Essay Quiz


1		What is the principle of uniformity? What are the underlying assumptions of this principle?



2		What is the geologic time scale? What is the meaning of the eras?



3		Why does the rock record go back only 3.8 billion years? If this missing record were available, what do you think it would show? Explain.



4		Do igneous, metamorphic, or sedimentary rocks provide the most information about Earth's history? Explain.



5		What major event marked the end of the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras according to the fossil record? Describe one theory that proposes to account for this.



6		Briefly describe the principles and assumptions that form the basis of interpreting Earth's history from the rocks.



7		Describe the sequence of geologic events represented by an an-gular unconformity. Begin with the deposition of the sediments that formed the oldest rocks represented.



8		Describe how the principles of superposition, horizontality, and faunal succession are used in the relative dating of sedimentary rock layers.



9		How are the numbers of the ages of eras and other divisions of the geologic time scale determined?



10		Describe the three basic categories of fossilization methods.



11		Describe some of the things that fossils can tell you about Earth's history.

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