Geology Reading Quiz 11

In which time period did the first feathered birds appear? Choose one: A. Jurassic B. Pleistocene C. Cambrian D. Paleozoic

A. Jurassic

The Late Devonian fossil shown in this image, Tiktaalik, is significant because it represents Choose one: A. a transition from lobe-finned fish to amphibians that could walk on land. B. the ancestor to all modern fish species. C. the first dinosaur species to evolve. D. one of the few species to survive the mid-Paleozoic extinction event.

A. a transition form lobe-finned fish to amphibians that could walk on land

Theoretically, "snowball Earth" conditions of the late Proterozoic Eon would have persisted forever were it not for greenhouse warming caused by Choose one: A. carbon dioxide. B. oxygen. C. carbon monoxide. D. ammonia.

A. carbon dioxide

Which of the following refers to fossils of early multicellular invertebrates that are 565 Ma to 620 Ma, like the one shown in the photo? Choose one: A. Ediacaran fauna B. stromatolites C. Rodinia D. cyanobacteria

A. ediacaran fauna

The great oxygenation event, which added abundant oxygen to the atmosphere beginning about 2.4 Ga, was due to the Choose one: A. evolution of photosynthetic organisms in oceans. B. emergence of multicellular organisms. C. appearance of photosynthetic plants on land. D. appearance of Ediacaran fauna.

A. evolution of photosynthetic organism in oceans

Which of the following statements is true ? Choose one: A. The human genus, Homo, first appeared more than 7 million years ago. B. Fossils of modern humans (Homo sapiens) date back about 200,000 years. C. The Mesozoic is known as the Age of Mammals. D. Hominins first appeared in the late Mesozoic.

B. Fossils of modern humans (homo spiens) date back to about 200,000 years

During the Pleistocene Ice Age, Choose one: A. continental glaciers in the northern hemisphere advanced and retreated only once. B. continental glaciers covered all of North America. C. the continental shelf west of Alaska was exposed and allowed migration of animals and people from Asia to North America. D. sea level rose because water was tied up as ice.

C. the continental shelf west fo Alaska was exposed and allowed migration of animals and people from Asia to North America

Which of the following are fossil plants? Choose one: A. graptolites and archaeocyathids B. gymnosperms and angiosperms C. trilobites and eurypterids D. pterosaurs and plesiosaurs

B. gymnosperms and angiosperms

The first life forms Choose one: A. required oxygen for respiration. B. may have been simple cells of bacteria or archaea living near hydrothermal vents. C. probably occurred in oxygen-rich, shallow, warm ocean waters. D. date back to 4.3 billion years.

B. may have been simple cells of bacteria or archaea living near hydrothermal vents.

The Appalachian mountain belt formed due to the Choose one: A. Himalayan orogeny. B. Antler orogeny. C. Alleghanian orogeny. D. Sevier orogeny.

C. Alleghanian orogeny

Banded iron formation (BIFs) formed Choose one: A. in alluvial fans at the base of the proto-Appalachian Mountains. B. beneath the Laurentide ice sheet. C. in the Proterozoic deep ocean. D. during uplift of the Tibetan Plateau.

C. in the Proterozoic deep ocean.

The Paleozoic Era ended with a mass extinction event that was likely caused by Choose one: A. the formation of high-latitude ice sheets. B. the evolution of land plants. C. intense volcanic activity. D. the formation of Pangaea.

C. intense volcanic activity

The Hadean Eon Choose one: A. is a span of time during which the Earth's surface was entirely molten. B. is a span of time that equates to the late heavy bombardment. C. is the span of time between the formation of the Earth and the age of the oldest known rocks. D. is the span of time before the formation of the Earth.

C. is the span of time between the formation of the Earth and the age of the oldest known rocks

The continents that made up Pangaea began to split apart during the Choose one: A. late Paleozoic. B. mid-Proterozoic. C. late Triassic/early Jurassic. D. early Devonian.

C. late Triassic/early Jurassic

Rodinia, Pannotia, and Pangaea are all names of Choose one: A. orogenies that occurred on the eastern margin of North America. B. extinct marine organisms. C. supercontinents. D. geologic time periods.

C. supercontinents

Which of the following was a component of the Earth's Hadean atmosphere? Choose one: A. oxygen B. ozone C. iron D. ammonia

D. Ammonia

Which geologic time interval saw the first continents, the first life, and possibly the first plates? Choose one: A. Phanerozoic B. Hadean C. Proterozoic D. Archean

D. Archean

The map below shows the paleogeography of Earth during which time period? Choose one: A. Devonian B. Cambrian C. Permian D. Cretaceous

D. Cretaceous

Identify the time interval when vascular plants shared the land with spiders, scorpions, insects, and crustaceans, while jawed fish cruised the oceans and the first amphibians left water to visit land. Choose one: A. middle Proterozoic B. early Cenozoic C. late Mesozoic D. middle Paleozoic

D. Middle Paleozoic

Which of the following was important in determining the cause of the K-Pg (Cretaceous-Paleogene) extinction? Choose one: A. iridium in K-Pg boundary clay B. glass spheres in K-Pg boundary rocks C. shocked quarts in K-Pg boundary clay D. All of the possible answers are correct.

D. all of the possible answers are correct

Geologists believe that the impact of a 13-km-wide meteorite 65 million years ago Choose one: A. ejected molten debris into the atmosphere that produced acid rain. B. ejected chemicals into the atmosphere that caused thousands of years of winter-like night conditions that halted photosynthesis. C. generated 20-km-high tsunamis. D. generated a hot-air blast and blaze that caused worldwide forest fires.

D. generated a hot-air blast and blaze that caused worldwide forest fires

There is no rock record for the Earth's first 500 million years because Choose one: A. billions of years of mountain building have destroyed the ancient rock. B. surface rock was too cool to allow the radiometric clocks to start ticking. C. the surface then was one huge ocean basin filled with hot water and nothing else. D. intense meteorite bombardment may have destroyed most land surface.

D. intense meteorite bombardment may have destroyed most land surfaces