THE EVOLUTION OF IRELAND CHALLENGE # 1: ICE AGE

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Quiz Questions

1.
Which one of these exotic modern beasts may be partly descended from animals which lived in Ireland towards the end of the Ice Age?
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- A.
  Wolverine
- B.
  Eurasian Lynx
- C.
  Barbary macaque
- D.
  Polar bear
2.
During the Ice Age, a number of human species are known to have inhabited Britain, including 'Homo heidelbergensis', Neanderthals, and 'Homo sapiens'. We have solid evidence for how many human species from Ireland during the Ice Age?
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- A.
  One
- B.
  Four
- C.
  None
- D.
  Three
3.
The coldest Ireland has been during the last 100,000 years was during the Last Glacial Maximum which lasted from around 26,000 to 19,000 years ago. At the height of this bitter glaciation, Ireland's surface was completely covered in a great ice sheet. At the thickest section of this sheet, to what depth was the land buried under ice?
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- A.
  500 metres
- B.
  4 kilometres
- C.
  2.5 kilometres
- D.
  1.5 kilometres
4.
During the coldest periods of the Ice Age, as the ice sheets worldwide grew to their maximum extent, so much water was removed from the world's oceans that sea levels dropped significantly. Compared to today's sea levels, how much lower could they be?
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- A.
  10-50 metres lower
- B.
  100-150 metres lower
- C.
  350-400 metres lower
- D.
  1000-1200 metres lower
5.
Between around 45,000 and 24,000 years ago, Ireland was home to a variety of cold-adapted mammals such as woolly mammoth, reindeer, and arctic fox. Which of these exotic carnivores, now most associated with warm lands, was also present during this time in Ice Age Ireland?
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- A.
  African hunting dog
- B.
  Tiger
- C.
  Lion
- D.
  Spotted hyena
6.
As the ice sheets melted towards the end of the last ice age and the seas began to rise, Britain became an island before Ireland did.
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- A.
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  True
- B.
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  False
7.
The giant Irish deer, 'Megaloceros giganteus', was far larger than any deer in Ireland today, and had an incredible set of antlers which could span almost four metres in length. But what was the maximum height of its shoulders, and which Irish rugby player (past or present) was it taller than?
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- A.
  2.1 metre maximum height/taller than Devin Toner (2.08m, 6’10”)
- B.
  2.0 metre maximum height/taller than Paul O’Connell (1.98m, 6’6”)
- C.
  1.9 metre maximum height/taller than Johnny Sexton (1.88m, 6’2”)
- D.
  1.8 metre maximum height/taller than Keith Earls (1.78m/5’10”)
8.
The advance and retreat of ice sheets during the Ice Age was largely influenced by changes in the Earth's position in relation to the sun - for example, the shape of its orbit and the tilt of its axis - which occurred at regular intervals. What are these cycles known as?
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- A.
  Martinez Cycles
- B.
  MacCarthy Cycles
- C.
  Murakami Cycles
- D.
  Milankovitch Cycles
9.
The giant Irish deer is one of the most characteristic mammals of the late Ice Age in Ireland. Which of these deer in modern Ireland is its closest relative, according to the latest genetic studies?
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- A.
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  Fallow deer
- B.
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  Red deer
- C.
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  Sika deer
10.
The woolly mammoth, 'Mammuthus primigenius', was widespread across Eurasia during the Ice Age and it also lived in Ireland at this time, its bones having been found in Cork, Waterford, and a number of other locations. Which modern elephant is its closest living relative?
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- A.
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  African elephant
- B.
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  Asian elephant

Quiz Outcomes

1.
You Have Frozen to Death! Better Luck Next Time.
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Don't worry, this was a tough quiz, and more an invitation to discover more about Ireland's Ice Age than anything else.Click the Discover button below to find the answers to this quiz, a link to a series of fascinating blogs about Ice Age Ireland, as well as links to two further quizzes on the extinctions of Ice Age giants worldwide and the Irish, English, and scientific names of Ireland's living mammals.
2.
You Survived! But You Have a Case of the Sniffles.
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You did quite well, this is a tough quiz. With a little more knowledge on Ireland's Ice Age, you could become an IceMaster!Click the Discover button below to find the answers to this quiz, a link to a series of fascinating blogs about Ice Age Ireland, as well as links to two further quizzes on the extinctions of Ice Age giants worldwide and the Irish, English, and scientific names of Ireland's living mammals.
3.
You're an IceMaster! Too Cool for School.
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You did unbelievably well, this is a tough quiz. But did you get 7 or 10, or something in-between?Click the Discover button below to find the answers to this quiz, a link to a series of fascinating blogs about Ice Age Ireland, as well as links to two further quizzes on the extinction of Ice Age giants worldwide and the Irish, English, and scientific names of Ireland's living mammals.

THE EVOLUTION OF IRELAND CHALLENGE # 1: ICE AGE

Step into Ireland's Ice Age with this blistering quiz on woolly mammoths, giant Irish deer, ancient humans, and much, much more - Can you survive the cold?

Quiz Questions

Quiz Outcomes