Exam 23: Paleobiology and Macroevolution

Continental drift caused the large supercontinent that existed during the Paleozoic era to separate into a northern continent, called ____, and a southern continent, called ____. ​

Plate tectonics causes oceanic ridges to form where ____. ​

Most dinosaurs were extinct by ____ years ago. ​

Which is a likely result of a mass extinction? ​

As environments change, poorly adapted organisms will not survive and reproduce; therefore, we can expect species to disappear at some low rate, called the ____.

Which group of animals are living representatives of the theropods, a lineage of bipedal predatory dinosaurs?

A single seed lands on one of a group of isolated islands. Several million years later, its descendants have evolved into a number of new species on the different islands, representing a variety of trees, shrubs, and vines. This is an example of ____. ​

Fossilized wood and bone fragments can be accurately aged using ____. ​

The analysis of large-scale changes in morphology and diversity over life's 3.8-billion-year history comprises the study of ____. ​

The most severe mass extinction occurred at the end of the Permian Period.

A trait that is adaptive in one context and later turns out to have adaptive value in a different context is called ____. ​

Which characteristic possessed by Archaeopteryx was least likely present in their dinosaurian ancestors? ​

The fourteen species of finches native to the Galápagos Islands ____, and therefore illustrate adaptive radiation.

An exaptation is described as a trait that evolves in anticipation of future evolutionary needs or benefits.

Fossils are predominantly found in ____. ​

Dinosaurs flourished during the ____ era. ​

The most severe mass extinction on Earth occurred at the end of the ____ period. ​