Question 1

Where on this tree is LUCA found?

Accepted Answer

A) A 
B) B 
C) C 
D) D 
E) E 
A) A 
B) B 
C) C 
D) D 
E) E

Question 2

The conditions in the Miller-Urey experiment produced amino acids but not peptides.Subsequent experiments have adjusted the conditions and have produced other amino acids and stable peptide bonds.What is the significance of stable peptide bonds?

Accepted Answer

Stable peptide bonds are essen

Question 3

The Miller-Urey experiment is significant because it produced evidence that

Accepted Answer

A) conditions on Earth 4 billion years ago could produce RNA. 
B) it is possible to produce LUCA in the laboratory. 
C) conditions on Earth 4 billion years ago could in principle produce amino acids. 
D) it is possible to produce DNA under the same conditions as on Earth 4 billion years ago. 
A) conditions on Earth 4 billion years ago could produce RNA. 
B) it is possible to produce LUCA in the laboratory. 
C) conditions on Earth 4 billion years ago could in principle produce amino acids. 
D) it is possible to produce DNA under the same conditions as on Earth 4 billion years ago.

Question 4

In early cell evolution,why would natural selection favor division into equal-sized daughter cells?

Accepted Answer

A) Splitting into two equal parts is the most energetically efficient method. 
B) Two daughter cells is the most efficient way to reproduce sexually. 
C) Splitting into two daughter cells is more efficient for horizontal gene transfer. 
D) Hypercycles can be maintained by splitting into two. 
A) Splitting into two equal parts is the most energetically efficient method. 
B) Two daughter cells is the most efficient way to reproduce sexually. 
C) Splitting into two daughter cells is more efficient for horizontal gene transfer. 
D) Hypercycles can be maintained by splitting into two.

Question 5

Fission is likely a method of reproduction in early cells because

Accepted Answer

A) the easiest way to divide genetic material is to split it in two. 
B) hypercycles that become unstable split apart. 
C) modular genomes transfer well between cells. 
D) the physical constraints of a sphere cause it to become unstable and break when it becomes too big. 
A) the easiest way to divide genetic material is to split it in two. 
B) hypercycles that become unstable split apart. 
C) modular genomes transfer well between cells. 
D) the physical constraints of a sphere cause it to become unstable and break when it becomes too big.

Question 6

Why does understanding the origin of life require the collaboration of biologists,chemists,geologists,and atmospheric scientists?

Accepted Answer

Biologists provide a definition of life

Question 7

Why might life be much older than LUCA?

Accepted Answer

LUCA was the last ancestor to leave desc

Question 8

When life first evolved the oceans were

Accepted Answer

A) hotter and there was more oxygen than today. 
B) hotter and there was less oxygen than today. 
C) cooler and there was more oxygen than today. 
D) cooler and there was less oxygen than today. 
A) hotter and there was more oxygen than today. 
B) hotter and there was less oxygen than today. 
C) cooler and there was more oxygen than today. 
D) cooler and there was less oxygen than today.

Question 9

Based on the figure below,showing horizontal gene transfer and the early evolution of life,which of the following statements is not true?

Accepted Answer

A) Bacteria have transferred genes to eukaryotes twice. 
B) Bacteria have transferred genes to archaea many times. 
C) Archaea have exchanged genes with eukaryotes. 
D) Bacteria have transferred genes among themselves. 
E) Eukaryotes have transferred genes among themselves. 
A) Bacteria have transferred genes to eukaryotes twice. 
B) Bacteria have transferred genes to archaea many times. 
C) Archaea have exchanged genes with eukaryotes. 
D) Bacteria have transferred genes among themselves. 
E) Eukaryotes have transferred genes among themselves.

Question 10

What does the abbreviation LUCA stand for and what is it?

Accepted Answer

LUCA stands for the Last Unive

Question 11

Which of the following was not a source of molecules in the prebiotic soup?

Accepted Answer

A) Meteorites 
B) Prebiotic soup reactions 
C) Comets 
D) DNA 
A) Meteorites 
B) Prebiotic soup reactions 
C) Comets 
D) DNA

Question 12

Which of the following is not a hypothesis for the origin of viruses?

Accepted Answer

A) Viruses are escaped selfish genetic elements. 
B) Viruses are the remnants of parasitic cellular organisms, selected for reduced size. 
C) Viruses are relics of the RNA world. 
D) Viruses are escaped genes from modern genetic engineering experiments. 
A) Viruses are escaped selfish genetic elements. 
B) Viruses are the remnants of parasitic cellular organisms, selected for reduced size. 
C) Viruses are relics of the RNA world. 
D) Viruses are escaped genes from modern genetic engineering experiments.

Question 13

Molecular mutualism is

Accepted Answer

A) an interaction of molecules that disrupts hypercycles. 
B) an interaction of two species to the benefit of both. 
C) replication of RNA by another enzyme. 
D) an interaction of molecules that increases the replication of each other. 
A) an interaction of molecules that disrupts hypercycles. 
B) an interaction of two species to the benefit of both. 
C) replication of RNA by another enzyme. 
D) an interaction of molecules that increases the replication of each other.

Question 14

What is the evolutionary relationship between mutation rates and DNA proofreading and repair?

Accepted Answer

Because DNA has proofreading a

Question 15

Give an example of a modern hypercycle.

Accepted Answer

A hypercycle is a concept in theoretical

Question 16

How has the role of horizontal gene transfer (HGT)in evolution changed over time?

Accepted Answer

A) Early life-forms were fixed entities, and the only way to adapt was through HGT. HGT no longer occurs. 
B) Early life-forms had modular genomes for which HGT played a large role in adaptation. This role has decreased over time. 
C) Early life-forms had modular genomes for which HGT played a large role in adaptation. This role has increased over time. 
D) HGT was irrelevant for early life-forms. HGT is a more recent phenomenon and is important for current adaptations. 
A) Early life-forms were fixed entities, and the only way to adapt was through HGT. HGT no longer occurs. 
B) Early life-forms had modular genomes for which HGT played a large role in adaptation. This role has decreased over time. 
C) Early life-forms had modular genomes for which HGT played a large role in adaptation. This role has increased over time. 
D) HGT was irrelevant for early life-forms. HGT is a more recent phenomenon and is important for current adaptations.

Question 17

Which of the following is not a shared property of living things?

Accepted Answer

A) Homeostasis 
B) Structural organization 
C) Sexual reproduction 
D) Growth 
E) Response to the environment 
A) Homeostasis 
B) Structural organization 
C) Sexual reproduction 
D) Growth 
E) Response to the environment

Question 18

Why might the analysis of endosymbiotic bacterial genomes be misleading for understanding the minimal gene set?

Accepted Answer

A) They may have lost genes that would have been essential to early life-forms due to their reduced metabolic requirements. 
B) They may have gained genes to be able to live within another organism. 
C) They are bacteria and therefore have nothing in common with LUCA. 
D) Their genes can be disrupted by transposons. 
A) They may have lost genes that would have been essential to early life-forms due to their reduced metabolic requirements. 
B) They may have gained genes to be able to live within another organism. 
C) They are bacteria and therefore have nothing in common with LUCA. 
D) Their genes can be disrupted by transposons.

Question 19

Why can't we use modern atmospheric conditions to infer the origin of life?

Accepted Answer

Earth was very different when life began

Question 20

Pal and colleagues deleted genes to determine fitness effects in E.coli.How were fitness effects measured?

Accepted Answer

They measured biomass producti

Where on this tree is LUCA found?

The conditions in the Miller-Urey experiment produced amino acids but not peptides.Subsequent experiments have adjusted the conditions and have produced other amino acids and stable peptide bonds.What is the significance of stable peptide bonds?

The Miller-Urey experiment is significant because it produced evidence that

In early cell evolution,why would natural selection favor division into equal-sized daughter cells?

Fission is likely a method of reproduction in early cells because

Why does understanding the origin of life require the collaboration of biologists,chemists,geologists,and atmospheric scientists?

Why might life be much older than LUCA?

When life first evolved the oceans were

Based on the figure below,showing horizontal gene transfer and the early evolution of life,which of the following statements is not true?

What does the abbreviation LUCA stand for and what is it?

Which of the following was not a source of molecules in the prebiotic soup?

Which of the following is not a hypothesis for the origin of viruses?

Molecular mutualism is

What is the evolutionary relationship between mutation rates and DNA proofreading and repair?

Give an example of a modern hypercycle.

How has the role of horizontal gene transfer (HGT)in evolution changed over time?

Which of the following is not a shared property of living things?

Why might the analysis of endosymbiotic bacterial genomes be misleading for understanding the minimal gene set?

Why can't we use modern atmospheric conditions to infer the origin of life?

Pal and colleagues deleted genes to determine fitness effects in E.coli.How were fitness effects measured?

An Overview of Evolutionary Biology

Early Evolutionary Ideas and Darwins Insight

Natural Selection

Phylogeny and Evolutionary History

Inferring Phylogeny

Transmission Genetics and the Sources of Genetic Variation

The Genetics of Populations

Evolution in Finite Populations

Evolution at Multiple Loci

Genome Evolution

Major Transitions

Evolution and Development

Species and Speciation

Extinction and Evolutionary Trends

The Evolution of Sex

Sexual Selection

The Evolution of Sociality

Coevolution

Evolution and Medicine

Filters

Exam 11: The Origin and Evolution of Early Life

Where on this tree is LUCA found?

The conditions in the Miller-Urey experiment produced amino acids but not peptides.Subsequent experiments have adjusted the conditions and have produced other amino acids and stable peptide bonds.What is the significance of stable peptide bonds?

The Miller-Urey experiment is significant because it produced evidence that

In early cell evolution,why would natural selection favor division into equal-sized daughter cells?

Fission is likely a method of reproduction in early cells because

Why does understanding the origin of life require the collaboration of biologists,chemists,geologists,and atmospheric scientists?

Why might life be much older than LUCA?

When life first evolved the oceans were

Based on the figure below,showing horizontal gene transfer and the early evolution of life,which of the following statements is not true?

What does the abbreviation LUCA stand for and what is it?

Which of the following was not a source of molecules in the prebiotic soup?

Which of the following is not a hypothesis for the origin of viruses?

Molecular mutualism is

What is the evolutionary relationship between mutation rates and DNA proofreading and repair?

Give an example of a modern hypercycle.

How has the role of horizontal gene transfer (HGT)in evolution changed over time?

Which of the following is not a shared property of living things?

Why might the analysis of endosymbiotic bacterial genomes be misleading for understanding the minimal gene set?

Why can't we use modern atmospheric conditions to infer the origin of life?

Pal and colleagues deleted genes to determine fitness effects in E.coli.How were fitness effects measured?

An Overview of Evolutionary Biology

Early Evolutionary Ideas and Darwins Insight

Natural Selection

Phylogeny and Evolutionary History

Inferring Phylogeny

Transmission Genetics and the Sources of Genetic Variation

The Genetics of Populations

Evolution in Finite Populations

Evolution at Multiple Loci

Genome Evolution

Major Transitions

Evolution and Development

Species and Speciation

Extinction and Evolutionary Trends

The Evolution of Sex

Sexual Selection

The Evolution of Sociality

Coevolution

Evolution and Medicine

Filters