Question 1

In which of the following rocks might you find fossils?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 2

Which of the following circumstances is likely to preserve a fossil?

Accepted Answer

A) Leaves from an ancient oak tree fall to the ground in a forest. 
B) A mammoth dies from starvation in the middle of a vast dry plain. 
C) A ground sloth walks along the edge of a river in the wet mud. 
D) Bacteria living in the ocean die near the shoreline and sink to the bottom. 
A) Leaves from an ancient oak tree fall to the ground in a forest. 
B) A mammoth dies from starvation in the middle of a vast dry plain. 
C) A ground sloth walks along the edge of a river in the wet mud. 
D) Bacteria living in the ocean die near the shoreline and sink to the bottom. C

Question 3

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 either 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 either are without more information. 
D) Animals of the same kingdom are not related at all. A

Question 4

If a mastodon dies while walking along a river,what needs to happen in order to fossilize the body?

Accepted Answer

A) A drought must occur so that sediment can be blown over the body. 
B) A flood must occur so that sediment can wash over the body. 
C) No changes are necessary;it will be preserved just by being near a river. 
D) The body must be carried away by scavengers to another location. 
A) A drought must occur so that sediment can be blown over the body. 
B) A flood must occur so that sediment can wash over the body. 
C) No changes are necessary;it will be preserved just by being near a river. 
D) The body must be carried away by scavengers to another location.

Question 5

What type of fossil is composed of footprints or burrows?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 6

Which of the following would NOT be considered a fossil?

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 7

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 does not decay 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 does not decay in an anoxic environment. 
D) Oxygen decreases the rate of permineralization.

Question 8

What type of fossil forms when a buried organism decays or is dissolved,but the original shape is preserved in the sediment?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 9

If a volcanic eruption occurs that blocks out some of the sunlight long enough for many plants to die,what (if anything)will happen to the carnivorous animal species?

Accepted Answer

A) They will eventually die along with many other species in the food chain. 
B) The carnivorous animals will need to adapt to eat other plant species. 
C) They will die from the drop in temperature before the plant deaths affect them. 
D) Nothing will happen;carnivorous animals will not be affected by plant death. 
A) They will eventually die along with many other species in the food chain. 
B) The carnivorous animals will need to adapt to eat other plant species. 
C) They will die from the drop in temperature before the plant deaths affect them. 
D) Nothing will happen;carnivorous animals will not be affected by plant death.

Question 10

Why do plants generally become carbonized impressions if they are preserved as fossils?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 11

Which of the following is an example of natural selection?

Accepted Answer

A) birds that evolve a new beak shape in order to exploit a different food source 
B) the extinction of the mammoths due to hunting by a new predator 
C) fossils of trilobites that have the same morphology but are separated by millions of years 
D) the mass extinction of the dinosaurs due to a meteorite's impact 65 million years ago 
A) birds that evolve a new beak shape in order to exploit a different food source 
B) the extinction of the mammoths due to hunting by a new predator 
C) fossils of trilobites that have the same morphology but are separated by millions of years 
D) the mass extinction of the dinosaurs due to a meteorite's impact 65 million years ago

Question 12

Which of the following is NOT necessary in order to be preserved as a fossil?

Accepted Answer

A) hard parts 
B) rapid burial 
C) anoxic environment 
D) tough skin or fur 
A) hard parts 
B) rapid burial 
C) anoxic environment 
D) tough skin or fur

Question 13

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 14

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 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 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 15

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 16

Which of the following statements regarding the fossil record is FALSE?

Accepted Answer

A) Not every minute of Earth's history is recorded in the rock record. 
B) The fossil record does not contain any fossil remains of plants,only animals. 
C) Not all organisms have a high preservation potential. 
D) Paleontologists have not yet found all the fossils that are in the rocks. 
A) Not every minute of Earth's history is recorded in the rock record. 
B) The fossil record does not contain any fossil remains of plants,only animals. 
C) Not all organisms have a high preservation potential. 
D) Paleontologists have not yet found all the fossils that are in the rocks.

Question 17

Which major kingdom would a bivalve belong to?

Accepted Answer

A) Protista 
B) Animalia 
C) Plantae 
D) Fungi 
A) Protista 
B) Animalia 
C) Plantae 
D) Fungi

Question 18

Fossils are found in ________ rocks.

Accepted Answer

A) metamorphic 
B) foliated 
C) sedimentary 
D) intrusive 
A) metamorphic 
B) foliated 
C) sedimentary 
D) intrusive

Question 19

The following is an example of what type of fossil?

Accepted Answer

A) trace fossil 
B) permineralized organism 
C) carbonized impression 
D) mold or cast fossil 
A) trace fossil 
B) permineralized organism 
C) carbonized impression 
D) mold or cast fossil

Question 20

What type of fossil is shown in the picture below?

Accepted Answer

A) impressions 
B) mold fossils 
C) hard parts 
D) trace fossils 
A) impressions 
B) mold fossils 
C) hard parts 
D) trace fossils

Exam 28: Memories of Past Life: Fossils and Evolution

In which of the following rocks might you find fossils?

Which of the following circumstances is likely to preserve a fossil?

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?

If a mastodon dies while walking along a river,what needs to happen in order to fossilize the body?

What type of fossil is composed of footprints or burrows?

Which of the following would NOT be considered a fossil?

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

What type of fossil forms when a buried organism decays or is dissolved,but the original shape is preserved in the sediment?

If a volcanic eruption occurs that blocks out some of the sunlight long enough for many plants to die,what (if anything)will happen to the carnivorous animal species?

Why do plants generally become carbonized impressions if they are preserved as fossils?

Which of the following is an example of natural selection?

Which of the following is NOT necessary in order to be preserved as a fossil?

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

What is natural selection?

Which of the following is a brachiopod?

Which of the following statements regarding the fossil record is FALSE?

Which major kingdom would a bivalve belong to?

Fossils are found in ________ rocks.

The following is an example of what type of fossil?

What type of fossil is shown in the picture below?

Cosmology and the Birth of Earth

Journey to the Center of the Earth

Drifting Continents and Spreading Seas

The Way the Earth Works: Plate Tectonics

Patterns in Nature: Minerals

Up From the Inferno: Magma and Igneous Rocks

Pages of Earths Past: Sedimentary Rocks

Metamorphism: a Process of Change

The Wrath of Vulcan: Volcanic Eruptions

A Violent Pulse: Earthquakes

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

Deep Time: How Old Is Old

A Biography of Earth

Squeezing Power From a Stone: Energy Resources

Riches in Rock: 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

An Envelope of Gas: Earths Atmosphere and Climate

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 in the Earth System

the Earths Interior, revisited: Seismic Layering, gravity, and the Magnetic Field

Ever-Changing Landscapes and the Hydrologic Cycle

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