Investigation 3-4

What is a reason for gaps in the fossil record?

• Many organisms do not have structures that can be fossilized.

• All organisms have structures that can be fossilized.

• Fossils are always found in perfect condition.

• Every organism that ever lived has been fossilized.

Why is uniformitarianism an important principle to consider when making inferences about Earth's geology?

• It suggests that geological processes have changed drastically over time.

• It implies that geological processes are consistent over time.

• It indicates that Earth's features were formed by sudden events.

• It shows that Earth's geology is unpredictable.

What does the principle of uniformitarianism suggest about Earth's geological features?

• They were formed by a few catastrophic events.

• They were formed by consistent processes over time.

• They appeared suddenly without any processes.

• They are unpredictable and random.

Which of the following is NOT a reason for gaps in the fossil record?

• Some environments do not provide conditions favorable to fossil formation.

• There are lots of fossils that we haven’t found yet.

• Every organism that ever lived has been fossilized.

• Some geological events destroyed fossils.

Which of the following statements is true about weathering and erosion?

• They are always fast processes.

• They can be fast or slow, depending on the type of rock.

• They do not affect rocks.

• They only occur in ancient environments.

Which statement does NOT explain a gap in the fossil record?

• Some environments do not provide conditions favorable to fossil formation.

• There are lots of fossils that we haven’t found yet.

• Some geological events destroyed fossils.

• All fossils have been perfectly preserved.

Geological time is described in eras and periods. Those segments of time are based on _______.

• whoever discovered them

• significant evolutionary events in Earth’s history

• the thickness of certain rock layers

• the number of layers of rock that can be counted in 10 meters of a rock column

To a geologist, the most important use of index fossils is _______.

• to show what kind of life existed long ago

• to show that the sediments were deposited horizontally

• to determine the age of the rock

• to tell the story of the ancient environment

What is the purpose of using an index fossil in geology?

• To identify the age of rock layers

• To determine the color of rocks

• To measure the size of rocks

• To find the mineral content of rocks

Which drawing best represents the basin layers and water at the end of their investigation?

• A

• B

• C

• D