Earth's Organisms

Why do some organisms never turn into fossils?

• They are far too large to be buried in the ground.

• They are made mostly of soft tissues.

• They contain too much protein to be preserved.

• They contain chemicals that prevent the hardening of their bodies.

Which of these can lead to the extinction of a species?

• Loss of habitat

• Small temperature changes

• Increase in food supply

• Decrease in available light

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What is the relative age of a rock?

• Its age compared with the ages of other rocks

• Less than the age of the fossils the rock contains

• The number of years since the rock formed

• Its age based on how much carbon-14 the rock contains

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Why do geologists use radioactive dating?

• To determine the relative ages of rock layers

• To tell the difference between molds and casts

• To tell where on soil horizon ends and the next one begins

• To determine the absolute ages of rocks

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What is the difference between relative age and absolute age?

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What can be said about the many new life forms that evolved during the Cambrian Explosion that began the Paleozoic Era?

• They lived on land.

• They were invertebrates that lived in the sea.

• They were vertebrates covered with scales or fur.

• They were single-celled.

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Earth's earliest atmosphere lacked which gas that is necessary for life as we know it to exist today?

• Nitrogen

• Carbon Dioxide

• Argon

• Oxygen

During the Paleozoic, what were the first organisms to live partly on land?

• Insects

• Reptiles

• Amphibians

• Invertebrates

Late in the Paleozoic Era, the supercontinent Pangaea formed. What was the probable climate in the Pangaea?

• Extremely cold, polar climate

• Hot, dry desert climate

• Wet tropical climate

• Warm, mild climate

Which best describes the climates of Europe and North America during the 1.8 million years of the Quatemary Period?

• Hot and dry climates

• Cool and rainy periods followed by droughts

• Warm and mild climates

• A series of ice ages followed by periods when the glaciers melted