Question 1

The Chicxulub crater is located in which country?

Accepted Answer

A)  Mexico 
B)  Venezuela 
C)  Brazil 
D)  India 
A)  Mexico 
B)  Venezuela 
C)  Brazil 
D)  India A

Question 2

A crustal rock dated to 1.9 Ga is how old?

Accepted Answer

A)  1,900 years 
B)  1,900,000 years 
C)  1,900,000,000 years 
D)  None of the above are correct. 
A)  1,900 years 
B)  1,900,000 years 
C)  1,900,000,000 years 
D)  None of the above are correct. C

Question 3

Geographically,a shield and surrounding platform together are ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  a low-lying region where Precambrian rocks crop out 
B)  a low-lying region where Precambrian rocks are covered by Phanerozoic sedimentary strata 
C)  a region of compressed rock located behind a volcanic arc at a convergent continental margin 
D)  synonymous with "craton" 
A)  a low-lying region where Precambrian rocks crop out 
B)  a low-lying region where Precambrian rocks are covered by Phanerozoic sedimentary strata 
C)  a region of compressed rock located behind a volcanic arc at a convergent continental margin 
D)  synonymous with "craton" D

Question 4

The fossil fish Tiktaalik is noteworthy because it ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  was preserved with a hook in its mouth and represents the oldest evidence of human fishing 
B)  is the largest fossil shark ever recovered 
C)  represents a transitional form between fish and land creatures 
D)  was found alive in modern oceans; previously, it was thought to be extinct 
A)  was preserved with a hook in its mouth and represents the oldest evidence of human fishing 
B)  is the largest fossil shark ever recovered 
C)  represents a transitional form between fish and land creatures 
D)  was found alive in modern oceans; previously, it was thought to be extinct

Question 5

When did the human genus,Homo,first appear on Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  200 million years ago 
B)  2.4 million years ago 
C)  100,000 years ago 
D)  10,000 years ago 
A)  200 million years ago 
B)  2.4 million years ago 
C)  100,000 years ago 
D)  10,000 years ago

Question 6

What may have brought an end to the nearly worldwide glacial episode called snowball Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  Oxygen released by sea-floor volcanism at mid-ocean ridges and hot spots resulted in increased ocean water temperatures. 
B)  The K-T boundary event took place. 
C)  There was increased photosynthetic activity by opisthokonts. 
D)  Carbon dioxide entered the atmosphere from volcanic eruptions. 
A)  Oxygen released by sea-floor volcanism at mid-ocean ridges and hot spots resulted in increased ocean water temperatures. 
B)  The K-T boundary event took place. 
C)  There was increased photosynthetic activity by opisthokonts. 
D)  Carbon dioxide entered the atmosphere from volcanic eruptions.

Question 7

The Cambrian explosion not only produced an abundance of new animal species but also gave rise to the first shells,spines,and active swimmers.This suggests the important influence of ____________ in driving animal evolution.

Accepted Answer

A)  photosynthetic organisms 
B)  atmospheric oxygen 
C)  carnivorous predators 
D)  filter-feeding organisms 
A)  photosynthetic organisms 
B)  atmospheric oxygen 
C)  carnivorous predators 
D)  filter-feeding organisms

Question 8

The earliest forests containing woody trees appeared during the ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  Late Proterozoic 
B)  Early Paleozoic (Ordovician) 
C)  Middle Paleozoic (Devonian) 
D)  Late Paleozoic (Permian) 
A)  Late Proterozoic 
B)  Early Paleozoic (Ordovician) 
C)  Middle Paleozoic (Devonian) 
D)  Late Paleozoic (Permian)

Question 9

In the early Paleozoic,the majority of continental landmass was found in the southern hemisphere,and now the majority of continental landmass is found in the northern hemisphere.Why might this be?

Accepted Answer

A)  rotation of the poles of the Earth's axis 
B)  the subduction of the former southern hemispheric supercontinent and igneous and tectonic construction of the newer northern hemisphere landmasses 
C)  conservation of energy, following the collision of an approximate 8-km-wide meteorite with Earth at the K-T boundary event 
D)  mantle convection, which rifted apart the southern supercontinent and caused most pieces of it to migrate northward 
A)  rotation of the poles of the Earth's axis 
B)  the subduction of the former southern hemispheric supercontinent and igneous and tectonic construction of the newer northern hemisphere landmasses 
C)  conservation of energy, following the collision of an approximate 8-km-wide meteorite with Earth at the K-T boundary event 
D)  mantle convection, which rifted apart the southern supercontinent and caused most pieces of it to migrate northward

Question 10

North and South America have been connected via the Isthmus of Panama for the last ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  65 million years 
B)  5 million years 
C)  2.5 million years 
D)  75,000 years 
A)  65 million years 
B)  5 million years 
C)  2.5 million years 
D)  75,000 years

Question 11

The earliest large,mobile life forms that may have been able to live and reproduce on land were amphibians.Most amphibians lay eggs.Why would laying eggs have been a logical step in the evolution of mobile life forms from sea to land?

Accepted Answer

A)  Eggs have hard shells, which would have prevented predatory dinosaurs and early flying birds/mammals from smelling and eating the tiny new amphibian life. 
B)  Egg shells are opaline, which could have been dissolved by the growing reptile embryos to produce chemicals to create calcium carbonate skeleton as they grew. 
C)  Eggs contained chemically stable solutions from which growing life forms could reliably extract nutrients, in a manner resembling fish eggs laid in seas and oceans. 
D)  Egg shells would have provided sufficient protection from solar radiation to allow an embryo to grow without damage. 
A)  Eggs have hard shells, which would have prevented predatory dinosaurs and early flying birds/mammals from smelling and eating the tiny new amphibian life. 
B)  Egg shells are opaline, which could have been dissolved by the growing reptile embryos to produce chemicals to create calcium carbonate skeleton as they grew. 
C)  Eggs contained chemically stable solutions from which growing life forms could reliably extract nutrients, in a manner resembling fish eggs laid in seas and oceans. 
D)  Egg shells would have provided sufficient protection from solar radiation to allow an embryo to grow without damage.

Question 12

Where today would you expect to find rocks deposited by late Paleozoic glaciers?

Accepted Answer

A)  United States 
B)  Siberia 
C)  South Africa 
D)  India 
A)  United States 
B)  Siberia 
C)  South Africa 
D)  India

Question 13

During the Cenozoic Era,most large-bodied terrestrial animals inhabiting regions of temperate climate have been ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  birds 
B)  dinosaurs 
C)  mammals 
D)  crocodiles 
A)  birds 
B)  dinosaurs 
C)  mammals 
D)  crocodiles

Question 14

Rodinia and Pangaea are supercontinents that assembled during the ____________ and ____________,respectively.

Accepted Answer

A)  Hadean; Archean 
B)  Archean; Proterozoic 
C)  Proterozoic; Paleozoic 
D)  Paleozoic; Mesozoic 
A)  Hadean; Archean 
B)  Archean; Proterozoic 
C)  Proterozoic; Paleozoic 
D)  Paleozoic; Mesozoic

Question 15

Permian,Triassic,and Jurassic forests were dominated by large ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  angiosperms (flowering plants) 
B)  mosses 
C)  conifers and cycads 
D)  club mosses and scouring rushes 
A)  angiosperms (flowering plants) 
B)  mosses 
C)  conifers and cycads 
D)  club mosses and scouring rushes

Question 16

Stromatolites are layered structures that may be produced by the activity of ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  dinosaurs 
B)  methanogens 
C)  cyanobacteria 
D)  green algae 
A)  dinosaurs 
B)  methanogens 
C)  cyanobacteria 
D)  green algae

Question 17

Look carefully at the figure below.Now,think why insects,reptiles and mammals might have appeared on the continents after plants.

Accepted Answer

A)  There was not enough atmospheric oxygen for animals, etc., until the Devonian. 
B)  Land plants might have provided food and protection from the Sun. 
C)  There was not enough continental landmass until the Devonian Period. 
D)  The formation of banded-iron formations (BIFs) across the continents during the Silurian probably coincided with widespread iron poisoning of rivers and lakes 
A)  There was not enough atmospheric oxygen for animals, etc., until the Devonian. 
B)  Land plants might have provided food and protection from the Sun. 
C)  There was not enough continental landmass until the Devonian Period. 
D)  The formation of banded-iron formations (BIFs) across the continents during the Silurian probably coincided with widespread iron poisoning of rivers and lakes

Question 18

Banded-iron formations (BIFs)were formed most abundantly during the ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  Archean Eon 
B)  Hadean Eon 
C)  Proterozoic Eon 
D)  Paleozoic Era 
A)  Archean Eon 
B)  Hadean Eon 
C)  Proterozoic Eon 
D)  Paleozoic Era

Question 19

Tyrannosaurus rex,one of the largest carnivorous dinosaur species,lived during the ____________ Period.

Accepted Answer

A)  Ordovician 
B)  Carboniferous 
C)  Jurassic 
D)  Cretaceous 
A)  Ordovician 
B)  Carboniferous 
C)  Jurassic 
D)  Cretaceous

Question 20

The Miocene epoch saw the spread of which new vegetative zone?

Accepted Answer

A)  Savannah grasslands 
B)  angiosperm forests 
C)  gymnosperm forests 
D)  tree fern forests 
A)  Savannah grasslands 
B)  angiosperm forests 
C)  gymnosperm forests 
D)  tree fern forests

Exam 11: A Biography of Earth

The Chicxulub crater is located in which country?

A crustal rock dated to 1.9 Ga is how old?

Geographically,a shield and surrounding platform together are ____________.

The fossil fish Tiktaalik is noteworthy because it ____________.

When did the human genus,Homo,first appear on Earth?

What may have brought an end to the nearly worldwide glacial episode called snowball Earth?

The Cambrian explosion not only produced an abundance of new animal species but also gave rise to the first shells,spines,and active swimmers.This suggests the important influence of ____________ in driving animal evolution.

The earliest forests containing woody trees appeared during the ____________.

In the early Paleozoic,the majority of continental landmass was found in the southern hemisphere,and now the majority of continental landmass is found in the northern hemisphere.Why might this be?

North and South America have been connected via the Isthmus of Panama for the last ____________.

The earliest large,mobile life forms that may have been able to live and reproduce on land were amphibians.Most amphibians lay eggs.Why would laying eggs have been a logical step in the evolution of mobile life forms from sea to land?

Where today would you expect to find rocks deposited by late Paleozoic glaciers?

During the Cenozoic Era,most large-bodied terrestrial animals inhabiting regions of temperate climate have been ____________.

Rodinia and Pangaea are supercontinents that assembled during the ____________ and ____________,respectively.

Permian,Triassic,and Jurassic forests were dominated by large ____________.

Stromatolites are layered structures that may be produced by the activity of ____________.

Look carefully at the figure below.Now,think why insects,reptiles and mammals might have appeared on the continents after plants.

Banded-iron formations (BIFs)were formed most abundantly during the ____________.

Tyrannosaurus rex,one of the largest carnivorous dinosaur species,lived during the ____________ Period.

The Miocene epoch saw the spread of which new vegetative zone?

The Earth in Context

The Way the Earth Works: Plate Tectonics

Patterns in Nature: Minerals

Up From the Inferno: Magma and Igneous Rocks

The Wrath of Vulcan: Volcanic Eruptions

Pages of Earths Past: Sedimentary Rocks

Metamorphism: a Process of Change

A Violent Pulse: Earthquakes

Crags, cracks, and Crumples: Crustal Deformation and Mountain Building

Deep Time: How Old Is Old

Riches in Rock: Energy and Mineral Resources

Unsafe Ground: Landslides and Other Mass Movements

Streams and Floods: the Geology of Running Water

Restless Realm: Oceans and Coasts

A Hidden Reserve: Groundwater

Dry Regions: the Geology of Deserts

Amazing Ice: Glaciers and Ice Ages

Global Change in the Earth System

Rock Groups

A Surface Veneer: Sediments and Soils

The Rock Cycle

The Earths Interior Revisited: Insights From Geophysics

Memories of Past Life: Fossils and Evolution

An Introduction to Landscapes and the Hydrologic Cycle

Filters

Rodinia and Pangaea are supercontinents that assembled during the and ,respectively.