ConcepTest: Best Index Fossil

ConcepTest questions by David McConnell , David Steer , Walter Borowski, Jeffrey Dick, Annabelle Foos, Jeffrey Knott, Alvin Konigsberg, Michelle Malone, Heidi McGrew, Kathie Owens, and Stephen Van Horn
This material was originally created for Starting Point:Introductory Geology
and is replicated here as part of the SERC Pedagogic Service.

Initial Publication Date: May 8, 2006

Question:

Four outcrops of rock are examined in different locations of a state. The rock types and the fossils they contain are illustrated in the adjacent diagram. Which fossil would be the best choice to use as an index fossil for these rocks?

Index Fossils

a. fossil 1
b. fossil 2
c. fossil 3

Student Responses:

No data yet. The correct response is b.

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References and Notes: