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

Multiple choice

Directions: Four parts of the sentences given below have been underlined. Identify the part having an error. If no part has an error, mark (E).

Dinosaurs (A) are traditionally classified as cold-blooded reptiles, (B) but recent evidence based on their eating habits, posture, and skeletal structure (C) suggested some (D) may have been warm-blooded. (E) No error

  1. (A)

  2. (B)

  3. (C)

  4. (D)

  5. (E)
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The sentence starts with a present tense verb ('are classified'). The subsequent verb 'suggested' should also be in the present tense ('suggests') to maintain consistency.

Multiple choice

Directions: Four parts of the sentences given below have been underlined. Identify the part having an error. If no part has an error, mark (E).

During the Jurassic period plant life was (A) abundance, providing herbivores (B) in particular with a (C) plentiful supply of (D) food. (E) No error

  1. (A)

  2. (B)

  3. (C)

  4. (D)

  5. (E)
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The word 'abundance' is a noun, but an adjective is needed to describe 'plant life'. It should be 'abundant'.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is called as an era of reptiles?

  1. Coenozoic era

  2. Precambrian era

  3. Azoic era

  4. Mesozoic era

  5. -
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Mesozoic era lasted about 180 million years and is divided into the Triassic, the Jurassic and the Cretaceous periods. Jurassic period is called as the age of reptiles.

Multiple choice

Paleontologists hypothesize that modern birds evolved from the family of dinosaurs that included Tyrannosaurus rex. This hypothesis would be strongly supported if evidence that dinosaurs from this family had a body covering resembling feathers could be found, but so far no such evidence has been found.

Which of the following, if true, would most help the paleontologists explain why no evidence of feathered dinosaurs has yet been found?

  1. Fossilized dinosaurs have shown many birdlike characteristics, such as bone structure and wing-like arms.

  2. If birds are in fact the descendants of dinosaurs, then it can be argued that the dinosaurs never really died out.

  3. Flying dinosaurs such as the Pteranodon, which is not thought to have been related to modern birds, do not appear to have had feathers.

  4. Soft tissues such as skin and feathers do not fossilize like bones, and therefore are far less likely to have left permanent evidence in the fossil record.

  5. The thousands of dinosaur fossils excavated by paleontologists represent only a tiny fraction of the billions of dinosaurs that once lived.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

This is a "best resolves the paradox" method of reasoning type critical reasoning question. In these questions, you have to insert a piece of evidence that bridges the gap between two seemingly conflicting pieces of information. Here that information is the idea that modern birds are thought to have evolved from dinosaurs, and that fossil evidence of dinosaurs with feather-like body covering would be helpful in supporting this hypothesis yet none have been discovered.

Answer choice 1 is a trap and out of scope. We are simply focused on reconciling the fact that no evidence of feather-like body covering has been discovered. We are not addressing other bird-like characteristics.

Answer choice 2 does not help at all. Whether you want to claim dinosaurs have "died out" or not does not impact the fact that no relevant fossils have been located. This answer choice can get you thinking almost philosophically and really distract you from the issue at hand.
Answer choice 3 is another trap. This answer choice baits you into thinking about other bird characteristics such as flying, and is thus similar to answer choice 1.
Answer choice 4 nails it and is thus the correct answer. If feathers do not fossilize and are therefore unlikely to leave permanent fossil records, then that would perfectly explain how the hypothesis could be correct even though these fossils have not been found. Answer choice 5 is tempting, but ultimately not our most convincing choice. Even if only thousands of fossils have been excavated, it is entirely possible that every single type of dinosaur that existed has been found. There are around 7 billion humans on this planet, but you don't have to find 7 billion fossils when we die to figure out what characteristics we all share.

Multiple choice

Abiogenesis occurred how many years ago?

  1. 1.2 billion

  2. 1.5 billion

  3. 2.5 billion

  4. 3.5 billion

  5. -
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

As per the theory of abiogenesis, abiogenesis occurred 3.5 billion years ago. It is a scientific theory which states that life arose on Earth via spontaneous natural means due to conditions present at the time.

Multiple choice

Which of these fits gap 18?

Directions: Complete this passage by selecting the most suitable option for the corresponding gap.
The coelacanth is a primitive fish that once ______(17)______ to be long extinct.
They are called living fossils because they have several body structures and adaptations that are _____(18)_____ in fossil fish and in no other living specimen.
They date _____(19)_____ the Devonian Period of the Earth that is at least 350 million years old.

They ______(20)_____ the deep sea and are found in small numbers below a depth of 200 meters in the Indian Ocean.

  1. also seen

  2. to be seen

  3. presently seen

  4. only seen
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Towards the end of the sentence, it is suggested that it was found in no other living specimen, therefore, 'only seen' would be the correct option.

Multiple choice

Which of these fits gap 19?

Directions: Complete this passage by selecting the most suitable option for the corresponding gap.
The coelacanth is a primitive fish that once ______(17)______ to be long extinct.
They are called living fossils because they have several body structures and adaptations that are _____(18)_____ in fossil fish and in no other living specimen.
They date _____(19)_____ the Devonian Period of the Earth that is at least 350 million years old.

They ______(20)_____ the deep sea and are found in small numbers below a depth of 200 meters in the Indian Ocean.

  1. long back

  2. since then

  3. back to

  4. long ago
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

They are referring to a specific time in the past, therefore, 'back to' is the correct answer here.

Multiple choice

Which of these fits gap 20?

Directions: Complete this passage by selecting the most suitable option for the corresponding gap.
The coelacanth is a primitive fish that once ______(17)______ to be long extinct.
They are called living fossils because they have several body structures and adaptations that are _____(18)_____ in fossil fish and in no other living specimen.
They date _____(19)_____ the Devonian Period of the Earth that is at least 350 million years old.

They ______(20)_____ the deep sea and are found in small numbers below a depth of 200 meters in the Indian Ocean.

  1. prefer

  2. challenge

  3. litter

  4. survey
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

This is a fish that is available is small numbers below the depth of 200 metres. Naturally they have a preference for deep sea.

Multiple choice

Which of these fits gap 17?

Directions: Complete this passage by selecting the most suitable option for the corresponding gap.
The coelacanth is a primitive fish that once ______(17)______ to be long extinct.
They are called living fossils because they have several body structures and adaptations that are _____(18)_____ in fossil fish and in no other living specimen.
They date _____(19)_____ the Devonian Period of the Earth that is at least 350 million years old.

They ______(20)_____ the deep sea and are found in small numbers below a depth of 200 meters in the Indian Ocean.

  1. is true

  2. was thought

  3. was confirmed

  4. is predicted
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

It was believed that the fish was long extinct, therefore, (2) is the correct answer.

Multiple choice

Which of these is closest in meaning to the word 'hatched' in line 1?

Directions: Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

1. Dinosaurs hatched eggs and the young ones had legs and lungs.
2. The first dinosaurs to develop resembled their reptile ancestors.
3. They were slender and probably no bigger than a turkey.
4. And, like a turkey, they walked on their hind legs.
5. They lived in low, swampy places.
6. Then an enormous and very heavy asteroid hit the earth and blasted a thick layer of dust to block out sunlight for as long as five years.
7. The plants died and the dinosaurs were deprived of food.
8. Eventually they starved to death.

  1. generated

  2. incubated

  3. devised

  4. laid
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Hatching here stands for laying of eggs.

Multiple choice

Which of these is closest in meaning to the word 'eventually' as in line 8?

Directions: Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

1. Dinosaurs hatched eggs and the young ones had legs and lungs.
2. The first dinosaurs to develop resembled their reptile ancestors.
3. They were slender and probably no bigger than a turkey.
4. And, like a turkey, they walked on their hind legs.
5. They lived in low, swampy places.
6. Then an enormous and very heavy asteroid hit the earth and blasted a thick layer of dust to block out sunlight for as long as five years.
7. The plants died and the dinosaurs were deprived of food.
8. Eventually they starved to death.

  1. gradually

  2. sooner or later

  3. ultimately

  4. consequently
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The mention is not of any time period; so we can say it is 'ultimately'.

Multiple choice

Which of these is closest in meaning to the word 'ancestors' in line 2?

Directions: Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

1. Dinosaurs hatched eggs and the young ones had legs and lungs.
2. The first dinosaurs to develop resembled their reptile ancestors.
3. They were slender and probably no bigger than a turkey.
4. And, like a turkey, they walked on their hind legs.
5. They lived in low, swampy places.
6. Then an enormous and very heavy asteroid hit the earth and blasted a thick layer of dust to block out sunlight for as long as five years.
7. The plants died and the dinosaurs were deprived of food.
8. Eventually they starved to death.

  1. forefathers

  2. founders

  3. forerunners

  4. patriarchs
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The reference is to the forefathers of their species, not to 'forerunners' or those who came before them.