1) In order to determine the relationship between fossils, the ages of the fossils need to be determined. Which process will most accurately determine the ages of two similar fossils? a) by using seismic waves b) by using radiometric dating c) by comparing the two fossils to index fossils d) by looking at the geographic locations where the fossils were found 2) The diagram represents layers of exposed rocks where paleontologists have found fossils of early horses. The characteristics of five horse species are listed in the table. Which conclusion about the evolutionary history of horses is best supported by the fossil record evidence? a) Over time, the horse has experienced a reduction in body size. b) Over time, the horse has experienced a reduction in toe number. c) Over time, the horse has experienced a reduction in tooth crown size. d) Over time, the horse has experienced a reduction in tooth cement covering. 3) The diagram shows the skeletal systems of a theropod dinosaur, an archaeopteryx, and a modern chicken. Which statement is supported by the evidence shown in the diagram? a) Chickens evolved directly from theropod dinosaurs. b) Chickens and theropod dinosaurs share a common ancestor c) Chickens and theropod dinosaurArchaeopteryx is the first animal that developed the ability to fly. d) Theropod dinosaurs and archaeopteryx filled similar ecological niches. 4) Which graph below correctly depicts how the concentration of oxygen changed from early earth to later atmosphere conditions? a) A b) B c) C d) D 5) The fossil record shows that some organisms have become extinct. However, some of these extinct organisms closely resemble organisms that are still alive today. Which of the following best describes why some extinct species in the fossil record are similar to organisms living today? a) All organisms have identical genetic codes and therefore produce similar features. b) Organisms are related by a common ancestor that evolved over a very long period of time. c) Organisms adapted the same way to their environments in order to produce beneficial traits.  d) Following mass extinctions, new organisms followed the genetic path of the previous extinct organisms. 6) The scientific explanation of the origin of life on Earth is based on evidence gathered throughout the physical and life sciences. What is the common thread of the different theories of the origin of life on Earth? a) Lightning caused living organisms to form. b) Lightning provided energy for cell membranes to form. c) The earliest life-building compounds contained carbon. d) The early Earth's atmosphere was similar to what we see now. 7) According to most current theories about the origin of life, in which location did life most likely form first? a) in the desert b) in the ocean c) in a swamp d) in the atmosphere 8) Scientists Stanley Miller and Harold Urey set up an experiment modeling the environmental conditions thought to exist during the early stages of Earth’s formation. The setup of Miller and Urey’s experiment is shown below. Which conclusion about the origin of life could be drawn from the results of this experiment? a) Life evolved from simple unicellular organisms. b) Life assembled from chemical building blocks. c) Life is a mutation of an ancient virus. d) Life was encoded by DNA. 9) According to the graph what fraction of the original parent isotope still exists after 4 half-lives have passed? a) 1/2 b) 1/4 c) 1/8 d) 1/16 10) What is the currently accepted age of Earth? a) about 4.6 million years old b) about 10 billion years old c) about 4.6 billion years old d) about 5.6 billion years old 11) Scientists use the term evolution to define changes in groups of organisms through time. Which type of evidence most likely provides direct insight into the age, location, and environment in which an organism lived in the past? a) biogeography b) fossil record c) comparative anatomy d) comparative embryology 12) Plants, animals, and even bacteria can form fossils. What evidence does the fossil record provide about evolution? a) Most species evolved recently. b) Most species become less complex over time. c) Most species have left a complete fossil history. d) Most species that have lived on Earth are extinct. 13) Paleontologists are scientists who study the fossil record. They can use the fossil record to identify a common ancestor. What is a common ancestor? a) species from which two or more species evolved b) species that became extinct as the environment changed c) species that left a complete history of its existence in the fossil record d) species that suddenly appears in the fossil record and then just as quickly disappears 14) The diagram shows layers of rock and rock features labeled A-E. Place the letters of the features in the correct order from oldest to youngest a) D-E-C-A-B b) B-C-D-E-A c) A-D-E-C-B d) B-A-C-E-D 15) What does the principle of superposition state about the age of rock layers? a) that sedimentary rock formations were originally deposited horizontally b) that rock formations that have been subdivided since their formation can be assumed to have originally been laterally continuous. c) that sedimentary rock formations are deposited such that the oldest layer is on the bottom and the youngest layer is on the top d) that any geologic feature that cuts across another geologic feature is the younger of the two features 16) A student examines a sedimentary rock outcrop on a field trip to a national park. The student finds a fossil of a fish in a layer near the bottom of the outcrop. Later in the day, the same student finds a fossil of a land mammal in a layer higher up in the rock sequence. Which of the following conclusions is best justified by the student's discoveries? a) Millions of years ago, a land animal caught a fish and buried the remains, which eventually fossilized. b) A river that once flowed through this area deposited a fish fossil at the base of what becomes a sedimentary rock outcrop. c) This area was once covered by an inland sea that eventually dried up. d) None of these conclusions are justified by the student's discoveries. 17) Which analogy best explains the concept of superposition? a) a brick house b) a cracked windshield c) a road d) a chocolate chip cookie 18) Which of the following would be categorized as a fossil? a) the skeleton of a mouse that has just died b) a mammoth preserved in ice c) a dog's footprints in the sand at the beach d) a layer of ash from a volcanic eruption millions of years ago 19) The fossil record provides evidence of which of the following ideas about life on earth? a) evolution b) the existence of past life forms c) changes in past environments d) all of the above 20) Geologists believe that a vast saltwater sea once covered the entire state of New Mexico, in the Southwestern United States. Geological investigations of the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico support this theory. Which evidence from the Jemez Mountains most strongly supports the inland sea theory? a) The mountains contain volcanic rock. b) The mountains contain layers of sandstone. c) The mountains show evidence of earthquake activity. d) The mountains contain fossils from shallow water organisms. 21) Fossils of hominid skulls reveal that as hominids evolved, the size and shapes of their skulls changed. The drawings show four skulls that represent different species of hominids. Based upon the trends in hominid evolution, what is the proper sequence of the skulls shown from earliest to most recent hominid species? a) 1,2,3,4 b) 1,3,2,4 c) 3,1,2,4 d) 4,2,1,3 22) Fossil evidence and other observations have enabled scientists to recognize several trends in hominid evolution. Which of the following trends appeared earliest in hominid evolution? a) the ability to make and use tools b) the ability to use language c) the ability to walk upright on two legs d) an increase in the size of the teeth 23) The oldest clear evidence of life, microfossils in ancient rock, are 3.5 billion years old. What type of cell known today is most similar to the cell found in these microfossils? a) bacteria b) hydra c) paramecium d) virus 24) Scientists investigating scientific explanations of the origins of life on Earth have used evidence to support a hypothesis that organic compounds originated in space, and first arrived on Earth on a meteorite. This hypothesis is based on the discovery of a meteorite that landed in Australia that contains traces of many organic compounds. Which of the following best summarizes how additional investigations might affect this hypothesis?  a) Added evidence might allow this hypothesis to become a scientific law. b) Over time, the hypothesis will change to a theory, and then to a scientific law. c) This hypothesis, if supported by the work of many scientists over time, might lead to the formation of a scientific theory. d) This hypothesis cannot be further investigated. 25) Scientists have been investigating the origins of life on Earth for many years. Which of the following best describes current scientific knowledge of the origins of life on Earth? a) Several hypotheses about the origin of life on Earth exist, each with supporting evidence. b) A unified scientific theory of the origin of life on Earth exists. c) A proven scientific law explains the origin of life on Earth. d) Scientists have gathered no evidence about the origins of life of Earth.

Geologic Time and Earth's History Review

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