Deck 3: The Diversity of Life

Question 1

Biomarkers are __________, which provide key information about the former presence of ancient life.

A) chemical residues in rocks
B) teeth and bones
C) fossil fuels
D) impressions and molds

Answer 1

A

Question 2

We know that life on Earth existed as far back as 3.8 billion years ago because of

A) chemical "blueprints."
B) membrane-bounded modules.
C) the fossil record.
D) living cells and their genes.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

In the phylogeny of birds, __________ are intermediate between reptiles and birds.

A) amphibians
B) therapsids
C) dinosaurs
D) mammals

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Some of the Archaea are notable for

A) forming greenish scums in lakes, streams, or the sea.
B) breaking down the cells and tissues of dead organisms.
C) tolerance of extreme environmental conditions.
D) causing some diseases in plants and animals.

Question 5

In the __________, the reproductive cycle entails alternation of generations; a spore-producing generation alternates with one that produces eggs and sperm.

A) ferns
B) mosses
C) fungi
D) conifers

Question 6

__________ release enzymes to break down food materials in the external environment and then absorb the food into their cells.

A) Archaea
B) Bacteria
C) Fungi
D) Protists

Question 7

An initial assumption of cladistics research is that

A) not all species within a taxon can be traced to a common ancestor.
B) a higher taxon must have multiple evolutionary origins.
C) when two groups share a particular biological trait, both groups have inherited the trait from a common ancestor.
D) more species will die out than will originate over the same period of time.

Question 8

Regarding the phylogeny of Nannippus, the first Nannippus species (unnamed) gave rise DIRECTLY to

A) N. westoni.
B) N. aztecus.
C) N. lenticularis.
D) N. peninsulatus.

Question 9

The classification of superfamily is the next step below __________ in the major tazonomictaxonomic categories of the higher taxa.

A) phylum
B) class
C) order
D) suborder

Question 10

Unicellular algae that secrete two-part skeletons of opal, a form of silicon dioxide, are called

A) radiolarians.
B) coccolithophores.
C) foraminifera.
D) diatoms.

Question 11

The secret of fossilization of soft tissue is

A) protection from oxygen.
B) presence of oily plant debris.
C) permeable sediment.
D) absence of sunlight.

Question 12

Tracks, trails, burrows, and other marks left by animal activity are known as

A) biomarkers.
B) trace fossils.
C) fossil fuels.
D) prokaryote.

Question 13

Select the domain of life that is one of the two groups of prokaryotes.

A) Bacteria
B) Eukarya
C) Fungi
D) Green plants

Question 14

The extinct group of animals known as __________ actually occupied an intermediate evolutionary position between reptiles and mammals.

A) jawed fish
B) therapsids
C) reptiles
D) amphibians

Question 15

A cluster of species that share a common ancestry is called a

A) phylogeny.
B) family.
C) genus.
D) clade.

Question 16

_________ absorb most of their food from dead organisms.

A) Fernss
B) Seed plants
C) Fungi
D) Conifers

Question 17

A fossil is defined as

A) internal and external skeletons.
B) non-living structures within which certain chemical reactions take place.
C) the capacity for self-replication and self-regulation.
D) the tangible remains or signs of ancient organisms that died long ago.

Question 18

__________ are protists that possess a single flagellum.

A) Ciliates
B) Dinoflagellates
C) Zooflagellates
D) Algae

Question 19

The genus that includes all the living members of the horse family is

A) Nannippus.
B) Equus.
C) Hipparion.
D) Megahippus.

Question 20

A three-dimensional, negative imprint of a fossil organic structure is called

A) permineralization.
B) carbonization.
C) impression.
D) mold.

Question 21

Select the animal group below that is NOT an arthropod.

A) crustaceans
B) trilobites
C) bryozoans
D) insects

Question 22

Lophotrochozoans that respire by means of a frilly, loop-shaped organ called a lophophore are called

A) ecdysozoans.
B) brachiopods.
C) gastropods.
D) cephalopods.

Question 23

Most species of animals on Earth are in the taxonomic group called

A) insects.
B) crustaceans.
C) onychophorans.
D) segmented worms.

Question 24

The modern "sand dollar" that lives along sandy beaches is part of the echinoderm group called

A) sea stars.
B) irregular sea urchins.
C) regular sea urchins.
D) crinoids.

Question 25

A phylogenticphylogenetic diagram shows that the derived traits shared ONLY by reptiles, therapsids, and mammals are

A) jaws.
B) lungs.
C) claws or nails.
D) fur and mammary glands.

Question 26

The name of this group of plants means "seed within a vessel."

A) Angiosperms
B) Gymnosperms
C) Mosses
D) Ferns

Question 27

Jellyfishes, corals, and their relatives represent the group known as

A) lophotrochozoans.
B) cnidarians.
C) deuterostomes.
D) ecdysozoans.

Question 28

Today, this small group of bivalves includes the living genus Lingula, but during the Paleozoic Era, this group was very common in the world's oceans.

A) Bryozoans
B) Brachiopods
C) Arthropods
D) Ecdysozoans

Question 29

Fishes with fins supported by thin bones that radiate outward from the body are called

A) conodonts.
B) lobe-finned fishes.
C) ray-finned fishes.
D) amphibians.

Question 30

An example of a living monotreme mammal is a(n)

A) theraspidtherapsid.
B) kangaroo.
C) alligator.
D) platypus.