The Test on Geologic Time consists of 18 questions. Correct answers will be provided after your answers have been submitted.

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1		When the trunk of a tree has been completely replaced by minerals, the tree is
			A)	petrified.
			B)	carbonized.
			C)	molded.
			D)	a cast.
2		Which of the following is not a fossil?
			A)	a frozen mammoth
			B)	bat droppings in an ancient cave
			C)	pot shards of an ancient tribe
			D)	an insect entombed in amber
3		Most fossils are usually found in
			A)	new, recently formed sedimentary rock.
			B)	rocks deposited in shallow marine environments.
			C)	glaciers.
			D)	sand dunes.
4		This geological principle is used to determine the relative age of strata in a sedimentary sequence
			A)	contact metamorphosis.
			B)	angular unconformity.
			C)	superposition.
			D)	crosscutting relationships.
5		An unconformity in a sedimentary rock sequence results when
			A)	a fault cuts across a layer of sedimentary rock.
			B)	a layer which was deposited in a specific time interval.
			C)	erosion occurs for a long period of time.
			D)	magma intrudes across some layers of sedimentary rock.
6		Index fossils serve to identify
			A)	how thick a given rock layer should be.
			B)	specific layers of rocks anywhere.
			C)	the composition of different rock layers.
			D)	the exact location of oceans that no longer exist.
7		Which of the following is most important in reading the history from layers of sedimentary rocks?
			A)	understanding that younger rock layers are at the bottom of a sequence
			B)	measuring the thickness of each rock layer in a sequence
			C)	determining the composition of the rock layers
			D)	finding rock layers that have not been disturbed
8		Fossils show that over time some life forms disappeared from the record and new forms appeared. This is described by the logical frame of reference known as the principle of
			A)	faunal succession.
			B)	unconformity.
			C)	superposition.
			D)	uniformity.
9		Index fossils are remains of organisms that lived for a
			A)	brief time over a wide area.
			B)	brief time over a small area.
			C)	long time over a small area.
			D)	long time over a wide area.
10		The earth dating method that is believed to be most accurate is
			A)	the rate of sediment deposition.
			B)	radioactive decay.
			C)	cooling of the earth from its original molten state.
			D)	rate that salt is being added to the oceans.
11		Major blocks of time in the earth's geologic history are based on
			A)	geomagnetic reversals of the earth's magnetic field.
			B)	volcanoes and other events in the breakup of Pangaea.
			C)	periodic meteorite bombardments of the earth.
			D)	appearance and disappearance of particular fossils in the rock record.
12		The least number of fossils are found in rocks formed during which era?
			A)	Precambrian
			B)	Cenozoic
			C)	Mesozoic
			D)	Paleozoic
13		Most of the earth's geologic history took place during which era?
			A)	Paleozoic
			B)	Precambrian
			C)	Mesozoic
			D)	Cenozoic
14		Which of the following is a Mesozoic Period?
			A)	Tertiary
			B)	Permian
			C)	Jurassic
			D)	Silurian
15		Which era could be called The Age of the Reptiles?
			A)	Mesozoic
			B)	Cenozoic
			C)	Paleozoic
			D)	Triassic
16		According to the rock record, fossils of fish first appeared in which period?
			A)	Jurassic
			B)	Devonian
			C)	Permian
			D)	Ordovician
17		The dominant life form of the Cambrian Period was
			A)	sharks
			B)	trilobites
			C)	fish
			D)	reptiles
18		Which era is known as The Age of the Mammals?
			A)	Precamberian
			B)	Paleozoic
			C)	Mesozoic
			D)	Cenozoic