Mass Extinction and Geologic Time Review

What is an index fossil?

• The trace remains of once living things that are preserved in rock.

• Living creatures

• A fossil/organism that lived during a relatively short period of time in which relative dating can be determined.

What most likely caused the death of the dinosaurs?

• An ice age

• Volcanism

• Humans

• Asteroid Impact

How do scientists determine the number and length of time on the geologic time scale?

• Based on important events in earth's history

• Studying rocks in North America

• Gathering information from databases

• Based only on the time and distance that has passed

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Identify which cause HAS NOT lead to a mass extinction globally.

• Climate change

• Hunting/Poaching

• Global volcanic activity

• Asteroid collision

Tags

NGSS.HS-LS4-5

Extinction is best defined as...

• Complete loss or death of a species

• An abnormally large amount of species die out simultaneously or within a short period of time

• Change in global or regional climate patterns

• Change in climate during which glaciers covered much of the Earth

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

Mass Extinction is best defined as....

• Complete loss or death of a species

• an abnormally large amount of species die out simultaneously or within a short period of time

• Change in global or regional climate patterns

• Change in climate during which glaciers covered much of the Earth

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

Mass extinctions are theorized to have occurred due to asteroid impacts, volcanism, and climate change.

• True

• False

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

Which of the following is the primary reason for using the geologic time scale?

• An explanation of how the dinosaurs disappeared

• Explain how Earth was formed 4.6 billion years ago

• Measure how long North America has existed

• Recognize major events that have occurred on earth.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

At the end of the Mesozoic Era there was a mass extinction.  Which of the following is attributed as being the main cause?

• asteroid or comet impact

• major volcanic eruption

• earthquakes

• climatic changes

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

There have been 5 mass extinctions in Earth's history. Which of the following answer choices was a cause of these extinctions?

• increased carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the atmosphere

• an asteroid impact

• melting of glaciers and rising sea levels

• widespread volcanic activity

• All of them

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1