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