Geologic History

If a layer of sandstone lies on top of a layer of limestone in which a 450-million-year-old fossil is found, and there are no unconformities, the layer of sandstone must be ____.

• older than 450 million years

• younger than 450 million years

• exactly 450 million years old

• to old to determine its age

According the graph, a piece of timber containing one-fourth of the amount of carbon-14 that is found in a living tree, died about how many years ago?

• 11,400 years

• 22,800 years

• 5,700 years

• 17,100 years

What type of unconformity is shown between D and C in the figure?

• nonconformity

• disconformity

• angular unconformity

• uniformatarianism

Which is the best sequence of events shown in the figure, listed from oldest to youngest?

• FEDABC

• ABCFED

• DEFCBA

• FEDCBA

Relative to the limestone layer (A) in the figure, the fault is...

• not related

• younger

• older

• the same age

Which of the following conditions help preserve organisms as fossils

• quick burial by sediments

• hard parts

• protection from scavengers

• activities of microorganisms

Fossils of species that lived on Earth for short periods of time, were abundant, and were widespread geographically are...

• absolute date

• original remains

• index fossils

• trace fossils

The map shows some of the bedrock in Virginia. Which of these has the oldest exposed bedrock?

• Hightown Valley

• Monterey

• Jack Mountain

• Bull Pasture

Which statement is most true?

• Virginia only has fossils made from soft body parts of animals.

• Virginia has no fossil because there are no sedimentary rocks in Virginia.

• All rocks in Virginia have fossils because there are no igneous/metamorphic rocks in VA.

• Fossils in Virginia include molds, casts, and even trace dinosaur tracks.

Which of the following would most likely form a recrystallized fossil under the right conditions?

• jelly fish

• shark's teeth

• fish's internal organs

• granite