Review a map of the Rift Valley. Visit the website of the National Museum of Kenya, and then read an article about a recent find in the Rift Valley. Finally, take a quiz about the Rift Valley.
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| 1 | |
The northern terminus of the Rift Valley is in |
| | A) | Kenya |
| | B) | Saudi Arabia |
| | C) | Jordan |
| | D) | Turkey |
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| 2 | |
How did the Great Rift Valley form? |
| | A) | About 20 million years ago, tectonic plates separated, causing a deep split in the earth and a lava bulge. |
| | B) | About 20 million years ago, volcanic eruptions killed most large animals in the region, leaving ecological niches open for new primate species. |
| | C) | About 2 million years ago, global warming resulted in desert conditions, resulting in surface weathering. |
| | D) | About 200,000 years ago, weathering of once tall mountains exposed rock layers. |
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| 3 | |
The chimp teeth found in the Rift Valley suggest that |
| | A) | chimps have lived in the area for over 5 million years. |
| | B) | early humans have lived in the area for over 2 million years. |
| | C) | chimps and early humans shared the area about 500,000 years ago. |
| | D) | chimp and human lineages diverged in this area. |
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| 4 | |
After the Rift Valley appeared, areas to the east became |
| | A) | hotter |
| | B) | colder |
| | C) | wetter |
| | D) | drier |
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| 5 | |
All of the following are reasons that volcanic activity in the Rift Valley is important to paleontologists EXCEPT |
| | A) | volcanic sediments allow for accurate dating of specimens. |
| | B) | cooling caused by volcanic activity has preserved ice age fossils. |
| | C) | seismic activity has exposed rock layers of many different periods. |
| | D) | volcanic ash deposits preserves footprints and other signs of ancient life. |
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