Deck 23: Paleobiology and Macroevolution

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Question
The first dinosaur fossils were discovered in ____, leading to the first public dinosaur craze.

A)Britain
B)Australia
C)United States
D)South Africa
E)China
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Question
Mammals underwent an evolutionary "explosion", or major adaptive radiation, during the ____.

A)Mesozoic era
B)Cambrian period
C)Triassic period
D)Devonian period
E)Cenozoic era
Question
Which element is least useful for dating fossils greater than 10 million years old? ​

A)Carbon-14
B)Uranium-238
C)Uranium-235
D)Thorium-232
E)Rubidium-87
Question
Which adaptation is least likely to be found in any dinosaurs?  ​

A)bright coloration
B)bipedal posture
C)feathered wings
D)gills for breathing underwater
E)posture with heads upright and tails off the ground
Question
During the Cretaceous period, ____.

A)mammals diversified and flourished
B)life appeared on this planet
C)the first animals with shells and skeletons appeared
D)the dinosaurs reached their peak and then became extinct
E)the first human-like apes appeared
Question
Dinosaurs flourished during the ____ era. ​

A)Archaean
B)Paleozoic
C)Mesozoic
D)Cambrian
E)Cenozoic
Question
Angiosperms first appeared during the ____ period. ​

A)Cambrian
B)Jurassic
C)Cretaceous
D)Neogene
E)Devonian
Question
Radiometric dating works best with ____. ​

A)sedimentary rocks
B)limestone
C)metamorphic rock
D)volcanic rocks
E)meteorites
Question
Most dinosaurs were extinct by ____ years ago. ​

A)10,000
B)1 million
C)500 million
D)65 million
E)1 billion
Question
The analysis of large-scale changes in morphology and diversity over life's 3.8-billion-year history comprises the study of ____. ​

A)microevolution
B)mutation
C)macroevolution
D)artificial selection
E)genetic drift
Question
The radioactive decay of carbon-14 can be used to determine ____.

A)relative dating
B)absolute dating
C)mutation rates
D)plate tectonics
E)extinction rates
Question
If the entire history of the Earth is symbolized by a 12-month calendar, dinosaurs and mammals both appear in the month of ____. ​

A)August
B)September
C)October
D)November
E)December
Question
The time interval used to measure the absolute age of rocks by radiometric dating is called the ____. ​

A)radioisotope unit
B)radiometric unit
C)radiometric life
D)radioisotope life
E)half-life
Question
Most dinosaurs died out by the end of the ____ period. ​

A)Triassic
B)Jurassic
C)Cretaceous
D)Quaternary
E)Permian
Question
According to the geological time scale, which segment of Earth's history is the oldest? ​

A)Hadean eon ​
B)Archean eon
C)Proterozoic eon
D)Paleozoic era
E)Cenozoic era
Question
Which group of animals are living representatives of the theropods, a lineage of bipedal predatory dinosaurs?

A)birds
B)crocodiles and alligators
C)snakes and lizards
D)turtles
E)mammals
Question
A paleontologist estimates that when a particular rock formed, it contained 12 mg of the radioactive isotope potassium-40, which has a half-life of 1.25 billion years. The rock now contains 3 mg of the isotope. About how old is the rock? ​

A)2.5 billion years
B)5.0 billion years
C)1.25 billion years
D)0.3 billion years
E)0.4 billion years
Question
Fossils are predominantly found in ____. ​

A)metamorphic rocks
B)igneous rocks
C)sedimentary rocks
D)crystalline rocks
E)radioactive rocks
Question
The earliest signs of life appeared on Earth during the ____ era.

A)Archean
B)Paleozoic
C)Mesozoic
D)Cambrian
E)Cenozoic
Question
Over time, the carbon isotope 14C decays into ____. ​

A)​ 12 C
B)​ 14 N
C)​ 12 N
D)​ 13 C
E)​ 12 B
Question
Continental drift caused the large supercontinent that existed during the Paleozoic era to separate into a northern continent, called ____, and a southern continent, called ____. ​

A)Pangaea; Laurasia
B)Laurasia; Gondwana
C)Gondwana; Laurasia
D)Pangaea; Gondwana
E)Gondwana; Pangaea
Question
The most severe mass extinction on Earth occurred at the end of the ____ period. ​

A)Cambrian
B)Carboniferous
C)Jurassic
D)Permian
E)Devonian
Question
The fourteen species of finches native to the Galápagos Islands ____, and therefore illustrate adaptive radiation.

A)diverged following a mass extinction event
B)evolved from a single common ancestor
C)migrated independently from South America
D)represent a convergent evolutionary process
E)evolved from numerous distant ancestors
Question
Fossilized wood and bone fragments can be accurately aged using ____. ​

A)Thorium-232
B)Uranium-238
C)Uranium-235
D)Potassium-40
E)Carbon-14
Question
At times when Earth's climate was cooler than it is today, the polar ice caps ____, rainfall ____, and sea levels ____.

A)retreated; increased; rose
B)retreated; decreased; fell
C)grew larger; increased; fell
D)grew larger; increased; rose
E)grew larger; decreased; fell
Question
When rapid speciation produces a cluster of closely related species that occupy different habitats or consume different foods, the process is referred to as ____. ​

A)punctuated equilibrium
B)disjunct dispersal
C)disjunct vicariance
D)adaptive radiation
E)continuous vicariance
Question
To which zoogeographical realm does the North American continent belong? ​

A)Palearctic
B)Oceanian
C)Neotropical
D)Panamanian
E)Nearctic
Question
Which terrestrial herbivore in Australia shares overall similarities in body form and ecological roles as the distantly related North American woodchuck ( Marmota monax )?

A)marsupial mole ( Notoryctes typhlops )
B)yellow-footed marsupial mouse ( Antechinus flavipes )
C)wombat ( Vombatus ursinus )
D)honey glider ( Petaurus breviceps )
E)Tasmanian wolf ( Thylacinus cynocephalus )
Question
Plate tectonics causes oceanic ridges to form where ____. ​

A)continental plates collide
B)shallow seas dry up
C)magma rises through fissures in the sea floor
D)old oceanic crust sinks below continental crust
E)subduction uplifts continental crust
Question
Today, Australia, Antarctica, and South America represent fragments of ____.

A)Australasia
B)Laurasia
C)Gondwana
D)Eurasia
E)Amerasia
Question
About 250 million years ago Earth's continents merged into one supercontinent called ____. ​

A)Nazca
B)Eurasia
C)Laurasia
D)Gondwana
E)Pangaea
Question
Today we are living in one of the ____ periods of Earth's history, but global climate change is occurring much ____ than ever before. ​

A)cooler; faster
B)cooler; slower
C)warmer; faster
D)warmer; slower
E)warmer; more unpredictably
Question
A species confined to a specific geographic area and found nowhere else on Earth is called ____. ​

A)endemic
B)allopatric
C)sympatric
D)autopolyploid
E)polymorphic
Question
Australia and Eurasia each have a mouse-like mammal, one a marsupial, the other a placental. These distantly related species are an example of ____. ​

A)disjunct dispersal
B)disjunct vicariance
C)adaptive radiation
D)convergent evolution
E)distant migration
Question
The movement of organisms away from their place of origin, called ____, can produce a ____ distribution, in which closely related species live in widely separated locations.

A)fragmentation; continuous
B)vicariance; disjunct
C)vicariance; continuous
D)dispersal; disjunct
E)dispersal; continuous
Question
A single seed lands on one of a group of isolated islands. Several million years later, its descendants have evolved into a number of new species on the different islands, representing a variety of trees, shrubs, and vines. This is an example of ____. ​

A)adaptive radiation
B)punctuated equilibrium
C)genetic drift
D)microevolution
E)mutation
Question
On a regional level, coastal areas generally experience ____ fluctuations in temperature compared to interior regions of landmasses. ​

A)smaller daily but larger seasonal
B)larger daily but smaller seasonal
C)only larger daily
D)smaller daily and seasonal
E)larger daily and seasonal
Question
The term ____ refers to all the organisms, including plants and animals, living in a particular region. ​

A)fauna
B)biota
C)flora
D)population
E)ecosystem
Question
As a result of plate tectonics, new crust is added to the Earth at ____, and old crust is recycled into the mantle at ____.

A)oceanic ridges; oceanic trenches
B)oceanic ridges; continental crusts
C)oceanic trenches; oceanic ridges
D)continental crusts; oceanic trenches
E)oceanic trenches; continental crusts
Question
Throughout Earth's history, changes in climate patterns that led to declining sea levels took an especially severe toll on organisms living in ____ environments. ​

A)interior freshwater
B)interior terrestrial
C)coastal terrestrial
D)shallow marine
E)deep marine
Question
When scientists examined fossils of Ordovician trilobites, they found that a sample from any given stratum was almost always intermediate in their morphology between samples from strata just above or below it, providing evidence of ____. ​

A)convergent evolution
B)rapid speciation
C)adaptive radiation
D)punctuated equilibrium
E)phyletic gradualism
Question
The potential seventh mass extinction refers to ____.  ​

A)the loss of 50% of species on Earth, including dinosaurs, at the end of the Cretaceous
B)the most extensive loss of species that occurred during the Permian ​
C)what will happen to the human species if a nuclear war occurs
D)the rapid loss of biodiversity due to human degradation of the environment
E)events that occurred just before insects diversified on land
Question
The concept that most morphological changes in species occur gradually over long periods of time is known as the ____. ​

A)phyletic gradualism hypothesis
B)principle of convergent evolution
C)punctuated equilibrium hypothesis
D)unified theory of evolution
E)concept of adaptive radiation
Question
Alan Cheetham observed a punctuated pattern of evolution in the ____ , small ectoprocts from the Caribbean Sea. ​

A)trilobites
B)arthropods
C)crustaceans
D)Metrarabdotons
E)echinoderms
Question
The changing size ratio between an animal's head and the rest of its body during development is an example of ____. ​

A)allometric growth
B)punctuated equilibrium
C)phyletic gradualism
D)heterochrony
E)paedomorphosis
Question
The skulls of infant chimpanzees and infant humans are remarkably similar in shape. However, as they mature, they become quite different due to differences in ____. ​

A)allometric growth
B)paedomorphosis
C)gradualism
D)vicariance
E)heterochrony
Question
The fossil record indicates that the immediate ancestors of modern marine animals diversified in the ____ period, right after the ____ extinction. ​

A)Ordovician; Cambrian
B)Jurassic; Triassic
C)Carboniferous; Devonian
D)Paleogene; Cretaceous
E)Triassic; Permian
Question
Although ferns and conifers maintained their diversity into the early Cenozoic era, ____ may have hastened their decline in the early Cretaceous. ​

A)cycads
B)gymnosperms
C)angiosperms
D)invertebrates
E)mammals
Question
What percentage of the species that have ever existed on Earth are probably now extinct? ​

A)less than 10%
B)more than 99.9%
C)about 80%
D)about 25%
E)about 75%
Question
Fossil evidence from five continents exists for 100 extinct, and one extant, species of ____ ​

A)humans
B)birds
C)trilobites
D)insects
E)horses
Question
The diversity of terrestrial vascular plants has increased almost continuously since the ____ period.

A)Devonian
B)Ordovician
C)Cambrian
D)Silurian
E)Proterozoic
Question
In which period was a mass extinction event least likely?

A)Permian
B)Neogene
C)Cretaceous
D)Ordovician
E)Devonian
Question
Peter Sheldon found that the number of tail "ribs" in ____ changed over a 3 million year period with no evidence of speciation. ​

A)horses
B)trilobites
C)insects
D)humans
E)ectoprocts
Question
Scientists hypothesize that the massive Permian extinction was triggered by ____. ​

A)asteroid impacts that caused atmospheric dust clouds
B)a series of ongoing volcanic eruptions
C)degradation of the environment by humans
D)rising sea levels that covered most landmasses
E)extreme global cooling that made Earth uninhabitable
Question
The evolution of horses is best characterized as ____. ​

A)a linear sequence of intermediate forms leading to modern horses
B)an example of evolutionary convergence
C)poorly documented and speculative
D)a gradual increase in body size
E)a complex branched history with many extinct lineages
Question
Which is a likely result of a mass extinction? ​

A)The creation of "empty niche spaces," which can stimulate radiation of surviving groups.
B)The elimination of non-beneficial alleles from gene pools.
C)The increase in the rate of new mutations in remaining species.
D)The decrease in the rate of new mutations in remaining species.
E)The introduction of mutations that have a greater than usual effect.
Question
The evolutionary mode in which species evolve rapidly at first and then remain stable for very long periods of time is called ____. ​

A)catastrophism
B)uniformitarianism
C)disruptive selection
D)punctuated equilibrium
E)phyletic gradualism
Question
As environments change, poorly adapted organisms will not survive and reproduce; therefore, we can expect species to disappear at some low rate, called the ____.

A)background extinction rate
B)punctuated equilibrium
C)rate of phyletic gradualism
D)rate of adaptive radiation
E)mass extinction rate
Question
The apparent lack of intermediate forms in the fossil record can be explained by the ____ hypothesis. ​

A)disruptive selection
B)fossil decay
C)punctuated equilibrium
D)genetic drift
E)allopatric speciation
Question
Different clusters of related Galápagos finch species each occupy a somewhat different ____, a term that describes a general way of life. ​

A)niche zone
B)adaptive zone
C)hybrid zone
D)novel habitat
E)disjunct habitat
Question
Match between columns
ginkgos
A
ginkgos
B
ginkgos
C
ginkgos
D
ginkgos
E
ginkgos
F
ginkgos
G
Question
Which characteristic possessed by Archaeopteryx was least likely present in their dinosaurian ancestors? ​

A)teeth
B)feathers
C)a long tail with many vertebrae
D)three clawed fingers on each hand
E)a forked breastbone
Question
Match between columns
angiosperms
A
angiosperms
B
angiosperms
C
angiosperms
D
angiosperms
E
angiosperms
F
angiosperms
G
Question
The narrower and more tubular shape of Delphinium nudicaule flowers, which mature at an earlier stage of development than Delphinium decorum flowers, is the product of ____. ​

A)allometric growth
B)exaptation
C)paedomorphosis
D)disjunct vicariance
E)continuous vicariance
Question
In some amphibians, including salamanders, paedomorphosis results from mutations that ____. ​

A)reduce thyroid hormone production only
B)reduce pituitary hormone production only
C)limit the responsiveness of some developmental processes to thyroid hormone concentration only
D)reduce pituitary hormone production, limit the responsiveness of some developmental processes to pituitary hormone concentration, or both
E)reduce thyroid hormone production, limit the responsiveness of some developmental processes to thyroid hormone concentration, or both
Question
Match between columns
ferns
A
ferns
B
ferns
C
ferns
D
ferns
E
ferns
F
ferns
G
Question
Match between columns
cycads
A
cycads
B
cycads
C
cycads
D
cycads
E
cycads
F
cycads
G
Question
Some animals have evolved sexual maturity in juvenile body forms. This is called ____. ​

A)allometric growth
B)vicariance
C)paedomorphosis
D)punctuated equilibrium
E)convergence
Question
A trait that is adaptive in one context and later turns out to have adaptive value in a different context is called ____. ​

A)paedomorphic
B)heterochronic
C)allometric
D)an exaptation
E)endemic
Question
Match between columns
conifers
A
conifers
B
conifers
C
conifers
D
conifers
E
conifers
F
conifers
G
Question
The appendages in both fishes and tetrapods develop from buds of ____, the middle embryonic tissue layer. ​

A)ectoderm
B)endoderm
C)mesoderm
D)epiderm
E)hypoderm
Question
Match between columns
continents coalesce into Pangaea; mass extinction at the end of this period destroyed 85 percent of life
Archaean
continents coalesce into Pangaea; mass extinction at the end of this period destroyed 85 percent of life
Cambrian
continents coalesce into Pangaea; mass extinction at the end of this period destroyed 85 percent of life
Silurian
continents coalesce into Pangaea; mass extinction at the end of this period destroyed 85 percent of life
Devonian
continents coalesce into Pangaea; mass extinction at the end of this period destroyed 85 percent of life
Carboniferous
continents coalesce into Pangaea; mass extinction at the end of this period destroyed 85 percent of life
Permian
continents coalesce into Pangaea; mass extinction at the end of this period destroyed 85 percent of life
Triassic
continents coalesce into Pangaea; mass extinction at the end of this period destroyed 85 percent of life
Jurassic
continents coalesce into Pangaea; mass extinction at the end of this period destroyed 85 percent of life
Cretaceous
continents coalesce into Pangaea; mass extinction at the end of this period destroyed 85 percent of life
Cenozoic - Tertiary
Question
Genes in the Hox family of homeobox genes control the body plans of animals along the ____ axis, including where ____ will develop on the animal's body. ​

A)dorsal-ventral; appendages
B)dorsal-ventral; light-sensing organs
C)internal-external; internal organs
D)anterior-posterior; appendages
E)anterior-posterior; light-sensing organs
Question
The complete replacement of one type of organ with another is called ____. ​

A)paedomorphosis
B)heterochrony
C)homeosis
D)homoplasy
E)allometry
Question
A ____ gene determines the structure of body parts during embryonic development. ​

A)homoplasy
B)homeostatic
C)homologous
D)homeobox
E)homogenous
Question
Match between columns
first vascular plants and jawed fishes appear
Archaean
first vascular plants and jawed fishes appear
Cambrian
first vascular plants and jawed fishes appear
Silurian
first vascular plants and jawed fishes appear
Devonian
first vascular plants and jawed fishes appear
Carboniferous
first vascular plants and jawed fishes appear
Permian
first vascular plants and jawed fishes appear
Triassic
first vascular plants and jawed fishes appear
Jurassic
first vascular plants and jawed fishes appear
Cretaceous
first vascular plants and jawed fishes appear
Cenozoic - Tertiary
Question
Match between columns
origin of life; evolution of prokaryotes
Archaean
origin of life; evolution of prokaryotes
Cambrian
origin of life; evolution of prokaryotes
Silurian
origin of life; evolution of prokaryotes
Devonian
origin of life; evolution of prokaryotes
Carboniferous
origin of life; evolution of prokaryotes
Permian
origin of life; evolution of prokaryotes
Triassic
origin of life; evolution of prokaryotes
Jurassic
origin of life; evolution of prokaryotes
Cretaceous
origin of life; evolution of prokaryotes
Cenozoic - Tertiary
Question
Match between columns
asteroid at the end of this period causes extinction of dinosaurs
Archaean
asteroid at the end of this period causes extinction of dinosaurs
Cambrian
asteroid at the end of this period causes extinction of dinosaurs
Silurian
asteroid at the end of this period causes extinction of dinosaurs
Devonian
asteroid at the end of this period causes extinction of dinosaurs
Carboniferous
asteroid at the end of this period causes extinction of dinosaurs
Permian
asteroid at the end of this period causes extinction of dinosaurs
Triassic
asteroid at the end of this period causes extinction of dinosaurs
Jurassic
asteroid at the end of this period causes extinction of dinosaurs
Cretaceous
asteroid at the end of this period causes extinction of dinosaurs
Cenozoic - Tertiary
Question
In marine sticklebacks, the Pitx1 gene is ____, but in freshwater sticklebacks, the Pitx1 gene is ____. ​

A)not expressed and spines are present; expressed and spines are absent
B)not expressed and spines are absent; expressed and spines are present
C)expressed and spines are present; not expressed and spines are absent
D)expressed and spines are absent; not expressed and spines are present
E)present so spines develop; absent so spines do not develop
Question
Match between columns
initial radiation of animal phyla
Archaean
initial radiation of animal phyla
Cambrian
initial radiation of animal phyla
Silurian
initial radiation of animal phyla
Devonian
initial radiation of animal phyla
Carboniferous
initial radiation of animal phyla
Permian
initial radiation of animal phyla
Triassic
initial radiation of animal phyla
Jurassic
initial radiation of animal phyla
Cretaceous
initial radiation of animal phyla
Cenozoic - Tertiary
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Deck 23: Paleobiology and Macroevolution
1
The first dinosaur fossils were discovered in ____, leading to the first public dinosaur craze.

A)Britain
B)Australia
C)United States
D)South Africa
E)China
A
2
Mammals underwent an evolutionary "explosion", or major adaptive radiation, during the ____.

A)Mesozoic era
B)Cambrian period
C)Triassic period
D)Devonian period
E)Cenozoic era
A
3
Which element is least useful for dating fossils greater than 10 million years old? ​

A)Carbon-14
B)Uranium-238
C)Uranium-235
D)Thorium-232
E)Rubidium-87
A
4
Which adaptation is least likely to be found in any dinosaurs?  ​

A)bright coloration
B)bipedal posture
C)feathered wings
D)gills for breathing underwater
E)posture with heads upright and tails off the ground
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5
During the Cretaceous period, ____.

A)mammals diversified and flourished
B)life appeared on this planet
C)the first animals with shells and skeletons appeared
D)the dinosaurs reached their peak and then became extinct
E)the first human-like apes appeared
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6
Dinosaurs flourished during the ____ era. ​

A)Archaean
B)Paleozoic
C)Mesozoic
D)Cambrian
E)Cenozoic
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7
Angiosperms first appeared during the ____ period. ​

A)Cambrian
B)Jurassic
C)Cretaceous
D)Neogene
E)Devonian
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8
Radiometric dating works best with ____. ​

A)sedimentary rocks
B)limestone
C)metamorphic rock
D)volcanic rocks
E)meteorites
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9
Most dinosaurs were extinct by ____ years ago. ​

A)10,000
B)1 million
C)500 million
D)65 million
E)1 billion
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10
The analysis of large-scale changes in morphology and diversity over life's 3.8-billion-year history comprises the study of ____. ​

A)microevolution
B)mutation
C)macroevolution
D)artificial selection
E)genetic drift
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11
The radioactive decay of carbon-14 can be used to determine ____.

A)relative dating
B)absolute dating
C)mutation rates
D)plate tectonics
E)extinction rates
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12
If the entire history of the Earth is symbolized by a 12-month calendar, dinosaurs and mammals both appear in the month of ____. ​

A)August
B)September
C)October
D)November
E)December
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13
The time interval used to measure the absolute age of rocks by radiometric dating is called the ____. ​

A)radioisotope unit
B)radiometric unit
C)radiometric life
D)radioisotope life
E)half-life
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14
Most dinosaurs died out by the end of the ____ period. ​

A)Triassic
B)Jurassic
C)Cretaceous
D)Quaternary
E)Permian
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15
According to the geological time scale, which segment of Earth's history is the oldest? ​

A)Hadean eon ​
B)Archean eon
C)Proterozoic eon
D)Paleozoic era
E)Cenozoic era
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16
Which group of animals are living representatives of the theropods, a lineage of bipedal predatory dinosaurs?

A)birds
B)crocodiles and alligators
C)snakes and lizards
D)turtles
E)mammals
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17
A paleontologist estimates that when a particular rock formed, it contained 12 mg of the radioactive isotope potassium-40, which has a half-life of 1.25 billion years. The rock now contains 3 mg of the isotope. About how old is the rock? ​

A)2.5 billion years
B)5.0 billion years
C)1.25 billion years
D)0.3 billion years
E)0.4 billion years
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18
Fossils are predominantly found in ____. ​

A)metamorphic rocks
B)igneous rocks
C)sedimentary rocks
D)crystalline rocks
E)radioactive rocks
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19
The earliest signs of life appeared on Earth during the ____ era.

A)Archean
B)Paleozoic
C)Mesozoic
D)Cambrian
E)Cenozoic
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20
Over time, the carbon isotope 14C decays into ____. ​

A)​ 12 C
B)​ 14 N
C)​ 12 N
D)​ 13 C
E)​ 12 B
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21
Continental drift caused the large supercontinent that existed during the Paleozoic era to separate into a northern continent, called ____, and a southern continent, called ____. ​

A)Pangaea; Laurasia
B)Laurasia; Gondwana
C)Gondwana; Laurasia
D)Pangaea; Gondwana
E)Gondwana; Pangaea
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22
The most severe mass extinction on Earth occurred at the end of the ____ period. ​

A)Cambrian
B)Carboniferous
C)Jurassic
D)Permian
E)Devonian
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23
The fourteen species of finches native to the Galápagos Islands ____, and therefore illustrate adaptive radiation.

A)diverged following a mass extinction event
B)evolved from a single common ancestor
C)migrated independently from South America
D)represent a convergent evolutionary process
E)evolved from numerous distant ancestors
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24
Fossilized wood and bone fragments can be accurately aged using ____. ​

A)Thorium-232
B)Uranium-238
C)Uranium-235
D)Potassium-40
E)Carbon-14
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25
At times when Earth's climate was cooler than it is today, the polar ice caps ____, rainfall ____, and sea levels ____.

A)retreated; increased; rose
B)retreated; decreased; fell
C)grew larger; increased; fell
D)grew larger; increased; rose
E)grew larger; decreased; fell
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26
When rapid speciation produces a cluster of closely related species that occupy different habitats or consume different foods, the process is referred to as ____. ​

A)punctuated equilibrium
B)disjunct dispersal
C)disjunct vicariance
D)adaptive radiation
E)continuous vicariance
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27
To which zoogeographical realm does the North American continent belong? ​

A)Palearctic
B)Oceanian
C)Neotropical
D)Panamanian
E)Nearctic
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28
Which terrestrial herbivore in Australia shares overall similarities in body form and ecological roles as the distantly related North American woodchuck ( Marmota monax )?

A)marsupial mole ( Notoryctes typhlops )
B)yellow-footed marsupial mouse ( Antechinus flavipes )
C)wombat ( Vombatus ursinus )
D)honey glider ( Petaurus breviceps )
E)Tasmanian wolf ( Thylacinus cynocephalus )
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29
Plate tectonics causes oceanic ridges to form where ____. ​

A)continental plates collide
B)shallow seas dry up
C)magma rises through fissures in the sea floor
D)old oceanic crust sinks below continental crust
E)subduction uplifts continental crust
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30
Today, Australia, Antarctica, and South America represent fragments of ____.

A)Australasia
B)Laurasia
C)Gondwana
D)Eurasia
E)Amerasia
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31
About 250 million years ago Earth's continents merged into one supercontinent called ____. ​

A)Nazca
B)Eurasia
C)Laurasia
D)Gondwana
E)Pangaea
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32
Today we are living in one of the ____ periods of Earth's history, but global climate change is occurring much ____ than ever before. ​

A)cooler; faster
B)cooler; slower
C)warmer; faster
D)warmer; slower
E)warmer; more unpredictably
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33
A species confined to a specific geographic area and found nowhere else on Earth is called ____. ​

A)endemic
B)allopatric
C)sympatric
D)autopolyploid
E)polymorphic
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34
Australia and Eurasia each have a mouse-like mammal, one a marsupial, the other a placental. These distantly related species are an example of ____. ​

A)disjunct dispersal
B)disjunct vicariance
C)adaptive radiation
D)convergent evolution
E)distant migration
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35
The movement of organisms away from their place of origin, called ____, can produce a ____ distribution, in which closely related species live in widely separated locations.

A)fragmentation; continuous
B)vicariance; disjunct
C)vicariance; continuous
D)dispersal; disjunct
E)dispersal; continuous
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36
A single seed lands on one of a group of isolated islands. Several million years later, its descendants have evolved into a number of new species on the different islands, representing a variety of trees, shrubs, and vines. This is an example of ____. ​

A)adaptive radiation
B)punctuated equilibrium
C)genetic drift
D)microevolution
E)mutation
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37
On a regional level, coastal areas generally experience ____ fluctuations in temperature compared to interior regions of landmasses. ​

A)smaller daily but larger seasonal
B)larger daily but smaller seasonal
C)only larger daily
D)smaller daily and seasonal
E)larger daily and seasonal
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38
The term ____ refers to all the organisms, including plants and animals, living in a particular region. ​

A)fauna
B)biota
C)flora
D)population
E)ecosystem
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39
As a result of plate tectonics, new crust is added to the Earth at ____, and old crust is recycled into the mantle at ____.

A)oceanic ridges; oceanic trenches
B)oceanic ridges; continental crusts
C)oceanic trenches; oceanic ridges
D)continental crusts; oceanic trenches
E)oceanic trenches; continental crusts
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40
Throughout Earth's history, changes in climate patterns that led to declining sea levels took an especially severe toll on organisms living in ____ environments. ​

A)interior freshwater
B)interior terrestrial
C)coastal terrestrial
D)shallow marine
E)deep marine
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41
When scientists examined fossils of Ordovician trilobites, they found that a sample from any given stratum was almost always intermediate in their morphology between samples from strata just above or below it, providing evidence of ____. ​

A)convergent evolution
B)rapid speciation
C)adaptive radiation
D)punctuated equilibrium
E)phyletic gradualism
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42
The potential seventh mass extinction refers to ____.  ​

A)the loss of 50% of species on Earth, including dinosaurs, at the end of the Cretaceous
B)the most extensive loss of species that occurred during the Permian ​
C)what will happen to the human species if a nuclear war occurs
D)the rapid loss of biodiversity due to human degradation of the environment
E)events that occurred just before insects diversified on land
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43
The concept that most morphological changes in species occur gradually over long periods of time is known as the ____. ​

A)phyletic gradualism hypothesis
B)principle of convergent evolution
C)punctuated equilibrium hypothesis
D)unified theory of evolution
E)concept of adaptive radiation
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44
Alan Cheetham observed a punctuated pattern of evolution in the ____ , small ectoprocts from the Caribbean Sea. ​

A)trilobites
B)arthropods
C)crustaceans
D)Metrarabdotons
E)echinoderms
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45
The changing size ratio between an animal's head and the rest of its body during development is an example of ____. ​

A)allometric growth
B)punctuated equilibrium
C)phyletic gradualism
D)heterochrony
E)paedomorphosis
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46
The skulls of infant chimpanzees and infant humans are remarkably similar in shape. However, as they mature, they become quite different due to differences in ____. ​

A)allometric growth
B)paedomorphosis
C)gradualism
D)vicariance
E)heterochrony
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47
The fossil record indicates that the immediate ancestors of modern marine animals diversified in the ____ period, right after the ____ extinction. ​

A)Ordovician; Cambrian
B)Jurassic; Triassic
C)Carboniferous; Devonian
D)Paleogene; Cretaceous
E)Triassic; Permian
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48
Although ferns and conifers maintained their diversity into the early Cenozoic era, ____ may have hastened their decline in the early Cretaceous. ​

A)cycads
B)gymnosperms
C)angiosperms
D)invertebrates
E)mammals
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49
What percentage of the species that have ever existed on Earth are probably now extinct? ​

A)less than 10%
B)more than 99.9%
C)about 80%
D)about 25%
E)about 75%
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50
Fossil evidence from five continents exists for 100 extinct, and one extant, species of ____ ​

A)humans
B)birds
C)trilobites
D)insects
E)horses
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51
The diversity of terrestrial vascular plants has increased almost continuously since the ____ period.

A)Devonian
B)Ordovician
C)Cambrian
D)Silurian
E)Proterozoic
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52
In which period was a mass extinction event least likely?

A)Permian
B)Neogene
C)Cretaceous
D)Ordovician
E)Devonian
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53
Peter Sheldon found that the number of tail "ribs" in ____ changed over a 3 million year period with no evidence of speciation. ​

A)horses
B)trilobites
C)insects
D)humans
E)ectoprocts
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54
Scientists hypothesize that the massive Permian extinction was triggered by ____. ​

A)asteroid impacts that caused atmospheric dust clouds
B)a series of ongoing volcanic eruptions
C)degradation of the environment by humans
D)rising sea levels that covered most landmasses
E)extreme global cooling that made Earth uninhabitable
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55
The evolution of horses is best characterized as ____. ​

A)a linear sequence of intermediate forms leading to modern horses
B)an example of evolutionary convergence
C)poorly documented and speculative
D)a gradual increase in body size
E)a complex branched history with many extinct lineages
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56
Which is a likely result of a mass extinction? ​

A)The creation of "empty niche spaces," which can stimulate radiation of surviving groups.
B)The elimination of non-beneficial alleles from gene pools.
C)The increase in the rate of new mutations in remaining species.
D)The decrease in the rate of new mutations in remaining species.
E)The introduction of mutations that have a greater than usual effect.
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57
The evolutionary mode in which species evolve rapidly at first and then remain stable for very long periods of time is called ____. ​

A)catastrophism
B)uniformitarianism
C)disruptive selection
D)punctuated equilibrium
E)phyletic gradualism
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58
As environments change, poorly adapted organisms will not survive and reproduce; therefore, we can expect species to disappear at some low rate, called the ____.

A)background extinction rate
B)punctuated equilibrium
C)rate of phyletic gradualism
D)rate of adaptive radiation
E)mass extinction rate
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59
The apparent lack of intermediate forms in the fossil record can be explained by the ____ hypothesis. ​

A)disruptive selection
B)fossil decay
C)punctuated equilibrium
D)genetic drift
E)allopatric speciation
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60
Different clusters of related Galápagos finch species each occupy a somewhat different ____, a term that describes a general way of life. ​

A)niche zone
B)adaptive zone
C)hybrid zone
D)novel habitat
E)disjunct habitat
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61
Match between columns
ginkgos
A
ginkgos
B
ginkgos
C
ginkgos
D
ginkgos
E
ginkgos
F
ginkgos
G
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62
Which characteristic possessed by Archaeopteryx was least likely present in their dinosaurian ancestors? ​

A)teeth
B)feathers
C)a long tail with many vertebrae
D)three clawed fingers on each hand
E)a forked breastbone
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63
Match between columns
angiosperms
A
angiosperms
B
angiosperms
C
angiosperms
D
angiosperms
E
angiosperms
F
angiosperms
G
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64
The narrower and more tubular shape of Delphinium nudicaule flowers, which mature at an earlier stage of development than Delphinium decorum flowers, is the product of ____. ​

A)allometric growth
B)exaptation
C)paedomorphosis
D)disjunct vicariance
E)continuous vicariance
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65
In some amphibians, including salamanders, paedomorphosis results from mutations that ____. ​

A)reduce thyroid hormone production only
B)reduce pituitary hormone production only
C)limit the responsiveness of some developmental processes to thyroid hormone concentration only
D)reduce pituitary hormone production, limit the responsiveness of some developmental processes to pituitary hormone concentration, or both
E)reduce thyroid hormone production, limit the responsiveness of some developmental processes to thyroid hormone concentration, or both
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66
Match between columns
ferns
A
ferns
B
ferns
C
ferns
D
ferns
E
ferns
F
ferns
G
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67
Match between columns
cycads
A
cycads
B
cycads
C
cycads
D
cycads
E
cycads
F
cycads
G
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68
Some animals have evolved sexual maturity in juvenile body forms. This is called ____. ​

A)allometric growth
B)vicariance
C)paedomorphosis
D)punctuated equilibrium
E)convergence
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69
A trait that is adaptive in one context and later turns out to have adaptive value in a different context is called ____. ​

A)paedomorphic
B)heterochronic
C)allometric
D)an exaptation
E)endemic
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70
Match between columns
conifers
A
conifers
B
conifers
C
conifers
D
conifers
E
conifers
F
conifers
G
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71
The appendages in both fishes and tetrapods develop from buds of ____, the middle embryonic tissue layer. ​

A)ectoderm
B)endoderm
C)mesoderm
D)epiderm
E)hypoderm
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72
Match between columns
continents coalesce into Pangaea; mass extinction at the end of this period destroyed 85 percent of life
Archaean
continents coalesce into Pangaea; mass extinction at the end of this period destroyed 85 percent of life
Cambrian
continents coalesce into Pangaea; mass extinction at the end of this period destroyed 85 percent of life
Silurian
continents coalesce into Pangaea; mass extinction at the end of this period destroyed 85 percent of life
Devonian
continents coalesce into Pangaea; mass extinction at the end of this period destroyed 85 percent of life
Carboniferous
continents coalesce into Pangaea; mass extinction at the end of this period destroyed 85 percent of life
Permian
continents coalesce into Pangaea; mass extinction at the end of this period destroyed 85 percent of life
Triassic
continents coalesce into Pangaea; mass extinction at the end of this period destroyed 85 percent of life
Jurassic
continents coalesce into Pangaea; mass extinction at the end of this period destroyed 85 percent of life
Cretaceous
continents coalesce into Pangaea; mass extinction at the end of this period destroyed 85 percent of life
Cenozoic - Tertiary
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73
Genes in the Hox family of homeobox genes control the body plans of animals along the ____ axis, including where ____ will develop on the animal's body. ​

A)dorsal-ventral; appendages
B)dorsal-ventral; light-sensing organs
C)internal-external; internal organs
D)anterior-posterior; appendages
E)anterior-posterior; light-sensing organs
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74
The complete replacement of one type of organ with another is called ____. ​

A)paedomorphosis
B)heterochrony
C)homeosis
D)homoplasy
E)allometry
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75
A ____ gene determines the structure of body parts during embryonic development. ​

A)homoplasy
B)homeostatic
C)homologous
D)homeobox
E)homogenous
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76
Match between columns
first vascular plants and jawed fishes appear
Archaean
first vascular plants and jawed fishes appear
Cambrian
first vascular plants and jawed fishes appear
Silurian
first vascular plants and jawed fishes appear
Devonian
first vascular plants and jawed fishes appear
Carboniferous
first vascular plants and jawed fishes appear
Permian
first vascular plants and jawed fishes appear
Triassic
first vascular plants and jawed fishes appear
Jurassic
first vascular plants and jawed fishes appear
Cretaceous
first vascular plants and jawed fishes appear
Cenozoic - Tertiary
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77
Match between columns
origin of life; evolution of prokaryotes
Archaean
origin of life; evolution of prokaryotes
Cambrian
origin of life; evolution of prokaryotes
Silurian
origin of life; evolution of prokaryotes
Devonian
origin of life; evolution of prokaryotes
Carboniferous
origin of life; evolution of prokaryotes
Permian
origin of life; evolution of prokaryotes
Triassic
origin of life; evolution of prokaryotes
Jurassic
origin of life; evolution of prokaryotes
Cretaceous
origin of life; evolution of prokaryotes
Cenozoic - Tertiary
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78
Match between columns
asteroid at the end of this period causes extinction of dinosaurs
Archaean
asteroid at the end of this period causes extinction of dinosaurs
Cambrian
asteroid at the end of this period causes extinction of dinosaurs
Silurian
asteroid at the end of this period causes extinction of dinosaurs
Devonian
asteroid at the end of this period causes extinction of dinosaurs
Carboniferous
asteroid at the end of this period causes extinction of dinosaurs
Permian
asteroid at the end of this period causes extinction of dinosaurs
Triassic
asteroid at the end of this period causes extinction of dinosaurs
Jurassic
asteroid at the end of this period causes extinction of dinosaurs
Cretaceous
asteroid at the end of this period causes extinction of dinosaurs
Cenozoic - Tertiary
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79
In marine sticklebacks, the Pitx1 gene is ____, but in freshwater sticklebacks, the Pitx1 gene is ____. ​

A)not expressed and spines are present; expressed and spines are absent
B)not expressed and spines are absent; expressed and spines are present
C)expressed and spines are present; not expressed and spines are absent
D)expressed and spines are absent; not expressed and spines are present
E)present so spines develop; absent so spines do not develop
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80
Match between columns
initial radiation of animal phyla
Archaean
initial radiation of animal phyla
Cambrian
initial radiation of animal phyla
Silurian
initial radiation of animal phyla
Devonian
initial radiation of animal phyla
Carboniferous
initial radiation of animal phyla
Permian
initial radiation of animal phyla
Triassic
initial radiation of animal phyla
Jurassic
initial radiation of animal phyla
Cretaceous
initial radiation of animal phyla
Cenozoic - Tertiary
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