Question 1

If two animals are members of the same kingdom,how closely are they related in comparison to two animals that are members of the same genus?

Accepted Answer

A)  Animals of the same kingdom are less closely related than those of the same genus. 
B)  Animals of the same kingdom are more closely related than those of the same genus. 
C)  There is no way to tell how closely related they are without more information. 
D)  Animals of the same kingdom are not related at all. 
A)  Animals of the same kingdom are less closely related than those of the same genus. 
B)  Animals of the same kingdom are more closely related than those of the same genus. 
C)  There is no way to tell how closely related they are without more information. 
D)  Animals of the same kingdom are not related at all. A

Question 2

Why was the Cambrian Explosion an important event in the evolution of life on the Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  This is when life first appeared on the Earth. 
B)  This is when multicellular life forms evolved. 
C)  This is when a great variety of invertebrates with shells appear in the fossil record. 
D)  This is when plants and land animals first occurred. 
A)  This is when life first appeared on the Earth. 
B)  This is when multicellular life forms evolved. 
C)  This is when a great variety of invertebrates with shells appear in the fossil record. 
D)  This is when plants and land animals first occurred. C

Question 3

Impressions that organisms leave behind in soft sediment,such as footprint and burrows,can become what type of fossil?

Accepted Answer

A)  skeletal fossils 
B)  trace fossils 
C)  molecular fossils 
D)  permineralized fossils 
A)  skeletal fossils 
B)  trace fossils 
C)  molecular fossils 
D)  permineralized fossils B

Question 4

Which of the following is a brachiopod?

Accepted Answer

A)  Figure 1 
B)  Figure 2 
C)  Figure 3 
D)  Figure 4 
A)  Figure 1 
B)  Figure 2 
C)  Figure 3 
D)  Figure 4

Question 5

Imagine that a layer of leaves is scattered along a forest floor; what must happen in order to preserve these leaves as fossils?

Accepted Answer

A)  The leaves must be picked up by wind or animals and carried to a desert. 
B)  The leaves must be buried slowly so that the leaves can begin to rot. 
C)  The leaves must be buried rapidly in order to keep out oxygen. 
D)  The leaves will never be preserved,as they do not contain hard parts. 
A)  The leaves must be picked up by wind or animals and carried to a desert. 
B)  The leaves must be buried slowly so that the leaves can begin to rot. 
C)  The leaves must be buried rapidly in order to keep out oxygen. 
D)  The leaves will never be preserved,as they do not contain hard parts.

Question 6

What type of fossil forms when a shell pushes in soft sediment,leaving an impression that gets incorporated into the rock even if the shell itself dissolves away?

Accepted Answer

A)  body fossil 
B)  trace fossil 
C)  mold fossil 
D)  chemical fossil 
A)  body fossil 
B)  trace fossil 
C)  mold fossil 
D)  chemical fossil

Question 7

Why do plant fossils typically occur as carbonized impressions between layers in rocks?

Accepted Answer

A)  because chemical reactions leave behind only the carbon 
B)  because they often begin to decay before fossilization 
C)  because they are easily moved by winds and water 
D)  because they are generally scavenged by animals 
A)  because chemical reactions leave behind only the carbon 
B)  because they often begin to decay before fossilization 
C)  because they are easily moved by winds and water 
D)  because they are generally scavenged by animals

Question 8

What is a fossil? In what type(s)of rock are fossils most likely to be found? What factors influence an organism's preservation potential to form a fossil?

Accepted Answer

A fossil is the remnants or traces of an

Question 9

In which of the following rocks would you be most likely to find fossils?

Accepted Answer

A)  gneiss 
B)  limestone 
C)  granite 
D)  basalt 
A)  gneiss 
B)  limestone 
C)  granite 
D)  basalt

Question 10

What is natural selection?

Accepted Answer

A)  the theory that all life began in shallow coastal pools of protein-rich water 
B)  the theory that all life on the Earth has evolved from single-celled organisms 
C)  the idea that animals who share specialized characteristics are part of a genus 
D)  the passing on of beneficial characteristics so that the most adaptable survive 
A)  the theory that all life began in shallow coastal pools of protein-rich water 
B)  the theory that all life on the Earth has evolved from single-celled organisms 
C)  the idea that animals who share specialized characteristics are part of a genus 
D)  the passing on of beneficial characteristics so that the most adaptable survive

Question 11

Why are fossils almost exclusively found in sedimentary rocks?

Accepted Answer

Fossils are found in sedimentary rocks a

Question 12

What type of fossil,examples of which are shown in the figure,is composed of remnants of plankton,algae,bacteria,and pollen?

Accepted Answer

A)  microfossil 
B)  chemical fossil 
C)  trace fossil 
D)  body fossil 
A)  microfossil 
B)  chemical fossil 
C)  trace fossil 
D)  body fossil

Question 13

Why is the preservation potential of an organism higher if it dies in an anoxic (oxygen-poor)environment?

Accepted Answer

A)  The organism will die more quickly without oxygen. 
B)  Anoxic environments contain abundant amounts of amber. 
C)  The organism decays slowly in an anoxic environment. 
D)  Oxygen decreases the rate of permineralization. 
A)  The organism will die more quickly without oxygen. 
B)  Anoxic environments contain abundant amounts of amber. 
C)  The organism decays slowly in an anoxic environment. 
D)  Oxygen decreases the rate of permineralization.

Question 14

Which of the following components of animals' bodies are most likely to form fossils?

Accepted Answer

A)  internal soft tissue 
B)  bones,teeth and shells 
C)  external soft tissues such as skin,feathers,and fur 
D)  internal organs 
A)  internal soft tissue 
B)  bones,teeth and shells 
C)  external soft tissues such as skin,feathers,and fur 
D)  internal organs

Question 15

Label each fossil in the image below with the common fossil name.

Accepted Answer

See the im

Question 16

A scientist who studies fossils is known as a(n)

Accepted Answer

A)  archaeologist. 
B)  paleontologist. 
C)  mineralogist. 
D)  seismologist. 
A)  archaeologist. 
B)  paleontologist. 
C)  mineralogist. 
D)  seismologist.

Question 17

How is a mass extinction event different from extinction?

Accepted Answer

An extinction occurs when the

Question 18

Study of the fossil record has revealed that species go extinct and new species evolve

Accepted Answer

A)  very slowly most of the time,with short periods of rapid evolution. 
B)  at roughly the same rates for all of life's history. 
C)  only during times of continental rifting. 
D)  at the same rates for all types of organisms. 
A)  very slowly most of the time,with short periods of rapid evolution. 
B)  at roughly the same rates for all of life's history. 
C)  only during times of continental rifting. 
D)  at the same rates for all types of organisms.

Question 19

Biomarkers,or compounds preserved in rocks that derive from particular organisms,are a type of:

Accepted Answer

A)  permineralized fossil. 
B)  chemical fossil. 
C)  trace fossil. 
D)  body fossil preserved in tar. 
A)  permineralized fossil. 
B)  chemical fossil. 
C)  trace fossil. 
D)  body fossil preserved in tar.

Question 20

What is the term for the yellow to orange clear stone that forms from sticky plant resins,often containing body fossils of trapped insects?

Accepted Answer

A)  cast and mold 
B)  biomarker 
C)  amber 
D)  trace fossils 
A)  cast and mold 
B)  biomarker 
C)  amber 
D)  trace fossils

Exam 24: Memories of Past Life: Fossils and Evolution

If two animals are members of the same kingdom,how closely are they related in comparison to two animals that are members of the same genus?

Why was the Cambrian Explosion an important event in the evolution of life on the Earth?

Impressions that organisms leave behind in soft sediment,such as footprint and burrows,can become what type of fossil?

Which of the following is a brachiopod?

Imagine that a layer of leaves is scattered along a forest floor; what must happen in order to preserve these leaves as fossils?

What type of fossil forms when a shell pushes in soft sediment,leaving an impression that gets incorporated into the rock even if the shell itself dissolves away?

Why do plant fossils typically occur as carbonized impressions between layers in rocks?

What is a fossil? In what type(s)of rock are fossils most likely to be found? What factors influence an organism's preservation potential to form a fossil?

In which of the following rocks would you be most likely to find fossils?

What is natural selection?

Why are fossils almost exclusively found in sedimentary rocks?

What type of fossil,examples of which are shown in the figure,is composed of remnants of plankton,algae,bacteria,and pollen?

Why is the preservation potential of an organism higher if it dies in an anoxic (oxygen-poor)environment?

Which of the following components of animals' bodies are most likely to form fossils?

Label each fossil in the image below with the common fossil name.

A scientist who studies fossils is known as a(n)

How is a mass extinction event different from extinction?

Study of the fossil record has revealed that species go extinct and new species evolve

Biomarkers,or compounds preserved in rocks that derive from particular organisms,are a type of:

What is the term for the yellow to orange clear stone that forms from sticky plant resins,often containing body fossils of trapped insects?

The Earth in Context

The Way the Earth Works: Plate Tectonics

Patterns in Nature: Minerals

Up From the Inferno: Magma and Igneous Rocks

The Wrath of Vulcan: Volcanic Eruptions

Pages of the Earths Past: Sedimentary Rocks

Metamorphism: a Process of Change

A Violent Pulse: Earthquakes

Crags,cracks,and Crumples: Crustal Deformation and Mountain Building

Deep Time: How Old Is Old

A Biography of the Earth

Riches in Rock: Energy and Mineral Resources

Unsafe Ground: Landslides and Other Mass Movements

Streams and Floods: the Geology of Running Water

Restless Realm: Oceans and Coasts

A Hidden Reserve: Groundwater

Dry Regions: the Geology of Deserts

Amazing Ice: Glaciers and Ice Ages

Global Change in the Earth System

Introducing Rocks

A Surface Veneer: Sediments and Soils

The Rock Cycle

The Earth’s Interior Revisited: Insights from Geophysics

Ever-Changing Landscapes and the Hydrologic Cycle

Prelude: And Just What is Geology?

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