Question 1

Which statement best describes the current scientific view of birds?

Accepted Answer

A)  a group of feathered, endothermic dinosaurs 
B)  a group of feathered, ectothermic lizards that lack teeth 
C)  a group of flying, endothermic reptiles that have lost teeth, the amniotic egg, and other heavy body features as an adaptation for flight 
D)  a group of flying mammals that are derived from monotremes, which also lay amniotic eggs 
A)  a group of feathered, endothermic dinosaurs 
B)  a group of feathered, ectothermic lizards that lack teeth 
C)  a group of flying, endothermic reptiles that have lost teeth, the amniotic egg, and other heavy body features as an adaptation for flight 
D)  a group of flying mammals that are derived from monotremes, which also lay amniotic eggs A

Question 2

Which is the first distinctively hominin trait to appear in the fossil record?

Accepted Answer

A)  sophisticated stone tools 
B)  increased brain size 
C)  upright walking (bipedalism) 
A)  sophisticated stone tools 
B)  increased brain size 
C)  upright walking (bipedalism) C

Question 3

Like many insects, some amphibians undergo ________ in their life cycle as they have distinct larval and adult stages.

Accepted Answer

A)  aquatic development followed by terrestrial existence 
B)  development in a nest followed by flight 
C)  metamorphosis 
D)  alternation of generations 
A)  aquatic development followed by terrestrial existence 
B)  development in a nest followed by flight 
C)  metamorphosis 
D)  alternation of generations C

Question 4

Prehensile tails are found among

Accepted Answer

A)  Old World monkeys. 
B)  most hominoids. 
C)  New World monkeys. 
D)  all primates. 
A)  Old World monkeys. 
B)  most hominoids. 
C)  New World monkeys. 
D)  all primates.

Question 5

Which animal is an ape?

Accepted Answer

A)  New World monkey 
B)  Old World monkey 
C)  orangutan 
D)  tarsier 
A)  New World monkey 
B)  Old World monkey 
C)  orangutan 
D)  tarsier

Question 6

"Lucy," who belongs to the group ________, was a bipedal hominin with a brain smaller than that of humans.

Accepted Answer

A)  Australopithecus 
B)  Homo erectus 
C)  Ardipithecus 
D)  Homo habilis 
A)  Australopithecus 
B)  Homo erectus 
C)  Ardipithecus 
D)  Homo habilis

Question 7

A prehensile tail is like an opposable thumb in that both

Accepted Answer

A)  evolved before the anthropoids. 
B)  are used for grasping. 
C)  can be fully bent in any direction. 
D)  are characteristics of the earliest primates. 
A)  evolved before the anthropoids. 
B)  are used for grasping. 
C)  can be fully bent in any direction. 
D)  are characteristics of the earliest primates.

Question 8

A key derived character of sharks and rays that distinguishes them from ray-finned fishes is

Accepted Answer

A)  jaws and a swim bladder. 
B)  vertebrae. 
C)  calcified (hard) bones. 
D)  a skeleton made of cartilage 
A)  jaws and a swim bladder. 
B)  vertebrae. 
C)  calcified (hard) bones. 
D)  a skeleton made of cartilage

Question 9

The vertebrate group that describes all jawed vertebrates with two pairs of limbs is the

Accepted Answer

A)  craniates. 
B)  amniotes. 
C)  tetrapods. 
D)  mammals. 
A)  craniates. 
B)  amniotes. 
C)  tetrapods. 
D)  mammals.

Question 10

All humans alive today have inherited their mitochondrial DNA from some individual female common ancestor. Studies indicate this woman probably lived about ________ years ago, when fossil evidence indicates that Homo sapiens was restricted to ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  20,000; Africa 
B)  50,000; Africa and Asia 
C)  180,000; Africa 
D)  500,000; Africa, Asia, and Europe 
A)  20,000; Africa 
B)  50,000; Africa and Asia 
C)  180,000; Africa 
D)  500,000; Africa, Asia, and Europe

Question 11

Which animals are ectothermic?

Accepted Answer

A)  frogs and mammals 
B)  lizards and birds 
C)  turtles and lizards 
D)  birds and mammals 
A)  frogs and mammals 
B)  lizards and birds 
C)  turtles and lizards 
D)  birds and mammals

Question 12

Which part of the body is likely to be much more diverse in mammals compared to that in other groups?

Accepted Answer

A)  the teeth 
B)  the structure of the vertebrae 
C)  the structure of the limbs 
D)  the jawbone 
A)  the teeth 
B)  the structure of the vertebrae 
C)  the structure of the limbs 
D)  the jawbone

Question 13

The Salalizard is a fictional vertebrate that lives in the forest and appears to be half salamander and half lizard. You are not allowed to collect any wild animals, so you decide to take a video of it to show your colleagues. What behavior best distinguishes the Salalizard as either a salamander (amphibian) or a lizard (reptile)?

Accepted Answer

A)  what the animal eats 
B)  if it lives in trees 
C)  where it reproduces 
D)  whether it is active at night 
A)  what the animal eats 
B)  if it lives in trees 
C)  where it reproduces 
D)  whether it is active at night

Question 14

Which organism is a monotreme?

Accepted Answer

A)  echidna 
B)  kangaroo 
C)  whale 
D)  zebra 
A)  echidna 
B)  kangaroo 
C)  whale 
D)  zebra

Question 15

Bipedalism is one of the most important characteristics of hominin evolution. The appearance of bipedalism led to anatomical changes that are considered to be distinguishing characteristics of hominin fossils. The evidence for bipedalism is supported by fossil evidence from more than 4 million years ago and 3.6-million-year-old footprints in volcanic ash.
Recently, however, scientists have focused on the link between tooth structure and diet in the evolution of the early hominins, specifically in Australopithecus species. Detailed studies of hominin dental features have provided evidence of an important dietary shift that led to adaptive radiation within this genus. Most of the evidence comes from analyses of tooth size and shape, microscopic wear patterns on teeth, and jaw structure. The evidence suggests that fibrous plant materials became more important through the Pliocene, perhaps as critical components in the diet of some species.
-What is the most likely evolutionary link between bipedalism and changes in the diet of early hominids?

Accepted Answer

A)  Bipedal species would be more likely to remain in one type of habitat. 
B)  Bipedalism led to new farming practices. 
C)  It is easier to escape predators with an upright posture. 
D)  The greater ability to move to new habitats facilitated exploitation of new foods. 
A)  Bipedal species would be more likely to remain in one type of habitat. 
B)  Bipedalism led to new farming practices. 
C)  It is easier to escape predators with an upright posture. 
D)  The greater ability to move to new habitats facilitated exploitation of new foods.

Question 16

Which bird trait is an adaptation that is probably less well developed in flightless birds such as penguins and ostriches?

Accepted Answer

A)  honeycombed bone structure 
B)  amniotic egg 
C)  vertebrae 
D)  presence of feathers 
A)  honeycombed bone structure 
B)  amniotic egg 
C)  vertebrae 
D)  presence of feathers

Question 17

The last common ancestor shared by humans and chimpanzees lived about

Accepted Answer

A)  6,000-8,000 years ago. 
B)  5-7 million years ago. 
C)  25-40 million years ago. 
D)  1.5-2.5 billion years ago. 
A)  6,000-8,000 years ago. 
B)  5-7 million years ago. 
C)  25-40 million years ago. 
D)  1.5-2.5 billion years ago.

Question 18

Which organism is a marsupial?

Accepted Answer

A)  echidna 
B)  kangaroo 
C)  whale 
D)  zebra 
A)  echidna 
B)  kangaroo 
C)  whale 
D)  zebra

Question 19

Fossil and genetic evidence strongly supports the idea that modern humans

Accepted Answer

A)  independently arose from three different ancestral Homo species in Africa and Eurasia. 
B)  all derive from a single African lineage that spread from there into other parts of the world starting about 50,000 years ago. 
C)  derive from an African lineage but also have genes derived from mixing with several Eurasian descendants of Homo erectus. 
D)  derive from Neanderthals that independently evolved the features of modern humans in Europe and Africa. 
A)  independently arose from three different ancestral Homo species in Africa and Eurasia. 
B)  all derive from a single African lineage that spread from there into other parts of the world starting about 50,000 years ago. 
C)  derive from an African lineage but also have genes derived from mixing with several Eurasian descendants of Homo erectus. 
D)  derive from Neanderthals that independently evolved the features of modern humans in Europe and Africa.

Question 20

-Suppose scientists discovered an organism that had a head with a brain at the anterior end of the dorsal nerve, eyes and other sensory organs, a skull, and a vertebral column. The organism could not be a(n)

Accepted Answer

A)  lamprey. 
B)  hagfish. 
C)  ray-finned shark. 
D)  amphibian. 
A)  lamprey. 
B)  hagfish. 
C)  ray-finned shark. 
D)  amphibian.

Exam 19: The Evolution of Vertebrate Diversity

Which statement best describes the current scientific view of birds?

Which is the first distinctively hominin trait to appear in the fossil record?

Like many insects, some amphibians undergo ________ in their life cycle as they have distinct larval and adult stages.

Prehensile tails are found among

Which animal is an ape?

"Lucy," who belongs to the group ________, was a bipedal hominin with a brain smaller than that of humans.

A prehensile tail is like an opposable thumb in that both

A key derived character of sharks and rays that distinguishes them from ray-finned fishes is

The vertebrate group that describes all jawed vertebrates with two pairs of limbs is the

All humans alive today have inherited their mitochondrial DNA from some individual female common ancestor. Studies indicate this woman probably lived about ________ years ago, when fossil evidence indicates that Homo sapiens was restricted to ________.

Which animals are ectothermic?

Which part of the body is likely to be much more diverse in mammals compared to that in other groups?

Which organism is a monotreme?

Which bird trait is an adaptation that is probably less well developed in flightless birds such as penguins and ostriches?

The last common ancestor shared by humans and chimpanzees lived about

Which organism is a marsupial?

Fossil and genetic evidence strongly supports the idea that modern humans

-Suppose scientists discovered an organism that had a head with a brain at the anterior end of the dorsal nerve, eyes and other sensory organs, a skull, and a vertebral column. The organism could not be a(n)

Biology: Exploring Life

The Chemical Basis of Life

The Molecules of Cells

A Tour of the Cell

The Working Cell

How Cells Harvest Chemical Energy

Photosynthesis: Using Light to Make Food

The Cellular Basis of Reproduction and Inheritance

Patterns of Inheritance

Molecular Biology of the Gene

How Genes Are Controlled

DNA Technology and Genomics

How Populations Evolve

The Origin of Species

Tracing Evolutionary History

Microbial Life: Prokaryotes and Protists

The Evolution of Plant and Fungal Diversity

The Evolution of Invertebrate Diversity

Unifying Concepts of Animal Structure and Function

Nutrition and Digestion

Gas Exchange

Circulation

The Immune System

Control of Body Temperature and Water Balance

Hormones and the Endocrine System

Reproduction and Embryonic Development

Nervous Systems

The Senses

How Animals Move

Plant Structure, Growth, and Reproduction

Plant Nutrition and Transport

Control Systems in Plants

The Biosphere: an Introduction to Earths Diverse Environments

Behavioral Adaptations to the Environment

Population Ecology

Communities and Ecosystems

Conservation Biology

Filters

All humans alive today have inherited their mitochondrial DNA from some individual female common ancestor. Studies indicate this woman probably lived about years ago, when fossil evidence indicates that Homo sapiens was restricted to .