Fossils and the Rock Record
Practice Test
1.
What geologic principle states that in an undisturbed rock sequence, the oldest rocks are on the bottom and the youngest are on the top?
SC.D.1.4.3
a.
cross-cutting relationships
b.
superposition
c.
uniformitarianism
d.
original horizontality
2.
What does a disconformity in a sedimentary rock sequence represent?
SC.D.1.4.3
a.
a volcanic eruption
b.
duplicated strata in the rock record
c.
a gap in the rock record
d.
a flood event
3.
Which feature shown in the figure is the oldest?
SC.D.1.4.3
a.
L
b.
H
c.
P
d.
Q
4.
What marks the end of the Proterozoic Eon?
SC.D.1.4.3
a.
free oxygen
b.
oxygen breathing organisms
c.
mammals
d.
the first appearance of organisms with hard parts
5.
What type of material is used in the dating technique of dendrochronology?
SC.D.1.4.3
a.
key beds
b.
tree leaves
c.
sediment layers from lake beds
d.
tree growth rings
6.
What isotope is used for finding the age of materials that are organic in origin?
SC.D.1.4.3
a.
carbon-14
b.
potassium-40
c.
uranium-238
d.
thorium-232
7.
What principle of geology states that sedimentary rocks are deposited horizontally or nearly horizontally?
SC.D.1.4.3
a.
superposition
b.
uniformitarianism
c.
original horizontality
d.
cross-cutting relationships
8.
What method is used to determine the exact age of a rock or fossil?
SC.D.1.4.3
a.
dendrochronology
b.
the principle of superposition
c.
relative age dating
d.
radiometric dating
9.
Petrified wood is an example of __________.
SC.D.1.4.3
a.
an index fossil
b.
permineralization
c.
original hard parts
d.
a mold
10.
According to the figure, after four half-lives
22,820 years
, how much C-14 would be left?
SC.D.1.4.3
a.
6.25%
b.
0%
c.
10%
d.
25%
11.
What is the longest division of time in the geologic time scale?
SC.D.1.4.3
a.
an eon
b.
an epoch
c.
an era
d.
a period
12.
What is at the bottom of the geologic time scale?
SC.D.1.4.3
a.
the youngest division of time
b.
the Silurian Period
c.
the Cenozoic Era
d.
the oldest division of time
13.
According to the figure, what marked the end of the Mesozoic Era?
SC.D.1.4.3
a.
the extinction of the dinosaurs
b.
mammals are abundant
c.
the extinction of many marine invertebrates
d.
the building of the Appalachians ends
14.
If a horizontal Devonian shale directly overlies a horizontal Ordovician limestone, what is the surface between the strata called?
SC.D.1.4.3
a.
a disconformity
b.
an angular unconformity
c.
an erosional surface
d.
a nonconformity
15.
A _________ is the unaltered remains of a once-living organism.
SC.D.1.4.3
a.
trace fossil
b.
fossil with permineralization
c.
fossil with original preservation
d.
mold of a fossil
16.
What characterizes an index fossil?
SC.D.1.4.3
a.
easily recognized
b.
widely distributed geographically
c.
all of these are correct
d.
abundant
17.
What is the current era?
SC.D.1.4.3
a.
Mesozoic
b.
Paleozoic
c.
Cenozoic
d.
Archean
18.
A gravel-sized particle in a conglomerate is __________ the conglomerate rock.
SC.D.1.4.3
a.
older than
b.
younger than
c.
the same age as
d.
always ten times older than
