Question 1

Which of the following options correctly lists the varieties of life in the order that they appear in the geologic record,from earliest to most recent?

Accepted Answer

A) reptiles; land arthropods; plants and fungi on land; flowering plants 
B) land arthropods; plants and fungi on land; flowering plants; reptiles 
C) plants and fungi on land; land arthropods; flowering plants; reptiles 
D) plants and fungi on land; land arthropods; reptiles; flowering plants 
A) reptiles; land arthropods; plants and fungi on land; flowering plants 
B) land arthropods; plants and fungi on land; flowering plants; reptiles 
C) plants and fungi on land; land arthropods; flowering plants; reptiles 
D) plants and fungi on land; land arthropods; reptiles; flowering plants

Question 2

At the end of the ,over 96% of marine species and many terrestrial species became extinct,possibly because intense volcanic activity warmed Earth's climate.

Accepted Answer

A) Cretaceous 
B) Permian 
C) Precambrian 
D) Mesozoic 
A) Cretaceous 
B) Permian 
C) Precambrian 
D) Mesozoic

Question 3

Miller was the first to show that

Accepted Answer

A) the earliest forms of life were photosynthetic. 
B) eukaryotic life evolved from early prokaryotes. 
C) the earliest forms of life had an RNA genome. 
D) amino acids and other organic molecules could have formed under conditions thought to resemble those of early Earth. 
A) the earliest forms of life were photosynthetic. 
B) eukaryotic life evolved from early prokaryotes. 
C) the earliest forms of life had an RNA genome. 
D) amino acids and other organic molecules could have formed under conditions thought to resemble those of early Earth.

Question 4

Scientists believe that a major factor promoting the adaptive radiation of mammals was probably

Accepted Answer

A) their development of fur. 
B) internal fertilization. 
C) the mass extinction of most dinosaurs,an event that opened up new ecological opportunities. 
D) the origin and diversification of flowering plants. 
A) their development of fur. 
B) internal fertilization. 
C) the mass extinction of most dinosaurs,an event that opened up new ecological opportunities. 
D) the origin and diversification of flowering plants.

Question 5

Plants and fungi first became established on land during the

Accepted Answer

A) Paleozoic. 
B) Cenozoic. 
C) Proterozoic. 
D) Archaean. 
A) Paleozoic. 
B) Cenozoic. 
C) Proterozoic. 
D) Archaean.

Question 6

The process through which species not closely related may come to resemble one another if they live in a similar environment is known as

Accepted Answer

A) convergent evolution. 
B) paedomorphosis. 
C) coevolution. 
D) homology. 
A) convergent evolution. 
B) paedomorphosis. 
C) coevolution. 
D) homology.

Question 7

Structures that evolved from the same structure in a common ancestor are

Accepted Answer

A) convergent adaptations. 
B) analogous. 
C) homologous. 
D) heterologous. 
A) convergent adaptations. 
B) analogous. 
C) homologous. 
D) heterologous.

Question 8

Which of the following options lists major events in the history of life on Earth in the proper order,from earliest to most recent?

Accepted Answer

A) first prokaryotes; photosynthesis; colonization of land by plants and fungi; first eukaryotes 
B) first prokaryotes; first eukaryotes; photosynthesis; colonization of land by plants and fungi 
C) first eukaryotes; photosynthesis; colonization of land by plants and fungi; first prokaryotes 
D) first prokaryotes; photosynthesis; first eukaryotes; colonization of land by plants and fungi 
A) first prokaryotes; photosynthesis; colonization of land by plants and fungi; first eukaryotes 
B) first prokaryotes; first eukaryotes; photosynthesis; colonization of land by plants and fungi 
C) first eukaryotes; photosynthesis; colonization of land by plants and fungi; first prokaryotes 
D) first prokaryotes; photosynthesis; first eukaryotes; colonization of land by plants and fungi

Question 9

makes it possible to trace phylogenies among microbial groups for which there is no fossil record.

Accepted Answer

A) Molecular systematics 
B) Convergent evolution 
C) Horizontal gene transfer 
D) Comparison to vertebrate outgroups 
A) Molecular systematics 
B) Convergent evolution 
C) Horizontal gene transfer 
D) Comparison to vertebrate outgroups

Question 10

Over a span of several thousand years,a number of species show adaptations to climate change: drier,warmer conditions select for succulent vegetation and deep taproots in plants,burrowing in mammals and amphibians,and other similar adaptive changes.What will happen if the climate shifts in the opposite direction and becomes progressively wetter and cooler?

Accepted Answer

A) Adaptation will cease because cool,wet conditions are generally favorable for life. 
B) Current adaptive trends will continue but organisms will now also have to add on adaptations to deal with cool,wet conditions. 
C) Different adaptive trends will probably be favored in the new climatic environment. 
D) Ongoing processes of adaptation will continue because of evolutionary inertia. 
A) Adaptation will cease because cool,wet conditions are generally favorable for life. 
B) Current adaptive trends will continue but organisms will now also have to add on adaptations to deal with cool,wet conditions. 
C) Different adaptive trends will probably be favored in the new climatic environment. 
D) Ongoing processes of adaptation will continue because of evolutionary inertia.

Question 11

In the three- domain system,the eukaryotes are represented

Accepted Answer

A) only within the kingdom Protista. 
B) only within the domain Eukarya. 
C) only within the domain Archaea. 
D) in all three domains. 
A) only within the kingdom Protista. 
B) only within the domain Eukarya. 
C) only within the domain Archaea. 
D) in all three domains.

Question 12

Feathers are an example of an ; they originally evolved .

Accepted Answer

A) adaptation ...for flight 
B) exaptation ...in anticipation of future use in the development of flight 
C) exaptation ...for some other function and only later became adapted for flight 
D) adaptation ...for some other function and only later became adapted for flight 
A) adaptation ...for flight 
B) exaptation ...in anticipation of future use in the development of flight 
C) exaptation ...for some other function and only later became adapted for flight 
D) adaptation ...for some other function and only later became adapted for flight

Question 13

The three- domain system

Accepted Answer

A) subdivides the eukaryotes into two different domains. 
B) subdivides the prokaryotes into two different domains. 
C) no longer recognizes eukaryotes as a monophyletic group. 
D) separates plants,animals,and fungi into domains. 
A) subdivides the eukaryotes into two different domains. 
B) subdivides the prokaryotes into two different domains. 
C) no longer recognizes eukaryotes as a monophyletic group. 
D) separates plants,animals,and fungi into domains.

Question 14

Over the past 400 years,humans have documented the extinction of more than species.This modern rate of species extinction is estimated to be the normal extinction rate seen in the fossil record.

Accepted Answer

A) 400 ...about double 
B) 1,000 ...over 100 times greater than 
C) 100 ...about the same as 
D) 10,000 ...at least 1 million times greater than 
A) 400 ...about double 
B) 1,000 ...over 100 times greater than 
C) 100 ...about the same as 
D) 10,000 ...at least 1 million times greater than

Question 15

How can the success of one group of organisms promote the adaptive radiation of a second group?

Accepted Answer

A) by providing new food resources,habitats,etc.for the second group 
B) by filling most of the available niches,which forces the second group to evolve greater diversity 
C) by competing with the second group,promoting its adaptive radiation 
D) by preying on the second group,which hastens its adaptation 
A) by providing new food resources,habitats,etc.for the second group 
B) by filling most of the available niches,which forces the second group to evolve greater diversity 
C) by competing with the second group,promoting its adaptive radiation 
D) by preying on the second group,which hastens its adaptation

Question 16

In the axolotl,development is altered.Adult axolotls retain features (external gills and aquatic life)that were juvenile in its ancestors,a phenomenon known as

Accepted Answer

A) "evo- devo." 
B) delinquent evolution. 
C) homology. 
D) paedomorphosis. 
A) "evo- devo." 
B) delinquent evolution. 
C) homology. 
D) paedomorphosis.

Question 17

According to "evo- devo" thinking,an organism's body form can be substantially changed

Accepted Answer

A) through mutations that change sexually selected traits. 
B) only through multiple mutations that produce a large number of new proteins. 
C) through mutations or changes in the expression of one or a few genes that regulate development. 
D) only when changes in the environment directly alter the major protein- coding genes in the organism's genome. 
A) through mutations that change sexually selected traits. 
B) only through multiple mutations that produce a large number of new proteins. 
C) through mutations or changes in the expression of one or a few genes that regulate development. 
D) only when changes in the environment directly alter the major protein- coding genes in the organism's genome.

Question 18

The branching "tree of life" analogy

Accepted Answer

A) does not describe ecological interactions between species,so it should be replaced by the web of life. 
B) has been discredited because it does not help us understand evolutionary relationships among organisms. 
C) accurately reflects evolution.Once a split occurs,species on different branches evolve absolutely independently. 
D) fails to account for horizontal gene transfer,in which species on different branches exchange genes. 
A) does not describe ecological interactions between species,so it should be replaced by the web of life. 
B) has been discredited because it does not help us understand evolutionary relationships among organisms. 
C) accurately reflects evolution.Once a split occurs,species on different branches evolve absolutely independently. 
D) fails to account for horizontal gene transfer,in which species on different branches exchange genes.

Question 19

The technique called radiometric dating is based on

Accepted Answer

A) the use of fossils of known age to determine how fast carbon- 14 decays. 
B) the assumption that radioactive isotopes accumulate in fossils at a constant rate. 
C) the steady,clocklike decay of certain radioactive isotopes over time. 
D) the formation of radioactive molecules in rocks after they are laid down. 
A) the use of fossils of known age to determine how fast carbon- 14 decays. 
B) the assumption that radioactive isotopes accumulate in fossils at a constant rate. 
C) the steady,clocklike decay of certain radioactive isotopes over time. 
D) the formation of radioactive molecules in rocks after they are laid down.

Question 20

Miller- Urey- type experiments have shown that

Accepted Answer

A) complex organic molecules can be produced by physical processes from inorganic components. 
B) simple cells could be produced in the laboratory using a "soup" of small organic molecules. 
C) living cells could survive in primitive Earth's atmosphere. 
D) given the conditions of early Earth,the formation of life would still require additional materials from meteorites and asteroids. 
A) complex organic molecules can be produced by physical processes from inorganic components. 
B) simple cells could be produced in the laboratory using a "soup" of small organic molecules. 
C) living cells could survive in primitive Earth's atmosphere. 
D) given the conditions of early Earth,the formation of life would still require additional materials from meteorites and asteroids.

Exam 15: Tracing Evolutionary History

Which of the following options correctly lists the varieties of life in the order that they appear in the geologic record,from earliest to most recent?

At the end of the ,over 96% of marine species and many terrestrial species became extinct,possibly because intense volcanic activity warmed Earth's climate.

Miller was the first to show that

Scientists believe that a major factor promoting the adaptive radiation of mammals was probably

Plants and fungi first became established on land during the

The process through which species not closely related may come to resemble one another if they live in a similar environment is known as

Structures that evolved from the same structure in a common ancestor are

Which of the following options lists major events in the history of life on Earth in the proper order,from earliest to most recent?

makes it possible to trace phylogenies among microbial groups for which there is no fossil record.

In the three- domain system,the eukaryotes are represented

Feathers are an example of an ; they originally evolved .

The three- domain system

Over the past 400 years,humans have documented the extinction of more than species.This modern rate of species extinction is estimated to be the normal extinction rate seen in the fossil record.

How can the success of one group of organisms promote the adaptive radiation of a second group?

In the axolotl,development is altered.Adult axolotls retain features (external gills and aquatic life)that were juvenile in its ancestors,a phenomenon known as

According to "evo- devo" thinking,an organism's body form can be substantially changed

The branching "tree of life" analogy

The technique called radiometric dating is based on

Miller- Urey- type experiments have shown that

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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