Deck 11: The Record of the Past

Question 1

A fossil is:

A)an intact and completely preserved ancient organism only
B)any remains of an organism,even modern
C)the remains or traces of an ancient organism
D)none of the above

Answer 1

the remains or traces of an ancient organism

Question 2

The Neandertal from La Chapelle-aux-Saints:

A)illustrates how an accurate picture of an entire group can be drawn from only one find
B)is an example of fossilization by desiccation
C)illustrates the problem of the use of a small sample from which conclusions are drawn about an entire group
D)was an elaborate hoax

Answer 2

illustrates the problem of the use of a small sample from which conclusions are drawn about an entire group

Question 3

A careful analysis of skeletal remains can provide some information about all of the following except:

A)musculature
B)skin color
C)brain size
D)relative importance of the senses

Answer 3

skin color

Question 4

All of the following are considered to be fossils except:

A)a mineralized bone
B)an insect embedded in amber
C)a stone tool
D)a cast of an ancient animal

Question 5

In 1991,a partially freeze-dried body of a man was found in the Italian Alps.The body dates to about:

A)1000 B.P.
B)2700 B.P.
C)5300 B.P.
D)7500 B.P.

Question 6

The fossil record:

A)is a true reflection of the numerical relationship of one animal to all others
B)represents all genera and families with about the same degree of completeness
C)is quite complete because almost all animals which have died have become fossilized
D)none of the above

Question 7

The majority of fossils exist in the form of:

A)bone that has been mineralized
B)soft tissue remains
C)a cast of the actual organism
D)actual bones and teeth

Question 8

The study of fossils in general is referred to as:

A)paleoanthropology
B)palynology
C)paleontology
D)none of the above

Question 9

The study of the processes that affect an organism after death is called:

A)paleontology
B)phylogeny
C)taphonomy
D)archaeology

Question 10

The Neandertal from La Chapelle-aux-Saints,once used as the prototype of the Neandertal,is not typical because,in part:

A)he was a dwarf
B)he suffered from arthritis
C)he was a juvenile
D)none of the above

Question 11

A bone's preservation potential is determined by:

A)its length,width,shape,and condition at death
B)its size,shape,composition,and hydraulic behavior
C)its sponginess
D)none of the above

Question 12

The populationist:

A)believes that variation of a basic type is illusory;only archetypes are real
B)believes that only individuals have reality;archetypes are illusory
C)would classify fossils that show no more variation between them than individuals within a closely related living species as the same species
D)b and c

Question 13

Sampling error in the fossil record involves the fact that:

A)some species are fossilized more frequently than others
B)some parts of the world have been more extensively excavated than others
C)some fossils may not represent average individuals in an ancient population
D)all of the above

Question 14

Soft tissue of prehistoric organisms has been preserved under special conditions including:

A)mummification in hot dry climates
B)freezing in glaciers or tundra
C)preserved in waterlogged areas such as bogs
D)all of the above

Question 15

The material remains of human behavior are known as:

A)fossils
B)artifacts
C)casts
D)lithics

Question 16

One estimate,based upon the excavations at Omo,is that only ____________ percent of individuals which once lived are presented in the fossil record.

A)5
B)0.1
C)0.03
D)0.004

Question 17

The investigation of injuries and disease in prehistoric populations is the field of:

A)paleopathology
B)paleoecology
C)palynology
D)paleontology

Question 18

In order to become a fossil,an organism usually must:

A)have hard parts such as bones or shell
B)not have been destroyed immediately by other animals or natural elements
C)have been protected from decaying,usually by being buried quickly after death
D)all of the above

Question 19

The hydraulic behavior of bones refers to:

A)the potential for the transport of bones by water sources
B)the way bones may be dispersed by moving water
C)how bones of different sizes and shapes move through water
D)all of the above

Question 20

By examining an organism's fossilized skeleton,we can reconstruct the organism's musculature.This is done by examining:

A)the relative sizes of various bones
B)areas of muscle attachment on the surface of the bone (ridges or rough areas)
C)the interiors of bones using MRIs or Xrays
D)none of the above

Question 21

An unconformity is:

A)a scientific theory that does not conform to other theories on the same general phenomenon
B)a hoax,such as the Piltdown hoax
C)surfaces that represent breaks in the stratigraphic record
D)an index fossil that appears to be from the wrong time period

Question 22

Using a relative dating technique,we could determine:

A)the exact age difference between two fossils or artifacts
B)whether one fossil is younger or older than another fossil
C)if two fossilized animals were genetically related to one another
D)a and b

Question 23

The study of sedimentary beds is termed:

A)palynology
B)taphonomy
C)stratigraphy
D)paleoecology

Question 24

According to the principle of superposition:

A)older sedimentary beds lie on top of the younger beds
B)the position of sedimentary beds is not related to age
C)older sedimentary beds lie beneath the younger beds
D)the geological processes responsible for the development of sedimentary beds in the past are different than those operating today

Question 25

A chronospecies is defined in terms of:

A)genetic isolation
B)sexual dimorphism
C)morphological variation
D)arbitrarily defined divisions of an evolutionary line

Question 26

Sedimentation rates:

A)vary depending on environmental conditions
B)are uniform throughout time and are therefore the best means for absolute dating
C)can change,causing unconformities
D)a and c

Question 27

Paleospecies are defined in terms of:

A)morphological variation
B)sexual dimorphism
C)reproductive isolation
D)arbitrary criteria

Question 28

Which of the following does not yield a chronometric date?

A)stratigraphic methods
B)radiocarbon dating
C)potassium-argon dating
D)amino acid racemization

Question 29

Living species are defined in terms of:

A)morphological variation
B)sexual dimorphism
C)reproductive isolation
D)arbitrary criteria

Question 30

An index fossil:

A)is a marker for a specific time period
B)is a fossil species that existed for a long period of time before becoming extinct
C)is a fossil species that was restricted to a small geographic area
D)b and c

Question 31

A billion is:

A)100 thousand
B)1000 thousand
C)1000 million
D)10,000 million

Question 32

If the standard deviation of a radiocarbon date is given as 50 years,the probability that the organism died within 50 years of the radiocarbon date is:

A)50 percent
B)67 percent
C)95 percent
D)100 percent

Question 33

Which of the following is a chronometric date?

A)Mary is 10 years older than John
B)the first life dates to about 3.8 billion years ago
C)basket A is older than basket B
D)Sivapithecus comes before Australopithecus in the fossil record

Question 34

Dendrochronology refers to:

A)carbon dating
B)tree-ring dating
C)dental dating
D)fluoride dating

Question 35

Variation within a single species (as opposed to variation between different species)is referred to as:

A)intraspecific variation
B)interspecific variation
C)endospecific variation
D)none of the above

Question 36

Fluorine dating can be used to determine:

A)whether or not two fossils found at the same level are contemporary
B)a relative date
C)a chronometric date
D)an index date

Question 37

The statement that a chronometric date is 500 B.P.plus or minus 50 years,means:

A)the date includes an error factor of 50 years
B)the probability of the date falling within a range is given
C)the plus or minus 50 years is the standard deviation
D)b and c only

Question 38

The statistical measure of the rate of decay of a radioactive isotope is termed its:

A)half-life
B)disintegration rate
C)coefficient of decay

Question 39

The Piltdown find:

A)is now thought to be our direct ancestor
B)is probably ancestral to the chimpanzees
C)was an elaborate hoax
D)conclusively confirmed our ancestral relationship to the orangutan

Question 40

Radiometric dates may be affected by:

A)the accuracy of the equipment
B)the skill of the technician
C)contamination by radioactive materials in the soil
D)all of the above

Question 41

Recently a new method of potassium-argon dating,called single-crystal fusion,has been developed.This method has an advantage over the traditional potassium-argon dating in that it can be used to:

A)date organic material
B)reduce the effects of contamination
C)date smaller samples
D)b and c

Question 42

A needle on a compass points to magnetic north.Magnetic north:

A)has always been in the same relative position
B)changes position over time
C)can be on both sides of the earth at the same time
D)is an imaginary concept with no basis in fact

Question 43

The first radiometric method of dating,developed by Willard H.Libby in the late 1940s,was:

A)amino acid racemization
B)fission-track dating
C)radiocarbon dating
D)electron spin resonance (ESR)dating

Question 44

A method of dating which would be used to study the fossils older than 1 million years is:

A)radiocarbon dating
B)potassium-argon dating
C)stratigraphy
D)b and c

Question 45

Electrons separated from radioactive elements are sometimes trapped in defects of crystals in odd numbers.These electrons,acting as small magnets,are the basis of:

A)electron spin resonance (ESR)dating
B)radiocarbon dating
C)thermoluminescence dating
D)amino acid racemization dating

Question 46

Fission-track dating:

A)is a relative dating method based on the tracks of animals left in different strata
B)is a chronometric method of dating based on the tracks created by radioactive decay and left in minerals
C)is an advanced method of radiocarbon dating
D)is based on the process of racemization

Question 47

Potassium-argon would be used to date the age of a:

A)sedimentary layer
B)bone breccia
C)lava flow
D)tree

Question 48

Certain metallic crystals leave a record of the polarity of the earth at the point in time when they were formed in molten rock because they:

A)leave radioactive "signatures" that scientists can read
B)act as small magnets that orient themselves to the poles before the rock solidifies
C)form ring-type patterns like tree rings that can be counted
D)contain amino acids which form as crystals,and this change in the amino acids can be used to determine the passage of time

Question 49

Thermoluminescent dating can be used to date:

A)ceramic artifacts
B)stones from a fire pit
C)hominin bones dating back 5,000,000 B.P.
D)a and b
E)none of the above

Question 50

Radiocarbon dating can be used to date:

A)actual organic material
B)the volcanic ash surrounding the material
C)only items older than 20 million years old
D)b and c

Question 51

The angle made by a line pointing to true north and a line pointing to magnetic north is called a(n):

A)declination angle
B)differential angle
C)magnetic angle
D)northerly angle

Question 52

The half-life of potassium 40 is:

A)1250 million years
B)200 million years
C)5730 years
D)52,345 years

Question 53

Fossilized fecal matter is called a:

A)coprolite
B)fecalite
C)dung ball
D)fecalis

Question 54

Radiocarbon dating can be used to date:

A)a bone harpoon point
B)a stone point
C)a metal container
D)all of the above

Question 55

When some materials,such as crystals,are heated they will give off a flash of light,a phenomenon known as:

A)thermoluminescence
B)racemization
C)radioactive decay
D)electron spin resonance

Question 56

A coprolite is defined as:

A)a fossilized tooth or other dental material
B)a tree ring
C)a coral or sea shell
D)fossilized fecal matter

Question 57

The conventional method of radiocarbon dating can be used to date objects as old as:

A)35,000 years
B)60,000 years
C)100,000 years
D)450,000 years

Question 58

Potassium-argon can be used to directly date:

A)soft tissue
B)bone
C)pottery
D)none of the above

Question 59

In order to use potassium-argon dating,the material must:

A)have a high potassium content
B)be associated with volcanic activity
C)be organic
D)a and b
E)all of the above

Question 60

The half-life of carbon 14 is:

A)2344 years
B)5730 years
C)10,250 years
D)100,000 years

Question 61

The amino acid racemization method of dating is based upon:

A)the replacement of amino acids in a dead body by minerals
B)the uptake of fluorine from groundwater
C)the processes whereby L-amino acids turn into D-amino acids
D)the radioactive decay of carbon within the amino acids

Question 62

Which of the following is not an era?

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

Question 63

The cause of the earth's most recent mass-extinction event is:

A)an impact by an asteroid,meteorite,or comet
B)a global cooling,or ice age
C)the extinction of the dinosaurs
D)human activity

Question 64

The first mammals evolved during the:

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

Question 65

The earth's tectonic plates move at a rate of about:

A)1 kilometer a year
B)14 meters a year
C)2.5 centimeters a year
D)0.3 centimeters a year

Question 66

Geomagnetic dating is most useful for dating material that existed between:

A)100 to 10,000 years ago
B)10,000 to 10 million years ago
C)10 million to 50 million years ago
D)50 million to 5 billion years ago

Question 67

The Pleistocene was:

A)the time of the only ice ages in earth's history
B)a time with both glacial and interglacial periods
C)a time when ice covered the entire earth
D)a and b

Question 68

Some scientists believe that about 65 million years ago an asteroid,meteorite,or comet struck the earth causing mass extinctions.One line of evidence for this event is:

A)a stratum rich in iridium,rare on earth but more common in extraterrestrial bodies,found in many areas around the world
B)the presence of a very large meteorite dated at around 65 million years ago embedded in the ground in central Asia
C)a crater in Arizona,measuring about 18 miles across,dated about 65 million years ago
D)there is no good evidence for this assumed event

Question 69

About 65 million years ago,the world saw the extinction of:

A)the dinosaurs,and only the dinosaurs
B)large animals only
C)about 75 percent of all life forms,large and small
D)a large number of life forms for the first time in the history of the earth

Question 70

Matching Questions
match the dating technique to its description:

-stratigraphy

A)chronometric dating technique
B)relative dating technique

Question 71

The epoch that spans the last 10,000 years is the:

A)Quaternary
B)Holocene
C)Pleistocene
D)Neogene

Question 72

Chrons are:

A)the number of electrons trapped in crystals
B)a segment of the geological time scale that is smaller than an epoch
C)the time it takes two tectonic plates to move one kilometer from each other
D)large divisions of a geomagnetic reversal time scale

Question 73

Matching Questions
match the discipline to its description:

-archaeology

A)the study of the processes that affect an organism after death
B)the study of the remains of human behavior
C)the study of disease in prehistoric populations
D)the study of the fossil record

Question 74

The first hominids appear in the:

A)Miocene
B)Pliocene
C)Pleistocene
D)Eocene

Question 75

Matching Questions
match the discipline to its description:

-paleopathology

A)the study of the processes that affect an organism after death
B)the study of the remains of human behavior
C)the study of disease in prehistoric populations
D)the study of the fossil record

Question 76

We are currently living in which of the following eras:

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

Question 77

The Cenozoic began about:

A)500 million years ago
B)125 million years ago
C)65 million years ago
D)5 million years ago

Question 78

Pangaea refers to:

A)an ancient land mass made up of all major land masses of today
B)the name of the most recent glacial period
C)a partially fluid layer of the earth directly below the lithosphere
D)a Cretaceous dinosaur

Question 79

Matching Questions
match the discipline to its description:

-taphonomy

A)the study of the processes that affect an organism after death
B)the study of the remains of human behavior
C)the study of disease in prehistoric populations
D)the study of the fossil record

Question 80

Matching Questions
match the discipline to its description:

-paleontology

A)the study of the processes that affect an organism after death
B)the study of the remains of human behavior
C)the study of disease in prehistoric populations
D)the study of the fossil record