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Geology Final Exam
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Questions in this quiz (112)
1___________ are crystalline substances that occur naturally
- ACrystals
- BMinerals
- CIgneous Rocks
- DRocks
2_____________ is the property a mineral possesses when it breaks along flat planes of weakness within the crystal
- AHardness
- BIonic bonding
- CConchoidal fracture
- DCleavage
3What factor is key for growing large crystals in igneous rocks?
- ATime
- BComposition
- CShape
- DPressure
4What line of evidence allows us to stratigraphically correlate rocks, as well as reconstruct the positions of the continents through time?
- ASeismic stratigraphy
- BPaleomagnetics
- CRadiometric dating
- DStable isotopes
5_____________ crust is usually felsic in composition while ____________ crust is usually mafic
- AContinental, oceanic
- BOceanic, continental
- CInner, outer
- DOuter, inner
6________ volcanic rocks form at or near the surface of the Earth.
- AExtrusive
- BIntrusive
- CMafic
- DFelsic
7How old is the universe according to evidence gathered from the relative motion of the stars? (i.e. redshift)?
- A1 billion years
- B10 billion years
- C5 billion years
- D15 billion years
8Using radioactive isotopes, we can find the ____________ age of a rock. Using biostratigraphy, we can find the _________ age of a bed of rocks.
- ARelative, absolute
- BAbsolute, relative
- CCorrect, incorrect
- DIncorrect, correct
9When oceanic crust hits continental crust at a subduction zone, the oceanic sinks. This has to do with the fact that oceanic crust is _______________ then continental crust
- AMore dense
- BThicker
- CLighter
- DPassive
10A geological facies is the geological equivalent of a /the modern ________________
- AWeather
- BLocation
- CEnvironment
- DClimate
11Which general type of igneous rocks is closer in composition to the mantle?
- AMafic
- BIntrusive
- CFelsic
- DExtrusive
12_____________ is when minerals align in a plane perpendicular to stress
- ANeomineralization
- BFoliation
- CRecrystallization
- DXenolith
13What two factors govern the grade of metamorphism in metamorphic rocks?
- AComposition and force
- BStress and temperature
- CComposition and temperature
- DPressure and temperature
14What do you call localized metamorphism caused by the heat released by a nearby igneous rock intrusion baking the rock?
- ARegional metamorphism
- BLithification
- CNeomineralization
- DContact metamorphism
15Clastic rocks dominate in _____________ settings
- AContinental
- BOceanic
- CTransitional
- DVolcanic
16Which of the following is NOT commonly one of the features we look at to classify clastic sedimentary rocks?
- AGrain hardness
- BGrain size
- CGrain sorting
- DGrain shape
17Carbonate sedimentary rocks are dominantly composed of what mineral?
- ACalcite
- BCarbonite
- CQuartz
- DSilica
18Walther's law states that in an unbroken sequence of sedimentary rocks, vertically stacked facies represent ____________ at the time of deposition.
- AThe same rock type
- BThe same environment
- CThe same period in time
- DAdjacent environments
19Which of the following is NOT a process involved in the transformation of sediment into a sedimentary rock?
- ACompaction
- BRecrystallization
- CRegression
- DCementation
20______________ is the chemical process of a solid forming in a liquid solution --- the process that generates evaporites.
- APrecipitation
- BNeomineralization
- CPrecession
- DRecrystallization
21A rift zone or a mid-ocean ridge is an example of ___________ boundary.
- AA transverse fault
- BA divergent plate
- CA convergent plate
- DA transform fault
22Why is the oldest known oceanic crust only about 200 million years old, whereas the oldest known continental rocks on Earth (non meteorites) are about 4.3 billion years old? In other words, what process 'deletes' the oceanic crust?
- ATectonic inversion
- BAliens
- CFlood basalts
- DSubduction
23What is it called when you do not have oxygen at the bottom of the ocean?
- AAnorexia
- BRegression
- CTransgression
- DAnoxia
24Biostratigraphy uses ___________ to correlate rock units while lithostratigraphy uses __________ to correlate rock units.
- AIsotopes, facies
- BFacies, isotopes
- CFossils, rock type
- DRock type, fossils
25Which of the following is NOT an example of a mineral property that is used in their identification?
- AColor
- BCleavage
- CGrain rounding
- DHardness
26The idea that the simplest answer is the best is known as the principle of
- ASuperposition
- BParsimony
- CUniformitarianism
- DLateral continuity
27Where (specifically) does seafloor spreading take place?
- AVolcanic islands
- BSubduction zones
- CTransform Faults
- DMid-ocean ridges
28Unconformities represent periods of ________________ and/or non-deposition.
- ADeposition
- BErosion
- CExtinction
- DPollution
29Which of the following is NOT one of the factors that drive seafloor spreading?
- ARidge push
- BSlab pull
- CLithosphere drag
- DMantle convection
30Heat from within the Earth comes from what process?
- AMethane generation
- BVolcanoes
- CFossil fuels
- DRadioactive decay
31Which layer of the Earth is responsible for transferring heat via convection?
- ACrust
- BMantle
- CInner core
- DOuter core
32The stratigraphic principle that states that in an undisturbed sequence of layered rocks, the oldest will be on the bottom is called the principle of
- ASuperposition
- BIncluded fragments
- COriginal horizontality
- DCross-cutting relationships
33____________ means avoiding supernatural explanations
- AMagic
- BEpistomology
- CMethodological naturalism
- DScientific
34A hypothesis is a/an ______________
- ATest
- BGuess
- CObservation
- DExplanation
35The idea that the laws of nature have been uniform through time is called _____________
- AIncorrect
- BParsimony
- CSuperposition
- DUniformitarianism
36The Murchison Meteorite was remarkable because it contained extraterrestrial _____________ which are thought to be precursors to life.
- AAmino acids
- BBacteria
- CDNA
- DRadioactive isotopes
37True or false: all eukaryotes are multicellular
- ATrue
- BFalse
38A _________ fossil is indirect evidence of past life----sometimes called fossil behavior.
- ATrue
- BTrace
- CMolecular
- DBody
39A layered sedimentary structure formed by microbes growing on the surface is called a _________
- ABilaterian
- BTillite
- CEdiacaran
- DStromatolite
40________ is the process by which the first small proto-continental plates were combined together to make larger continental plates
- AAccretion
- BRifting
- CPartial melting
- DSea-floor spreading
41Which of the following factors does NOT aid fossilization (I.e. does not help become a fossil)?
- ABurial
- BAnoxia
- CPossession of bones/shells
- DPredators
42Which of the following is NOT considered one of the three domains of life?
- AArchaea
- BBacteria
- CEukaryotes
- DProkaryotes
43Which is NOT a type of exceptional preservation?
- ASilification
- BPyritization
- CFluordization
- DPhosphatization
44Which of the following is one of the things that exceptionally preserved fossils preserve that normal fossilization does not?
- ADeuterostomes
- BInvertebrates
- CSoft-bodies organisms
- DVertebrates
45Molecular clocks use the amount of genetic difference between two animals plus the rate of mutation to predict how long ago they shared a
- ACommon ancestor
- BConvergence
- CParaphyly
- DEcospace
46What is a fossil that preserves any part of the body of an organism called?
- AA skeleton
- BA body fossil
- CA trace fossil
- DA molecular fossil
47What is a group that includes the common ancestor and all of the descendants?
- AMonophyletic
- BMorphological
- CParaphyletic
- DPolyphyletic
48The fact that all organisms on Earth share a basic set of cellular structures in common is evidence of our shared common ancestry. Which of the following is NOT a feature that all organisms on Earth possess?
- AAbility to manufacture proteins
- BCell membrane
- CDNA
- DOxygen respiration
49True or false: Individual animals can evolve
- ATrue
- BFalse
50Which of the following is NOT one of the 4 ingredients for life?
- AA container
- BNucleic Acids
- COrganelles
- DProteins
51Life is _________ genetic replication
- AConscious
- BExact
- CImperfect
- DMulticellular
52A synapmorphy is a ____________ characteristic, making it useful for figuring out how organisms are related.
- AShared, derived
- BShared, primitive
- CUnique, derived
- DUnique, primitive
53The disappearance of which of the following is NOT a sign of increasing oxygenation in the Precambrian atmosphere?
- ABanded iron formations
- BRed beds
- CSedimentary uraninite
- DSurface sediment pyrite
54Which of the following is NOT evidence for snowball Earth?
- ATillite deposits
- BDropstones
- CGlacial striations
- DFossilized glaciers
55Ediacaran organisms have been interpreted in many different ways. Some of them seem to be extinct branches of the tree of life---branches that did not survive to today. This is the ___________ hypothesis
- AEndosymbiosis
- BEdiacara
- CVendobionta
- DGaia
56Animals with bilateral symmetry, a digestive track with both mouth and anus, and three tissue layers are called
- ARadians
- BProtosomes
- CDeuterostomes
- DBilaterians
57Which of the following is a feature of organelles?
- ACell wall
- BMitochondria
- CNucleus
- DDouble cell membrane
58Small, round, organic fossils, often with spines or other external processes----common in the Precambrian----are called
- AEdiacarans
- BAcritarchs
- CEukaryotes
- DStromatolites
59Multicellular animals are collectively referred to as
- AEdiacarans
- BEukaryotes
- CMetazoans
- DVendobionts
60Which of the following does a eukaryotic cell possess, but a prokaryotic cell lack?
- ADNA
- BRNA
- CDouble membrane organelles
- DCell membrane
61Which of the following is a unique characteristic possessed by only one taxon?
- ASynapomorphy
- BSynpleisomorphy
- CAutopomorphy
- DMonophyly
62The study of the history of evolutionary relationships between different organisms is called
- ATaxonomy
- BPhylogeny
- CHierarchy
- DBiology
63What process caused the differentiation of the early (mafic) crust of the Earth into continental crust (felsic) and ocean crust (Mafic) composition
- AAccretion
- BOxygenation
- CPartial melting
- DPlate tectonics
64Which of the following evolved first (i.e. which did NOT evolve for the first time during the Ediacaran (late Precambrian) time)?
- APhotosynthesis
- BMitochondria
- CBiomineralization
- DMobility
65Multicellularity ONLY developed in
- AArchaens
- BBacteria
- CEukaryotes
- DProkaryotes
66Separation of organisms that occurs as a result of a physical barrier (thus preventing interbreeding) is called
- AVicariance
- BDispersal
- CConvergence
- DBilateria
67What is the similarity of two structures due to common ancestry called?
- ATaphonomy
- BHomology
- CConvergence
- DAnalogy
68The collection of ecological factors that an organism needs to survive are called its __________
- AOntogeny
- BExaptation
- CEcospace
- DMetabolic requirements
69The amount of oxygen in the atmosphere increased dramatically during the Precambrian---what caused this increase?
- ASnowball Earth
- BVolcanic outgassing
- CEvaporation
- DPhotosynthesis
70What was the name of the first supercontinent?
- ATethys
- BPangea
- CRodinia
- DGondwana
71Any chemical or physical change that happens to a fossil or sediment after deposition is called _________
- AFossilization
- BRecrystallization
- CDiagenesis
- DCompaction
72Cratons consist of felsic protocontinental blocks and metamorphosed _________ that were originally sedimentary rocks.
- AGreenstone belts
- BIgenous batholiths
- CMountain belts
- DTillites
73The monophyletic group that includes bony fish and their descendants (like us) is called
- AActinopterygii
- BOsteichthyes
- CSarcopterygii
- DTetrapoda
74What structure did teeth evolve from?
- ADermal scales
- BFins
- CJaws
- DTongues
75Why did insects get so bloody large during the late Paleozoic?
- AHigh oxygen levels
- BHigh food supply
- CLack of predators
- DEmpty habits open for colonization
76___________ is an ecological arrangement of organisms so that they use different levels of resources.
- ATiering
- BPelagic
- CVicariance
- DSessile
77Which extinction event was associated with the appearance of 'disaster taxa' and 'anachronistic facies'?
- AEnd-Permian
- BEnd-Devonian
- CEnd-Ordovician
- DEnd-Cretaceous
78Diapsids have ________ post-orbital fenestra(e) (opening/openings behind the eyes), whereas synapsids have ________-
- A0,1
- B1,2
- C2,1
- D1,0
79Which extinction event was the first to also affect terrestrial environments?
- AEnd-Ordovician
- BEnd-Devonian
- CEnd-Permian
- DEnd-Cretaceous
80Which of the following is true of the Precambrian but false when applied to the Cambrian? In other words, which of the following is one of the ways that the Precambrian was different from the Cambrian
- ANo trace fossils
- BNo microbes
- CNo metazoans
- DNo known animals with eyes
81Gondwana was a supercontinent that included all of the following modern continents EXCEPT
- ANorth America
- BSouth America
- CAfrica
- DAntarctica
82Animals and plants from the Mazon Creek Lagerstatte in Illinois are preserved in ___________ nodules.
- APhosphate
- BSiderite
- CCarbon
- DPyrite
83Primitive vertebrates had all of the following features EXCEPT
- AJaws
- BNotochord
- CPharynx
- DPost-anal tail
84What was the first group of arthorpods to successfully colonize land?
- AMyriapods
- BTetrapods
- CCrustaceans
- DHexapods
85What anatomical structure did jaws originate from in the ancestral gnathostome?
- ATeeth
- BCranium
- CSkull
- DGill arches
86Hexapods (i.e. insects) are most closely related to what group of arthropods?
- AMyriapods
- BChelicerates
- CArachnids
- DCrustaceans
87Tetrapods are most closely related to what group of fish?
- ASarcopterigians
- BPlacoderms
- CActinopterigians
- DChrondrichthyians
88The ___________ evolutionary fauna diversified during the Ordovician Radiation.
- ACambrian
- BOrdovician
- CPaleozoic
- DModern
89Which of the following is NOT a bias encountered when calculating global diversity?
- AThe lunar cycle
- BTaxonomy
- CPull of the recent
- DGeography
90The Cambrian Orsten Laggerstatte is different from the other Cambrian laggerstatten we discussed because the fossil animals are tiny, and also because they are _____________
- APhosphatized
- BTiered
- CFlattened
- DAlive
91Organism-level factors (intrinsic) factors that may have played a role in causing the Cambrian Radiation included all of the following EXCEPT the evolution of
- AHard parts
- BJaws
- CEyes
- DNew genetic mechanisms
92Sites of exceptional fossil preservation are called fossil ______________
- AFaunas
- BLagerstatten
- CBeds
- DEcosystems
93Disparity is a measure of how ___________ animals or plants are.
- ANumerous
- BSimilar
- CLarge
- DDifferent
94Ecological (extrinsic) factors that may have played a role in causing the Cambrian Radiation include environmental changes and the evolution of
- APredators
- BTiering
- CTerrestrialization
- DReefs
95Which extinction was the biggest?
- AEnd-Ordovician
- BEnd-Devonian
- CEnd-Permian
- DEnd-Cretaceous
96A crown group is a monophyletic group that includes all the ____________ members of a given group
- ALiving
- BExtinct
- CMajor
- DAncestral
97Which of the following is NOT an orogeny that was responsible for building the Appalachian Mountains?
- ATaconic
- BAppalachian
- CAlleghanian
- DAcadian
98Which of the following was the biggest radiation of animal life, as indicated by paleodiversity studies?
- ADevonian
- BOrdovician
- CSilurian
- DCambrian
99Insect wings are thought to have evolved from either paranota or ____________
- ADermal scales
- BSwim bladders
- CGills on the legs
- DThe tail
100Flight adaptations in insects may have originally been useful for either gliding or ____________
- ACatching prey
- BSkimming on the water's surface
- CCourtship displays
- DSwimming under the water
101True or false: Tetrapod lungs evolved from swim bladders
- ATrue
- BFalse
102In the ocean, the arthropod exoskeleton was useful for protection, but on land, it was also useful for __________ and the prevention of desiccation (drying out).
- ASupport
- BProtection
- CCatching prey
- DReproduction
103Trilobites characterize which evolutionary fauna?
- ACambrian
- BPaleozoic
- COrdovician
- DModern
104The ____________ fossil laggerstatten is unique because it represents a terrestrial hot-spring environment that preserved animals and plants during the evolution of terrestrialization
- ABurgess Shale
- BHunsruck Slate
- COrsten
- DRhynie Chert
105True or false: Early tetrapods needed a robust backbone and strong ribs to protect them from predators so they could survive on land.
- ATrue
- BFalse
106Which extinction event is associated with a coal gap?
- AEnd-Devonian
- BEnd-Ordovician
- CEnd-Paleozoic
- DEnd-Permian
107Which Paleozoic extinction event paradoxically had a decline in the extinction rate (but a complete crash in the origination of new species)
- AEnd-Ordovician
- BEnd-Permian
- CEnd-Devonian
- DEnd-Cretaceous
108The end-Ordovician extinction caused by _____________, which resulted in a dramatic sea-level drop and loss of continental shelf habitat.
- AAsteroid impact
- BFlood basalt eruption
- CGlaciation
- DGlobal warming
109Which of the following was NOT one of the solutions that different arthropod groups developed in order to breathe air on land?
- ATrachae
- BStomata
- CSpiracles
- DBook-lungs
110Placoderm fish had jaws like other gnathostomes, but they lacked what other feature that common ancestor of all living gnathostomes (like sharks, buffalo, and us) had?
- AEyes
- BTeeth
- CPharynx
- DLobe-fins
111Which of the following geological events likely played a key/triggering role in the end-Permian extinction?
- AFormation of Gondwana
- BDecrease in atmospheric CO2
- CExtra-terrestrial impact
- DFlood basalt eruption
112Which evolutionary fauna suffered the most during the end-Permian extinction?
- AModern
- BPaleozoic
- COrdovician
- DCambrian
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- Quiz on Geology Final Exam, created by Matthew Ward on 11/12/2016.
- Author
- Matthew Ward
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