GY 112 PRACTICE FINAL LAB EXAM
D. Haywick
Note: This examination is like the one you will have as a final in GY 112 (except it is shorter). It has 2 components.
Part 1 involves physical specimens (rocks and fossils). Part 2 involves written questions. For the final you will have
3 minutes a station to answer each of the questions. Be sure that you read the questions in Part 2 before you start
them, otherwise you could find yourself doing a lot more work than is necessary.
PART 1: PHYSICAL SAMPLES You will have 3 minutes per station. Be sure to answer the correct questions for
the station that you are sitting at. Every 3 minutes, you will be asked to pass your specimen on the next person.
You'll receive a specimen from the other direction. (5 points per station)
Station 1: Fossil Associations. This station consists of 1 unlabelled specimen.
1a) To which phylum does this beastie belong? _____________________________________________ (1 point)
1b) To which subphylum does this beastie belong? __________________________________________ (1 point)
1c) What is the mode(s) of preservation of the beastie? _______________________________________(1 points)
1d) What was this beastie’s mode of life?________________________________________________________
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__________________________________________________________________________(2 points)
Station 2: Sedimentary Rock Associations and Fossils. This station consists of 2 specimens.
2a) What is the name of sedimentary rock 2a? ____________________________________________ (1 point)
2b) What is the name of sedimentary rock 2b? ____________________________________________ (1 point)
2c) To which phylum do the fossils in sample 2a belong ____________________________________(1 point)
2d) How are the fossils in 2a preserved _________________________________________________ (1 point)
2e) In what depositional environment was 2b deposited? ___________________________________ (1 point)
Station 3: Fossil Associations. This station consists of one unlabelled fossil specimen.
3a) To which phylum and class does this beastie belong?
Phylum: ___________________,
Class: __________________ (2 points)
3b) What is its mode of preservation? _____________________________________________________ (1 point)
3c) Name 2 of the 3 subclasses comprising the class you identified in 3a (2 points)
_______________________________________, ___________________________________________
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Station 4: Sedimentary rocks & fossil associations. This station consists of 2 labelled specimens.
4a) What is the proper geological name for specimen 4a? ______________________________ (1 point)
4b) What is the proper geological name for specimen 4b? ______________________________ (1 point)
4c) What is the most likely depositional environment(s) of these rocks? (2 points)
4a ___________________________
4b ___________________________
4d) What was the paleoclimate like when 4b was deposited?_______________________________ (1 point)
Station 5: Fossil Associations. This station consists of one unlabelled rock specimen.
5a) Is this a trace or body fossil? _________________________________ (1 point)
5b) What is it ? ______________________________________________________________________ (1 point)
5c) How is it preserved and how did this mode of preservation occur? ____________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________ (3 points)
Station 6: Sedimentary and Fossil Associations This station consists of two unlabelled specimens.
6a) What is the sedimentary rock name of specimen 6a? _______________________________________ (1 point)
6b) How are the fossils in 6a preserved? ___________________________________________________ (1 point)
6c) What is the sedimentary rock name of specimen 6b? _______________________________________ (1 point)
6d) What causes the color in 6b? _________________________________________________________ (2 points)
Station 7: Fossil associations. This station consists of 2 unlabelled specimens.
7a) To which phylum does specimen 7a belong? _____________________________________________ (1 point)
7b) To which phylum does specimen 7b belong? _____________________________________________ (1 point)
7c) To which class does specimen 7b belong? _______________________________________________ (1 point)
7d) How are the two specimens preserved? (careful) __________________________________________ (2 points)
7a ___________________________
7b ___________________________
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Station 8: Fossil Associations. This station consists of 1 unlabelled specimen.
8a) To which phylum does this beastie belong? ___________________________________________ (1 point)
8b) How is the beastie preserved? ______________________________________________________(2 point)
8c) What was the mode of life of the beastie?_______________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________ (2 points)
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS TO BE FAMILIAR WITH
Quartz arenite
lithic sandstone
greywacke
arkose
conglomerate
breccia
red shale
black shale
green shale
fossiliferous limestone
chalk
oolite
non-fossiliferous limestone
dolostone
coal
amber
halite
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PART 2: WRITTEN COMPONENT. All questions are of equal value. Answer 10 of the following 11 questions.
Point values for each question are indicated in bold text. (Total available in this section: 50 points)
Question 1: Modes of preservation. Many of you had problems with the way that fossils can be preserved in the
rock record (me too sometimes), but it is important to be able to distinguish between types of preservation. So…..
What is the difference between replacement and perimineralization? (5 points)
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Question 2: Alabama Geology 1. If you wanted to look for trilobites in Alabama, where would you go to look and
why? (5 points)
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Question 3. Trace fossils. What are the major differences between borings and burrows? (5 points)
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Question 4. Reptiles. Explain as succinctly as possible, how the reptiles are thought to have evolved from a
common ancestor (5 points).
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Question 5. Alabama Geology 2. What is the Smackover Formation and why is it so important to Alabama and in
particular, those of us that live along the Gulf Coast? (5 points)
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Question 6. Plants. What are the major difference between the angiosperms and the gymnosperms? (5 points).
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