Question 1

Primitive organisms, called ______ nuclei.

Accepted Answer

A)  stromatolites 
B)  eukaryotes 
C)  trilobites 
D)  prokaryotes 
E)  chert 
A)  stromatolites 
B)  eukaryotes 
C)  trilobites 
D)  prokaryotes 
E)  chert

Question 2

Earth's most important internal heat source is/are______ .

Accepted Answer

A)  solar winds 
B)  radioactivity melting 
C)  coal seams 
D)  planetary collisions 
A)  solar winds 
B)  radioactivity melting 
C)  coal seams 
D)  planetary collisions

Question 3

A major economic deposit associated with the Cretaceous period is ______.

Accepted Answer

A)  coal 
B)  sand 
C)  gold 
D)  platinum 
E)  uranium 
A)  coal 
B)  sand 
C)  gold 
D)  platinum 
E)  uranium

Question 4

What would have happened to Earth if the Sun had been significantly larger than it is?

Accepted Answer

A)  Our Sun would have burned out after a few hundred million years so life would not evolve. 
B)  Liquid water and the water cycle would not exist. 
C)  Our atmosphere would consist mainly of carbon dioxide. 
D)  Our atmosphere would consist mainly of nitrogen. 
A)  Our Sun would have burned out after a few hundred million years so life would not evolve. 
B)  Liquid water and the water cycle would not exist. 
C)  Our atmosphere would consist mainly of carbon dioxide. 
D)  Our atmosphere would consist mainly of nitrogen.

Question 5

During the Cenozoic era, the eastern and western margins of North America experienced ______geologic events.

Accepted Answer

A)  mountain building 
B)  passive margin 
C)  rifting 
D)  differing 
A)  mountain building 
B)  passive margin 
C)  rifting 
D)  differing

Question 6

The major source of oxygen in Earth's atmosphere is from ______.

Accepted Answer

A)  photosynthesis 
B)  swamp gas emissions 
C)  the decay of plants 
D)  respiration of animals 
A)  photosynthesis 
B)  swamp gas emissions 
C)  the decay of plants 
D)  respiration of animals

Question 7

Why is it so difficult to interpret the geology of the Precambrian? How are these difficulties or limitations different in the younger eras of the Phanerozoic Eon? Finally, are there unique rocks or events in the Precambrian that are not present in younger rocks?

Accepted Answer

The Precambrian is the earliest time per

Question 8

The atmosphere of______ is composed primarily of carbon dioxide.

Accepted Answer

A)  Venus 
B)  Mars 
C)  Earth 
D)  Mercury 
A)  Venus 
B)  Mars 
C)  Earth 
D)  Mercury

Question 9

Why is the molten metallic outer core and the magnetic field important to life on Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  If we did not have the molten core and the magnetic field, we would be bombarded by meteorites and we would not be able to hold the moon in orbit. 
B)  If we did not have the molten core and the magnetic field, we would be bombarded by cosmic rays that would strip away our atmosphere. 
C)  If we did not have the molten core and the magnetic field, the atmosphere would be very different with either too much ammonia and methane or too little oxygen and water. 
D)  If we did not have the molten core and the magnetic field, the earth would not have plate tectonics and would be covered entirely by water. 
A)  If we did not have the molten core and the magnetic field, we would be bombarded by meteorites and we would not be able to hold the moon in orbit. 
B)  If we did not have the molten core and the magnetic field, we would be bombarded by cosmic rays that would strip away our atmosphere. 
C)  If we did not have the molten core and the magnetic field, the atmosphere would be very different with either too much ammonia and methane or too little oxygen and water. 
D)  If we did not have the molten core and the magnetic field, the earth would not have plate tectonics and would be covered entirely by water.

Question 10

Which of the following is modern descendant of the Gymnosperm?

Accepted Answer

A)  tulips 
B)  turkeys 
C)  crocodiles 
D)  pine trees 
E)  sharks 
A)  tulips 
B)  turkeys 
C)  crocodiles 
D)  pine trees 
E)  sharks

Question 11

Extensive deposits of ______ore are found worldwide in Precambrian rocks.

Accepted Answer

A)  sodium 
B)  calcium 
C)  manganese 
D)  iron 
A)  sodium 
B)  calcium 
C)  manganese 
D)  iron

Question 12

The dominant life forms during the Cenozoic Era were______ .

Accepted Answer

A)  prokaryotes and eukaryotes 
B)  reptiles and gymnosperms 
C)  mammals and angiosperms 
D)  fish and amphibians 
A)  prokaryotes and eukaryotes 
B)  reptiles and gymnosperms 
C)  mammals and angiosperms 
D)  fish and amphibians

Question 13

The ______were the dominant trees of the Mesozoic era.

Accepted Answer

A)  philondrenes 
B)  pines 
C)  gymnosperms 
D)  cycads 
A)  philondrenes 
B)  pines 
C)  gymnosperms 
D)  cycads

Question 14

One important reason we do not know much about the geologic history of the Precambrian is that ______.

Accepted Answer

A)  we have not yet been able to establish the half- lives for radioactive elements that existed in the Precambrian 
B)  rocks did not exist during much of that time 
C)  there are very few fossils preserved in Precambrian rocks 
D)  the climate was so harsh that erosion removed most of the rocks that formed during the Precambrian 
E)  radioactivity was not measurable during the Precambrian 
A)  we have not yet been able to establish the half- lives for radioactive elements that existed in the Precambrian 
B)  rocks did not exist during much of that time 
C)  there are very few fossils preserved in Precambrian rocks 
D)  the climate was so harsh that erosion removed most of the rocks that formed during the Precambrian 
E)  radioactivity was not measurable during the Precambrian

Question 15

A distinctive characteristic of prokaryotes is______ .

Accepted Answer

A)  their oxygen based metabolism 
B)  their thick cell walls that separate the DNA from the rest of the cell 
C)  their methane based metabolism 
D)  their lack of a separation between the DNA and the rest of the cell 
E)  their ability to produce sugars 
A)  their oxygen based metabolism 
B)  their thick cell walls that separate the DNA from the rest of the cell 
C)  their methane based metabolism 
D)  their lack of a separation between the DNA and the rest of the cell 
E)  their ability to produce sugars

Question 16

The process in which plants use light energy to synthesize food sugars from carbon dioxide is called______ .

Accepted Answer

A)  photosynthesis 
B)  oxidation 
C)  hydration 
D)  fusion 
E)  none of these 
A)  photosynthesis 
B)  oxidation 
C)  hydration 
D)  fusion 
E)  none of these

Question 17

Ozone is a constituent of the______ , where it protects life from ultraviolet radiation from the sun.

Accepted Answer

A)  thermosphere 
B)  troposphere 
C)  mesosphere 
D)  stratosphere 
A)  thermosphere 
B)  troposphere 
C)  mesosphere 
D)  stratosphere

Question 18

The large size of insects and amphibians during the Pennsylvanian period has been suggested to be due to ______.

Accepted Answer

A)  a lack of predators for early land forms 
B)  an excess of sunlight and water during that time 
C)  a decrease in methane in the atmosphere during that time 
D)  an excess of oxygen during that time 
E)  the emergence of a super continent that allowed greater areas for animals to evolve 
A)  a lack of predators for early land forms 
B)  an excess of sunlight and water during that time 
C)  a decrease in methane in the atmosphere during that time 
D)  an excess of oxygen during that time 
E)  the emergence of a super continent that allowed greater areas for animals to evolve

Question 19

Most ______rocks are devoid of fossils, which hinders correlation of rocks.

Accepted Answer

A)  Mesozoic 
B)  Mesozoic and Cenozoic 
C)  Paleozoic 
D)  Cenozoic 
E)  Precambrian 
A)  Mesozoic 
B)  Mesozoic and Cenozoic 
C)  Paleozoic 
D)  Cenozoic 
E)  Precambrian

Question 20

During the______ , Earth developed its modern landscape and life forms.

Accepted Answer

A)  Cenozoic 
B)  Mesozoic 
C)  Paleozoic 
D)  Precambrian 
A)  Cenozoic 
B)  Mesozoic 
C)  Paleozoic 
D)  Precambrian

Exam 12: Earths Evolution Through Geologic Time

Primitive organisms, called ______ nuclei.

Earth's most important internal heat source is/are______ .

A major economic deposit associated with the Cretaceous period is ______.

What would have happened to Earth if the Sun had been significantly larger than it is?

During the Cenozoic era, the eastern and western margins of North America experienced ______geologic events.

The major source of oxygen in Earth's atmosphere is from ______.

Why is it so difficult to interpret the geology of the Precambrian? How are these difficulties or limitations different in the younger eras of the Phanerozoic Eon? Finally, are there unique rocks or events in the Precambrian that are not present in younger rocks?

The atmosphere of______ is composed primarily of carbon dioxide.

Why is the molten metallic outer core and the magnetic field important to life on Earth?

Which of the following is modern descendant of the Gymnosperm?

Extensive deposits of ______ore are found worldwide in Precambrian rocks.

The dominant life forms during the Cenozoic Era were______ .

The ______were the dominant trees of the Mesozoic era.

One important reason we do not know much about the geologic history of the Precambrian is that ______.

A distinctive characteristic of prokaryotes is______ .

The process in which plants use light energy to synthesize food sugars from carbon dioxide is called______ .

Ozone is a constituent of the______ , where it protects life from ultraviolet radiation from the sun.

The large size of insects and amphibians during the Pennsylvanian period has been suggested to be due to ______.

Most ______rocks are devoid of fossils, which hinders correlation of rocks.

During the______ , Earth developed its modern landscape and life forms.

Introduction to Earth Science

Matter and Minerals

Rocks: Materials of the Solid Earth

Plate Tectonics: a Scientific Revolution Unfolds

Earthquakes and Earths Interior

Volcanoes and Other Igneous Activity

Crustal Deformation and Mountain Building

Weathering, Soil, and Mass Movement

Running Water and Groundwater

Glaciers, Deserts, and Wind

Geologic Time

The Ocean Floor

Ocean Water and Ocean Life

The Dynamic Ocean

The Atmosphere: Composition, Structure, and Temperature

Moisture, Clouds, and Precipitation

Air Pressure and Wind

Weather Patterns and Severe Storms

World Climates and Global Climate Change

Origins of Modern Astronomy

Touring Our Solar System

Light, Telescopes, and the Sun

Beyond Our Solar System

Filters