Earth Science
Assessment

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First Clue: The Origin of Life
Second Clue: Interpreting the Geologic Time Scale
Third Clue: Fundamental Principles
Fourth Clue: Relative Age
Final Clue: Absolute Age
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  1. The diagram below shows a cross section of New York State bedrock that has not been overturned. Line X represents an unconformity. The index fossil Eurypterus is found in the limestone layer. What trilobite indexfossil could be found in the shale layer? [2]

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Ancient human footprints found

 

PARIS In the darkness of an underground cave lined with prehistoric paintings, French scientists believe they have discovered the oldest footprints of humans in Europe. Embedded in damp clay, the imprints, slightly more than 8 inches long, appear to be those of a boy, 8 or 10 years old, who was walking barefoot between 25,000 and 30,000 years ago, prehistorians said Wednesday. They said the dates are only hypothetical because there is no precise way to determine when the markings were made. But Michel-Andre Garcia, one prehistorian who has studied the site, said that the carbon datings in the cave and the context make this a very strong hypothesis. The four footprints were found in the Ardeche region of southern France, deep inside the Chauvet cave.

Times Union, June 10, 1999

 

 2. Scientists have inferred that these oldest European human footprints were made during which geologic epoch? [4]

 

 3. Which characteristic of the radioactive isotope carbon-14 explains why carbon-14, rather than the

radioactive isotope uranium-238, was used by archeologists in dating the age of their findings? [6]

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Base your answers to questions 4 and 5 on the information and diagram below. The diagram represents a

cliff of exposed bedrock that was investigated by an Earth science class.

 After the students examined the cliff, they made three correct inferences about the geologic history of the bedrock.

Inference 1: The shale layer is older than the basaltic intrusion.

Inference 2: The shale layer is older than the sandstone layer.

Inference 3: An unconformity exists directly under the shale layer.

 

 4.  Explain how each inference is supported by evidence shown in the diagram. [6]

 

 5.  Students compared samples of the granite and basalt. State one observable characteristic other than crystal size that makes granite different from basalt. [2]