Geologic Time Jeopardy $100 $200 $300 $400 $500 $100$100$100 $200 $300 $400 $500 The Dating Game Mass Extinctions Time. Period. Fossils Wild Card FINAL ROUND

$100 Question This scientific principle states that a rock layer is always younger than all the parallel layers below it. BACK TO GAME ANSWER

$100 Answer Principle of Superposition BACK TO GAME

$200 Question This is the method of approximating the age of a rock layer in comparison to other layers. BACK TO GAME ANSWER

$200 Answer Relative Dating BACK TO GAME

$300 Question Which is classified as an unconformity? a) Rock layers tilted sideways over time due to tectonic activity b) Rock layers deposited horizontally c) A rock layer consisting of various sized particles d) A rock layer with fossils in it BACK TO GAME ANSWER

$300 Answer a) rock layers tiled sideways due to tectonic activity BACK TO GAME

$400 Question Which layer is the next oldest after Layer 1 BACK TO GAME ANSWER

$400 Answer Layer 6 is the next oldest after Layer 1 BACK TO GAME

$500 Question If a sample of rock originally contained 400 grams of a radioactive compound and the half-life of the compound is 100 million years, how much of the compound would be left after the rock aged for 200 million years? BACK TO GAME ANSWER

$500 Answer 200 million years = 2 half-lives 0 half-lives = 400 grams 1 half-life = 200 grams 2 half-lives = 100 grams BACK TO GAME

$100 Question What makes a mass extinction different than “regular” extinctions? BACK TO GAME ANSWER

$100 Answer Mass extinctions result in large numbers of organisms becoming extinct in a relatively short time span BACK TO GAME

$200 Question Name two phenomena that scientists believe can cause a mass extinction. BACK TO GAME ANSWER

$200 Answer 1. Climate Change 2. Sea level fluctuations 3. Astronomical events (meteor impact, cosmic radiation, etc) 4. Extreme volcanic activity BACK TO GAME

$300 Question The most famous mass extinction was that which wiped out the majority of the dinosaurs at the end of which time period? BACK TO GAME ANSWER

$300 Answer End of the Cretaceous Period (approx. 65 million years ago) BACK TO GAME

$400 Question BACK TO GAME ANSWER A mass extinction at the end of the Precambrian Eon, would have affected which types of creatures? a) Dinosaurs b) Marine Invertebrates c) Mammals d) Large Fish and Sharks

$400 Answer b) marine invertebrates Aside from some land plants and almost all life lived in the ocean during the Precambrian time, however, fish did not evolve until late in the paleozoic (150 million years later) BACK TO GAME

$500 Question How many significant mass extinctions do scientists currently acknowledge in Earth’s history? BACK TO GAME ANSWER

$500 Answer 5 mass extinctions 1. Ordovician Period 2. Devonian Period 3. Permian Period 4. Triassic 5. Cretaceous BACK TO GAME

$100 Question BACK TO GAME ANSWER This is the only Era in which the dinosaurs lived. (unless you count birds as dinos!)

$100 Answer Mesozoic Era BACK TO GAME

$200 Question A rapid evolution and diversification, particularly of animals, occurred during this time period within the Paleozoic Era. Hint: the 1 st period in the Era! BACK TO GAME ANSWER

$200 Answer Cambrian Period BACK TO GAME

$300 Question This is the most recent geologic era, the era that includes today’s time. BACK TO GAME ANSWER

$300 Answer Cenozoic Era BACK TO GAME

$400 Question This time period is sometimes called the “Age of Mammals” BACK TO GAME ANSWER

$400 Answer Cenozoic Era BACK TO GAME

$500 Question The prequel to Jurassic Park, “Paleozoic Park”, would probably include genetically engineered species such as…. a) Trilobites b) Mammoths c) Dinosaurs d) Small mammals BACK TO GAME ANSWER

$500 Answer a) Trilobites All other animal choices evolved after the Paleozoic Era BACK TO GAME

$100 Question An organism will fossilize best when…. a) Covered in sediment slowly b) Covered in sediment quickly c) Not covered in sediment d) Submerged in water BACK TO GAME ANSWER

$100 Answer b) Covered in sediment quickly BACK TO GAME

$200 Question This type of fossilization occurs when minerals penetrate the cells of dead organisms, turning them to rock, often preserving the whole organism. BACK TO GAME ANSWER

$200 Answer Petrification BACK TO GAME

$300 Question What type of fossilization is has preserved this primitive insect? BACK TO GAME ANSWER

Organelles: $300 Answer Fossilization in Amber (fossilized tree sap) BACK TO GAME

$400 Question The best name for this type of fossil would be… a) Coporolite b) Gastolith c) Imprint d) Cast BACK TO GAME ANSWER

$400 Answer c) Imprint BACK TO GAME

$500 Question Fossils most useful to geologists, are those that only appear in distinct, often thin layers of rock. What are these fossils called? BACK TO GAME ANSWER

$500 Answer Index fossils BACK TO GAME

$100 Question The best estimate of the age of the earth is…. a) 4.5 million years b) 45 million years c) 4.5 billion years d) 4.5 trillion years BACK TO GAME ANSWER

$100 Answer 4.5 billion years BACK TO GAME

$200 Question Evidence suggests that life first appeared on Earth approximate how many years ago? BACK TO GAME ANSWER

$200 Answer 3.5 billion years ago BACK TO GAME

$300 Question Which occurred first? First plants or oxygenation of the atmosphere? BACK TO GAME ANSWER

$300 Answer First plants (OK first algae) The algae conducted photosynthesis to create the oxygen in the atmosphere. BACK TO GAME

$400 Question The last ice age ended approximately how many years ago? BACK TO GAME ANSWER

$400 Answer 10,000 years ago BACK TO GAME

$500 Question Which geologic time era is Mr. Johnstone’s favorite? BACK TO GAME ANSWER

$500 Answer Paleozoic Era BACK TO GAME

FINAL ROUND Question What do scientists believe is the cause for many of the “ice ages” that have occurred in Earth’s history? BACK TO GAME ANSWER

FINAL ROUND Answer Movement of continents that change how polar and equatorial ocean waters move around the globe BACK TO GAME