Biology · Geography
Fossils and Geological Eras
1,140 Questions
Fossils and geological eras provide a window into the history of the Earth. This topic covers prehistoric life, mass extinctions, and the geological time scale. It is an important part of the general science syllabus for many aptitude tests.
Geological time scaleTypes of fossilsPrehistoric lifeAncient climates
Fossils and Geological Eras Questions
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Fossils
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Animal decays
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Animal bones
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Animal waste
A
Correct answer
Explanation
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of organisms from a past geological age. The other options are too informal or inaccurate.
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K-T boundary
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K-C boundary
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A-T Boundary
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D-K boundary
A
Correct answer
Explanation
The K-T boundary (Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary) is a geological signature, usually a thin band of rock, that marks the end of the Cretaceous Period and the extinction of the dinosaurs.
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Devonian
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Silurian
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Ordovician
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Cambrian
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Precambrian
B
Correct answer
Explanation
Invasion of land by the first vascular plants occurred in this period.
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Silurian
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Devonian
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Cambrian
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Ordovician
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Precambrian
A
Correct answer
Explanation
The invasion of land by invertebrates like arthropods and marine arachnids.
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Tyrannosaurus
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Sphenodon
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Iguanodon
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Stegodon
B
Correct answer
Explanation
Sphenodon, commonly known as the Tuatara, is a unique reptile found in New Zealand. It is the only surviving member of the order Rhynchocephalia and is often called a living fossil.
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100 years
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200 years
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500 years
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700 years
B
Correct answer
Explanation
The Industrial Revolution, which triggered the modern explosion of science and technology, began roughly in the mid-18th century, placing the most significant developments within the last 200 to 250 years.
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Carbon dating
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Germanium dating
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Uranium dating
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All the above
C
Correct answer
Explanation
Radiometric dating, specifically using isotopes like uranium-lead, is the standard method for determining the age of the Earth.
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Potassium -Argon Dating
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Radio-Carbon Dating
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Stratigraphy
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Uranium Series Dating
A
Correct answer
Explanation
Potassium-Argon dating is specifically used for dating volcanic rocks by measuring the decay of radioactive potassium into argon. This makes it the standard method for dating fossils embedded in volcanic layers, unlike radiocarbon which is limited to organic materials.
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Ecocene
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Oligocene
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Miocene
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Pliocene
C
Correct answer
Explanation
Bipedalism in early hominids is widely accepted to have emerged during the Miocene epoch, specifically associated with genera like Ardipithecus and early Australopithecus.
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Paleozoic
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Jurassic
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Cretaceous
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Cenozoic
D
Correct answer
Explanation
The Cenozoic is the current geological era, often called the Age of Mammals, which began approximately 66 million years ago.
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lycopodium
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psilotum
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horse tail
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funaria
B
Correct answer
Explanation
The whisk fern (Psilotum spp., family Psilotaceae) splays its leafless, whisk-like branches upward, and is a living fossil from the time before the dinosaurs. It can grow as an epiphyte in moist climates or as a terrestrial plant in drier areas.
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palynofossils
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moulds
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casts
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imprints
A
Correct answer
Explanation
Fossils of pollen and microscopic spores are palynofossils.
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Pleistocene
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Pliocene
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Eocene
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Palaeocene
A
Correct answer
Explanation
In Pleistocene epoch the fossils of Sinanthropus pekinensis been discovered.
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fossil fuels
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fossils
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humus
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organic matter
B
Correct answer
Explanation
Fossils are the preserved remains, impressions, or traces of ancient plants and animals found within rock layers.
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Apteryx australis
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Columba livia
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Archaeopteryx lithographia
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Struthio camelus
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Anas
C
Correct answer
Explanation
Archaeopteryx lithographia or the lizard bird is an extinct primitive bird that lived on earth about 150 million years ago.