Behind a Shopping Center in New Jersey, Signs of a Mass Extinction

Behind a Lowe’s home improvement store here, scientists are methodically scraping and sifting through ___ quarry pit that may contain unique insights to the mass extinction that eliminated _____ dinosaurs.

Back then, about 66 million years ago, _____ oceans were higher, and this part of southern New Jersey was a shallow sea, 10 to 15 miles offshore from ____ ancient mountain range that rose from the water. Today’s quarry pit was once the sea bottom, and one particular layer about 40 feet beneath the surface contains a bounty of fossils.

Kenneth J. Lacovara, a professor of paleontology and geology at nearby Rowan University, calls the layer ___ “mass death assemblage.” He believes it may be ____ only known collection of animal remains that dates from the mass extinction itself.

Complete the text with the right articles. Then choose the correct alternative.