Fossils and Geologic Time Assessment

Which scientist studies fossils?

• zoologist

• meteorologist

• paleontologist

• biologist

True or False: Fossils are remains of ancient plants and animals.

• true

• false

True or False. The fossil record documents the history of life on Earth.

• True

• False

Which of these are examples of trace fossils?

• A jellyfish

• A woolly mammoth's footprint

• Burrows of a primitive worm

• A mosquito in amber

Which item would most likely become a fossil?

• a shark tooth

• pine needle

• large jelly fish

• a slug

What is a trace fossil?

• a mold that fills with sediment and hardens

• evidence of an ancient organism's activities

• copy of an organism made by mineral replacement

• actual remains of an organism

According to the Law of Superposition, the oldest fossils are found

• at the top of the rock layers

• at the bottom of the rock layers

• in the middle of rock layers

• somewhat near the surface

A gradual change in living things over a long period of time is

• extinction

• evolution

• cast

• mold

In what type of rock are fossils found in?

• igneous

• sedimentary

• metamorphic

What are some characteristics of an Index Fossil?

• they are used to determine the age of the rock they are found in

• they lived for long periods of time

• they were abundant

• they lived for a short period of time