Assignment Instructions:
A list of exam essay options was provided for you. You are free to prepare these essay questions in advance, and simply copy/paste your responses into the text entry boxes below.
Choose TWO essay questions, and respond to the questions in detail using evidence and conclusions that we learned in this class. You can reference readings, assignments, and mini-lectures that were provided for you. Any outside research is not necessary, but if done, you will need to clearly cite any outside references used.
- Plate tectonics is a unifying theory for geology, but out here in the mid-continent it doesn't seem like it has much effect. When was the last time Nebraska was a plate boundary? What is the evidence for this? Give a specific example of how, since that time, plate motion or plate tectonic processes have continued to affect Nebraska indirectly.
- Ancient seas have covered Nebraska more than once. Where in today's world would you find an environment similar to the one that produced the rocks dominantly exposed in the southeastern part of the state? This means, that you must choose a modern geographical location that would resemble a seaway in Nebraska that existed in our geologic past. How did the animals in the ancient sea of your choice differ from modern marine life in similar environments? Which groups are missing from later faunas? Which groups have gone extinct and which have persisted and flourished?