Question 1

If the conditions required for substantial amounts of oxygen to build up in a planetary atmosphere are quite rare, then life on other worlds

Accepted Answer

A)  will probably not be present 
B)  will progress much more rapidly because there would be less oxidation 
C)  will progress at a similar rate as that on the Earth, except that it will remain anaerobic 
D)  may still be common but may never be able to evolve past microscopic forms 
A)  will probably not be present 
B)  will progress much more rapidly because there would be less oxidation 
C)  will progress at a similar rate as that on the Earth, except that it will remain anaerobic 
D)  may still be common but may never be able to evolve past microscopic forms D

Question 2

Why is the chemical evolution model preferred by scientists over other theories for the origin of life on Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  it is the theory that best fits the available data 
B)  because we have been able to create Life in the laboratory 
C)  because it was written down in ancient scriptures 
D)  because the other theories have been shown to be incorrect 
A)  it is the theory that best fits the available data 
B)  because we have been able to create Life in the laboratory 
C)  because it was written down in ancient scriptures 
D)  because the other theories have been shown to be incorrect A

Question 3

In the 19ᵗʰ century, Charles Darwin suggested that life may have originated

Accepted Answer

A)  in shallow ponds on land 
B)  deep beneath the oceans 
C)  beneath the surface of the Earth 
D)  in the atmosphere 
A)  in shallow ponds on land 
B)  deep beneath the oceans 
C)  beneath the surface of the Earth 
D)  in the atmosphere A

Question 4

The first eukarya appeared

Accepted Answer

A)  4.6 billion years ago 
B)  around 3.5 billion years ago 
C)  4.0 billion years ago 
D)  at least 2.1 billion years ago or perhaps even earlier 
A)  4.6 billion years ago 
B)  around 3.5 billion years ago 
C)  4.0 billion years ago 
D)  at least 2.1 billion years ago or perhaps even earlier

Question 5

What is the K-T boundary?

Accepted Answer

A)  a layer of dark sediment in the geological record formed at the same time humans learned to use fire 
B)  a boundary between rocks containing the oldest life and older rocks that contained no life 
C)  a boundary between the Earth's crust and the molten rock beneath it 
D)  a layer of dark sediment in the geological record separating the Cretaceous and Tertiary periods of Earth's history 
A)  a layer of dark sediment in the geological record formed at the same time humans learned to use fire 
B)  a boundary between rocks containing the oldest life and older rocks that contained no life 
C)  a boundary between the Earth's crust and the molten rock beneath it 
D)  a layer of dark sediment in the geological record separating the Cretaceous and Tertiary periods of Earth's history

Question 6

The first multicellular organism appears around

Accepted Answer

A)  542 million years ago 
B)  1.2 billion years ago 
C)  65 million years ago 
D)  3.5 billion years ago 
A)  542 million years ago 
B)  1.2 billion years ago 
C)  65 million years ago 
D)  3.5 billion years ago

Question 7

What is the most compelling piece of evidence that suggests that the dinosaurs were made extinct by the impact of an asteroid 65 million years ago?

Accepted Answer

A)  a layer of sediment laid down at that time which is littered with dinosaur fossils 
B)  dinosaur fossils are found in rock layers older than 65 million years but not younger than 65 million years 
C)  a layer of sediment laid down at that time which is rich in the element Iridium (Ir), an element common in asteroids but less common on the Earth 
D)  the crater from this impact can still be seen in the deserts of Arizona 
A)  a layer of sediment laid down at that time which is littered with dinosaur fossils 
B)  dinosaur fossils are found in rock layers older than 65 million years but not younger than 65 million years 
C)  a layer of sediment laid down at that time which is rich in the element Iridium (Ir), an element common in asteroids but less common on the Earth 
D)  the crater from this impact can still be seen in the deserts of Arizona

Question 8

The presence of which rocks show that between 2 and 3 billion years ago the atmosphere contained less than 1% of the amount of oxygen it contains today?

Accepted Answer

A)  limestone 
B)  banded iron formations 
C)  silicate clays 
D)  sandstone 
A)  limestone 
B)  banded iron formations 
C)  silicate clays 
D)  sandstone

Question 9

The fossil fuel deposits we use today are the remains of organisms from which period in Earth's history?

Accepted Answer

A)  The Cretaceous Period 
B)  The Carboniferous Period 
C)  The Cambrian Period 
D)  The Archaean Eon 
A)  The Cretaceous Period 
B)  The Carboniferous Period 
C)  The Cambrian Period 
D)  The Archaean Eon

Question 10

Dust and smoke blown up into the Earth's atmosphere from the massive impact of an asteroid 65 million years ago

Accepted Answer

A)  removed most of the oxygen in the Earth's atmosphere by oxidation 
B)  rapidly escaped into space, having very little effect on the Earth's climate 
C)  blocked sunlight, causing global temperatures to fall on the Earth and subsequently shutting down photosynthesis for up to a year 
D)  trapped heat in the Earth's atmosphere, causing global temperatures to rise 
A)  removed most of the oxygen in the Earth's atmosphere by oxidation 
B)  rapidly escaped into space, having very little effect on the Earth's climate 
C)  blocked sunlight, causing global temperatures to fall on the Earth and subsequently shutting down photosynthesis for up to a year 
D)  trapped heat in the Earth's atmosphere, causing global temperatures to rise

Question 11

One type of early protocell (pre-cells) probably consisted of small droplets of

Accepted Answer

A)  water 
B)  clay 
C)  concentrated amino acids 
D)  nucleic acids 
A)  water 
B)  clay 
C)  concentrated amino acids 
D)  nucleic acids

Question 12

Plants and animals belong to the phylum

Accepted Answer

A)  annelida 
B)  echinodemata 
C)  cnidaria 
D)  chordata 
A)  annelida 
B)  echinodemata 
C)  cnidaria 
D)  chordata

Question 13

In 1994, fragments of the Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 were observed to collide with the planet

Accepted Answer

A)  Mars 
B)  Saturn 
C)  Jupiter 
D)  Venus 
A)  Mars 
B)  Saturn 
C)  Jupiter 
D)  Venus

Question 14

How many mass extinctions have occurred over the last 500 million years?

Accepted Answer

A)  5 
B)  1 
C)  4 
D)  3 
A)  5 
B)  1 
C)  4 
D)  3

Question 15

The colonization of life onto land was closely tied to the

Accepted Answer

A)  appearance of multicellular organisms 
B)  development of photosynthesis 
C)  oceans being overcrowded 
D)  development of the ozone layer 
A)  appearance of multicellular organisms 
B)  development of photosynthesis 
C)  oceans being overcrowded 
D)  development of the ozone layer

Question 16

Which approach is currently proving to be the most promising way of determining how life on Earth originated?

Accepted Answer

A)  studies of Martian meteorites 
B)  studies of organisms living around deep-sea ocean vents 
C)  studies of the fossil record 
D)  laboratory simulations of conditions present on the early Earth 
A)  studies of Martian meteorites 
B)  studies of organisms living around deep-sea ocean vents 
C)  studies of the fossil record 
D)  laboratory simulations of conditions present on the early Earth

Question 17

All multicellular organisms are

Accepted Answer

A)  Bacteria 
B)  Prokaryotes 
C)  Archaea 
D)  Eukarya 
A)  Bacteria 
B)  Prokaryotes 
C)  Archaea 
D)  Eukarya

Question 18

As life on Earth evolved, its DNA

Accepted Answer

A)  changed gradually into RNA 
B)  stayed the same 
C)  became gradually less complex 
D)  became gradually more complex 
A)  changed gradually into RNA 
B)  stayed the same 
C)  became gradually less complex 
D)  became gradually more complex

Question 19

A large piece of debris that only partially burns up in the atmosphere, leaving a fragment to hit the surface, is called a

Accepted Answer

A)  meteor 
B)  hail stone 
C)  meteorite 
D)  meteoroid 
A)  meteor 
B)  hail stone 
C)  meteorite 
D)  meteoroid

Question 20

The highest level of classification of plants and animals is a

Accepted Answer

A)  kingdom 
B)  phylum 
C)  class 
D)  order 
A)  kingdom 
B)  phylum 
C)  class 
D)  order

If the conditions required for substantial amounts of oxygen to build up in a planetary atmosphere are quite rare, then life on other worlds

Why is the chemical evolution model preferred by scientists over other theories for the origin of life on Earth?

In the 19ᵗʰ century, Charles Darwin suggested that life may have originated

The first eukarya appeared

What is the K-T boundary?

The first multicellular organism appears around

What is the most compelling piece of evidence that suggests that the dinosaurs were made extinct by the impact of an asteroid 65 million years ago?

The presence of which rocks show that between 2 and 3 billion years ago the atmosphere contained less than 1% of the amount of oxygen it contains today?

The fossil fuel deposits we use today are the remains of organisms from which period in Earth's history?

Dust and smoke blown up into the Earth's atmosphere from the massive impact of an asteroid 65 million years ago

One type of early protocell (pre-cells) probably consisted of small droplets of

Plants and animals belong to the phylum

In 1994, fragments of the Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 were observed to collide with the planet

How many mass extinctions have occurred over the last 500 million years?

The colonization of life onto land was closely tied to the

Which approach is currently proving to be the most promising way of determining how life on Earth originated?

All multicellular organisms are

As life on Earth evolved, its DNA

A large piece of debris that only partially burns up in the atmosphere, leaving a fragment to hit the surface, is called a

The highest level of classification of plants and animals is a

A Universe of Life

The Science of Life in the Universe

The Universal Context of Life

The Habitability of Earth

The Nature of Life on Earth

Searching for Life in Our Solar System

Mars

Life on Jovian Moons

The Nature and Evolution of Habitability

Extrasolar Planets: Their Nature and Potential Habitability

The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence

Interstellar Travel and the Fermi Paradox

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Exam 6: The Origin and Evolution of Life on Earth

If the conditions required for substantial amounts of oxygen to build up in a planetary atmosphere are quite rare, then life on other worlds

Why is the chemical evolution model preferred by scientists over other theories for the origin of life on Earth?

In the 19ᵗʰ century, Charles Darwin suggested that life may have originated

The first eukarya appeared

What is the K-T boundary?

The first multicellular organism appears around

What is the most compelling piece of evidence that suggests that the dinosaurs were made extinct by the impact of an asteroid 65 million years ago?

The presence of which rocks show that between 2 and 3 billion years ago the atmosphere contained less than 1% of the amount of oxygen it contains today?

The fossil fuel deposits we use today are the remains of organisms from which period in Earth's history?

Dust and smoke blown up into the Earth's atmosphere from the massive impact of an asteroid 65 million years ago

One type of early protocell (pre-cells) probably consisted of small droplets of

Plants and animals belong to the phylum

In 1994, fragments of the Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 were observed to collide with the planet

How many mass extinctions have occurred over the last 500 million years?

The colonization of life onto land was closely tied to the

Which approach is currently proving to be the most promising way of determining how life on Earth originated?

All multicellular organisms are

As life on Earth evolved, its DNA

A large piece of debris that only partially burns up in the atmosphere, leaving a fragment to hit the surface, is called a

The highest level of classification of plants and animals is a

A Universe of Life

The Science of Life in the Universe

The Universal Context of Life

The Habitability of Earth

The Nature of Life on Earth

Searching for Life in Our Solar System

Mars

Life on Jovian Moons

The Nature and Evolution of Habitability

Extrasolar Planets: Their Nature and Potential Habitability

The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence

Interstellar Travel and the Fermi Paradox

Filters