Question 1

What does the signature of carbon-13:carbon-12 in the fossil record indicate about the history of hominin behavior?

Accepted Answer

A)  Early hominins consumed only grasses. 
B)  Early hominins consumed only shrub-like plants. 
C)  There was a gradual shift in hominin diet from shrub-like plants to grasses. 
D)  There was a gradual shift in hominin diet from grasses to shrub-like plants. 
A)  Early hominins consumed only grasses. 
B)  Early hominins consumed only shrub-like plants. 
C)  There was a gradual shift in hominin diet from shrub-like plants to grasses. 
D)  There was a gradual shift in hominin diet from grasses to shrub-like plants. C

Question 2

Match the following species or taxonomic groups with the approximate time period in which they appear in the fossil record.
$$\begin{array} { | l | l | } 
\hline \text { Bacteria } & 3.5 \text { bya } \
\hline \text { Mammals } & 150 - 200 \text { mya } \
\hline \text { Tetrapods } & 370 \text { mya } \
\hline \text { Flowering plants } & 132 \text { mya } \
\hline \text { Sponges } & 650 \text { mya } \
\hline
\end{array}$$

Accepted Answer

Bacteria first appear in the fossil record approximately 3.5 billion years ago (bya). Mammals make their first appearance in the fossil record between 150 to 200 million years ago (mya). Tetrapods, which are four-limbed animals including those that live on land, first appear in the fossil record approximately 370 mya. Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms, first appear in the fossil record approximately 132 mya. Lastly, sponges, which are simple multicellular organisms, first appear in the fossil record approximately 650 mya.

Question 3

Which of the following is not a teleost?

Accepted Answer

A)  tuna 
B)  salmon 
C)  shark 
D)  goldfish 
A)  tuna 
B)  salmon 
C)  shark 
D)  goldfish C

Question 4

The earliest fossils of our own species date to

Accepted Answer

A)  approximately 500,000 years ago. 
B)  approximately, 2 million years ago. 
C)  approximately 6 million years ago. 
D)  approximately 300,000 years ago. 
A)  approximately 500,000 years ago. 
B)  approximately, 2 million years ago. 
C)  approximately 6 million years ago. 
D)  approximately 300,000 years ago.

Question 5

Lord Kelvin argued that based on the temperature of rocks, Earth could not be as old as some geologists thought. What turned out to be wrong with his reasoning?

Accepted Answer

A)  He claimed that the temperature of surface rocks should be used in calculations, but these calculations were shown to be unreliable. 
B)  He did not realize that the planet's interior was constantly changing. 
C)  The upper layers of Earth are cooler than Kelvin realized. 
D)  all of the above 
A)  He claimed that the temperature of surface rocks should be used in calculations, but these calculations were shown to be unreliable. 
B)  He did not realize that the planet's interior was constantly changing. 
C)  The upper layers of Earth are cooler than Kelvin realized. 
D)  all of the above

Question 6

Explain how isotopes and other biomarker molecules carry information about the history of life, giving two specific examples.

Accepted Answer

Isotopes and biomarker molecules carry i

Question 7

Which of the following statements about countershading is true?

Accepted Answer

A)  Countershading is widespread among living mammals, but there are no known instances of it in dinosaurs. 
B)  Countershading helps obscure the shadow cast by an animal, making it harder for predators to see it. 
C)  Only large predators use countershading to blend into their surroundings so that their prey cannot see them. 
D)  Countershading cannot be inferred from the fossil record because skin and scale tissue is never preserved. 
A)  Countershading is widespread among living mammals, but there are no known instances of it in dinosaurs. 
B)  Countershading helps obscure the shadow cast by an animal, making it harder for predators to see it. 
C)  Only large predators use countershading to blend into their surroundings so that their prey cannot see them. 
D)  Countershading cannot be inferred from the fossil record because skin and scale tissue is never preserved.

Question 8

Hominins include

Accepted Answer

A)  Homo sapiens only. 
B)  species within the genus Homo only. 
C)  Homo sapiens and other extinct species more closely related to humans than to chimpanzees. 
D)  humans, both extinct and extant, and the great apes. 
A)  Homo sapiens only. 
B)  species within the genus Homo only. 
C)  Homo sapiens and other extinct species more closely related to humans than to chimpanzees. 
D)  humans, both extinct and extant, and the great apes.

Question 9

The Burgess Shale is an example of a(n) ________ with a wealth of data from the ______ period.

Accepted Answer

A)  Lagerstätte; Cambrian 
B)  stromatolite; Cryogenian 
C)  Lagerstätte; Ediacaran 
D)  Ediacaran; Lagerstätte 
A)  Lagerstätte; Cambrian 
B)  stromatolite; Cryogenian 
C)  Lagerstätte; Ediacaran 
D)  Ediacaran; Lagerstätte

Question 10

The earliest land plants resemble

Accepted Answer

A)  large coniferous trees. 
B)  forbs and grasses. 
C)  tree ferns. 
D)  mosses and liverworts. 
A)  large coniferous trees. 
B)  forbs and grasses. 
C)  tree ferns. 
D)  mosses and liverworts.

Question 11

Which of the following is true about isotopes with high decay rate probabilities?

Accepted Answer

A)  They decay rapidly. 
B)  They are very radioactive. 
C)  They cannot be used in radiometric dating. 
D)  a and b 
E)  a, b, and c 
A)  They decay rapidly. 
B)  They are very radioactive. 
C)  They cannot be used in radiometric dating. 
D)  a and b 
E)  a, b, and c

Question 12

The oldest fossils may be

Accepted Answer

A)  fossilized bacterial mats called stromatolites. 
B)  microscopic bits of carbon know as zircons. 
C)  marine animals from the Burgess Shale. 
D)  petrified pollen grains from ancient plants. 
A)  fossilized bacterial mats called stromatolites. 
B)  microscopic bits of carbon know as zircons. 
C)  marine animals from the Burgess Shale. 
D)  petrified pollen grains from ancient plants.

Question 13

The human body is composed of approximately

Accepted Answer

A)  40 trillion cells. 
B)  30 trillion cells. 
C)  1 trillion cells. 
D)  300 billion cells. 
A)  40 trillion cells. 
B)  30 trillion cells. 
C)  1 trillion cells. 
D)  300 billion cells.

Question 14

Describe three reasons why any given organism would be unlikely to be discovered in fossilized form.

Accepted Answer

1) Rapid decomposition: Many organisms d

Question 15

The two lineages of prokaryotes, Archaea and Bacteria, probably diverged

Accepted Answer

A)  4.1 billion years ago. 
B)  3.5 billion years ago. 
C)  2.6 billion years ago 
D)  1.6 billion years ago. 
A)  4.1 billion years ago. 
B)  3.5 billion years ago. 
C)  2.6 billion years ago 
D)  1.6 billion years ago.

Question 16

Explain the statement "It's a microbial world … and we just happen to live in it" in the context of both early and modern Earth.

Accepted Answer

The statement "It's a microbial world …

Question 17

We are currently in the ____ epoch, which began _____ years ago.

Accepted Answer

A)  Quaternary; 2.58 million 
B)  Cenozoic; 66 million 
C)  Holocene; 11,700 
D)  Phanerozoic; 541 million 
A)  Quaternary; 2.58 million 
B)  Cenozoic; 66 million 
C)  Holocene; 11,700 
D)  Phanerozoic; 541 million

Question 18

Which of the following incorrectly matches the event with its age in the fossil record?

Accepted Answer

A)  emergence of land plants   475 million years ago 
B)  oldest treelike plant, Wattieza - 385 million years ago 
C)  oldest fungi fossils - 440 million years ago 
D)  oldest land animal - 440 million years ago 
A)  emergence of land plants   475 million years ago 
B)  oldest treelike plant, Wattieza - 385 million years ago 
C)  oldest fungi fossils - 440 million years ago 
D)  oldest land animal - 440 million years ago

Question 19

Explain how carbon isotopic signatures can be used to determine the diets of extinct organisms.

Accepted Answer

Carbon isotopic signatures can be used t

Question 20

Which of the following may have been a more limiting factor for early life to form?

Accepted Answer

A)  the toxic atmosphere 
B)  the amount of water available 
C)  the temperature 
D)  a and b 
E)  b and c 
A)  the toxic atmosphere 
B)  the amount of water available 
C)  the temperature 
D)  a and b 
E)  b and c

What does the signature of carbon-13:carbon-12 in the fossil record indicate about the history of hominin behavior?

Match the following species or taxonomic groups with the approximate time period in which they appear in the fossil record. Bacteria 3.5 bya Mammals 150-200 mya Tetrapods 370 mya Flowering plants 132 mya Sponges 650 mya

Which of the following is not a teleost?

The earliest fossils of our own species date to

Lord Kelvin argued that based on the temperature of rocks, Earth could not be as old as some geologists thought. What turned out to be wrong with his reasoning?

Explain how isotopes and other biomarker molecules carry information about the history of life, giving two specific examples.

Which of the following statements about countershading is true?

Hominins include

The Burgess Shale is an example of a(n) __ with a wealth of data from the period.

The earliest land plants resemble

Which of the following is true about isotopes with high decay rate probabilities?

The oldest fossils may be

The human body is composed of approximately

Describe three reasons why any given organism would be unlikely to be discovered in fossilized form.

The two lineages of prokaryotes, Archaea and Bacteria, probably diverged

Explain the statement "It's a microbial world … and we just happen to live in it" in the context of both early and modern Earth.

We are currently in the epoch, which began _ years ago.

Which of the following incorrectly matches the event with its age in the fossil record?

Explain how carbon isotopic signatures can be used to determine the diets of extinct organisms.

Which of the following may have been a more limiting factor for early life to form?

The Whale and the Virus: How Scientists Study Evolution

From Natural Philosophy to Darwin: a Brief History of Evolutionary Ideas

The Tree of Life: How Biologists Use Phylogeny to Reconstruct the Deep Past

Raw Material: Heritable Variation Among Individuals

The Ways of Change: Drift and Selection

Beyond Alleles: Quantitative Genetics and the Evolution of Phenotypes

The History in Our Genes

From Genes to Traits: the Evolution of Genetic Networks and Development

Natural Selection: Empirical Studies in the Wild

Sex: Causes and Consequences

After Conception: the Evolution of Life History and Parental Care

The Origin of Species

Macroevolution: the Long Run

Intimate Partnerships: How Species Adapt to Each Other

Brains and Behavior

Human Evolution: a New Kind of Ape

Evolutionary Medicine

Filters

Exam 3: What the Rocks Say: How Geology and Paleontology Reveal the History of Life

What does the signature of carbon-13:carbon-12 in the fossil record indicate about the history of hominin behavior?

Match the following species or taxonomic groups with the approximate time period in which they appear in the fossil record. Bacteria 3.5 bya Mammals 150-200 mya Tetrapods 370 mya Flowering plants 132 mya Sponges 650 mya

Which of the following is not a teleost?

The earliest fossils of our own species date to

Lord Kelvin argued that based on the temperature of rocks, Earth could not be as old as some geologists thought. What turned out to be wrong with his reasoning?

Explain how isotopes and other biomarker molecules carry information about the history of life, giving two specific examples.

Which of the following statements about countershading is true?

Hominins include

The Burgess Shale is an example of a(n) ________ with a wealth of data from the ______ period.

The earliest land plants resemble

Which of the following is true about isotopes with high decay rate probabilities?

The oldest fossils may be

The human body is composed of approximately

Describe three reasons why any given organism would be unlikely to be discovered in fossilized form.

The two lineages of prokaryotes, Archaea and Bacteria, probably diverged

Explain the statement "It's a microbial world … and we just happen to live in it" in the context of both early and modern Earth.

We are currently in the ____ epoch, which began _____ years ago.

Which of the following incorrectly matches the event with its age in the fossil record?

Explain how carbon isotopic signatures can be used to determine the diets of extinct organisms.

Which of the following may have been a more limiting factor for early life to form?

The Whale and the Virus: How Scientists Study Evolution

From Natural Philosophy to Darwin: a Brief History of Evolutionary Ideas

The Tree of Life: How Biologists Use Phylogeny to Reconstruct the Deep Past

Raw Material: Heritable Variation Among Individuals

The Ways of Change: Drift and Selection

Beyond Alleles: Quantitative Genetics and the Evolution of Phenotypes

The History in Our Genes

From Genes to Traits: the Evolution of Genetic Networks and Development

Natural Selection: Empirical Studies in the Wild

Sex: Causes and Consequences

After Conception: the Evolution of Life History and Parental Care

The Origin of Species

Macroevolution: the Long Run

Intimate Partnerships: How Species Adapt to Each Other

Brains and Behavior

Human Evolution: a New Kind of Ape

Evolutionary Medicine

Filters

The Burgess Shale is an example of a(n) __ with a wealth of data from the period.

We are currently in the epoch, which began _ years ago.