Question 1

Which of the following statements regarding genetics is false?

Accepted Answer

A) The more recently two species have branched from a common ancestor,the more similar we expect their DNA sequences to be. 
B) Gene duplication helps to explain how mammals can detect and discriminate among such a wide range of odors. 
C) In keeping with our greater complexity,the human genome has about 100 times more genes than that of yeast. 
D) About 99% of the genes of humans and mice are related by descent from a common ancestor. 
A) The more recently two species have branched from a common ancestor,the more similar we expect their DNA sequences to be. 
B) Gene duplication helps to explain how mammals can detect and discriminate among such a wide range of odors. 
C) In keeping with our greater complexity,the human genome has about 100 times more genes than that of yeast. 
D) About 99% of the genes of humans and mice are related by descent from a common ancestor.

Question 2

Anti- evolutionary thinkers sometimes argue that natural selection could not produce a complex structure like the vertebrate eye.They claim that all of the parts of the eye must have arisen at once,asking why natural selection would favor the development of part of an eye that is not yet capable of forming a focused image.Which of the following statements is consistent with a survey of eye structure in the molluscs?

Accepted Answer

A) The vertebrate eye works in a way that is completely different from the eyes found in molluscs and other invertebrates. 
B) There are many intermediate stages of eye complexity that fulfill different adaptive functions. 
C) The vertebrate eye is the ancestral form,and other types of organisms have degenerate eyes that have lost most of their original structure and function. 
D) The argument has a great deal of merit.Only full- blown image- forming eyes are present in modern organisms. 
A) The vertebrate eye works in a way that is completely different from the eyes found in molluscs and other invertebrates. 
B) There are many intermediate stages of eye complexity that fulfill different adaptive functions. 
C) The vertebrate eye is the ancestral form,and other types of organisms have degenerate eyes that have lost most of their original structure and function. 
D) The argument has a great deal of merit.Only full- blown image- forming eyes are present in modern organisms.

Question 3

A(n)has been used to estimate that HIV- 1 M first spread to humans in the 1930s.

Accepted Answer

A) epidemiological study 
B) parsimony analysis 
C) outgroup comparison 
D) molecular clock 
A) epidemiological study 
B) parsimony analysis 
C) outgroup comparison 
D) molecular clock

Question 4

How can a phylogenetic tree be used to make predictions?

Accepted Answer

A) Features found in one clade are likely to be found in other clades inhabiting different environments. 
B) Features shared between two groups are likely to have been present in their common ancestor. 
C) Current trends of evolution will continue into the future.Complex models can be used to accurately predict future branching patterns and the nature of future adaptations. 
D) An existing organism's characteristics can be confidently assumed to fit the patterns in the tree.This procedure eliminates the need to collect data about organisms through direct observation or sampling. 
A) Features found in one clade are likely to be found in other clades inhabiting different environments. 
B) Features shared between two groups are likely to have been present in their common ancestor. 
C) Current trends of evolution will continue into the future.Complex models can be used to accurately predict future branching patterns and the nature of future adaptations. 
D) An existing organism's characteristics can be confidently assumed to fit the patterns in the tree.This procedure eliminates the need to collect data about organisms through direct observation or sampling.

Question 5

Which of the following options lists taxonomic categories in the correct order from most specific to most general?

Accepted Answer

A) family,genus,class,order,phylum 
B) family,genus,order,phylum,class 
C) genus,family,class,order,phylum 
D) genus,family,order,class,phylum 
A) family,genus,class,order,phylum 
B) family,genus,order,phylum,class 
C) genus,family,class,order,phylum 
D) genus,family,order,class,phylum

Question 6

You find the frozen remains of a woolly mammoth in an Alaskan glacier.You analyze a bit of the tusk and find that its 14C:12C ratio is about one- fourth (25%)of the baseline level typically found in living organisms.Given that the half- life of 14C is 5,730 years,when did the mammoth die?

Accepted Answer

A) at least 25,000 years ago 
B) almost 12,000 years ago 
C) approximately 75,000 years ago 
D) 5,730 years ago 
A) at least 25,000 years ago 
B) almost 12,000 years ago 
C) approximately 75,000 years ago 
D) 5,730 years ago

Question 7

The existence of nest- building in crocodiles and birds led to a prediction that this behavior was also present in .

Accepted Answer

A) fossil dinosaurs 
B) invertebrates 
C) fossil lizards 
D) Komodo dragons 
A) fossil dinosaurs 
B) invertebrates 
C) fossil lizards 
D) Komodo dragons

Question 8

The Himalayas are an example of a mountain range formed as a result of

Accepted Answer

A) the separation of two continental plates. 
B) volcanic eruptions. 
C) the buildup of sediments and conversion to rock. 
D) the collision of two continental plates. 
A) the separation of two continental plates. 
B) volcanic eruptions. 
C) the buildup of sediments and conversion to rock. 
D) the collision of two continental plates.

Question 9

Which of the following lines of evidence suggests that lungfishes evolved while Pangaea was intact?

Accepted Answer

A) Lungfishes are restricted to Australia and neighboring islands. 
B) Fossil lungfishes have been found on every continent except Antarctica. 
C) Modern lungfishes on different continents show similar patterns of behavior. 
D) Lungfishes are found today in Africa,Australia,and South America. 
A) Lungfishes are restricted to Australia and neighboring islands. 
B) Fossil lungfishes have been found on every continent except Antarctica. 
C) Modern lungfishes on different continents show similar patterns of behavior. 
D) Lungfishes are found today in Africa,Australia,and South America.

Question 10

Molecular data can be used to assess relationships among the major groups of living organisms whose common ancestors lived millions or billions of years ago.Similar techniques can be used to assess relationships among populations within a species.How can molecular techniques be useful for such varied comparisons?

Accepted Answer

A) The same data can be used for any comparison with equal efficiency. 
B) Faster- evolving gene sequences provide better data for comparisons among close relatives,whereas very slowly evolving sequences work best for distantly related taxa. 
C) The relationships between very different groups such as bacteria and whales are assessed using mtDNA sequences,whereas rRNA sequences are used for very closely related groups. 
D) Studying the relationships among different populations of a single species can be just as effective as studying the relationships of major biological groups if you look at a lot more genes. 
A) The same data can be used for any comparison with equal efficiency. 
B) Faster- evolving gene sequences provide better data for comparisons among close relatives,whereas very slowly evolving sequences work best for distantly related taxa. 
C) The relationships between very different groups such as bacteria and whales are assessed using mtDNA sequences,whereas rRNA sequences are used for very closely related groups. 
D) Studying the relationships among different populations of a single species can be just as effective as studying the relationships of major biological groups if you look at a lot more genes.

Question 11

The earliest known land plants date to the

Accepted Answer

A) Jurassic (Mesozoic era). 
B) Precambrian. 
C) Carboniferous (late Paleozoic era). 
D) Ordovician (early Paleozoic era). 
A) Jurassic (Mesozoic era). 
B) Precambrian. 
C) Carboniferous (late Paleozoic era). 
D) Ordovician (early Paleozoic era).

Question 12

According to this figure,during what time frame was there an adaptive radiation of eutherians?

Accepted Answer

A) from 100 million years ago to the present 
B) about 170 million years ago 
C) about 200 million years ago 
D) from 140 to 100 million years ago 
A) from 100 million years ago to the present 
B) about 170 million years ago 
C) about 200 million years ago 
D) from 140 to 100 million years ago

Question 13

A spot where two continental plates are sliding past one another may be prone to

Accepted Answer

A) earthquakes. 
B) volcanoes. 
C) tsunamis. 
D) wildfires. 
A) earthquakes. 
B) volcanoes. 
C) tsunamis. 
D) wildfires.

Question 14

If all of Earth's history were compressed into an hour,humans would first appear less than

Accepted Answer

A) 1 minute ago. 
B) 10 minutes ago. 
C) 10 seconds ago. 
D) 1 second ago. 
A) 1 minute ago. 
B) 10 minutes ago. 
C) 10 seconds ago. 
D) 1 second ago.

Question 15

According to this figure,if a species were found only in Laurasia 135 million years ago,on which modern continents would its descendants most likely be found today?

Accepted Answer

A) North America,Europe,and Asia 
B) Africa and South America 
C) Europe and Asia only 
D) North America only 
A) North America,Europe,and Asia 
B) Africa and South America 
C) Europe and Asia only 
D) North America only

Question 16

The earliest discovered fossils are of dating back to years ago.

Accepted Answer

A) algae ...1 billion 
B) single- celled eukaryotes 4.5 billion 
C) prokaryotes ...3.5 billion 
D) fish 600 million 
A) algae ...1 billion 
B) single- celled eukaryotes 4.5 billion 
C) prokaryotes ...3.5 billion 
D) fish 600 million

Question 17

Geological evidence indicates that two land masses became separated by a deep ocean channel 45 million years ago and have been moving apart ever since.You are studying a group of organisms that is widespread as a native part of the biota on both of the land masses.What can you conclude about the group's evolutionary history?

Accepted Answer

A) The group's ancestors cannot have been present on the original land mass before it broke up. 
B) The group's ancestors must have independently colonized each of the land masses from a third location within the past 45 million years. 
C) The group's ancestors were definitely present on the original land mass before it broke up. 
D) It depends on the dispersal abilities of the organism.If the organism cannot move across the open ocean,it is very likely that the group's ancestors were present on the original land mass before it broke up. 
A) The group's ancestors cannot have been present on the original land mass before it broke up. 
B) The group's ancestors must have independently colonized each of the land masses from a third location within the past 45 million years. 
C) The group's ancestors were definitely present on the original land mass before it broke up. 
D) It depends on the dispersal abilities of the organism.If the organism cannot move across the open ocean,it is very likely that the group's ancestors were present on the original land mass before it broke up.

Question 18

Which highly reactive gas was probably absent from the Earth's primitive atmosphere?

Accepted Answer

A) O2 (oxygen gas) 
B) methane 
C) water vapor 
D) carbon dioxide 
A) O2 (oxygen gas) 
B) methane 
C) water vapor 
D) carbon dioxide

Question 19

Potassium- 40 can be used to date that are _ _ old.

Accepted Answer

A) carbon- containing materials ...up to 75,000 years 
B) potassium- rich fossils ...millions of years 
C) volcanic rocks and associated fossils ...hundreds of millions of years 
D) fossils ...thousands of years 
A) carbon- containing materials ...up to 75,000 years 
B) potassium- rich fossils ...millions of years 
C) volcanic rocks and associated fossils ...hundreds of millions of years 
D) fossils ...thousands of years

Question 20

If an isotope has a half- life of 4 million years,and a fossil is 16 million years old,how much of the original isotope will be found in the fossil?

Accepted Answer

A) one- eighth of the original amount 
B) one- quarter of the original amount 
C) one- sixteenth of the original amount 
D) half the original amount 
A) one- eighth of the original amount 
B) one- quarter of the original amount 
C) one- sixteenth of the original amount 
D) half the original amount

Exam 15: Tracing Evolutionary History

Which of the following statements regarding genetics is false?

A(n)has been used to estimate that HIV- 1 M first spread to humans in the 1930s.

How can a phylogenetic tree be used to make predictions?

Which of the following options lists taxonomic categories in the correct order from most specific to most general?

You find the frozen remains of a woolly mammoth in an Alaskan glacier.You analyze a bit of the tusk and find that its 14C:12C ratio is about one- fourth (25%)of the baseline level typically found in living organisms.Given that the half- life of 14C is 5,730 years,when did the mammoth die?

The existence of nest- building in crocodiles and birds led to a prediction that this behavior was also present in .

The Himalayas are an example of a mountain range formed as a result of

Which of the following lines of evidence suggests that lungfishes evolved while Pangaea was intact?

The earliest known land plants date to the

According to this figure,during what time frame was there an adaptive radiation of eutherians?

A spot where two continental plates are sliding past one another may be prone to

If all of Earth's history were compressed into an hour,humans would first appear less than

According to this figure,if a species were found only in Laurasia 135 million years ago,on which modern continents would its descendants most likely be found today?

The earliest discovered fossils are of dating back to years ago.

Which highly reactive gas was probably absent from the Earth's primitive atmosphere?

Potassium- 40 can be used to date that are _ _ old.

If an isotope has a half- life of 4 million years,and a fossil is 16 million years old,how much of the original isotope will be found in the fossil?

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

Microbial Life: Prokaryotes and Protists

The Evolution of Plant and Fungal Diversity

The Evolution of Invertebrate Diversity

The Evolution of Vertebrate 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

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