Question 1

Primitive feathers in certain dinosaurs evolved in anticipation of flight in their descendants, the birds.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 2

Match each of the following events with the correct time period.
-large swamp forests; first reptiles appear

Accepted Answer

A) Archaean 
B) Cambrian 
C) Silurian 
D) Devonian 
E) Carboniferous
F)Permian
G)Triassic
H)Jurassic
I)Cretaceous
J)Paleocene 
A) Archaean 
B) Cambrian 
C) Silurian 
D) Devonian 
E) Carboniferous
F)Permian
G)Triassic
H)Jurassic
I)Cretaceous
J)Paleocene

Question 3

Match each of the following events with the correct time period.
-modern birds and mammals spread

Accepted Answer

A) Archaean 
B) Cambrian 
C) Silurian 
D) Devonian 
E) Carboniferous
F)Permian
G)Triassic
H)Jurassic
I)Cretaceous
J)Paleocene 
A) Archaean 
B) Cambrian 
C) Silurian 
D) Devonian 
E) Carboniferous
F)Permian
G)Triassic
H)Jurassic
I)Cretaceous
J)Paleocene

Question 4

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. What is this an example of at that point in time?

Accepted Answer

A) adaptive radiation 
B) punctuated equilibrium 
C) genetic drift 
D) microevolution 
A) adaptive radiation 
B) punctuated equilibrium 
C) genetic drift 
D) microevolution

Question 5

What is adaptive radiation?

Accepted Answer

A) the basis of radiometric dating 
B) development of similar body form in unrelated organisms 
C) formation of beneficial alleles through exposure to radiation 
D) origin of many species from a single common ancestor 
A) the basis of radiometric dating 
B) development of similar body form in unrelated organisms 
C) formation of beneficial alleles through exposure to radiation 
D) origin of many species from a single common ancestor

Question 6

If the entire history of Earth is symbolized by a 12-month calendar, in which month would dinosaurs and mammals both appear?

Accepted Answer

A) in September 
B) in October 
C) in November 
D) in December 
A) in September 
B) in October 
C) in November 
D) in December

Question 7

Match each of the following events with the correct time period.
-diversification of terrestrial vascular plants; first amphibians and insects

Accepted Answer

A) Archaean 
B) Cambrian 
C) Silurian 
D) Devonian 
E) Carboniferous
F)Permian
G)Triassic
H)Jurassic
I)Cretaceous
J)Paleocene 
A) Archaean 
B) Cambrian 
C) Silurian 
D) Devonian 
E) Carboniferous
F)Permian
G)Triassic
H)Jurassic
I)Cretaceous
J)Paleocene

Question 8

If we were to discover beings on a distant planet that looked very much like us, what would this probably be cited as an example of?

Accepted Answer

A) coincidence 
B) convergent evolution 
C) homology 
D) adaptive radiation 
A) coincidence 
B) convergent evolution 
C) homology 
D) adaptive radiation

Question 9

Match each of the following events with the correct time period.
-asteroid at the end of this period causes extinction of dinosaurs

Accepted Answer

A) Archaean 
B) Cambrian 
C) Silurian 
D) Devonian 
E) Carboniferous
F)Permian
G)Triassic
H)Jurassic
I)Cretaceous
J)Paleocene 
A) Archaean 
B) Cambrian 
C) Silurian 
D) Devonian 
E) Carboniferous
F)Permian
G)Triassic
H)Jurassic
I)Cretaceous
J)Paleocene

Question 10

What are geological strata a consequence of?

Accepted Answer

A) erosion 
B) human impact 
C) extraterrestrial impact 
D) volcanic activity 
A) erosion 
B) human impact 
C) extraterrestrial impact 
D) volcanic activity

Question 11

The extinction of the dinosaurs occurred rapidly as a result of a single cataclysmic event.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

When did the first land plants appear?

Accepted Answer

A) during the Ordovician period 
B) during Silurian period 
C) during Devonian period 
D) during the Permian period 
A) during the Ordovician period 
B) during Silurian period 
C) during Devonian period 
D) during the Permian period

Question 13

What are the genes that determine where appendages will develop on the animal's body called?

Accepted Answer

A) ideotic genes 
B) homeobox genes 
C) Hox genes 
D) homeotic genes 
A) ideotic genes 
B) homeobox genes 
C) Hox genes 
D) homeotic genes

Question 14

Which of the following best describes a polyphyletic taxon?

Accepted Answer

A) A polyphyletic taxon includes species from different evolutionary lineages. 
B) A polyphyletic taxon includes an ancestral species and all of its descendants. 
C) A polyphyletic taxon includes an ancestral species and only some of its descendants. 
D) A polyphyletic taxon includes only the ancestral species. 
A) A polyphyletic taxon includes species from different evolutionary lineages. 
B) A polyphyletic taxon includes an ancestral species and all of its descendants. 
C) A polyphyletic taxon includes an ancestral species and only some of its descendants. 
D) A polyphyletic taxon includes only the ancestral species.

Question 15

Which of the following best describes why crocodilians are classified with lizards, snakes, and turtles?

Accepted Answer

A) They have a common ancestry and are reptiles. 
B) They have a common ancestry and lay eggs. 
C) They have a common ancestry and belong to vertebrates. 
D) They have a common ancestry and are covered with dry, scaly skin. 
A) They have a common ancestry and are reptiles. 
B) They have a common ancestry and lay eggs. 
C) They have a common ancestry and belong to vertebrates. 
D) They have a common ancestry and are covered with dry, scaly skin.

Question 16

How far back do the fossil records of whales and toothed whales extend?

Accepted Answer

A) more than 5 Ma 
B) more than 20 Ma 
C) more than 50 Ma 
D) more than 60 Ma 
A) more than 5 Ma 
B) more than 20 Ma 
C) more than 50 Ma 
D) more than 60 Ma

Question 17

Match each of the following events with the correct time period.
-birds appear; dinosaurs diversify and dominate

Accepted Answer

A) Archaean 
B) Cambrian 
C) Silurian 
D) Devonian 
E) Carboniferous
F)Permian
G)Triassic
H)Jurassic
I)Cretaceous
J)Paleocene 
A) Archaean 
B) Cambrian 
C) Silurian 
D) Devonian 
E) Carboniferous
F)Permian
G)Triassic
H)Jurassic
I)Cretaceous
J)Paleocene

Question 18

When did mammals undergo an evolutionary "explosion" or major adaptive radiation?

Accepted Answer

A) in the Mesozoic 
B) in the Cambrian 
C) in the Triassic 
D) in the Cenozoic 
A) in the Mesozoic 
B) in the Cambrian 
C) in the Triassic 
D) in the Cenozoic

Question 19

When did most dinosaurs become extinct?

Accepted Answer

A) around 500 million years ago 
B) around 65 million years ago 
C) around 1 million years ago 
D) around 10 000 years ago 
A) around 500 million years ago 
B) around 65 million years ago 
C) around 1 million years ago 
D) around 10 000 years ago

Question 20

Which of the following best distinguishes derived and ancestral characters?

Accepted Answer

A) Derived characters are new forms of traits, while ancestral characters are old forms of traits. 
B) Ancestral characters are new forms of traits, while derived characters are old forms of traits. 
C) Derived characters are used to determine relatedness among organisms, while ancestral characters are not. 
D) Ancestral characters are used to determine relatedness among organisms, while derived characters are not. 
A) Derived characters are new forms of traits, while ancestral characters are old forms of traits. 
B) Ancestral characters are new forms of traits, while derived characters are old forms of traits. 
C) Derived characters are used to determine relatedness among organisms, while ancestral characters are not. 
D) Ancestral characters are used to determine relatedness among organisms, while derived characters are not.

Exam 20: Understanding the History of Life on Earth

Primitive feathers in certain dinosaurs evolved in anticipation of flight in their descendants, the birds.

Match each of the following events with the correct time period. -large swamp forests; first reptiles appear

Match each of the following events with the correct time period. -modern birds and mammals spread

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. What is this an example of at that point in time?

What is adaptive radiation?

If the entire history of Earth is symbolized by a 12-month calendar, in which month would dinosaurs and mammals both appear?

Match each of the following events with the correct time period. -diversification of terrestrial vascular plants; first amphibians and insects

If we were to discover beings on a distant planet that looked very much like us, what would this probably be cited as an example of?

Match each of the following events with the correct time period. -asteroid at the end of this period causes extinction of dinosaurs

What are geological strata a consequence of?

The extinction of the dinosaurs occurred rapidly as a result of a single cataclysmic event.

When did the first land plants appear?

What are the genes that determine where appendages will develop on the animal's body called?

Which of the following best describes a polyphyletic taxon?

Which of the following best describes why crocodilians are classified with lizards, snakes, and turtles?

How far back do the fossil records of whales and toothed whales extend?

Match each of the following events with the correct time period. -birds appear; dinosaurs diversify and dominate

When did mammals undergo an evolutionary "explosion" or major adaptive radiation?

When did most dinosaurs become extinct?

Which of the following best distinguishes derived and ancestral characters?

Light and Life

The Cell: an Overview

Defining Life and Its Origins

Energy and Enzymes

Cell Membranes and Signalling

Cellular Respiration

Photosynthesis

Cell Cycles

Genetic Recombination

Mendel, Genes, and Inheritance

Genes, Chromosomes, and Human Genetics

Dna Structure, Replication, and Organization

Gene Structure and Expression

Control of Gene Expression

Dna Technologies

Genomes and Proteomes

Evolution: the Development of the Theory

Microevolution: Changes Within Populations

Species and Macroevolution

Humans and Evolution

Bacteria and Archaea

Viruses, Viroids, and Prions: Infectious Biological Particles

Protists

Fungi

Plants

Diversity of Animals 1: Sponges, Radiata, Platyhelminthes, and Protostomes

Diversity of Animals 2: Deuterostomes: Vertebrates and Their Closest Relatives

Population Ecology

Population Interactions and Community Ecology

Ecosystems

Conservation of Biodiversity

Putting Selection to Work

Organization of the Plant Body

Transport in Plants

Reproduction and Development in Flowering Plants

Plant Nutrition

Plant Signals and Responses to the Environment

Introduction to Animal Organization and Physiology

Transport in Animals: the Circulatory System

Reproduction in Animals

Animal Development

Control of Animal Processes: Neural Control

Control of Animal Processes: Neural Control

Control of Animal Processes: Neural Integration

Muscles, Skeletons, and Body Movements

Animal Behaviour

Animal Nutrition

Gas Exchange: the Respiratory System

Regulating the Internal Environment

Defences Against Disease

Conservation and Evolutionary Physiology

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