Evolution and Fossils Concepts

What is a fossil?

• A living organism that is millions of years old

• Preserved remains or traces of ancient organisms

• A rock that has a strange shape

• A modern plant or animal part found in sediment

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What does relative dating tell us about a fossil?

• The exact age of the fossil

• The fossil's weight

• Whether the fossil is younger or older than other fossils

• The fossil’s chemical composition

The Cretaceous extinction is thought to have been caused by:

• A massive volcanic eruption

• Flooding

• Climate change

• An meteorite impact

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Which concept is central to Darwin's theory of evolution?

• All species remain unchanged over time

• Life on Earth was created 6,000 years ago

• Species evolve through natural selection

• Evolution is only present in certain species

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What was significant about the finches that Darwin studied on the Galápagos Islands?

• Their beaks varied, helping them adapt to different environments

• They all had the same type of beak

• They were the only birds on the islands

• They were all extinct species

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What is artificial selection?

• The process by which nature selects the best-adapted species

• Natural death of weaker organisms

• The influence of climate on species development

• Breeding of plants and animals to produce desired traits

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How does natural selection work?

• Humans select which organisms survive

• Organisms better adapted to their environment survive and reproduce

• Organisms randomly change to fit their environment

• All organisms have an equal chance of survival

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The fossil record is important because it shows:

• Every organism that has ever lived

• Only the largest animals that lived in the past

• How organisms have evolved over time

• The lifespan of all modern species

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Which of the following is true about mass extinctions?

• They result in the extinction of many species over a short period

• They occur regularly every 10,000 years

• They only affect plant species

• They have never been fully proven by scientists

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Which of the following is NOT a type of fossil?

• Bones of organisms

• Fur or hair left behind by an organism

• Imprints made by organisms

• Preserved remains of organisms

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