Name
Roy G Biv
1. The timeline below represents time on Earth from the beginning of the Paleozoic Era Ato the
present B.
Which numbered position best represents the time when humans first appeared in the fossil
record?
1 1
2 2
3 3
2. Which of the sources of energy listed below is
most nearly pollution free?
1 nuclear
2 solar
3 coal
4 natural gas
3. Which is the least probable source of
atmospheric pollution in heavily populated cities?
4 4
6. Base your answers to questions 26 and 27 on the
diagram below, which shows specific events in
the history of Earth from the beginning of the
universe to the present.
1 human activities 2 industrial plants
3 natural processes 4 automobile traffic
4. Which graph best illustrates the relationship
between lake water pollution and human
population density near the lake?
1
3
2
4
Approximately how many billion years after the
beginning of the universe did a solid crust form
on Earth?
5. What percentage of Earth's history represents
human existence?
1 less than 1.0%
3 23.5%
2 1.8%
4 more than 98.6%
1 0.7
2 3.9
3 9.1
4 13.7
7. Radioactive decay of
atoms in an igneous
rock has resulted in a ratio of 25 percent
atoms to 75 percent.
and
atoms.
How many years old is this rock?
1
3
Page 1
2
4
8. The diagrams below represent four series of
events over the passage of time.
10. Which radioactive element is used to determine
the absolute age of late Pleistocene animal
remains?
1 rubidium-87
2 uranium-238
3 potassium-40
4 carbon-14
11. How much of an 800-gram sample of
potassium-40 will remain after 3.9 × 109 years
of radioactive decay?
1 50 grams
2 100 grams
3 200 grams
4 400 grams
12. The diagram below represents a sample of
rubidium-87 ( 87Rb).
Which diagram represents the correct
proportion of 87Rb to its decay product, 87Sr,
after two half-lives?
Which series of events took the least amount of
time to complete?
1 A
2 B
3 C
4 D
9. The table below shows the radioactive decay of
carbon-14. Part ofthe table has been left blank.
1
2
3
4
13. Examination of the fossil record shows a
general tendency of organisms to become
increasingly more complex through geologic
time. This finding supports the theory that
living things have undergone
1 metamorphism
2 evolution
3 radioactive decay 4 mass extinctions
14. Which gas is inferred to have been absent from
Earth's atmosphere during the Early Archean
Era?
After 22,800 years, approximately what
percentage of the original carbon-14 remains?
1 15%
3 6.25%
2 12.5%
4 3.125%
1 carbon dioxide
2 nitrogen
3 oxygen
4 water vapor
15. Which gas became part of Earth's atmosphere
mainly as a result of the evolution of life-forms?
1 oxygen
3 helium
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2 nitrogen
4 hydrogen
16. Much of the evidence for the evolution of
lifeforms on Earth has been obtained by
1 studying the life spans of present-day
animals
2 radioactive dating of metamorphic rock
3 correlating widespread igneous ash deposits
4 examining fossils preserved in the rock
record
17. Which event in Earth’s history was dependent
on the development of a certain type of
life-form?
21. Write the order of events including time periods
for the 3 outcrops below. List the events from
oldest to youngest in a vertical column.
1 addition of free oxygen to Earth’s
atmosphere
2 formation of clastic sedimentary rocks
3 movement of tectonic plates
4 filling of the oceans by precipitation
18. According to the fossil record, which sequence
correctly represents the evolution of life on
Earth?
1 fish
amphibians
mammals
soft-bodied organisms
2 fish
soft-bodied organisms
mammals
amphibians
3 soft-bodied organisms
amphibians
fish
mammals
4 soft-bodied organisms
fish
amphibians
mammals
19. The gases in Earth's early atmosphere are
inferred to have come primarily from
1 meteor showers
2 melting of glacial ice
3 volcanic eruptions
4 evaporation of seawater
20. A volcanic ash layer between sedimentary rock
layers is used by geologists to
1
2
3
4
determine Earth's absolute age
predict global warming
locate an earthquake epicenter
correlate widely separated rock formations
1 Rock name Fossil name Time period
__________ ___________ _____________
__________ ___________ _____________
__________ ___________ _____________
__________ ___________ _____________
__________ ___________ _____________
__________ ___________ _____________
22. Valcouroceras is a New York State index fossil.
Which mountain-building event occurred in
New York State during the time when
Valcouroceras was living in oceans covering
parts of New York State?
1 Alleghenian orogeny
2 Acadian orogeny
3 Taconian orogeny
4 Grenville orogen
23. Which New York landscape region is composed
primarily of Cretaceous through Pleistocene
unconsolidated sediments?
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1
2
3
4
Champlain Lowlands
Erie-Ontario Lowlands
Hudson-Mohawk Lowlands
Atlantic Coastal Lowlands
Base your answers to questions 24 through 26 on
the cross section below and on your knowledge of Earth science. The cross section represents
rock units that have not been overturned. Lines CC' and GG' represent unconformities. The
geologic ages of some of the lettered rock units are shown below the cross section.
24. Which inference about rock units D, E, and H can best be supported by evidence in the cross
section?
1
2
3
4
They contain mostly sand-sized sediment.
They contain both land and marine fossils.
They were altered by contact metamorphism.
They were deposited as horizontal layers and were later tilted.
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25. The diagrams below represent three index fossils found in one of the rock units.
These fossils are most likely found in
1 rock unit I
2 rock unit J
3 rock unit K
4 rock unit M
26. Why is there no contact metamorphism indicated between rock unit L and rock unit F?
1 Conglomerate does not metamorphose.
2 The intrusion was not hot enough to metamorphose rock unit F.
3 The contact metamorphism within rock unit F eroded away.
4 Rock unit F was deposited after the intrusion of rock unit L.
27. Four rock outcrops, labeled 1, 2, 3, and 4, found within the same plateau, are represented
below. Index fossils found in some of the rock layers are shown. The rock layers have not
been overturned.
Which rock layer is the youngest?
1 sandstone in outcrop 1
3 conglomerate in outcrop 3
2 breccia in outcrop 2
4 sandstone in outcrop 4
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28. The cross sections below represent three outcrops, labeled I, II, and III, containing some New
York State index fossils. The rock layers have not been overturned.
When the rock layers in the three outcrops are correlated, the oldest layer is the
1 shale layer in outcrop I
2 siltstone layer in outcrop II
3 limestone layer in outcrop III
4 conglomerate layer in outcrop III
29. Base your answer to the following question on
your knowledge of Earth science, the Earth
Science Reference Tables, and the diagram
below showing a cross-sectional view of an
outcrop found in New York State today in which
overturning has not occurred.
If rock layer C was deposited in New York State
during the Devonian Period, then rock layer B
could only have been deposited during which
period? [ Use the Earth Science Reference
Tables . ]
1 Cambrian
3 Permian
2 Devonian
4 Jurassic
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Base your answers to questions 30 through 33 on
the geologic cross section below and on your knowledge of Earth science. The cross section
represents rock and sediment layers, labeled A through F. Each layer contains fossil remains,
which formed in different depositional environments. Some layers contain index fossils. The
layers have not been overturned.
30. Which pair of organisms existed when the unconsolidated sediment in layer A was
deposited?
1 birds and trilobites
2 dinosaurs and mastodonts
3 ammonoids and grasses
4 humans and vascular plants
31. Which rock layer formed mainly from the compaction of plant remains?
1 E
2 B
3 C
4 F
32. During which geologic epoch was layer F deposited?
1 Late Devonian
3 Early Devonian
2 Middle Devonian
4 Late Silurian
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33. The depositional environment dming the time these layers and fossils were deposited
1
2
3
4
was consistently marine
was consistently terrestrial (land)
changed from marine to terrestrial (land)
changed from terrestrial (land) to marine
34. The bedrock cross section below contains rock
formations A, B, C, and D. The rock formations
have not been overturned.
35. Bedrock outcrops A and B are located at two
different locations along the Mississippi River.
Rock layers 1, 2, and 4 are the same in both
outcrops.
Which statement best explains why rock layer 3
is missing from outcrop B?
Which sequence represents the relative ages of
these rock formations, from oldest to youngest?
1 B A
3 D C
C D
A B
2 B D
4 D B
C
A
A
C
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1 A fault exists between outcrops A and B.
2 Erosion created an unconformity between
rock layers 2 and 4 in outcrop B.
3 A volcanic eruption destroyed rock layer 3
in outcrop B.
4 Metamorphism of outcrop A created rock
layer 3.
36. Base your answer to the following question on the geologic cross section below in which
overturning has not occurred. Letters A through H represent rock layers.
Which sequence of events most likely caused the unconformity shown at the bottom of rock
layer B?
1 folding ® uplift ® erosion ® deposition
2 intrusion ® erosion ® folding ® uplift
3 erosion ® folding ® deposition ® intrusion
4 deposition ® uplift ® erosion ® folding
37. The diagram below shows a cross-sectional
view of part of the Earth's crust.
What does the unconformity (buried erosional
surface) at line XY represent?
1 an area of contact metamorphism
2 a time gap in the rock record of the area
3 proof that no deposition occurred between
the Cambrian and Carboniferous periods
4 overturning of the Cambrian and
Carboniferous rock layers
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38. Base your answer to the following question on the photograph below, which shows a bedrock
outcrop. Line AB is an unconformity between sandstone C and metamorphic rock D.
The lower layers of sediment found in sandstone C were deposited 520 million years ago.
During which period of geologic time did this deposition occur?
1 Cambrian
2 Ordovician
3 Silurian
4 Triassic
Base your answers to questions 39 through 41 on the cross section below which shows a
portion of Earth’s crust. The age, in millions of years, of each boundary between the different
sedimentary rock layers is shown. The age of boundary X between the sedimentary rock and
the metamorphic rock is not shown. Assume no overturning has occurred.
39. Identify the geologic feature represented by boundary X.
40. Describe how the rock type below boundary X was formed.
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41. Identify by name one index fossil that existed when the limestone rock shown in the cross
section was being formed.
Base your answers to questions 42 through 44 on the cross sections below, which show
widely separated outcrops labeled I, II, and III. Index fossils are found in some of the rock
layers in the three outcrops. In outcrop III, layers A, B, C, and D are labeled. Line XY
represents an unconformity. Line GH represents a fault.
42. Describe one characteristic necessary for a fossil to be classified as an index fossil.
43. On outcrop II below, place the symbol ~~ for an unconformity between the two rock layers
where the Silurian-age bedrock has been removed by erosion.
44. List in order, from oldest to youngest, the relative age of the four rock layers, A, B, C, and D,
fault GH, and unconformity XY shown in outcrop III.
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Base your answers to questions 45 through 47 on the table of index fossils shown below and
on your knowledge of Earth science.
45. During what geologic time period did the oldest index fossil shown in this table exist?
46. State one characteristic of a good index fossil.
47. Complete the classification table above by filling in the general fossil group name for each
index fossil.
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Base your answers to questions 48 through 50 on the cross section below, which shows
limestone bedrock with caves.
48. Identify one source of pollution caused by human activity that contributes to the precipitation
becoming more acidic.
49. The precipitation in this area is becoming more acidic. Explain why acid rain weathers
limestone bedrock.
50. In the empty box on the left side of the cross section above, draw a horizontal line to indicate
the level of the water table.
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Base your answers to questions 51 and 52 on the diagrams below, which represent two
bedrock outcrops, I and II, found several kilometers apart in New York State. Rock layers are
lettered A through F. Drawings represent specific index fossils.
51. Correlate the layers.
52. Write the sequence of events, including geologic period from oldest to youngest.
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Base your answers to questions 53 through 56 on the passage and chart below, and on your
knowledge of Earth science. The chart identifies some human species and the times when
they are believed to have existed.
Human Species
Modern humans, Homo sapiens, appear to have evolved through several species of earlier
members of the genus Homo. Each of these human species possessed specific features that
made that species distinct. Many lived in (or at least have been discovered in) specific
geographic areas, and existed for specific time ranges shown in the chart. In many cases,
fossil remains are partial, often consisting of only teeth and skulls. Interpretation of
human evolution continues to change with new discoveries.
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53. Complete the graph by drawing a bar to represent the time span that each human species
existed. The bars for the first four species listed have already been drawn.
54. Which human species shown in the chart was the first to exist?
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55. One species of the genus Homo could have evolved directly from another species of the
genus Homo only if the other species:
• existed before the new species appeared
• did not become extinct before the new species appeared
Identify two species of the genus Homo from which Homo neanderthalensis may have
directly evolved.
56. During which geologic epoch did the Homo mauritanicus species exist?
Base your answers to questions 57 through 60 on the cross sections below and on your
knowledge of Earth science. The cross sections represent three bedrock outcrops, 1, 2, and 3,
found several kilometers apart. The geologic time period when each sedimentary rock layer
formed is shown. The symbols (star, circle, cross, square, and triangle) represent fossils of
different types of organisms present in the rock layers.
57. Draw the fossil symbol that represents the best index fossil. Describe one piece of evidence
shown in the outcrops that indicates that this fossil has characteristics of a good index fossil.
58. Write the outcrop number of the cross section that could he found in New York State.
Describe the evidence that supports your answer.
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59. Explain why the geologic age of these rock layers could not be accurately dated using
carbon-14.
60. Explain why the index fossil Coelophysis is not preserved in any of the rock outcrops.
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61. Base your answer to the following question on the passage and diagram below and on your
knowledge of Earth science. The diagram represents some of the Burgess shale community of
organisms that existed together during part of the Cambrian Period. Thirteen different types
of organisms are numbered in the diagram.
Burgess Shale Fossils
The Burgess shale fossil discovery revealed unique Cambrian life-forms, most of
which were not present in the previously known fossil record. Normally, soft body parts
of dead organisms are destroyed by scavengers and bacteria on the ocean floor. However,
in the deep-water depositional environment of the Burgess shale, oxygen was lacking and
organisms were buried rapidly, preserving the unique community seen in the diagram.
The soft-bodied organisms had previously been unknown. The Burgess shale fossils were
originally found in a layer of bedrock in southwestern Canada.
During which epoch of the Cambrian Period were the Burgess shale organisms and sediments
deposited?
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