What relatively recent epoch ended roughly 12,000 years ago?
The Pleistocene Epoch
The Holocene Epoch
The Miocene Epoch
The Pliocene Epoch
A geologist who asserts that evolution patterns in the Earth occur following a consistent pattern over long periods of time belongs to what family of theorists?
Uniformitarian
Utilitarian
Catastrophism
Progressive
Which geological principle only applies to sedimentary rock layers?
Succession
Original horizontality
cutting
Superposition
Not all parts of a creature are likely to be fossilized. Paleontologists typically find fossils made from a creature's _____.
Teeth
Shells
Bones
All answers choices are correct
A particular radioactive isotope has a half-life of 200 years. At what time will there be 25% of the isotope left?
1,400 years
800 years
600 years
400 years
What characteristics are observed via correlation, which is a relative dating process used in determining the age of rock layers?
None of these answers are correct.
Observing similar vegetation patterns
Observing similarities types fossils at different locations
Observing similarities in weather patterns
The change from catastrophism to uniformitarianism made scientists decide that Earth must be _____ than previously thought.
less populated
older
more populated
younger
Today, geologists believe mostly in _____, with a little bit of _____.
catastrophism; evolution
evolution; catastrophism
catastrophism; uniformitarianism
uniformitarianism; catastrophism
A large nucleus may get to a more stable state by emitting two protons and two neutrons. This describes which type of radioactive decay?
Gamma Decay
Delta Decay
Alpha Decay
Beta Decay
Which of the following is the term used for the process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by releasing radiation?
Radioactive detection
Gamma ray reduction
Radioactive neutralization
Radioactive decay
If Fossil A is found in a lower rock layer, and Fossil B is found in an upper rock layer, then Species A most likely _____.
existed less recently than Species B
existed more recently than Species B
evolved from Species B
existed for a relatively short period of time
An interface between discontinuous layers of rock is called _____.
a cross-cut
an unconformity
an intrusion
an inclusion
Any fault lines or igneous intrusions that cut across a set of rock strata must be _____ that set of rock.
creating an inclusion in
the same age as
younger than
older than
Rock Strata A contains Fossil X. It is below Rock Strata C which contains Fossil Z. Rock Strata B contains Fossil Y. It is above Rock Strata C. Which of the following is the correct order of the fossils (from oldest to youngest)?
Y, X, Z
X, Y, Z
X, Z, Y
Z, X, Y
The statement Rock A is fifty years older than Rock B is an example of _____.
relative dating
radiometric dating
numerical dating
fossil dating
The Mesozoic Era was the Age of Dinosaurs, and the current Cenozoic Era is the Age of _____.
Mammals
Ice
Humans
Birds
