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3.2 Fossils & Geological Time Scale — Test 2
Q1. The correct hierarchy of geological time units, from largest to smallest, is:✓ Eon > Era > Period > Epoch
Q2. In the geological time scale, the era known as the 'Age of Reptiles' is the:✓ Mesozoic
Q3. The Cenozoic era is characterised by the:✓ Disappearance of dinosaurs and adaptive radiation of mammals
Q4. Reptile fossils about 200-250 million years old, found in both Brazil and Ghana (West Africa), indicate both regions were once part of a single landmass named:✓ Gondwana
Q5. According to the current consensus, the main cause of the extinction of the dinosaurs was:✓ A meteorite (asteroid) impact
Q6. The dinosaurs became extinct approximately:✓ 65 million years ago
Q7. The greatest diversification of animal life ('explosion' of marine invertebrate phyla) occurred during the:✓ Cambrian
Q8. The geological period known as the 'Age of Fishes' is the:✓ Devonian
Q9. The largest mass extinction in Earth's history, in which over 95% of marine species disappeared, occurred at the end of the:✓ Permian
Q10. The first mammals appeared during which geological period?✓ Triassic
Q11. The origin and major diversification of angiosperms (flowering plants) occurred during the:✓ Cretaceous
Q12. Darwin's phrase 'abominable mystery' referred to the origin and rapid diversification of:✓ Angiosperms
Q13. The correct order of geological periods from the Palaeozoic into the Mesozoic is:✓ Cambrian → Ordovician → Silurian → Devonian → Carboniferous → Permian → Triassic → Jurassic → Cretaceous
Q14. The first multicellular eukaryotic organisms appeared approximately:✓ 1 billion years ago
Q15. Which plant group is associated with the Silurian period (early land plants)?✓ Psilophytes (early vascular land plants)
Q16. During which period did the maximum diversity of reptiles occur?✓ Cretaceous
Q17. The Jurassic period spans approximately which interval (million years ago)?✓ 200-140
Q18. Fossils are most commonly found in which type of rock?✓ Sedimentary rocks
Q19. The age of very old fossils (older than about 1 million years) is usually determined by:✓ Radioactive dating of the surrounding rock
Q20. Match each geological interval with its defining event and select the correct option.✓ A-iv, B-i, C-iii, D-ii