Question 1

____________________ provide the only record of prehistoric life.

Accepted Answer

The answer of ____________________ provide the only record of prehistoric...

Question 2

According to the principle of ____________________, fossil assemblages succeed one another through time in a regular and determinable order.

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to the principle of ____________________, fossil...

Question 3

The principle of faunal succession is based on the fact that fossils ____.

Accepted Answer

The principle of faunal succession states that fossils succeed one another through time in a particular order, allowing scientists to determine the relative age of rocks based on the fossils they contain. This principle is a key tool in the field of stratigraphy, which is the study of rock layers and the sequence of events they represent.

Question 4

You observe two shale beds separated by 300 kilometers. The rocks in the two shale beds are similar, but one bed is several million years older than the other. You can conclude both beds ____.

Accepted Answer

The similarity in rock types (shale in this case) across a significant distance suggests that the two beds are lithologically correlated, meaning they share similar physical and chemical characteristics. The age difference between the two beds indicates they are not time-correlated, as they do not belong to the same time period. The presence of guide fossils and their similarity or difference is not mentioned, so conclusions about time correlation or guide fossils cannot be made.

Question 5

A body of strata recognized on the basis of its fossil assemblage is a(n) ____________________ unit.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A body of strata recognized on the...

Question 6

In a sequence of undisturbed sedimentary rocks, the oldest fossils will be ____.

Accepted Answer

In an undisturbed sequence of sedimentary rocks, the oldest rocks will be found at the bottom of the sequence and the youngest rocks will be found at the top. This is known as the law of superposition. Therefore, the oldest fossils will be found in the bottom rock layer.

Question 7

Radiometrically dating a muscovite grain in a sandstone would give ____.

Accepted Answer

Radiometric dating of a muscovite grain would give the absolute age of that specific grain, not the age or date of the sandstone as a whole.

Question 8

A marine regression is characterized by ____.

Accepted Answer

A marine regression is a decrease in sea level, causing the shoreline to retreat and expose previously submerged areas. As a result, rocks that were previously underwater will become exposed and younger rocks will be deposited on top of older rocks in a seaward direction. Therefore, option C is the correct choice.

Question 9

____________________ is largely responsible for developing the principle of fossil succession (also called the principle of faunal succession).

Accepted Answer

The answer of ____________________ is largely responsible for developing the...

Question 10

____________________ form when ____________________ are filled with minerals and sediment.

Accepted Answer

The answer of ____________________ form when ____________________ are filled with...

Question 11

When the remains of a buried organism dissolve and leave a cavity, the resulting structure is called a(n) ____________________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of When the remains of a buried organism...

Question 12

Boundaries that separate individual strata from one another are called ____________________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Boundaries that separate individual strata from one...

Question 13

Guide fossils are most useful because they ____.

Accepted Answer

Guide fossils are most useful when they occur over a brief time interval, as they can be used to date and correlate layers of rock within that interval. This is because the guide fossil is uniquely characteristic of that particular time period and can be used to recognize that interval in different geographic areas.

Question 14

The three types of unconformities are ____________________, ____________________, and ____________________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The three types of unconformities are ____________________,...

Question 15

A clast of granite found in a breccia is dated at 450 million years old. What can you conclude about the breccia?

Accepted Answer

The clast of granite being dated at 450 million years old means that the granite was formed at that time. Since it is found within the breccia, the breccia must be younger. Therefore, option B is the correct choice, as the breccia is younger than 450 million years old.

Question 16

The ____________________ ____________________ provides evidence for physical and biological events of Earth's history.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The ____________________ ____________________ provides evidence for physical...

Question 17

What is one way for an unconformity to develop?

Accepted Answer

An unconformity can develop when there is erosion of an existing rock surface, removing some of the previously deposited sediments and exposing the underlying rock. This erosion can be caused by various factors such as weathering, water, wind, or ice. As a result, a gap or irregularity in the rock record is formed, creating an unconformity.

Question 18

When minerals replace the bodily remains during fossilization, we say the fossil has been ____.

Accepted Answer

When minerals replace the bodily remains during fossilization, we say the fossil has been altered.

Question 19

Fossils that are easy to identify, widespread, and existed for a short time geologically are called ____________________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Fossils that are easy to identify, widespread,...

Question 20

What would occur if all of the ice on Greenland and Antarctica melted?

Accepted Answer

If all of the ice on Greenland and Antarctica melted, it would result in a marine transgression, which is the gradual inundation of land by the sea due to a rise in global sea levels.

Quiz 5: Rocks Fossils and Time Making Sense of the Geologic Record