Deck 1: Introduction to Evolutionary Fact and Theory

Question 1

In 1925, the Scopes "Monkey Trial"

A) legally established evolution as a valid scientific theory.
B) legally established evolution as a "coexistent theory on the creation of humankind."
C) overturned the State of Tennessee's ban on teaching the theory of evolution in public schools.
D) upheld the State of Tennessee's ban on teaching the theory of evolution in public schools.

Answer 1

upheld the State of Tennessee's ban on teaching the theory of evolution in public schools.

Question 2

Which of the following is NOTtrue about evolution?

A) It is accepted by virtually all scientists in every country of the world.
B) It inherently conflicts with the teachings of Christianity.
C) It is at the very heart of anthropology.
D) It is an extremely well supported theory.

Answer 2

It inherently conflicts with the teachings of Christianity.

Question 3

The main subfields of anthropology are

A) archaeology, linguistic anthropology, cultural anthropology, and biological anthropology.
B) architectural anthropology, biological anthropology, linguistic anthropology, and cultural anthropology.
C) biological anthropology, evolutionary anthropology, cultural anthropology, and linguistic anthropology.
D) cultural anthropology, biological anthropology, archaeology, and evolutionary anthropology.

Answer 3

archaeology, linguistic anthropology, cultural anthropology, and biological anthropology.

Question 4

_____________ is the patterns of behavior we exhibit in our families, relationships, religions, laws, moral codes, songs, art, business, and everyday interactions.

A) Ethnography
B) Ethnology
C) Culture
D) Evolution

Question 5

_____________ is the comparative study of cultures around the world.

A) Ethnography
B) Ethnology
C) Anthropology
D) Holistic anthropology

Question 6

Ecology is the study of

A) fossils over a significant geological time period.
B) climatological influences on evolution.
C) animals.
D) the interrelationships between living organisms and their environments.

Question 7

Active participation in the learning process is called

A) critical thinking.
B) the scientific method.
C) creative learning.
D) innovative learning.

Question 8

Philosophical inquiries and religious doctrines are examples of

A) holistic modes of investigation.
B) comparative methods of investigation.
C) scientific methods of investigation.
D) nonscientific modes of investigation.

Question 9

The scientific method

A) prevents biases resulting from personal and cultural factors.
B) is influenced by personal and cultural factors.
C) reduces potential effects of personal and cultural factors through repetitive experimentation.
D) None of the above.

Question 10

Evolution is

A) factual.
B) theoretical.
C) both factual and theoretical.
D) neither factual nor theoretical.

Question 11

_____________ was the first to clearly lay out a theory of evolution.

A) Charles Darwin
B) Erasmus Darwin
C) Lamarck
D) Cuvier

Question 12

_____________ is the system of naming and classifying organisms.

A) Binomial nomenclature
B) Zoonomia
C) Taxonomy
D) Genus, species

Question 13

_____________ is the study of a specific culture.

A) Ethnography
B) Ethnology
C) Anthropology
D) Holistic anthropology

Question 14

The study of the rock and soil layers of the earth is called

A) stratigraphy.
B) geology.
C) strata chronology.
D) mineralogical anthropology.

Question 15

The idea that the earth revolves around the sun is called

A) ethnocentric theory.
B) heliocentric theory.
C) contracentric theory.
D) elliptocentric theory.

Question 16

Which of the following is NOT true about the Greek and Roman philosophers' ideas on "essentialism"?

A) It provided an explanation for variations in different forms of an organism.
B) It dictated that each organism has a true, ideal form.
C) It dictated that no organism has a true, ideal form.
D) It dictated that representatives of an organism have slight deviations.

Question 17

The Greek scala naturae, or great chain of being

A) was the belief that all forms of life evolved from one 'link.'
B) was the core idea from which Darwin developed his notion of natural selection.
C) ranked all forms of life on the planet from most important to least important.
D) was the belief in the fixity of nature.

Question 18

The test portion of scientific methodology is designed to

A) prove that a hypothesis is right.
B) prove that a hypothesis is wrong.
C) prove that a hypothesis is either right or wrong.
D) see which variables really need to be tested.

Question 19

Science differs from all other modes of investigating human beings and the world around us in that the methodology used

A) produces irrefutable proof of being right.
B) can only prove something wrong.
C) produces replicale proof of being right.
D) produces irrefutable proof of studying the wrong variables.

Question 20

The hypothetical-deductive approach to scientific inquiry entails

A) the first support for a hypothesis such that it does not need to be retested.
B) making baseline observations first, rather than testing a hypothesis first.
C) making baseline observations on nonexisting knowledge first.
D) testing a hypothesis as a first step, rather than making baseline observations first.

Question 21

A ____________ is a set of hypotheses that is supported again and again by multiple researchers.

A) theory
B) paradigm
C) fact
D) robust theory

Question 22

A ____________ consists of a set of supported hypotheses that all interconnect and act as a powerful tool for explaining natural phenomena.

A) paradigm
B) model
C) theory
D) robust theory

Question 23

A ____________ is a predominant way of thinking about ideas.

A) paradigm
B) hypothesis
C) theory
D) robust theory

Question 24

A ____________ is a testable explanation of the observed facts.

A) paradigm
B) hypothesis
C) theory
D) robust theory

Question 25

Which of the following is true about science?

A) It seeks to resolve disagreements of "expert" opinion.
B) It can answer questions such as, "Why are we here?"
C) It is self-correcting.
D) It provides ultimate "truths".

Question 26

Darwin first used the phrase, "survival of the fittest"

A) in the first edition of On the Origin of Species.
B) in a later edition of On the Origin of Species.
C) during a talk on natural selection.
D) never (he never personally used this phrase).

Question 27

Evolution via natural selection

A) is neutral.
B) is goal-directed.
C) leads to increased structural complexity.
D) creates higher forms.

Question 28

Within the context of science, which of the following is the definition of parsimony?

A) dividing organisms into categories
B) separating species on the basis of similar anatomical traits
C) species evolving over a similar amount of time
D) the simplest explanation is the most likely

Question 29

Which of the following is the definition of uniformitarianism?

A) Species' biological traits do not change over time.
B) Geological processes observed in the present are the same as those in the past.
C) The environment has been uniform since the beginning of time.
D) The speed at which evolution occurs is uniform.

Question 30

Regarding the 1925 Scopes "Monkey Trial, which of the following is NOT true?

A) One year after the trial, the law against teaching evolution was removed from Tennessee law books.
B) Scopes was fined $100.
C) One year after the trial, the verdict was overturned.
D) The trial ended with Scopes being convicted of breaking the law.

Question 31

Which of the following is the BEST definition of reproductive success?

A) the number of offspring an organism has
B) the number of mating opportunities an organism has
C) the number of surviving offspring an organism has
D) the number of individuals with which an organism mates

Question 32

Regarding the teaching of evolution in U.S. high schools, which of the following is NOT true?

A) Science standards in some states require that the discussion of evolution is labeled as only one theory among many in explaining life on this planet.
B) Science standards in some states require that disclaimer stickers be placed on all science textbooks dealing with evolution.
C) Science standards in some states prohibit the mention of evolution in the classroom.
D) Science standards in some states require that when biological change over time is discussed, the word evolution can only be mentioned once.

Question 33

Which one of the following is NOT descriptive of Carolus Linnaeus?

A) He was a Swedish naturalist.
B) He was an atheist.
C) He was interested in understanding God's wisdom.
D) He is considered to be the "father" of taxonomy.

Question 34

Regarding evolution, which one of the following is true?

A) Evolution claims that people are descended from monkeys.
B) Evolution claims that people are descended from apes.
C) Evolution tries to disprove the teachings of the Bible.
D) Evolution does not present an irreconcilable conflict with religious values.

Question 35

Regarding science, which of the following statements is true?

A) It is a belief system.
B) It is a system of expert validation.
C) It is a body of truth.
D) It is a methodology.

Question 36

Which one of the following was NOT believed by Linnaeus?

A) that organisms should be catalogued based on evolutionary historical similarities
B) that no new species could arise
C) that nature was constructed "in the hand of God"
D) that no substantial change could occur in living forms

Question 37

Which one of the following is NOT a part of critical thinking?

A) systematic assessment of information
B) accepting what you hear at face value
C) actively participating in the learning process
D) taking control of the information presented to you and examining it

Question 38

Natural selection is the result of all of the following EXCEPT

A) bigger organisms surviving at a higher rate than smaller organisms.
B) existing variation in organisms.
C) the interaction of organisms with their environment.
D) heritable variation in organisms.

Question 39

Lamarck proposed a process of evolution with three major components. Which one of the following was NOT one of the three components of evolution proposed by Lamarck?

A) the law of use and disuse
B) the inheritance of acquired characteristics
C) the will to change
D) the environment does not challenge organisms

Question 40

Which of the following is NOT one of the basic ideas shared by Darwin and Wallace?

A) that heritable variation occurs in nature
B) that some organisms need more food than others
C) that the environment poses a challenge to organisms
D) that some variants do better than others

Question 41

Which of the following is NOT a primate?

A) humans
B) presimians
C) prosimians
D) apes

Question 42

Scientific collaboration is all of the following EXCEPT

A) minimizing the quality of tests and data.
B) using the published results of other scientists' work.
C) performing experiments and observations together.
D) getting multiple views on various issues.

Question 43

Which of the following is the definition of niche?

A) specific evolution
B) specific adaptation
C) specific environment
D) specific theory

Question 44

Define anthropology and explain what its four subfields are, and what they encompass. In your answer, also give an example of a specific study that could be conducted in each of the four subfields of anthropology.

Question 45

Describe what science is and how it works. Discuss the steps of the scientific method. Explain how the scientific method proves something right/wrong.

Question 46

Discuss whether evolution is a fact or a theory. Detail from where our ideas about evolution come. In your answer, be sure to name and mention the ideas of at least three of the following great thinkers; John Ray, Carolus Linnaeus, Comte de Buffon, Erasmus Darwin, Jean Baptiste Lamarck, Georges Cuvier, or Charles Lyell.

Question 47

Discuss three specific beliefs before AND three specific beliefs after the scientific revolution that helped shape the way people viewed the natural world. In your answer, be sure to use and define concepts such as stasis, fixity of species, the great chain of being, etc.

Question 48

Darwin and Wallace realized that in order for evolutionary change by natural selection to occur, several conditions must exist/be met. Name and describe these conditions.