Excavations at a fossil site uncovered a layer of ancient flood debris - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 18 - 2007 - Paper 1
Question 18
Excavations at a fossil site uncovered a layer of ancient flood debris. The layer consisted of stones and sand, mixed with fossilised plant and animal remains. The d... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Excavations at a fossil site uncovered a layer of ancient flood debris - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 18 - 2007 - Paper 1
Step 1
A. the fossils are less than 10 million years old.
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Answer
This statement is not necessarily true. The fossils were found in a layer dated at approximately 10 million years, which means they could be older or exactly that age but cannot be younger.
Step 2
B. the rocks of the valley walls are younger than the fossils.
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Answer
This statement is incorrect. Since the fossils are from a layer dated at 10 million years and the rocks are formed prior to the deposition, they cannot be younger.
Step 3
C. the plants and animals lived in the same habitat.
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Answer
This statement may be true, as the plant and animal remains are mixed within the same layer of flood debris, suggesting they coexisted in the same environment.
Step 4
D. the stones mixed with the fossils cannot be younger than the fossils.
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Answer
This statement is true because if the fossils were deposited in a sediment layer dated to 10 million years, the stones mixed with them must also be at least that old.
