Fossils and Fossil Record

What do fossil records provide?

• Predictions about future evolutionary changes

• A window into the past showing the evolution of life

• A complete record of all organisms that ever lived

• A detailed history of human evolution

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Which organisms had better odds of becoming a fossil?

• Large land-dwelling organisms

• Organisms with only soft body tissues

• Hard-shelled marine species

• Airborne species

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What are the two main types of fossils?

• Primary fossils and secondary fossils

• Body fossils and trace fossils

• Mineral fossils and organic fossils

• Prehistoric fossils and historic fossils

What is required for fossilization to occur?

• Presence in a desert environment

• Specific conditions including quick burial by sediment

• High temperature and humidity

• Exposure to sunlight

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In which type of rock are most fossil formations found?

• Basalt rock

• Igneous rock

• Sedimentary rock

• Metamorphic rock

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What does the law of fossil succession state?

• Fossils from the same era are found together

• Younger fossils succeed older fossils vertically in rock strata

• Younger fossils are found below older fossils

• Fossils are randomly distributed in rock strata

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What is absolute dating?

• A method to find the exact age of a fossil using radiometric dating

• Dating based on the fossil's location in the sediment

• Estimating the age of a fossil based on its depth

• Using historical records to date fossils

What element is commonly used in radiometric dating?

• Oxygen

• Nitrogen-14

• Iron

• Carbon-14

How many mass extinctions are documented in the fossil record?

• Three

• Five

• Seven

• Ten

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What are scientists concerned might lead to a sixth mass extinction?

• A decrease in global temperatures

• A sudden increase in volcanic activity

• The impact of an asteroid

• Human factors and global climate change

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