Geol2001 Short Question Answers 1-50 (Sedimentology & Paleontology)

Front 1

Which of the 'big five' mass extinctions resulted in 2nd level ecological disruptions without significantly effecting reef ecosystems?

Back 1

Late Devonian, End Cretaceous

Front 2

On what scale do alpha, beta and gamma diversity differ?

Back 2

Spatial

Front 3

Which type of diversity is plotted in Sepkoski Curves?

Back 3

Family-Level Diversity

Front 4

Calculate Simpsons evenness index for the following fossil community

Back 4

Answer: 1 - ( (Total Number of specimens / Number of individual species) Squared)

Front 5

How many Bambachian megaguilds are represented by the 5 species listed in the table below?

Back 5

Two - Megaguild: group of guilds that have the same space utilization, food source and overall body plan.

Front 6

In which geological period appear the first representatives of the modern evolutionary fauna?

Back 6

Mesozoic

Front 7

How did the diversity of the Paleozoic Evolutionary Fauna develop during the Mesozoic?

Back 7

Mesozoic Marine Revolution (MMR)

Increased Diversification driven by evolution of durophagy (ability of predators to crush shells)

Front 8

Which quantitative method results in a plot shown below?

Back 8

Rarefaction Curve: Randomly re-sampling a pool of N samples multiple times and then plotting the average number of species found in each sample.

Front 9

What is described by the Signor-Lipps Effect?

Back 9

The first & last appearance of a fossil taxon is never truly known as the fossil record is never complete.

Front 10

Define the term convergent evolution

Back 10

The process whereby organisms not closely related independently evolve similar traits as a results of having to adopt similar ecological niches and having the same selection pressures.

Front 11

To what substrate were crinoids with lots of arms and a long flexible steam likely attached?

Back 11

Driftwood - Psudoplanktonic organisms are those that attach themselves to planktonic organisms or other floating objects.

Front 12

In the diagram below mark the type of surviorship curve that is typically for population of organisms with an R-Strategy

Back 12

Type 3

Front 13

Name two characteristics of K-stragists

Back 13

Small numbers of slowly developing young (late onset of maturity) Large body sizes, Long life expectancy, Low rates of population growth.

Front 14

Name two characteristics of r-strategists

Back 14

High fecundity (large numbers of offspring) small body size, short generation time, early maturity.

Front 15

The base of which geological period is defined by the first appearance of ichnospecies?

Back 15

Cambrian

Front 16

If burrow A cuts across burrow B, which was formed in a shallower tier?

Back 16

B

Front 17

What happens to burrow size as oxygen levels in the marine environment decrease?

Back 17

Burrow size decreases

Front 18

What is the name given to the study of fossil communities?

Back 18

Palaeosynecology

Front 19

What is the term used to describe the sedimentary rock fabrics caused by the activities of burrowing organisms?

Back 19

Bioturbation

Front 20

Give 2 examples of trace fossils that are underground miners

Back 20

Rhizocorallium

Treptichnus

Front 21

Which ichnofacies indicates quiet, deep, muddy environments and is dominated by pascichnia and agrichnia?

Back 21

Nereites

Front 22

Which ichnofacies indicates mobile, sandy substrates and is dominated by vertical domichnia?

Back 22

Skolithos

Front 23

What term is given to fossil taxa that temporary disappear from the rock record, e.g. in the aftermath of extinction events?

Back 23

Lazarus Taxa

Front 24

Which large igneous province is associated with the with the late Triassic mass extinction event.

Back 24

Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (CAMP)

Front 25

Name an important use of Micro fossils in geology

Back 25

Dating/Correlating rocks (Biostratigraphy) and Past environments (climate change)

Front 26

Give an example of a method used in the preparation of sediment samples for micro fossil analysis.

Back 26

Foraminifera - Washing (water, chemicals, sieving, picking); Heavy liquid concentration.

Front 27

Name a micro fossil group which has a calcareous shell.

Back 27

Foraminifera & Discoasters

Front 28

Name a micro fossil group which has a siliceous shell.

Back 28

Diatom & Radiolarians

Front 29

Name a micro fossil group which has organic-walled shells.

Back 29

Pollen & Spores

Front 30

The life cycle of foraminifera is characterized by an alternation between two generation, one that reproduces sexually and one a-sexually, Name them.

Back 30

Gamont (Sexually) & Agamont (asexually)

Front 31

In the classification of foraminifera, Loeblich & Tappan (1964) recognized 5 sub orders. Name the suborder of Foraminifera which has inperferate, porcelaneous and calcerious walls?

Back 31

Miliolina

Front 32

In the classification of foraminifera, Loeblich & Tappan (1964) recognized 5 sub orders. Name the suborder of Foraminifera which have perferate, hyaline & calcerious walls?

Back 32

Rotaliina

Front 33

In the classification of foraminifera, Loeblich & Tappan (1964) recognized 5 sub orders. Name the suborder of Foraminifera which use foreign particles to make their tests and cement them together with either organic or calcerious cements?

Back 33

Texturaliina

Front 34

In the morphology of foraminifera, what is the term used for the chamber arrangement where chambers are coiled in a helical spire?

Back 34

Trochospiral

Front 35

Name an abiotic environment factor that controls the distribution and abundance of benthic foraminifera.

Back 35

Temperature, Dissolved Oxygen

Front 36

Name an important biotic environment factor that controls the distribution and abundance of benthic foraminifera.

Back 36

Competition

Front 37

In the study of modern foraminifera, what is the name of the non-vital stain that is commonly used differentiate 'live' and 'dead' individuals?

Back 37

Rose Bengal

Front 38

The proportions of three wall structures of foraminifera are commonly plotted on ternary diagrams to differentiate particularly shallow-water environments. Name the 3 wall structures...

Back 38

Textulariina, Rotaliina & Miliolina

Front 39

Name a diversity index that is commonly used in the study of benthic foraminifera.

Back 39

Fisher alpha index (Fisher et al, 1943).

Front 40

Larger foraminifera are said to be adapted to nutrient deficient conditions, what term is used for nutrient deficient conditions?

Back 40

Oligotrophic

Front 41

Give the name of a genus of Larger Foraminifera

Back 41

Nummulites

Front 42

Name an area on Earth where the environment is described as Hyper Saline

Back 42

Arabian Gulf

Front 43

Name a genus of benthic foraminifera that is typical of lagoon environments

Back 43

Bulimina

Front 44

Name two key morphological features of planktic foraminifera

Back 44

Globular Chambers, Open apertures, Uniform distribution of pores over surface

Front 45

Name an important ecological factor that controls the distribution and abundance of planktic forminifera

Back 45

Temperature

Front 46

It is known that planktic forminifera occupy different depths in the water column. Typically, what are the morphological characteristics of species that occupy surface water?

Back 46

Thinner Walled, Smaller, Spinose &/or symbiant bearing

Front 47

It is known that planktic forminifera occupy different depths in the water column. Typically, what are the morphological characteristics of species that occupy deeper water?

Back 47

Non Spinose &/or keeled species, thicker walled, larger.

Front 48

The coiling direction of the planktic foraminifera Neogloboquadrina is commonly used for reconstructing past water temperatures. Name the species that coils anti-clockwise and dominates colder waters

Back 48

Pachyderma