
5.
According to the tables, how long ago did Gonioteuthis exist?
a.
about 70 million years ago
b.
about 150 million years ago
c.
about 240 million years ago
d.
about 200 million years ago
6.
When was the northern hemisphere ice age?
a.
the late Pleistocene only
b.
the Miocene and early Pleistocene
c.
the late Pliocene through the Pleistocene
d.
the Holocene only
7.
How did the Himalaya mountains form?
a.
uplifted normal fault blocks
b.
an oceanic plate that was subducted under a continental plate
c.
a continent-to-continent collision
d.
hot spot activity
8.
What is a rudist?
a.
a reef-building coral that evolved at the end of the Triassic Period
b.
an asymmetic clam that built reefs during the Cretaceous Period
c.
the base of the food chain in Mesozoic oceans
d.
a photosynthetic phytoplankton that evolved during the Mesozic Era
9.
According to the map, which area was least likely to feel the effect of glaciation during the most recent Ice Ages?
a.
the Great Lakes region
b.
the Northeast
c.
Texas
d.
Canada
10.
The second orogeny in western North America was characterized by __________.
a.
folding
b.
low-angle thrust faults and folds
c.
vertical uplifts
d.
igneous intrusions
11.
The breakup of Pangaea resulted in __________.
a.
the formation of the Pacific Ocean
b.
the formation of a supercontinent
c.
the formation of the Appalachian Mountains
d.
the formation of the Atlantic Ocean
12.
The Cascade Mountains in the Pacific Northwest of the United States are the result of __________.
a.
extensional forces that caused the Basin and Range Province
b.
an oceanic plate that was subducted under a continental plate
c.
two contintental plates that collided
d.
a continental plate that moved over the East Pacific Rise
13.
Hominids and hominoids are primates. What characteristic defines the difference between the two?
a.
Hominids are bipedal.
b.
Hominoids have greater manual dexterity.
c.
Hominoids have smaller canine teeth.
d.
Hominids have smaller brains.
14.
The oldest orogeny in western North America was characterized by __________.
a.
folding
b.
thrust faulting and igneous intrusions
c.
thrust faulting
d.
igneous intrusions
15.
What is the modern fauna?
a.
all of the above
b.
marine organisms that evolved during the Mesozoic Era
c.
marine organisms such as crabs, lobsters, snails, and clams
d.
marine organisms such as bony fishes, aquatic reptiles, sharks, and aquatic mammals
16.
What type of flowering plant appeared during the Eocene?
a.
conifers
b.
grasses
c.
cycads
d.
angiosperms
17.
What caused Pangaea to break apart?
a.
lithospheric compression and thrust faulting
b.
a heat source beneath the continental crust
c.
compressional forces that pushed Pangaea to the north
d.
an upwelling on the western side of Pangaea
18.
What type of mammal is defined by the development of specialized traits including a grasping hand, stereoscopic vision, and a large brain?
a.
horses
b.
hominids
c.
giant ground sloths
d.
primates
19.
Which periods are in the Mesozoic Era?
a.
the Triassic, Permian, Ordovician, and Cretaceous Periods
b.
the Cretaceous, Tertiary, and Ordovician Periods
c.
the Jurassic, Triassic, and Ordovician Periods
d.
the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous Periods
20.
According to the figures, which is the only organism that lived through the Cenozoic Era?
a.
Crateraster
b.
Mytilus
c.
Aeger
d.
Pleurotomaria
