Discovering Earth's Age Through Fossils

What are fossils?

• Remains or traces of ancient life preserved in rocks

• Layers of sedimentary rocks

• Radioactive elements

• Modern plants and animals

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What is the main purpose of using fossils to study Earth's history?

• To determine the age of the Earth and understand how it has changed over millions of years

• To find gold and minerals

• To study modern animals

• To measure earthquakes

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Fill in the blank: Index fossils are fossils of organisms that lived during a specific time period and were ______ across many regions.

• widespread

• rare

• extinct

• unique

Which of the following best describes how sedimentary rock layers help scientists understand Earth's history?

• A) Each layer represents a specific time period and serves as a timeline for Earth's history

• B) They are always older than fossils

• C) They contain only modern plants

• D) They are formed by volcanic eruptions

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Radiometric dating involves measuring the decay of radioactive elements within rocks to determine their age.

• True

• False

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What can fossils tell us about the environment of the Earth at different times?

• Fossils are solely used to identify dinosaur species.
• Fossils provide information about human history exclusively.
• Fossils can indicate the climate, vegetation, and geological conditions of the Earth at different times.
• Fossils can only show the age of the Earth.

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What do scientists study to determine the relative age of Earth and the processes that have shaped it over time?

• Weather patterns

• Rock layers, igneous rocks, and fault lines

• Ocean currents

• Plant fossils

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The relative age of Earth refers to how old different rocks and fossils are compared to one another, rather than measuring their exact age in years.

• True

• False

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Fill in the blank: The oldest layers of sedimentary rocks are generally found at the ______, while the newer layers are on top.

• bottom

• top

• middle

• side

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What is the principle called that examines how layers of sedimentary rocks are stacked on top of each other to determine their relative ages?

• Stratigraphy

• Erosion

• Metamorphism

• Fossilization

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