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