What hit the earth to cause the dinosaurs to go extinct?
An asteroid or meteor.
100
What types of structures fossilize easiest?
Solid structures like bone and shell
100
How old is the earth?
4.6 billion years
100
What was the most abundant type of animal found at the site?
Mastodons
100
Which fossil is older--one found at 25 feet below the surface or one found 8 feet below the surface?
The one at 25 feet.
200
How long ago did the dinosaurs go extinct?
65 million years ago
200
What is one example of a trace fossil?
Nests, burrows, footprints, trails, tracks
200
When did life first appear on Earth?
3.0-3.5 billion years ago
200
How many days did the scientists have to dig at the Snowmass sight in the spring of 2011?
50 days
200
What is the difference between mammoths and mastadons?
Mammoths are taller with longer legs and a shorter torso. Mastadons are shorter and more muscular with a longer torso.
300
What is the K-T boundary?
A distinct layer found in rocks around the world that marks the difference between the Cretaceous and Tertiary periods.
300
What usually covers dead organisms to form a fossil?
Sediment like dirt, mud, sand, or silt.
300
The Mesozoic Era was also called the age of ______________.
Reptiles
300
Describe the event that took place and most likely trapped the animal by the lake.
An earthquake probably caused the earth to liquify and then suddenly become solid again.
300
Why do bones and shells fossilize easier than soft body parts?
They decompose much slower, allowing time for minerals to seep into the spaces to eventually form rock.
400
What element found commonly in space but very rarely on Earth is found at the K-T boundary that is evidence that something from space landed on Earth?
Iridium
400
What else other than sediment can animals fossilize in?
Amber, ice, tar,and volcanic ash.
400
What era are we currently in?
Cenozoic era
400
How were the fossils at the Snowmass site first discovered?
A bulldozer operator uncovered them while working.
400
In the largest extinction event in Earth's history, what percentage of species went extinct?
96%
500
What is the name of the town where the crater was found in Mexico that provides an explanation for the dinosaur extinction?
Chixulub
500
Which of the following areas would a fossil most likely form: a desert, a shoreline with fast moving water, or a river delta (where a river empties in an ocean)and why?
River delta, because it has the most sediment.
500
What is the Law of Superposition?
The deepest rock layer (and the fossils in it) is the oldest, while the layer closest to the surface (and the fossils in it) is the youngest.
500
What the was a possible explanation for boulders being found with the mammoth bones when no other boulders were found in that layer?
Humans may have used the boulders to preserve the meat in the lake.