FALL 1995
GLY126
Historical Geology Test #2
Note: Answers should be complete but concise. Sometimes sketches are helpful, so feel free to draw away. If you need more space than provided, use the back of each page and indicate the number of the question being continued. The Geologic Time Scale section at the end is worth 5 points.
1. What is the common name of the organisms in Kingdom Monera? What is
the common name of the photosynthetic organisms in Kingdom Protoctista?
(2 pts.)
2. Give the names of any 3 Phyla in Kingdom Animalia & the common names
of the animals in those Phyla. (6 pts.)
3. Give the common names of the 4 non-fish classes in Phylum Chordata. (4
pts.)
4. Briefly describe the reasons that clams have a more complete fossil record
than earthworms. (4 pts.)
5. What was Charles Darwin's contribution to the theory of organic evolution?
(3 pts.)
6. How does vertebrate embryology support organic evolution? (5 pts.)
7. What are "homologous structures"? Give an example. (4 pts.)
8. What are "vestigial organs"? Give an example. (4 pts.)
9. Comment on the following statement: "Human beings still retain the
genes to grow tails." (4 pts.)
10. What is an "adaptive radiation"? Give two examples. (5 pts.)
11. What are the differences between "phyletic gradualism" &
"punctuated equilibrium"? Use a sketch if you wish. (6 pts.)
12. What is "convergent evolution"? Give an example. (4 pts.)
13. What is a "mass extinction"? When did the most severe mass
extinction in the Phanerozoic Eon occur? What is a possible cause of this
mass extinction? (7 pts.)
14. Why can paleoclimatic data be used in support of the theory of continental
drift? Give two examples of sedimentary deposits that are climatically significant
and the climate zones that are indicated. (5 pts)
15. What was the role of paleomagnetics during the 1950's in reviving the
theory of continental drift? (5 pts.)
16. How was the paleomagnetic reversal time scale for the last 4 my (Bruhnes
Normal through Gilbert Reversed Epochs) developed during the early 1960's?
(4 pts.)
17. How was the paleomagnetic reversal time scale extended beyond the Gilbert
Epoch during the late 1960's? (5 pts.)
18. What are the differences between transform & transcurrent faults?
Use a sketch if you wish. (4 pts)
19. In the diagram below, list the 3 types of plate boundaries, and the
seafloor features & continental features, the depth of earthquakes,
& the volcanism & plutonism associated with each. (9 pts.)
| TYPE | Seafloor Features | Continental Features | Earthquake Depths | Volcanism/ Plutonism |
|---|---|---|---|---|
GEOLOGIC TIME SCALE
1. The Cenozoic Era began (older date) ___________ million years ago.
2. The Mesozoic Era began (older date) ___________ million years ago.
3. The Paleozoic Era began (older date) ___________ million years ago.
4. The Proterozoic Eon began (older date) ___________ million billion (circle
the appropriate one) years ago.
5. The Archean Eon began (older date) ___________ million billion (circle
the appropriate one) years ago.
Bonus: For a 5 point bonus make up a question about organic evolution or plate tectonics that was not asked above and answer it.