If the lithology and fossil content of two bodies of rock on opposite sides of a canyon are identical,then these remaining outcrops were likely physically connected at one time and formed part of an extensive,sheet-like layer of rock.This idea summarizes the principle of
A) superposition.
B) lateral continuity.
C) original horizontality.
D) uniformitarianism.

Question

If the lithology and fossil content of two bodies of rock on opposite sides of a canyon are identical,then these remaining outcrops were likely physically connected at one time and formed part of an extensive,sheet-like layer of rock.This idea summarizes the principle of 
A) superposition. 
B) lateral continuity. 
C) original horizontality. 
D) uniformitarianism.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The principle of lateral continuity states that sedimentary rock layers extend laterally in all directions until they thin, grade into a different sedimentary rock type, or reach the edge of the depositional basin. If two bodies of rock on opposite sides of a canyon have an identical lithology and fossil content, this suggests that they were part of the same layer of rock that was later eroded to form the canyon, and therefore supports the principle of lateral continuity.

If the Lithology and Fossil Content of Two Bodies of Rock