Junior Paleontology: Final Assessment

What do you call a Scientist that Studies Extinct Creatures?

A) Paleontologist

B) Geologist

C) UFOologist

D) Bone-Man

What Is Paleontology?

A) the Study of Prehistoric Plants & Animals

B) the Study of Rocks & Minerals

C) the Study of Ancient Cities & Cultures

D) All of the Above

Where can Fossils be Found?

A) Everywhere Except the Poles

B) Only in North America and Eurasia

C) On Every Continent (Including the Poles)

D) None of the Above

How are Fossils Formed? (Put the Answers in the Right Order)

Plant or Animal Dies

Gets Buried in Sediment

The Organic Material Gets Replaced With Stone

Over Millions of Years it Gets Buried Even More

65 Million Years Later Paleontologists Dig it Up

Othniel Charles Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope Fought Each Other in Something Called the...

A) Bone Wars

B) Fossil Fight

C) Science Smash

D) None of the Above

What Were the New Tools Paleontologists Started Using in the 20th Century

A) Radiometric Dating

B) Molecular Paleontology

C) Computed Tomography Scanning (CT Scan)

D) All of the Above

Stratigraphy is how you Tell the Age of a Rock Formation

True

False

The shores of Lyme Regis in England were Mary Anning's playground

True

False

Dimetrodon, a creature often depicted alongside dinosaurs in popular culture, is actually a dinosaur.

True

False

Which of the following dinosaurs is a herbivore?

A) Velociraptor

B) T. rex

C) Triceratops

D) Spinosaurus

Dinosaurs existed in the Mesozoic Era, which was composed of three periods: the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous.

True

False

Which of the following creatures was NOT a dinosaur but lived during the Mesozoic Era?

A) Brachiosaurus

B) Stegosaurus

C) Pteranodon

D) Allosaurus

Dinosaurs are primarily classified based on which part of their anatomy?

A) Tail Length

B) Hip Structure

C) Number Of Claws

D) Tooth Shape

The Pteranodon, often depicted flying above dinosaurs, is itself a dinosaur.

True

False

The Mesozoic Era spanned over 200 million years, witnessing the dominance of dinosaurs on Earth.

True

False

Which of the following creatures was a marine reptile, not a dinosaur?

A) Apatosaurus

B) Liopleurodon

C) Velociraptor

D) T. rex

All reptiles from the Mesozoic era are considered dinosaurs.

True

False

Which dinosaur had a beak and is believed to be omnivorous, consuming both plants and small animals?

A) T. rex

B) Stegosaurus

C) Oviraptor

D) Brachiosaurus

Dinosaurs are believed to have only lived on land, not in the oceans or the skies.

True

False

Ornithischia refers to the 'bird-hipped' dinosaurs, even though modern birds are more closely related to the 'lizard-hipped' Saurischia group.

True

False

Some herbivorous dinosaurs had stones in their stomachs to help them digest. What is this feature called?

A) Gastropods

B) Gastroliths

C) Geoliths

D) Gastronites

Dinosaurs lived during a period where the continents were mostly separated, much like today.

True

False

Which layer of the Earth is a solid ball of metal?

A) Mantle

B) Crust

C) Outer Core

D) Inner Core

The Earth's magnetic field protects us from solar winds from the Sun.

True

False

What significant change occurred in the atmosphere during the Precambrian Era?

A) Increase in carbon dioxide

B) First production of oxygen by plants

C) Decrease in nitrogen

D) First appearance of ozone layer

Which type of dating determines the sequence of events in Earth's history without necessarily determining their precise age?

A) Radiometric Dating

B) Carbon Dating

C) Relative Dating

D) Half-life Dating

According to the 'Principle of Superposition,' in a sequence of undisturbed layers, the youngest layer is at the bottom and the oldest is at the top.

True

False

What term describes the time it takes for half of the original amount of an element to decay?

A) Principle of Superposition

B) Unconformities

C) Half-life

D) Carbon Decay

What is the primary role of the dinosaur's scapula? (shoulder blade)

A) Forming the shoulder socket with the humerus

B) Offering a vast surface area for muscle attachments

C) Providing a foundation for the front limbs

D) Connecting to the dinosaur’s tail

The radius bone in a dinosaur's arm is typically more robust than the ulna and is located on the thumb side.

True

False

The _______ is the part of the dinosaur's pelvic girdle that projects forward in saurischian dinosaurs and backward in ornithischian dinosaurs, playing a role in classification.

Pubis

Ischium

Illium

Hip

In many fast-running dinosaurs, which bone often exceeds the length of the femur, indicating potential adaptations for speed?

A) Fibula

B) Tibia

C) Metatarsal

D) Phalange

Fast-growing species of dinosaurs usually have bones with denser textures, indicating slow deposition of bone tissue.

True

False

Which period marked the time when giants like the Brachiosaurus roamed the Earth?

A) Late Triassic Period

B) Jurassic Period

C) Early Cretaceous

D) Late Cretaceous

What does Bodhi describe the excavation site as?

A) A treasure chest

B) A prehistoric canvas

C) An art gallery

D) A time machine

What does Bodhi suggest the "environment" dictates during fossil extraction?

A) The age of the fossil

B) The type of fossil

C) The tools and methods used

D) The display of the fossil

What is the goal of matrix removal?

A) To color the fossil

B) To strengthen the fossil

C) To expose the fossil without causing damage

D) To create a mold of the fossil

Bodhi mentions that consolidation ensures fossils continue to endure for future research.

True

False

Why do researchers make molds and casts of fossils?

A) To make jewelry

B) To create replicas for various purposes

C) To fix broken fossils

D) To age the fossils

Restoration is compared to:

A) Painting a picture

B) Piecing together a jigsaw puzzle

C) Writing a book

D) Making a movie

What is the purpose of the mounts created for fossils?

A) To add beauty

B) To depict the natural stance of the creature

C) To increase the fossil's value

D) To change the fossil's orientation

What's the main idea behind the artistic reconstructions discussed in the lesson?

A) To create merchandise

B) To bring fossils to life for better understanding

C) To make fossils more colorful

D) To make fossils larger

Which of the following modern technologies was NOT mentioned in the lesson?

A) VR simulation

B) 3D printing

C) Digital modeling

D) CT scanning

the lesson talks about displaying fossils. What does the presenter emphasize about these displays?

A) They should be flashy and eye-catching

B) They should focus only on the fossil itself, not the background

C) They should reflect the creature's natural habitat

D) They should be as large as possible