Question 1

Which era saw the proliferation of mammals?
A)Holocene
B)Cenozoic
C)Jurassic
D)Mesozoic

Accepted Answer

The Cenozoic era, also known as the Age of Mammals, began about 66 million years ago and saw the diversification and proliferation of mammals into various niches and ecological roles. This era includes the appearance of modern mammals such as primates, horses, whales, elephants, and rodents. The Holocene era is the most recent epoch of the Cenozoic era and began about 11,700 years ago, but it is not associated with the proliferation of mammals as the Cenozoic era as a whole is. The Jurassic and Mesozoic eras occurred before the Cenozoic era and were characterized by the dominance of dinosaurs and other reptiles, not mammals.

Question 2

What do taphonomists study?
A)human cultural remains
B)human genetics
C)the processes that affect an organism's remains after death
D)the processes that affect a living organism through life

Accepted Answer

Taphonomists study the processes that affect an organism's remains after death. This includes the physical, chemical, and biological processes that contribute to the preservation, alteration, or destruction of the remains. Taphonomists can use this information to reconstruct how organisms lived and died, as well as to interpret the fossil record.

Question 3

What are eras?
A)divisions in geologic time divided into periods and epochs
B)any time period in the past
C)divisions of time based on cultural standards,as in "Stone Age"
D)the time frames during which a certain fossil species existed

Accepted Answer

Eras are divisions in geologic time that are divided into periods and epochs. They are characterized by distinctive geological events and biological developments. Examples of eras include the Paleozoic Era, Mesozoic Era, and Cenozoic Era.

Question 4

If fossil species A is consistently recovered from geological deposits beneath layers containing fossil species B,then A is considered older than B.On what principle is this relative dating technique based?
A)superposition
B)paleomagnetism
C)fluorine analysis
D)geolayering

Accepted Answer

This relative dating technique is based on the principle of superposition, which states that in a sequence of undisturbed layers of rock, the oldest rocks are at the bottom and the youngest rocks are at the top. Therefore, if fossil species A is consistently recovered from geological deposits beneath layers containing fossil species B, it can be inferred that A is older than B.

Question 5

What is the study of what happens to an organism's remains after death?
A)archaeology
B)cryptozoology
C)forensic biology
D)taphonomy

Accepted Answer

Taphonomy is the study of what happens to an organism's remains after death, including decomposition, fossilization, and other postmortem processes. Archaeology and cryptozoology are related fields but focus on different subjects (human history and mythical creatures, respectively) and forensic biology is the use of biological evidence in criminal investigations.

Question 6

What is the basic difference between relative and absolute dating?
A)the use of species
B)the use of bones and teeth
C)the use of years to express the age
D)the use of wood

Accepted Answer

The basic difference between relative and absolute dating is the use of years to express the age. Relative dating identifies the order of events, while absolute dating provides a specific age in years. The other options listed (use of species, bones and teeth, and wood) may be used in both relative and absolute dating methods.

Question 7

What are the three eras that make up earth history?
A)strata,stratigraphy,and striations
B)Pliocene,Pleistocene,and Holocene
C)Early,Middle,and Upper Miocene
D)Paleozoic,Mesozoic,and Cenozoic

Accepted Answer

The Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic eras are the three major divisions of Earth's history based on the types of organisms that dominated during each era and significant geological events that occurred.

Question 8

During the Holocene artifacts like ________ began to appear.
A)bones and teeth
B)ceramics
C)shell
D)wood objects

Accepted Answer

Ceramics began to appear during the Holocene, while bones and teeth, shell, and wood objects were used by humans long before this time period.

Question 9

Which of the following sedimentary environments is most likely to destroy bone and thus contain few if any fossils?
A)a limestone cave filling rapidly with sediment in a semi-arid region
B)acidic sediment with plenty of groundwater
C)slowly accumulating sediment so bones remain on the surface for a long time
D)rapidly deposited neutral (not acidic or basic)sediment such as in a rift valley

Accepted Answer

Acidic sediment with plenty of groundwater can dissolve bone, preventing fossils from forming.

Question 10

Who was the English surveyor who developed the technique of stratigraphic correlation between regions?
A)William Smith
B)Charles Lyell
C)Alfred Wallace
D)Richard Owen

Accepted Answer

William Smith, also known as the "father of English geology," developed the technique of stratigraphic correlation in the early 19th century. He used his knowledge of fossils and the rock layers in different regions of England to create the first geological map of the country, showing the relationships between different rock formations. His work laid the foundation for the development of the principles of stratigraphy and geological dating.

Question 11

Most of the early hominin fossils discovered in Africa come from the eastern and southern parts of the continent.Why is this?
A)More populations of early hominin species lived in these areas and nowhere else.
B)Only these areas were conducive to sustaining life.
C)These areas provided better preservation of fossils.
D)Many villagers in these areas gather fossils to sell.

Accepted Answer

The eastern and southern parts of Africa have volcanic ash layers and sedimentary rocks that provide better preservation of fossils. This has allowed for a higher number of early hominin fossils to be preserved in these areas compared to other regions.

Question 12

What is the relationship between biostratigraphy and absolute dating?
A)If the index fossil is found in unambiguously dated contexts in the same region,absolute dating methods can make the index fossil's use more accurate.
B)Biostratigraphy is only used on sites where layers have already been dated with absolute radiometric techniques.
C)Biostratigraphy always follows and is used to calibrate absolute dating methods.
D)They are often used together because bone is limited to biostratigraphic dating,while rock surrounding it is limited to absolute dating.

Accepted Answer

Biostratigraphy involves using the presence and absence of certain index fossils to establish relative dating of rock layers. However, the ages of these layers can be further refined through absolute dating methods, such as radiometric dating. If an index fossil is found in unambiguously dated contexts in the same region, the use of absolute dating methods can make the index fossil's use more accurate. Therefore, the relationship between biostratigraphy and absolute dating is that they are often used together to establish more precise chronologies. Option B is incorrect because biostratigraphy can also be used to establish the relative age of layers that have not been dated absolutely. Option C is incorrect because absolute dating methods can be used independently of biostratigraphy. Option D is incorrect because biostratigraphy can be used on both bone and rock layers, and different forms of absolute dating can also be applied to both.

Question 13

What is the age of the earth?
A)4.6 billion years
B)3.4 billion years
C)6,000 years
D)12 billion years

Accepted Answer

The generally accepted age of the earth, based on scientific evidence, is around 4.6 billion years. This is determined through various forms of dating techniques, including radiometric dating and analysis of meteorites. The other options (B, C, D) are not supported by scientific evidence and are not widely accepted theories among the scientific community.

Question 14

Igneous rock can be dated with which of the following methods?
A)radiopotassium dating
B)dendrochronology
C)radiocarbon dating
D)flourine dating

Accepted Answer

Radiopotassium dating is the best method to date igneous rock because it relies on the decay of radioactive isotopes that are present in the rocks themselves, allowing for accurate dating of the formation of the rock. Dendrochronology and radiocarbon dating are used to date organic materials, while fluorine dating is used to date bones and teeth.

Question 15

In the 1600s,what did Nicolaus Steno propose?
A)the principle of uniformitarianism
B)taphonomy
C)the law of stratigraphy
D)the law of superposition

Accepted Answer

Nicolaus Steno proposed the law of superposition, which states that in any sequence of undisturbed sedimentary rocks, the oldest layers are at the bottom and the youngest are at the top.

Question 16

To reconstruct and interpret evolutionary changes,it is crucial to place each fossil in time.What is the resulting "placement" called?
A)a chronological sequence
B)an era
C)a period
D)a phylogeny

Accepted Answer

The resulting "placement" of a fossil in time is called a chronological sequence, which allows for the construction of a timeline of evolutionary changes. Options B and C are larger divisions of geological time and do not necessarily provide the specific placement of a fossil, while option D refers to the evolutionary history and relationship between different organisms.

Question 17

What can cultural dating be used to date?
A)ceramics
B)bones and teeth
C)shells
D)trilobite evolution

Accepted Answer

Cultural dating is used to date artifacts like ceramics, which are associated with human activity and cultural periods.

Question 18

What is crucial to creating a fossil record of a species?
A)a living form of the fossil species
B)a good representation in the fossil record
C)the preservation of soft tissue such as muscle
D)the lack of dating;knowing the age of the fossil introduces biases

Accepted Answer

A good representation in the fossil record is crucial to creating a fossil record of a species. This means that there needs to be a sufficient number of fossils of the species found in different locations and different time periods. This provides a more complete picture of the species and its evolution over time. A single fossil or a few isolated fossils may not provide enough information to accurately depict the species' characteristics and evolutionary history. A living form of the fossil species would not contribute to the fossil record, as it is not a part of the past geological record. The preservation of soft tissue such as muscle is rare in the fossil record and not necessary to create a fossil record of a species. The lack of dating would introduce biases and inaccuracies, making it important to date fossils in order to create an accurate fossil record.

Question 19

What is the continent that existed about 200 mya,from which the modern continents ultimately emerged,called?
A)Eurasia
B)Afrinesia
C)Australasia
D)Pangaea

Accepted Answer

The continent that existed about 200 million years ago, from which the modern continents ultimately emerged, is called Pangaea. Pangaea is believed to have been a supercontinent that contained all of the Earth's landmasses before eventually breaking apart into the modern-day continents.

Question 20

What is the study of fossils called?
A)phylogeny
B)biology
C)chronometry
D)paleontology

Accepted Answer

Paleontology is the study of fossils.

Quiz 8: Fossils and Their Place in Time and Nature

Which era saw the proliferation of mammals?

What do taphonomists study?

What are eras?

If fossil species A is consistently recovered from geological deposits beneath layers containing fossil species B,then A is considered older than B.On what principle is this relative dating technique based?

What is the study of what happens to an organism's remains after death?

What is the basic difference between relative and absolute dating?

What are the three eras that make up earth history?

During the Holocene artifacts like ________ began to appear.

Which of the following sedimentary environments is most likely to destroy bone and thus contain few if any fossils?

Who was the English surveyor who developed the technique of stratigraphic correlation between regions?

Most of the early hominin fossils discovered in Africa come from the eastern and southern parts of the continent.Why is this?

What is the relationship between biostratigraphy and absolute dating?

What is the age of the earth?

Igneous rock can be dated with which of the following methods?

In the 1600s,what did Nicolaus Steno propose?

To reconstruct and interpret evolutionary changes,it is crucial to place each fossil in time.What is the resulting "placement" called?

What can cultural dating be used to date?

What is crucial to creating a fossil record of a species?

What is the continent that existed about 200 mya,from which the modern continents ultimately emerged,called?

What is the study of fossils called?