NDSU GEOL 106 EXAM 4 QUESTIONS
WITH CORRECT ANSWERS
What evidence from the fossil record suggests that birds and some dinosaurs exhibited
pair bonding behavior and nurtured their young? - Answer-Found a male raptor sitting
on eggs, vegetation was brought to the nest - beaks show signs of wear
Why might cynodonts (a mammal-like reptile) be the ancestor to subsequent mammals?
- Answer-Jaw bone structure, partly developed secondary palate, and partly
differentiated teeth
What features of the skull distinguish mammals from reptiles in the fossil record? -
Answer-Single bone on each side of jaw, specialized teeth, and ear bones
The Mesozoic mammals coexisted with dinosaurs, but were not dominant predators.
What body characteristics suggest that they were nocturnal? - Answer-Big eyes and
brains and a well- developed sense of smell
What are gymnosperms and when in time did they appear? What types were dominant
in the early Mesozoic? - Answer-Cone- bearing plants
Late paleozoic
Cycads were dominant and gingkoes common
How are angiosperms different from gymnosperms? What factors contributed to the
dominance of angiosperms during the late Mesozoic (Cretaceous Period)? - Answer-
Flowering plants
Fast growth and regeneration rate
Why is the K-Pg extinction represented so well in the rock record? - Answer-Chicxulub
Crater, Iridium layer, shocked quartz, and Tektites
How does the K-Pg extinction compare to the Permian extinction? How does it differ? -
Answer-Second Largest- 85% of organisms lost and lots were terrestrial organisms
Caused by a meteorite
What animals went extinct during this event? - Answer-Herbivores, marine reptiles,
flying reptiles, and dinosaurs
What is iridium, and what does it indicate about the cause of the extinction? - Answer-
Very rare element in earths crust
Extraterrestrial object
, What process led to the breakup of the continents that formed Pangea? - Answer-
Rifting
Which sedimentary environments existed in the western part of North America during
the early part of the Mesozoic Era, the Triassic Period? - Answer-Lakes, stream valleys,
dunes
What are the four orogenies that affected western North America during the Mesozoic
Era? - Answer-Sonoman, Nevadan, Sevier, Laramide
During what period of the Mesozoic Era did an epicontinental sea form across North
America from the Gulf of Mexico to the Arctic Ocean? - Answer-Cretaceous
What sedimentary rocks found in the Williston Basin were deposited in the
epicontinental sea and host fossils of marine animals? - Answer-Pierre and Niobrara
Formations
Why are the Nevadan, Sevier, and Laramide Orogenies referred to as the Cordilleran
Mobile belt? - Answer-They formed mountains that shifted eastern during the Mesozoic
Era
How are the Sevier and Laramide Orogenies distinguished in the geologic record? -
Answer-The severe involved folding and faulting of sedimentary rocks near the Earth
surface, but the Laramie involved folding and faulting of deeper crystalline rocks
The most notable rock type for Cretaceous marine sedimentary rocks are: - Answer-
Chalks
The Late Cretaceous seaway of North America were not deep enough to support large
vertebrates, like mosasaurs. - Answer-False
What contributed to the considerable petroleum deposits of the Pierre? - Answer-Lots of
accumulated dead algae
Both ammonites and Nautilus (the extant nautiloid) will have a nacre layer because both
are molluscs. - Answer-True
After it's initial formation, the Western Interior Seaway experienced it's most significant
decline in geographic extent in the: - Answer-latest Cretaceous
Early marine birds are known from the Sundance Seaway - Answer-True
Which of the following dinosaur groups is most similar in body form to birds? - Answer-
Theropods
WITH CORRECT ANSWERS
What evidence from the fossil record suggests that birds and some dinosaurs exhibited
pair bonding behavior and nurtured their young? - Answer-Found a male raptor sitting
on eggs, vegetation was brought to the nest - beaks show signs of wear
Why might cynodonts (a mammal-like reptile) be the ancestor to subsequent mammals?
- Answer-Jaw bone structure, partly developed secondary palate, and partly
differentiated teeth
What features of the skull distinguish mammals from reptiles in the fossil record? -
Answer-Single bone on each side of jaw, specialized teeth, and ear bones
The Mesozoic mammals coexisted with dinosaurs, but were not dominant predators.
What body characteristics suggest that they were nocturnal? - Answer-Big eyes and
brains and a well- developed sense of smell
What are gymnosperms and when in time did they appear? What types were dominant
in the early Mesozoic? - Answer-Cone- bearing plants
Late paleozoic
Cycads were dominant and gingkoes common
How are angiosperms different from gymnosperms? What factors contributed to the
dominance of angiosperms during the late Mesozoic (Cretaceous Period)? - Answer-
Flowering plants
Fast growth and regeneration rate
Why is the K-Pg extinction represented so well in the rock record? - Answer-Chicxulub
Crater, Iridium layer, shocked quartz, and Tektites
How does the K-Pg extinction compare to the Permian extinction? How does it differ? -
Answer-Second Largest- 85% of organisms lost and lots were terrestrial organisms
Caused by a meteorite
What animals went extinct during this event? - Answer-Herbivores, marine reptiles,
flying reptiles, and dinosaurs
What is iridium, and what does it indicate about the cause of the extinction? - Answer-
Very rare element in earths crust
Extraterrestrial object
, What process led to the breakup of the continents that formed Pangea? - Answer-
Rifting
Which sedimentary environments existed in the western part of North America during
the early part of the Mesozoic Era, the Triassic Period? - Answer-Lakes, stream valleys,
dunes
What are the four orogenies that affected western North America during the Mesozoic
Era? - Answer-Sonoman, Nevadan, Sevier, Laramide
During what period of the Mesozoic Era did an epicontinental sea form across North
America from the Gulf of Mexico to the Arctic Ocean? - Answer-Cretaceous
What sedimentary rocks found in the Williston Basin were deposited in the
epicontinental sea and host fossils of marine animals? - Answer-Pierre and Niobrara
Formations
Why are the Nevadan, Sevier, and Laramide Orogenies referred to as the Cordilleran
Mobile belt? - Answer-They formed mountains that shifted eastern during the Mesozoic
Era
How are the Sevier and Laramide Orogenies distinguished in the geologic record? -
Answer-The severe involved folding and faulting of sedimentary rocks near the Earth
surface, but the Laramie involved folding and faulting of deeper crystalline rocks
The most notable rock type for Cretaceous marine sedimentary rocks are: - Answer-
Chalks
The Late Cretaceous seaway of North America were not deep enough to support large
vertebrates, like mosasaurs. - Answer-False
What contributed to the considerable petroleum deposits of the Pierre? - Answer-Lots of
accumulated dead algae
Both ammonites and Nautilus (the extant nautiloid) will have a nacre layer because both
are molluscs. - Answer-True
After it's initial formation, the Western Interior Seaway experienced it's most significant
decline in geographic extent in the: - Answer-latest Cretaceous
Early marine birds are known from the Sundance Seaway - Answer-True
Which of the following dinosaur groups is most similar in body form to birds? - Answer-
Theropods
