Textbook: Chapter 1 - Evolving Earth 4

Question 1

Fill-in-the-Blank

The Holocene Epoch began approximately ________________ years ago and is marked by warmer global temperatures.

Answer 1

11,600

Question 2

Fill-in-the-Blank

The Isthmus of ________________ closed about 4 million years ago, altering ocean currents and climate.

Answer 2

Panama

Question 3

Fill-in-the-Blank

The ________________ is a current that circulates around Antarctica, contributing to the global cooling phase.

Answer 3

Antarctic Circumpolar Current

Question 4

Match the time period with its key event:

KEY EVENT:
a. Big Bang
b. Precambrian
c. Cambrian Explosion
d. Pangaea
e. Holocene Epoch

TIME PERIOD:

1. Formation of Earth (4.6 billion years ago)
2. Beginning of human civilization (about 11,600 years ago)
3. First appearance of multicellular organisms (about 570-530 million years ago)
4. The origin of the universe (about 13 billion years ago)
5. The supercontinent that existed about 280 million years ago

Answer 4

a - 4
Big Bang - The origin of the universe (about 13 billion years ago)

b - 1
Precambrian - Formation of Earth (4.6 billion years ago)

c - 3
Cambrian Explosion - First appearance of multicellular organisms

d - 5
Pangaea - The supercontinent that existed about 280 million years ago

e - 2
Holocene Epoch - Beginning of human civilization (about 11,600 years ago)

Question 5

The Isthmus of Panama formed approximately 4 million years ago and affected global climate by:

A. Allowing warm equatorial waters to circulate freely around the globe.

B. Closing the connection between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, altering ocean currents.

C. Causing ice caps to form on the South Pole.

D. Increasing volcanic activity on the ocean floor.

Answer 5

B

Question 6

The Cambrian Explosion is known for:

A. A burst in the formation of new landmasses and continents.

B. The beginning of agriculture and human civilization.

C. The rapid diversification of life forms on Earth.

D. The first movement of tectonic plates.

Answer 6

C

Question 7

What caused the Mediterranean Sea to transform into a dry basin before refilling?

A. Closure and reopening of the Straits of Gibraltar

B. Shifts in ocean currents

C. Formation of the Himalayan Plateau

D. Changes in the Earth’s magnetic field

Answer 7

A

Question 8

What role did cyanobacteria play in transforming Earth’s atmosphere?

Answer 8

Cyanobacteria release oxygen into the atmosphere through photosynthesis, which increases oxygen levels and allows more complex life forms to evolve.

Question 9

During which epoch did human civilization begin to develop?

Answer 9

Holocene Epoch