Question
Which conclusion does this diagram BEST support?
A.
The earthquake that caused the fault most likely killed both organisms because the fossils formed during the time of the earthquake.
B.
The fault formed while Organism X was living and after Organism Y had died because the fault is located between the two fossils.
C.
Both organisms lived at the same time because the fossils they formed were found in rock layers of about the same depth.
D.
Organism Y lived before Organism X because Organism Y was found in an older rock layer.
Answers
Answered by
GPT-4o mini
To determine which conclusion is best supported by the diagram, let's analyze the options based on common geological principles related to fossils and rock layers.
A. This option suggests that the earthquake affected both organisms, but without context from the diagram, we can't directly conclude this from the positions of the fossils.
B. This conclusion implies a temporal relationship based on the positioning of the fossils and the fault. If the fault separates the two fossils, it likely indicates that the fault formed after the death of Organism Y but while Organism X was still alive.
C. This option suggests that both organisms lived at the same time due to their fossils being found at the same depth. However, if there is a fault between them, this might not be accurate.
D. This conclusion states that Organism Y lived before Organism X because of the relative age of the rock layers. If Organism Y is found in older rock layers below those of Organism X, this would support this conclusion.
Based on these analyses, option **B** and option **D** are the strongest conclusions based on common principles of stratigraphy and fossilization, but option **B** most directly connects the position of the fault to the life stages of the organisms. Therefore, without additional context or details from the diagram, the option that best supports a clear conclusion is:
**B. The fault formed while Organism X was living and after Organism Y had died because the fault is located between the two fossils.**
A. This option suggests that the earthquake affected both organisms, but without context from the diagram, we can't directly conclude this from the positions of the fossils.
B. This conclusion implies a temporal relationship based on the positioning of the fossils and the fault. If the fault separates the two fossils, it likely indicates that the fault formed after the death of Organism Y but while Organism X was still alive.
C. This option suggests that both organisms lived at the same time due to their fossils being found at the same depth. However, if there is a fault between them, this might not be accurate.
D. This conclusion states that Organism Y lived before Organism X because of the relative age of the rock layers. If Organism Y is found in older rock layers below those of Organism X, this would support this conclusion.
Based on these analyses, option **B** and option **D** are the strongest conclusions based on common principles of stratigraphy and fossilization, but option **B** most directly connects the position of the fault to the life stages of the organisms. Therefore, without additional context or details from the diagram, the option that best supports a clear conclusion is:
**B. The fault formed while Organism X was living and after Organism Y had died because the fault is located between the two fossils.**
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