Geological Time Scale Quiz

What is the oldest era in the geological time scale?

• Precambrian

• Cenozoic

• Mesozoic

• Paleozoic

Which period began approximately 2,500 million years ago?

• Devonian

• Permian

• Proterozoic

• Ordovician

What major event occurred 65 million years ago?

• First mammals appeared

• First reptiles appeared

• Dinosaurs extinct

• Formation of coal forests

Which technique uses geological evidence to assign comparative ages of fossils?

• Absolute dating

• Relative dating

• Radiometric dating

• Chronometric dating

What is the main characteristic of absolute dating?

• Compares rock layers

• Uses radioactivity to determine age

• Estimates age based on location

• Uses fossils to determine age

Which period is known for the first land animals and forests?

• Cretaceous

• Jurassic

• Triassic

• Devonian

What major event is associated with the formation of the Rocky Mountains?

• Pangaea begins to break up

• First fish appeared

• Major glaciers in North America

• Dinosaurs extinct

Which era is known for the greatest extinction on Earth?

• Precambrian

• Cenozoic

• Mesozoic

• Paleozoic

What is the approximate age of the first fish appearance?

• 145 million years

• 600 million years

• 408 million years

• 225 million years

Which of the following is NOT a method of relative dating?

• Radioactive decay

• Fossil comparison

• Geological evidence

• Layering of rocks