Stimulus

Question

Stimulus

A student finds a Gogi Sparillis fossil in Millard, Utah. The student wonders what kind of environment the Gogi organism experienced when it existed.

Figure 1 - Gogi Sparillis Fossil

This image shows a picture of a Gogi Sparillis fossil found in Millard, Utah.

Reading 1 - Utah Fossils

Fossils are the remains or traces of living organisms. These remains have been preserved by natural processes over time. Fossils range from spectacular skeletons to tiny sea shells.

Many fossils of ancient life have been found in Utah. There is a wide variety of information we can gather from studying the fossils that have been found here. These remains give us clues to how life might have been like millions of years ago.

One such fossil is of the Gogia spiralis. Gogia are an extinct species of marine organisms. They lived attached to the sea floor. The spiral arms, seen in the image, were used to collect food from the sea water as it moved past.

Figure 2 - Fossils by Geologic Time Scale

This image shows the three time periods and the index fossils found.

Your Task

In the questions that follow, you will make an argument from evidence about the relative age of the Gogi fossil and describe what the environment was like for it when it existed in Utah.

Question 1

Based on the information from Reading 1, what type of environment did the Gogi organisms live in?

(1 point)
Responses

Deser
Deser

Rainforest
Rainforest

Marine
Marine

Tundra (Arctic)
Tundra (Arctic)
Question 2
Question 2

Choose the paragraph the has the evidence to support your answer for Question 1.

(1 point)
Responses

Fossils are the remains or traces of living organisms. These remains have been preserved by natural processes over time. Fossils range from spectacular skeletons to tiny seashells.
Fossils are the remains or traces of living organisms. These remains have been preserved by natural processes over time. Fossils range from spectacular skeletons to tiny seashells.

Many fossils of ancient life have been found in Utah. There is a wide variety of information we can gather from studying the fossils that have been found here. These remains give us clues to how life might have been like millions of years ago.
Many fossils of ancient life have been found in Utah. There is a wide variety of information we can gather from studying the fossils that have been found here. These remains give us clues to how life might have been like millions of years ago.

One such fossil is of the Gogia spiralis. Gogia are an extinct species of marine (ocean) organisms. They lived attached to the sea floor. The spiral arms, seen in the image, were used to collect food from the sea water as it moved past.
One such fossil is of the Gogia spiralis . Gogia are an extinct species of marine (ocean) organisms. They lived attached to the sea floor. The spiral arms, seen in the image, were used to collect food from the sea water as it moved past.
Question 3
Question 3:

The Gogi fossil was found in the same rock layer as a Paradoxides fossil (highlighted in red), in Figure 2.  Based on the information in Figure 2, during which time period did this organism exist?

(1 point)
Responses

Permian
Permian

Quaternary
Quaternary

Cambrian
Cambrian

Devonian
Devonian
Question 4
Question 4:

Based on the information in Figure 2, approximately how old is the Gogi fossil?

(1 point)
Responses

100 million years old
100 million years old

35 million years old
35 million years old

60 million years
60 million years

less than 1 milllion years
less than 1 milllion years
Question 5
Question 5:

Which sentence below best explains how comparing the Gogi fossil to the Paradoxides fossil helps us determine the age of the Gogi fossil?

(1 point)
Responses

Rock forms layers with the oldest materials on the bottom and youngest on top.
Rock forms layers with the oldest materials on the bottom and youngest on top.

Both fossils are found in the same layer so they existed at the same time and would be the same age.
Both fossils are found in the same layer so they existed at the same time and would be the same age.

Rock forms layers with the oldest material on top and the youngest material on the bottom.
Rock forms layers with the oldest material on top and the youngest material on the bottom.

Each fossil is found in different layers so they did not exist at the same time and would be different ages.
Each fossil is found in different layers so they did not exist at the same time and would be different ages.
Question 6
Question 6:

Fill in the blank with the correct answer.

(1 point)
Utah was experiencing a 
 environment during the time period when the Gogi organisms existed.
Question 7
Question 7:

Now that you have made a claim about the environmental conditions of Utah during the time period when the Gogi existed, select evidence from the previous tasks, and information you have collected to support your claim.

Choose two statements below that support your claim:

(2 points)
Responses

Both fossils are found in the same layer rock.
Both fossils are found in the same layer rock.

Both of the fossils are of sea-dwelling creatures that needed water to survive.
Both of the fossils are of sea-dwelling creatures that needed water to survive.

Both of the fossils were found in Mesozoic era along with several dinosaurs.
Both of the fossils were found in Mesozoic era along with several dinosaurs.

Neither fossil was found in the Cenozoic era (recent life).

GPT-4o mini · Answer

Based on the provided information, here are the answers for each question:

Question 1:
What type of environment did the Gogi organisms live in?
Response: Marine

Question 2:
Choose the paragraph that has the evidence to support your answer for Question 1.
Response: One such fossil is of the Gogia spiralis. Gogia are an extinct species of marine (ocean) organisms. They lived attached to the sea floor. The spiral arms, seen in the image, were used to collect food from the sea water as it moved past.

Question 3:
Based on the information in Figure 2, during which time period did this organism exist?
Response: Cambrian

Question 4:
Based on the information in Figure 2, approximately how old is the Gogi fossil?
Response: 100 million years old

Question 5:
Which sentence below best explains how comparing the Gogi fossil to the Paradoxides fossil helps us determine the age of the Gogi fossil?
Response: Both fossils are found in the same layer so they existed at the same time and would be the same age.

Question 6:
Fill in the blank with the correct answer.
Response: Utah was experiencing a marine environment during the time period when the Gogi organisms existed.

Question 7:
Choose two statements below that support your claim:
Responses:

Both fossils are found in the same layer rock.
Both of the fossils are of sea-dwelling creatures that needed water to survive.

These answers rely on the context given in the readings and figures for an accurate interpretation of the fossilized evidence and the geological background.