Name: __________________________ Bio 101 Section ______ SEMESTER

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DNR GEOLOGY/EVOLUTION HOMEWORK

Go to: http://www.dnr.sc.gov/geology/index.htm
Click on Education on the top blue and green bar.
Under the Earth Science Education Series list, select the Download pdf
for Geologic Time and Earths Biological History.
This will open a 32 page document.
Note: This activity is based on the SC Department of Natural Resources
(SCDNR) website.

What is the Geologic Time Scale? (Pg 4-5)

1. On what does the geologic time scale base divisions of the earths
history?

2. On what root words is the term geochronologic based?

DESCRIBE how these 4 divisions of the time scale differ:

3. Eons-

4. Eras

5. Periods

6. Epochs -

The following geological time units were named for what?

7. Devonian

8. Jurassic

9. Cretaceous -

10.To what does the Cambrian system refer?

Geologic Time Scale

11.What life evolved during the Pliocene epoch?

12.What terrestrial area was formed in SC in the Miocene epoch?

13.During what period did Pangea form?

 Name: __________________________ Bio 101 Section ______ SEMESTER
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14.During what period did the first seed plants appear?

15.During what period did the first animals with bones appear?

16.During what era did simple single-celled forms of life appear?

Principles behind Geologic Time

List and briefly explain the 3 principles that underlie the interpretation of
geologic time?

17.

18.

19.

20. What is the name for the study of layered rock?

21. Who are neptunists?

22. What does the principle of Biological Succession say?

What were 2 goals in Darwins work?

23.

24.

Relative Age Dating

25. What does relative age really mean?

 Name: __________________________ Bio 101 Section ______ SEMESTER
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What are the 3 types of unconformities and how do they help determine
the relative age of rock layers?

26.
27.
28.

29. How are index fossils used?

Absolute Age Dating

30.How is absolute age assigned?

31.What is a half-life?

32.What is radioactive decay?

33.What is radiocarbon dating?

34.How is uranium-lead decay different from other types of dating

methods and how is it used?

How Old is Old? (Pg 16- 18)

35.How old did religious scholars think the world was?

36.What did Sir Edmund Halley propose as a method to estimate the

age of the earth?

37.What age has been measured for meteorites and why does that
matter?

38.What is the oldest fossil that has been found and how old was it?

39.What concept did Paul Crutzen introduce in 2000?

 Name: __________________________ Bio 101 Section ______ SEMESTER
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The Earth Through Time

The following questions relate to the geologic time period indicated above
them.

PROTEROZOIC

40.When did single celled life appear?

41.Who began producing free oxygen?

CAMBRIAN

42.What enabled life to form in the warm seas?

43.Where did Gondwana form?

ORDOVICIAN Period

44.What began its construction during this time?

45.Why was there a great extinction?

SILURIAN Period

46.This age marks the appearance of what on land?

47.What were the first invertebrates found in this period?

DEVONIAN Period

48.What are the dominant animals?

49.Where was Canada at this point?

MISSISSIPPIAN Period

50.This period marks the first appearance of what?

PENNSYLVANIAN Period

51.What first appeared in this period?

PERMIAN

52.Why did 90% of earths species go extinct in this period?

TRIASSIC
 Name: __________________________ Bio 101 Section ______ SEMESTER
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53.What first appeared in this Period?

54.What happened to Pangea?

JURASSIC

55.What organisms flourished during this period?

56.What first appeared in this period?

CRETACEOUS

57.What animals first appeared in the Cretaceous?

58.What plants first appeared?

59.What group became extinct during the Cretaceous?

TERTIARY
60.What roamed free in SC during the Tertiary?

QUARTERNARY

61.What organisms developed during this period?

Adaptation and Survival of the Fittest

62.Briefly explain how the process of natural selection works.

Punctuated Events Through Geologic Time

Name 3 changes that can bring about a species extinction.

63.
64.
65.

66.What is thought to have caused the extinction of the dinosaurs?

67.Describe a few ways climate has changed over earths history.

 Name: __________________________ Bio 101 Section ______ SEMESTER
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68.When was volcanic activity common?

69.What causes volcanic activity?

Why Extinction?
70.What percent of all the species that have lived on earth has gone
extinct?

71.How does man now contribute to extinction?

The Study of Fossils

72.What is the name for scientists who study fossils?

Define the following terms

73.Mold fossil

74.Cast fossil

75.Trace fossil