Deck 24: Geologic Time

Question 1

Trace fossils are

A) tracks only.
B) borings only.
C) burrows only.
D) all of the above.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

The study of fossils is called

A) cryptology.
B) petrology.
C) paleontology.
D) historical biology.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Paleontology is the study of

A) animals.
B) plants.
C) fossils.
D) none of these.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Amber is fossilized

A) bone.
B) tree resin.
C) shell.
D) plant.

Question 5

The earliest evidence of ancient life, blue-green algae, are

A) cyanobacteria.
B) amber.
C) foraminifera.
D) coal.

Question 6

Sedimentary layer A lies above sedimentary layer B, and both are cut by an igneous dike, C. Therefore, the order from oldest to youngest is

A) A, B, C.
B) C, B, A.
C) B, A, C.
D) none of these.

Question 7

Fossils that are useful in correlating rock layers are called

A) index fossils.
B) trace fossils.
C) range fossils.
D) tracing fossils.

Question 8

Fossilized tree resin is known as

A) coal.
B) amber.
C) opal.
D) stromatolite.

Question 9

Tracks, borings, and burrows are examples of

A) replaced remains.
B) index fossils.
C) trace fossils.
D) microfossils.

Question 10

The process of matching up rock layers in different localities by such means as index fossils is called

A) conformational analysis.
B) correlation.
C) indexation.
D) cross-cutting.

Question 11

A group of eras are called a(n)

A) eon.
B) period.
C) millennia.
D) epoch.

Question 12

The oldest evidence of life on Earth dates back to about how many years ago?

A) 65 million
B) 3.8 million
C) 3.5 billion
D) 570 million

Question 13

Another name for cyanobacteria, the earliest evidence of ancient life, is

A) blue-green algae.
B) amber.
C) foraminifera.
D) coal.

Question 14

The largest units of geologic time are the

A) eons.
B) periods.
C) eras.
D) epochs.

Question 15

Breaks, or gaps, in the rock record at a given locality are called

A) unconformities.
B) preconformities.
C) nonconformities.
D) disconformities.

Question 16

The oldest evidence of life on Earth dates back to about how many years ago?

A) 65 million
B) 3.8 million
C) 3500 million
D) 570 million

Question 17

Sedimentary layer A is found above sedimentary layer B, and the two are separated by a horizontal layer of ash, C. Therefore, the order from oldest to youngest is

A) B, C, A.
B) C, B, A.
C) A, C, B.
D) none of these.

Question 18

Eons are divided first into

A) eras.
B) periods.
C) millennia.
D) epochs.

Question 19

Which of the following is not a feature of a good index fossil?

A) Numerous specimens found
B) Occurrence limited to a few localities
C) Easily identified species
D) Limited time span of existence

Question 20

The smallest units of geologic time are the

A) eons.
B) periods.
C) eras.
D) epochs.

Question 21

A group of periods is called a(n)

A) epoch.
B) millennia.
C) era.
D) eon.

Question 22

The Paleozoic is a(n)

A) epoch.
B) era.
C) eon.
D) period.

Question 23

The Phanerozoic is a(n)

A) epoch.
B) era.
C) eon.
D) period.

Question 24

The Pleistocene is a(n)

A) epoch.
B) era.
C) eon.
D) period.

Question 25

The Quarternary is a(n)

A) epoch.
B) era.
C) eon.
D) period.

Question 26

A number of epochs is called a(n)

A) eon.
B) period.
C) millennia.
D) era.

Question 27

The Cenozoic is a(n)

A) epoch.
B) era.
C) eon.
D) period.

Question 28

The Triassic is a(n)

A) epoch.
B) era.
C) eon.
D) period.

Question 29

The Permian is a(n)

A) epoch.
B) era.
C) eon.
D) period.

Question 30

The Mesozoic is a(n)

A) epoch.
B) era.
C) eon.
D) period.

Question 31

The Devonian is a(n)

A) epoch.
B) era.
C) eon.
D) period.

Question 32

The Holocene is a(n)

A) epoch.
B) era.
C) eon.
D) period.

Question 33

Eras are divided first into

A) epochs.
B) millennia.
C) periods.
D) eons.

Question 34

The Cretaceous is a(n)

A) epoch.
B) era.
C) eon.
D) period.

Question 35

The Cambrian is a(n)

A) epoch.
B) era.
C) eon.
D) period.

Question 36

The Miocene is a(n)

A) epoch.
B) era.
C) eon.
D) period.

Question 37

The Paleocene is a(n)

A) epoch.
B) era.
C) eon.
D) period.

Question 38

The Pliocene is a(n)

A) epoch.
B) era.
C) eon.
D) period.

Question 39

The Jurassic is a(n)

A) epoch.
B) era.
C) eon.
D) period.

Question 40

Periods are divided into

A) eons.
B) epochs.
C) millennia.
D) eras.

Question 41

Starting with a sample of pure parent radionuclide, what would be the ratio of the parent radionuclide to its daughter after one half-life has elapsed?

A) 1 to 1
B) 1 to 2
C) 1/2 to 1
D) 2 to 1

Question 42

Geologists have principally used which class of rocks to establish the relative time scale?

A) Igneous
B) Foliated
C) Metamorphic
D) Sedimentary

Question 43

In which of the following eons do we live?

A) Phanerozoic
B) Hadean
C) Proterozoic
D) Archean

Question 44

If a rock sample contains uranium and lead, but no lead-204 is present, then

A) all the lead is radiogenic.
B) all the lead is primordial.
C) both radiogenic and primordial lead are present.
D) neither radiologic nor primordial lead is present.

Question 45

Which of the following is the era sometimes called the age of reptiles?

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

Question 46

The Tertiary is a(n)

A) epoch.
B) era.
C) eon.
D) period.

Question 47

Which of the following radionuclides has the shortest half-life?

A) Potassium-40
B) Uranium-238
C) Carbon-14
D) Uranium-235

Question 48

The Shroud of Turin, the Iceman, and the Dead Sea Scrolls were dated by use of

A) Rubidium-87.
B) Potassium-40.
C) Carbon-14.
D) Uranium-238.

Question 49

Which of the following is a period of the Cenozoic era?

A) Eocene
B) Quaternary
C) Cretaceous
D) Cambrian

Question 50

Geology's best tool for establishing absolute geologic time is

A) index fossils.
B) radiometric dating.
C) the principle of superposition.
D) the principle of cross-cutting relationships.

Question 51

If a rock sample contains uranium and lead, and lead-204 is present, then

A) both radiogenic and primordial lead are present.
B) all the lead is primordial.
C) neither radiologic nor primordial lead is present.
D) all the lead is radiogenic.

Question 52

Geologists have principally used which class of rocks for radiometric dating?

A) Sedimentary
B) Igneous
C) Foliated
D) Metamorphic

Question 53

The Oligocene is a(n)

A) epoch.
B) era.
C) eon.
D) period.

Question 54

Which of the following radionuclides is used to date once-living material?

A) Rubidium-87
B) Potassium-40
C) Thorium-232
D) Carbon-14

Question 55

The Eocene is a(n)

A) epoch.
B) era.
C) eon.
D) period.

Question 56

Starting with a sample of pure parent radionuclide, what would be the ratio of the parent radionuclide to its daughter after two half-lives have elapsed?

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

Question 57

In Europe, the combined Mississippian and Pennsylvanian periods are known as the

A) Carboniferous.
B) Devonian.
C) Pliocene.
D) Tertiary.

Question 58

Potassium-40, one of the six major radionuclides used for radiometric dating, decays to

A) nitrogen.
B) strontium.
C) lead.
D) argon.

Question 59

The fundamental concept of geology that was developed by James Hutton is

A) radiometric dating.
B) the principle of superposition.
C) the principle of cross-cutting relationships.
D) uniformitarianism.

Question 60

Geologists think that Earth is how old?

A) 4560 billion years
B) 45.6 thousand years
C) 45.6 million years
D) 4.56 billion years

Question 61

About how long ago was the last retreat of the glaciers from North America and Europe?

A) 60,000 years
B) 10,000 years
C) 2 million years
D) 6000 years

Question 62

The Triassic period is part of which era?

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

Question 63

The term Cambrian explosion refers to

A) an asteroid impact.
B) the breakup of a supercontinent.
C) intense, widespread volcanic activity.
D) a proliferation of life forms.

Question 64

Which epoch is also called the Ice Ages?

A) Permian
B) Holocene
C) Pleistocene
D) Cretaceous

Question 65

The K-T impact is thought to have occurred at what site?

A) Iridium
B) Chicxulub
C) Gubbio
D) Alvarez

Question 66

Stromatolites are structures created by

A) algae.
B) brachiopods.
C) sea worms.
D) trilobites.

Question 67

The Paleozoic era ended with an event called the

A) Chicxulub Impact.
B) Cambrian Explosion.
C) Great Dying.
D) Pangaean Rift.

Question 68

The Mesozoic era began about how many million years ago?

A) 3
B) 545
C) 245
D) 65

Question 69

The first 87% of geologic time is often called

A) Hadean time.
B) Pangaean time.
C) Precambrian time.
D) Proterozoic time.

Question 70

Archaeopteryx fossils are those of a prehistoric

A) bird.
B) crinoid.
C) trilobite.
D) ground sloth.

Question 71

The Cenozoic era began about how many million years ago?

A) 65
B) 545
C) 3
D) 245

Question 72

We live in the epoch called the

A) Quaternary.
B) Ordovician.
C) Holocene.
D) Cenozoic.

Question 73

We live in the period called the

A) Cenozoic.
B) Holocene.
C) Ordovician.
D) Quaternary.

Question 74

Which occurrence is associated with the demise of the dinosaurs?

A) The Great Dying
B) The Cambrian explosion
C) The breakup of Pangaea
D) The K-T event

Question 75

Which of the following eons is the oldest?

A) Proterozoic
B) Phanerozoic
C) Hadean
D) Archean

Question 76

The oldest known fossils of the genus Homo date from about how long ago?

A) 6000 years
B) 2 million years
C) 10,000 years
D) 65,000 years

Question 77

Trilobites lived during which era?

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

Question 78

The Holocene epoch began when

A) the glaciers last retreated from North America.
B) a period of intense volcanic activity ended.
C) an asteroid hit Chicxulub.
D) Pangaea began breaking up.

Question 79

Which of the following were marine invertebrates that looked like plants and left fossil segments sometimes called "Indian money"?

A) Trilobites
B) Gastropods
C) Crinoids
D) Brachiopods

Question 80

The Paleozoic era began about how many million years ago?

A) 65
B) 545
C) 245
D) 3