Question 1

Lungfish and lizards both have lungs. Can we conclude from this observation that lungfish are the sister group of lizards?

Accepted Answer

A) No, lungs are an ancestral trait present in all tetrapods and lungfish. 
B) No, lungs evolved convergently in lungfish and lizards. 
C) Yes, lungs are a synapomorphy that documents the close evolutionary relatedness of lungfish and lizards. 
D) No, lungfish do not have two pairs of walking legs and so cannot be closely related to any tetrapod animals. 
A) No, lungs are an ancestral trait present in all tetrapods and lungfish. 
B) No, lungs evolved convergently in lungfish and lizards. 
C) Yes, lungs are a synapomorphy that documents the close evolutionary relatedness of lungfish and lizards. 
D) No, lungfish do not have two pairs of walking legs and so cannot be closely related to any tetrapod animals.

Question 2

The physical features and chemical composition of the rocks that contain fossils provide information about the:

Accepted Answer

A) environment in which the fossil organisms lived. 
B) phylogenetic relationships among the fossils present. 
C) manner of the organism's death. 
D) other organisms that were present at the time that were not captured in the fossil record. 
A) environment in which the fossil organisms lived. 
B) phylogenetic relationships among the fossils present. 
C) manner of the organism's death. 
D) other organisms that were present at the time that were not captured in the fossil record.

Question 3

The concordance of the two great patterns in the history of life-the branching order of the tree of life and the sequence of forms in the fossil record-is powerful evidence in support of the theory of evolution. Give an imaginary example of evidence from a comparison of phylogeny and fossils that would DISPROVE the theory of evolution.

Accepted Answer

Phylogenetic analysis shows that mammals

Question 4

Evolution's patterns manifest as nested similaritiesF1F1F1S1F1F1F10nesting occurs between molecular sequences of evolutionarily related organisms, and between the different taxa arranged in a phylogenetic tree.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

What information is provided by the fossil record that CANNOT be provided by examining living organisms?

Accepted Answer

A) a record of extinct species 
B) absolute dates for when different taxa diverged 
C) records of environmental conditions 
D) the existence and timing of mass extinctions 
E) All of these choices are correct. 
A) a record of extinct species 
B) absolute dates for when different taxa diverged 
C) records of environmental conditions 
D) the existence and timing of mass extinctions 
E) All of these choices are correct.

Question 6

In what way have mass extinctions catalyzed evolutionary radiation?

Accepted Answer

A) Mass extinctions wipe out poorly competing species, enabling good competitors to diversify. 
B) Mass extinctions eliminate ecologically dominant species, enabling survivors to diversify in environments with few competitors. 
C) Mass extinction events cause mutations, increasing the genetic variability of populations. 
D) Mass extinction events permanently alter environments, favoring species with novel character combinations. 
A) Mass extinctions wipe out poorly competing species, enabling good competitors to diversify. 
B) Mass extinctions eliminate ecologically dominant species, enabling survivors to diversify in environments with few competitors. 
C) Mass extinction events cause mutations, increasing the genetic variability of populations. 
D) Mass extinction events permanently alter environments, favoring species with novel character combinations.

Question 7

A catastrophic drop in diversity is known as a:

Accepted Answer

A) mass extinction. 
B) reverse evolution. 
C) transition period. 
D) climate change. 
A) mass extinction. 
B) reverse evolution. 
C) transition period. 
D) climate change.

Question 8

Traditional levels of taxonomy are nested in categories from least to most inclusive. This same relationship is also represented on a phylogenetic tree by moving from the terminal (most recent) nodes to the earliest nodes.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

The same intron was sequenced from five different taxa (taxa A-E) whose evolutionary relationships are disputed. The data matrix given shows six variable sites (1-6, left column) in the DNA sequences obtained from each of the five species. Taxon A serves as the outgroup for this analysis. $\begin{array}{|c|c|c|c|c|c|}
\hline & \operatorname{taxon} \mathrm{A} & \operatorname{tax} n \mathrm{~B} & \operatorname{tax} n \mathrm{C} & \operatorname{taxon} \mathrm{D} & \operatorname{taxon} \mathrm{E} \
\hline 1 & \mathrm{~A} & \mathrm{G} & \mathrm{G} & \mathrm{G} & \mathrm{G} \
\hline 2 & \mathrm{C} & \mathrm{T} & \mathrm{T} & \mathrm{T} & \mathrm{T} \
\hline 3 & \mathrm{G} & \mathrm{G} & \mathrm{G} & \mathrm{G} & \mathrm{A} \
\hline 4 & \mathrm{~A} & \mathrm{~A} & \mathrm{~T} & \mathrm{~A} & \mathrm{~T} \
\hline 5 & \mathrm{~A} & \mathrm{C} & \mathrm{A} & \mathrm{C} & \mathrm{C} \
\hline 6 & \mathrm{~A} & \mathrm{~A} & \mathrm{C} & \mathrm{A} & \mathrm{C} \
\hline
\end{array}$ Which of the phylogenies below explains the relatedness between these taxa with the FEWEST evolutionary steps?

Accepted Answer

A) phylogeny I 
B) phylogeny II 
C) Both phylogenetic trees have the same number of evolutionary steps. 
A) phylogeny I 
B) phylogeny II 
C) Both phylogenetic trees have the same number of evolutionary steps.

Question 10

How do mass extinction events influence subsequent species composition and diversity?

Accepted Answer

A) by immediately increasing species diversity 
B) by permanently altering climate 
C) by reducing competition among surviving organisms 
D) by eliminating smaller organisms instead of larger organisms 
A) by immediately increasing species diversity 
B) by permanently altering climate 
C) by reducing competition among surviving organisms 
D) by eliminating smaller organisms instead of larger organisms

Question 11

The Permian mass extinction is hypothesized to have been caused by volcanic eruptions resulting in:

Accepted Answer

A) global warming, lack of oxygen in seawater, and ocean acidification. 
B) ocean acidification. 
C) lack of oxygen. 
D) global warming. 
E) global warming and lack of oxygen. 
A) global warming, lack of oxygen in seawater, and ocean acidification. 
B) ocean acidification. 
C) lack of oxygen. 
D) global warming. 
E) global warming and lack of oxygen.

Question 12

Among the environments listed below, in which are fossils MOST likely to form?

Accepted Answer

A) desert 
B) tropical rainforest 
C) tundra 
D) shallow lake bed 
E) fast-flowing creek 
A) desert 
B) tropical rainforest 
C) tundra 
D) shallow lake bed 
E) fast-flowing creek

Question 13

In a phylogenetic tree, a node or branching point represents:

Accepted Answer

A) the common ancestor from which the descendent species diverged. 
B) the species in the fossil record from which the descendent species diverged. 
C) one of the descendent species in the phylogeny. 
D) the ancestral species from which all species in the phylogeny arose. 
E) None of the answer options is correct. 
A) the common ancestor from which the descendent species diverged. 
B) the species in the fossil record from which the descendent species diverged. 
C) one of the descendent species in the phylogeny. 
D) the ancestral species from which all species in the phylogeny arose. 
E) None of the answer options is correct.

Question 14

The vast diversity observed in present-day plants and animals was likely also present in the ancestors of these organisms; diversity tends to remain constant, and does not accumulate over time or in subsequent generations.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

Select the BEST set of data for constructing the type of diagram shown below.   Photo sources: (left to right) Zoonar/K. Jorgensen/age fotostock; S Sailer/A Sailer/age fotostock; J & C Sohns/age fotostock; Michael Dick/ Animals Animals-Earth Scenes; FLPA/Jurgen & Christi/age fotostock; Yellow Dog Productions/Getty Images.

Accepted Answer

A) molecular data 
B) morphological data of extant species 
C) anatomical, physiological, and developmental studies of extant species in the fossil record 
D) A combination of all of the other answer options would yield the best data set. 
A) molecular data 
B) morphological data of extant species 
C) anatomical, physiological, and developmental studies of extant species in the fossil record 
D) A combination of all of the other answer options would yield the best data set.

Question 16

During the Permian extinction, what percentage of species in the ocean disappeared?

Accepted Answer

A) 90% 
B) 25% 
C) 50% 
D) 75% 
E) 100% 
A) 90% 
B) 25% 
C) 50% 
D) 75% 
E) 100%

Question 17

A population of rodents, called population A, lived together in harmony on a large landmass until one group of the population dispersed to a nearby island. Two million years later, the island population is split into two smaller, equal-sized populations when a river formed across the middle of the island. Now two new species have evolved on the island, A1 and A2. They have replaced the population from which they were derived. Which represents the phylogeny of the populations discussed in this scenario?

Accepted Answer

A) diagram M 
B) diagram H 
C) diagram K 
A) diagram M 
B) diagram H 
C) diagram K

Question 18

The remarkable fossil of the "fishapod," Tiktaalik, which lived about 375 million years ago, is a beautiful example of an intermediate form, having the attributes of both fish (scales, fins) and tetrapods (a flat head, mobile neck). The presence of Tiktaalik and other fossils of other organisms that lived around the same time shows clear evidence that tetrapods were derived from fish, implying, that the grouping "fish" is paraphyletic. Imagine now that there was no fossil record. Would it still be possible to determine whether or not "fish" is paraphyletic?

Accepted Answer

A) Yes, because a phylogeny can be constructed using morphological and molecular characters of modern fish and tetrapods. 
B) No, because without a fossil record there is no evolutionary history of fish available for study. 
C) Yes, because Tiktaalik is a species of coelacanth, and so phylogenetic reconstructions can be based on coelacanth characters. 
D) No, because modern fish and modern tetrapods share no synapomorphies. 
A) Yes, because a phylogeny can be constructed using morphological and molecular characters of modern fish and tetrapods. 
B) No, because without a fossil record there is no evolutionary history of fish available for study. 
C) Yes, because Tiktaalik is a species of coelacanth, and so phylogenetic reconstructions can be based on coelacanth characters. 
D) No, because modern fish and modern tetrapods share no synapomorphies.

Question 19

Which of the following is MOST likely to fossilize?

Accepted Answer

A) a crayfish that died in its muddy burrow by a creek 
B) a jellyfish that died and sunk to the bottom of the ocean 
C) a lizard that died on a mountainside 
D) a leaf that fell from a tree and landed on the forest floor 
E) a snail that died on a rock 
A) a crayfish that died in its muddy burrow by a creek 
B) a jellyfish that died and sunk to the bottom of the ocean 
C) a lizard that died on a mountainside 
D) a leaf that fell from a tree and landed on the forest floor 
E) a snail that died on a rock

Question 20

Consider a generalized tree of life, with three large branches representing Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya. These three branches would represent different:

Accepted Answer

A) domains. 
B) genera. 
C) species. 
D) kingdoms. 
E) phyla. 
A) domains. 
B) genera. 
C) species. 
D) kingdoms. 
E) phyla.

Exam 23: Evolutionary Patterns: Phylogeny and Fossils

Lungfish and lizards both have lungs. Can we conclude from this observation that lungfish are the sister group of lizards?

The physical features and chemical composition of the rocks that contain fossils provide information about the:

Evolution's patterns manifest as nested similaritiesnesting occurs between molecular sequences of evolutionarily related organisms, and between the different taxa arranged in a phylogenetic tree.

What information is provided by the fossil record that CANNOT be provided by examining living organisms?

In what way have mass extinctions catalyzed evolutionary radiation?

A catastrophic drop in diversity is known as a:

Traditional levels of taxonomy are nested in categories from least to most inclusive. This same relationship is also represented on a phylogenetic tree by moving from the terminal (most recent) nodes to the earliest nodes.

How do mass extinction events influence subsequent species composition and diversity?

The Permian mass extinction is hypothesized to have been caused by volcanic eruptions resulting in:

Among the environments listed below, in which are fossils MOST likely to form?

In a phylogenetic tree, a node or branching point represents:

The vast diversity observed in present-day plants and animals was likely also present in the ancestors of these organisms; diversity tends to remain constant, and does not accumulate over time or in subsequent generations.

During the Permian extinction, what percentage of species in the ocean disappeared?

Which of the following is MOST likely to fossilize?

Consider a generalized tree of life, with three large branches representing Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya. These three branches would represent different:

Life: Chemical, Cellular, and Evolutionary Foundations

The Molecules of Life

Nucleic Acids and Transcription

Translation and Protein Structure

Organizing Principles: Lipids, Membranes, and Cell Compartments

Making Life Work: Capturing and Using Energy

Cellular Respiration: Harvesting Energy From Carbohydrates and Other Fuel Molecules

Photosynthesis: Using Sunlight to Build Carbohydrates

Cell Signaling

Cell and Tissue Architecture: Cytoskeleton, Cell Junctions, and Extracellular Matrix

Cell Division: Variations, Regulation, and Cancer

Dna Replication and Manipulation

Genomes

Mutation and Dna Repair

Genetic Variation

Mendelian Inheritance

Inheritance of Sex Chromosomes, Linked Genes, and Organelles

The Genetic and Environmental Basis of Complex Traits

Genetic and Epigenetic Regulation

Genes and Development

Evolution: How Genotypes and Phenotypes Change Over Time

Species and Speciation

Human Origins and Evolution

Cycling Carbon

Bacteria and Archaea

Eukaryotic Cells: Origins and Diversity

Being Multicellular

Plant Structure and Function: Moving Photosynthesis Onto Land

Plant Reproduction: Finding Mates and Dispersing Young

Plant Growth and Development

Plant Defense: Keeping the World Green

Plant Diversity

Fungi: Structure, Function, and Diversity

Animal Nervous Systems

Animal Sensory Systems and Brain Function

Animal Movement: Muscles and Skeletons

Animal Endocrine Systems

Animal Cardiovascular and Respiratory Systems

Animal Metabolism, Nutrition, and Digestion

Animal Renal Systems: Water and Waste

Animal Reproduction and Development

Animal Immune Systems

Animal Diversity

Animal Behavior

Population Ecology

Species Interactions, Communities, and Ecosystems

Biomes and Global Ecology

The Anthropocene: Humans As a Planetary Force

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