Study Guide-Relative Age of Fossils
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1.
Which layer of sedimentary rock in the image above is most likely the oldest, assuming the layers have
not experienced folding or uplifting?
a. Layer W
b. Layer X
c. Layer Z
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2. Layers of rock are exposed, as shown below.
The fern fossil in Layer 3 was dated to be 32 million years old.
What can be inferred about the shell fossils?
a. The organisms with the shells lived before the fern.
b. The organisms with the shells were more common that the other fossils.
c. The organisms with the shells were more complex than the other fossils.
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3.
The diagram below shows three substrate layers with fossils.
Which statement is best supported by the diagram?
a. The fossil in Layer 3 is older than the fossil in Layer 2.
b. The fossils in Layers 1 and 3 are from closely related organisms.
c. The fossil in Layer 1 is older than the fossil in Layer 2.
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4.
The image above is a model showing various types of fossils embedded in layers of sedimentary rock.
The law of superposition would predict that layer three is...?
a. ...older than layer 4 and younger than layer 2
b. ...older than layer 1 and younger than layer 5
c. ...younger than layer 2 and older than layer 1
____
5.
A cross section of rock layers is shown below.
Which fossil is found in the oldest layer?
a. dinosaur
b. fish
____
c. shell
6. A scientist was digging for fossils along a rocky cliff formed from sedimentary rock. The scientist discovered
trilobite fossils at a lower level and ammonite fossils at a higher level.
Index Fossil
Index Fossil
Trilobite
Ammonite
(Cambrian Period)
(Jurassic Period)
What can be determined about these two fossils based on their locations?
a. the mating habits of these two organisms
b. The diet of the trilobites and ammonites
c. the relative age of these two fossils
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7.
If the age of Layer Four is 400 million years and the age of Layer One is 500 million years, then what
can you infer about the age of Layer Two?
a. Layer two is older than 500 million years
b. Layer Two is between 400 million to 500 million years old
c. Layer two is exactly 400 million years old
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8.
Ammonite Fossils
Paleontologist have found an area rich in ammonite fossils. Although erosion over millions of years has
altered the topography of this ocean floor, the scientists were able to create a chronological history of these
fossils (see diagram above.).
Based on the diagram shown above, which numbered fossil was found in the oldest layer of sediment?
a. Number eight
c. Number seven
b. Number five
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9. The picture below shows the locations of three types of fossils in the sediment of a lake.
The organism in layer 3 most likely existed...?
a. at the same time as the organism in layer 2
b. after the organism in layer 1
c. at the same time as the organism in layer 1
____ 10.
This diagram shows layers of rocks that contain fossils
How can you determine that fossil number six and fossil number four are similar in age?
a. These two fossils are the same species.
b. Both of these fossils are sea shells so they must have lived at the same time.
c. These two fossils are in the same layer of sedimentary rock.
Study Guide-Relative Age of Fossils
Answer Section
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