Fossils, Mass Extinctions, and Biodiversity

What is the primary source of our knowledge about the evolution of life?

• Fossils

• DNA

• Ancient texts

• Modern animals

The fossil record is divided into various intervals using what scale?

• Geologic time scale

• Biological scale

• Evolutionary scale

• Historical scale

What percentage of marine species went extinct during the greatest mass extinction?

• 50%

• 70%

• 90%

• 95%

Fill in the blank: The _______ record reveals that large numbers of species died in a very short time interval.

• fossil

• historical

• biological

• evolutionary

Which plant is an exception and appears in the fossil record from 60 million years ago?

• Fern

• Ginkgo

• Pine

• Oak

Fill in the blank: The greatest mass extinction on record took place at the end of the _______ Era.

• Paleozoic

• Mesozoic

• Cenozoic

• Precambrian

What is the cause of the greatest mass extinction according to the text?

• Meteor impact

• Ocean circulation shutdown

• Volcanic eruption

• Climate change

Fill in the blank: The _______ crisis is a current concern for scientists and government officials.

• biodiversity

• climate

• economic

• energy

During which periods did the K-T boundary mass extinction occur?

• Cretaceous and Tertiary

• Jurassic and Triassic

• Devonian and Silurian

• Permian and Carboniferous

Fill in the blank: The fossil record shows that almost every species that has ever lived on Earth has gone _______.

• extinct

• evolved

• migrated

• diversified