Deck 19: Earths Evolution Through Geologic Time

Question 1

Which type of bacteria thrives in environments that lack free oxygen?

A)foraminifera
B)photosynthetic
C)aerobic
D)anaerobic
E)placental

Answer 1

D

Question 2

The period is sometimes called the "golden age of trilobites."

A)Pennsylvanian
B)Triassic
C)Silurian
D)Cambrian
E)Devonian

Answer 2

D

Question 3

The means "the sun in the making."

A)presun
B)sol
C)protosun
D)solar disk
E)nebular sun

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The "ancient age" time period is the Eon.

A)Cambrian
B)Cenozoic
C)Permian
D)none of the above

Question 5

Which period is known as the "age of fishes"?

A)Pennsylvanian
B)Permian
C)Devonian
D)Jurassic
E)Mississippian

Question 6

Which one of the following represents the greatest expanse of geological time?

A)Paleozoic
B)Precambrian
C)Cenozoic
D)Mesozoic

Question 7

During the _ Era, the westward- moving North American plate began to override the Pacific plate, eventually causing the tectonic activity that formed the mountains of western North America.

A)Precambrian
B)Cenozoic
C)Paleozoic
D)Mesozoic
E)none of the above

Question 8

The major source of free oxygen in the atmosphere is from .

A)green plants
B)glaciers
C)water
D)molten rock
E)silicate minerals

Question 9

Most of Earth's iron ore occurs in middle rocks.

A)Precambrian
B)Cenozoic
C)Mesozoic
D)Paleozoic

Question 10

The age of Earth is about .

A)195 million years
B)4.5 billion years
C)4.5 million years
D)16 million years
E)2 billion years

Question 11

During the late Paleozoic, the present- day North America, Europe, western Asia, Siberia, and perhaps China formed the northern continent of _ .

A)Laurasia
B)Greenland
C)Gondwanaland
D)Africa
E)none of the above

Question 12

The beginning of the Phanerozoic marks an important event in animal evolution-the appearance of organisms with .

A)hard parts
B)cells
C)wings
D)vertebrae
E)none of the above

Question 13

Following the reptilian extinctions at the close of the Mesozoic, two groups of mammals, the marsupials and , diversified.

A)cephalopods
B)placentals
C)stromatolites
D)trilobites
E)eukaryotes

Question 14

Which of the following gases was not part of Earth's original atmosphere?

A)carbon dioxide
B)oxygen
C)nitrogen
D)water vapor
E)both A and C

Question 15

As the solar system began forming, the first materials to condense into small particles were _ and helium.

A)hydrogen
B)carbon
C)oxygen
D)silicon

Question 16

During the Cenozoic, plate interactions gave rise to many events of mountain building, volcanism, and earthquakes in North America.

A)northern
B)western
C)southern
D)central
E)eastern

Question 17

The most common Precambrian fossils are , layered mounds of calcium carbonate.

A)trilobites
B)prokaryotes
C)stromatolites
D)chert
E)none of the above

Question 18

The supercontinent of Pangaea began to break up during the Era.

A)Paleozoic
B)Cenozoic
C)Precambrian
D)Mesozoic

Question 19

This least understood eon of Earth's history has not been subdivided into epochs.

A)Mesozoic
B)Precambrian
C)Paleozoic
D)Cenozoic

Question 20

The period was a time of major extinctions, including 75 percent of amphibian families.

A)Devonian
B)Pennsylvanian
C)Mississippian
D)Jurassic
E)Permian

Question 21

Due to a virtual absence of land plants and certain animals, fossil fuels are notably absent in rocks.

A)Cenozoic
B)Mesozoic
C)Paleozoic
D)Precambrian
E)Paleozoic and Mesozoic

Question 22

The process in which plants use light energy to synthesize food sugars from carbon dioxide is called .

A)oxidation
B)photosynthesis
C)hydration
D)fusion
E)none of the above

Question 23

The beginning of the era is marked by the appearance of the first life forms with hard parts.

A)Precambrian
B)Paleozoic
C)Cenozoic
D)Mesozoic

Question 24

The cells of these primitive organisms lack organized nuclei and they reproduce asexually.

A)brachiopods
B)trilobites
C)eukaryotes
D)prokaryotes
E)none of the above

Question 25

means "planets in the making."

A)Protoplanets
B)Jovian
C)Terrestrial
D)Asteroids
E)none of the above

Question 26

The most economically important resource in Cenozoic strata of the Gulf Coast is .

A)carbon
B)petroleum
C)coal
D)fresh water
E)iron

Question 27

As they formed, due to their high temperatures and comparatively weak gravitational fields, which planets were unable to retain appreciable amounts of hydrogen, helium, and ammonia?

A)Neptune and Uranus
B)Jupiter and Neptune
C)Jupiter and Uranus
D)Uranus and Pluto
E)Mercury and Earth

Question 28

Eon accounts for ~90% of the geologic time scale.

A)Precambrian
B)Phanerozoic
C)Proterozoic
D)Paleozoic

Question 29

The waste gas released by plants as they synthesize food sugars from carbon dioxide and water is .

A)methane
B)carbon dioxide
C)oxygen
D)nitrogen
E)none of the above

Question 30

Most rocks are devoid of fossils, which hinders correlation of rocks.

A)Mesozoic and Cenozoic
B)Paleozoic
C)Precambrian
D)Mesozoic
E)Cenozoic

Question 31

Earth's primitive atmosphere evolved from gases _.

A)collected from the nebula
B)produced by radioactive decay
C)expelled from within
D)from the sun
E)escaping from water

Question 32

The Precambrian rock record indicates that much of Earth's first free oxygen combined with dissolved in water.

A)carbon
B)iron
C)potassium
D)silicon
E)none of the above

Question 33

Each continent contains large "core areas" of Precambrian rocks referred to as .

A)plates
B)rifts
C)plateaus
D)shields
E)none of the above

Question 34

The era is known as the "age of flowering plants."

A)Precambrian
B)Cenozoic
C)Paleozoic
D)Silurian
E)Devonian

Question 35

By the close of the Paleozoic, all the continents had fused into the single super continent of .

A)Laurasia
B)Appalachia
C)Pangaea
D)Gondwanaland
E)Europa

Question 36

Mammals became the dominant land animals during the era.

A)Paleozoic
B)Cenozoic
C)Pleistocene
D)Cretaceous
E)Mesozoic

Question 37

One group of reptiles, exemplified by the fossil Archaeopteryx, led to the evolution of _ .

A)dinosaurs
B)birds
C)mammals
D)horses
E)cephalopods

Question 38

By the period, large tropical swamps extended across North America, eventually becoming the vast coal deposits of today.

A)Cambrian
B)Triassic
C)Pennsylvanian
D)Devonian
E)Silurian

Question 39

Abundant fossil evidence did not appear in the geologic record until about .

A)300 million years ago
B)550 million years ago
C)5 billion years ago
D)3 billion years ago
E)6 million years ago

Question 40

Which era is sometimes called the "age of dinosaurs"?

A)Cretaceous
B)Pleistocene
C)Cenozoic
D)Mesozoic
E)none of the above

Question 41

Bacteria that thrive in oxygen free environments are called bacteria.

Question 42

During the early Paleozoic era, the current continents of South America, Africa, Australia, Antarctica, India, and perhaps China comprised the vast southern continent of _.

A)Antindia
B)Pangaea
C)Europe
D)Gondwanaland
E)Laurasia

Question 43

Many of the most ancient fossils are found in a hard, dense, chemical rock called _.

Question 44

are the dominant land plants of the Cenozoic Era.

Question 45

The rock formations of the _ Era are more widespread and less disturbed than those of any other time.

Question 46

The most economically important resource in Cenozoic strata of the Gulf Coast is _ .

Question 47

By the late Period, true air- breathing amphibians with fish- like heads and tails had evolved.

Question 48

Following the mass extinction at the end of the Mesozoic Era, two groups of mammals, the
and placentals, further evolved and diversified.

Question 49

The Cenozoic Era is often called the "age of ."

Question 50

What were the three gases that made up Earth's original atmosphere?

Question 51

Primitive organisms, called , reproduce asexually and contain cells that lack organized nuclei.

Question 52

On continents, large "core areas" of Precambrian rocks, called , dominate the surface.

Question 53

The sun in the making is known as the _ _.

Question 54

The development of , organisms that reproduce sexually and have cells that contain nuclei, may have increased dramatically the rate of evolutionary change.

Question 55

The Eon spans about 88% of Earth's history.

Question 56

The Period was the "golden age of trilobites."

Question 57

The first true terrestrial animals were the .

A)lobe- finned fish
B)marsupials
C)reptiles
D)trilobites
E)mammals

Question 58

Modern human evolution takes place during the _ _ Period of the Era.

Question 59

Extensive deposits of ore are found worldwide in Precambrian rocks.

Question 60

The time of the great extinction that took place at the end of the Mesozoic Era is called the
or KT boundary.

Question 61

One hypothesis for the extinction that took place at the end of the Mesozoic is that a large
collided with Earth.

Question 62

Western North America is the leading edge of the plate.

Question 63

The were the dominant trees of the Mesozoic Era.

Question 64

Why is it so difficult to interpret the geology of the Precambrian? How are these difficulties or limitations different in the younger eras of the Phanerozoic Eon? Finally, are there unique rocks or events in the Precambrian that are not present in younger rocks?

Question 65

The late Era extinction was the greatest of at least five mass extinctions to occur over the past 600 million years.

Question 66

Briefly discuss the origin of Earth's atmosphere and oceans. Are the two related to one another? Also, has the atmosphere remained constant over time or has it changed? And if so then how has it changed?

Question 67

Towards the end of the Mesozoic Era, the Orogeny formed the southern ranges of the Rocky Mountains.

Question 68

Compare and contrast the patterns of life in the Paleozoic Era to the Mesozoic Era. What are the major differences between these two eras? Are there similarities or similar trends?