Deck 22: Evolution and the Origins of Life

Question 1

In the year 2317, a group of human pioneers decide to colonize Mars. The distance between Mars and Earth prevents the possibility of new members joining the colony or the members of the colony interbreeding with humans on Earth. This situation is an example of

A) extinction
B) the bottleneck effect
C) random mutation
D) continental drift
E) the founder effect

Answer 1

E

Question 2

The process of ________ has had a major impact on species distributions worldwide.

A) continental drift
B) comparative biochemistry
C) genetic engineering
D) divergent speciation
E) adaptive mobility

Answer 2

A

Question 3

The structure of human cytochrome c is the same as that of chimpanzees, but it differs from the structure of cytochrome c in chickens by 16 amino acids and in yeast by more than 50 amino acids. From these data, one could hypothesize that humans are most closely related evolutionarily to

A) chimpanzees
B) yeast
C) dogs
D) chickens
E) chimpanzees, chickens, and yeast equally because they all have cytochrome c

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Which one of the following processes tends to mix gene pools?

A) gene flow
B) the bottleneck effect
C) founder effect
D) continental drift
E) adaptive radiation

Question 5

In each local environment, living organisms have evolved to possess the traits necessary to survive and reproduce. This concept is called

A) natural selection
B) genetic drift
C) the bottleneck effect
D) microevolution
E) antigenic shift

Question 6

Which one of the following is TRUE regarding fossils?

A) Fossils are more likely discovered under the sea than on land.
B) Even though fossils from more than 200,000 different species have been found, the fossil record remains incomplete.
C) Because organisms are primarily composed of soft tissue, it is more likely that soft tissue is fossilized than hard tissue.
D) Once fossilization is complete, no further degradation of the fossil can occur.
E) Because fossils are so old, it is not possible to determine their age.

Question 7

The wings of birds and insects share similar functions but evolved from different structures; therefore, these wings are said to be

A) homologous
B) biramous
C) uniramous
D) analogous
E) bipedal

Question 8

Movement of individuals into or out of the population, called gene flow, impacts evolution of populations because

A) it can lead to extinction of one or more populations
B) it may cause genetic drift
C) it leads to a redistribution of alleles
D) adaptive radiation results
E) a founder effect will occur

Question 9

When conditions are right, many new species may develop in a relatively short period of time from a single ancestor. Such short bursts of evolutionary activity are called

A) gene flow
B) adaptive radiation
C) the founder effect
D) population explosion
E) genetic drift

Question 10

The figure above shows an evolutionary tree. At which of the following locations does this map indicate extinction?

A) A and D
B) B and C
C) C and D
D) D and E
E) B, C, and E

Question 11

In the 1940s, the population of whooping cranes in North America neared extinction, with fewer than 30 birds. It has since expanded to several hundred birds today. It is likely that these birds will exhibit very little genetic diversity. This is an example of

A) biogeographical distribution
B) the bottleneck effect
C) random mutation
D) the founder effect
E) immigration

Question 12

When two species contain identical or nearly identical molecules such as proteins, this suggests

A) genetic modification has occurred to the populations
B) the two species share a common ancestry
C) the two species are in fact only one species displaying divergent evolution
D) the two species are in fact only one species displaying convergent evolution
E) the two species overlap in niches and likely share a common diet

Question 13

Anatomical parts of the body that serve little or no function are referred to as

A) homologous structures
B) hyperplasia
C) vestigial structures
D) somites
E) dysplasia

Question 14

The theory that individuals with certain traits are more fit for their local environment and therefore are more likely to survive and reproduce is known as

A) natural selection
B) macroevolution
C) gene flow
D) antigenic drift
E) the bottleneck effect

Question 15

All of the following are key elements of evolution EXCEPT which one?

A) Organisms have changed from their ancestors over time.
B) Change has been accomplished with a purpose and a plan.
C) Change is unpredictable and determined by natural processes.
D) Change depends on alterations in the DNA.

Question 16

Large-scale evolutionary trends or changes that apply to whole groups of species are referred to as

A) fossilization
B) divergence
C) homologous change
D) macroevolution
E) microevolution

Question 17

Differences in populations may arise over time when physical structures in the environment, such as mountains or large bodies of water, change. These structures are referred to as

A) Pangaea
B) continental drift
C) macroevolution
D) geographical barriers
E) micro-isolation bottleneck effect

Question 18

Cytochrome c is a small protein that is found in present-day organisms. Comparison of the structure of cytochrome c from different organisms to infer evolutionary relationships would be part of the science involving

A) fossil evidence
B) developmental biology
C) comparative biochemistry
D) migration patterns
E) comparative anatomy

Question 19

In 2004, archaeologists unearthed a female skeleton on the Indonesian island of Flores that led to its classification as a member of the genus Homo instead of Australopithecus because of

A) a bone structure that reflected a raised brow of the skeleton
B) a bone structure that suggested she was able to walk upright and her type of chewing ability
C) the presence of a furrowing suture in the occipital lobe
D) the absence of complex tools for hunting
E) the absence of frontal molars in the jaw

Question 20

The figure above shows the skeletal structure of the forelimbs of several vertebrates. Because these skeletal elements are similar in form and are believed to have evolved from a common ancestral structure, they are said to be

A) analogous
B) heterologous
C) vestigial
D) homologous
E) nonfunctional

Question 21

When naming a life-form, which of the following two taxonomic categories is used?

A) class and order
B) family and genus
C) genus and species
D) kingdom and phylum
E) domain and phylum

Question 22

The following is a list of events that were involved in the formation of self-replicating living cells. Which one of the following best represents the order in which these events are believed to have occurred? 1. formation of RNA
2) enclosure of small organic molecules within a membrane
3) formation of simple organic molecules from atmospheric gases
4) formation of a lipid-protein membrane

A) 3, 1, 4, 2
B) 3, 4, 2, 1
C) 4, 2, 3, 1
D) 4, 1, 3, 2
E) 1, 3, 4, 2

Question 23

Because the fossil record is now complete, it provides compelling evidence to support the theory of evolution.

Question 24

In the classification of organisms, similar genera are grouped together into a

A) phylum
B) family
C) class
D) species
E) genus

Question 25

The evolution of eukaryotic cells began approximately ________ years ago.

A) 1 million
B) 10 million
C) 1.7 billion
D) 3.8 billion
E) 4.6 billion

Question 26

Approximately how long ago did the first distinctly human ancestor appear?

A) 10,000 years ago
B) 100,000 years ago
C) 5 million years ago
D) 10 million years ago
E) 3 billion years ago

Question 27

Humans are classified as hominoids because

A) they have larger bodies and bigger brains than other primates
B) all primates are classified in this group
C) they have hair during some part of their lives
D) at one point in their evolutionary history, they possessed a tail
E) aerobic metabolism uses hemoglobin for oxygen transport

Question 28

Which one of the following taxonomic categories is defined as a group of organisms that are capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring?

A) class
B) order
C) family
D) species
E) phylum

Question 29

According to the current evidence, modern humans first appeared between 100,000 and 140,000 years ago.

Question 30

Based on the following information on the scientific classification of the flesh fly, determine which one of the following is the scientific name for the flesh fly. Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Family: Sarcophagidae
Genus: Sarcophaga
Species: bullata

A) Arthropoda bullata
B) Sarcophagida insecta
C) Insecta sarcophaga
D) Sarcophaga bullata
E) Animalia insecta

Question 31

Based on the figure above, which one of the following groups is most closely related to humans?

A) gorillas
B) Old World monkeys
C) orangutans
D) chimpanzees
E) New World monkeys

Question 32

The first step in the development of living organisms was the formation of

A) DNA
B) organic molecules from gases in the atmosphere
C) enzymes
D) inorganic molecules from elements in the ocean waters
E) simple sugars

Question 33

The ability to extract oxygen from the environment and use it to make energy is called

A) photosynthesis
B) comparative biochemistry
C) anaerobic metabolism
D) self-replication
E) aerobic metabolism

Question 34

Based on the figure above, which one of the following appears to be in the direct ancestral path of modern humans?

A) Homo heidelbergensis
B) Australopithecus afarensis
C) Homo ergaster
D) Homo neanderthalensis
E) Homo floresiensis

Question 35

Life began on Earth approximately ________ years ago.

A) 100,000
B) 1 million
C) 5 million
D) 3.8 billion
E) 4.6 billion

Question 36

In the classification of organisms, a phylum is subdivided into

A) orders
B) kingdoms
C) tribes
D) genera
E) classes

Question 37

The branch of science that deals with the naming and grouping of organisms is known as

A) histology
B) molecular biology
C) chemistry
D) taxonomy
E) ecology

Question 38

The exact path that led to the evolution of modern cells and the organic molecules contained in these cells to support life is not known. The best guess is that some sort of self-replicating organic molecule formed along mudflats and most likely resembled

A) single-stranded DNA
B) single-stranded RNA
C) small amino acids such as lysine and glycine
D) double-stranded DNA
E) ATP

Question 39

Microevolution refers to evolution of new species that occurs as a result of genetic changes.

Question 40

In the early Earth, the development of ________ created oxygen gas in the atmosphere.

A) ozone
B) nitrogen fixation
C) cellular respiration
D) photosynthesis
E) eukaryotes

Question 41

Comparative biochemistry is the science that examines similarities between molecules; the greater the difference between molecules that have the same function in two different species, the later the two species most likely diverged from a common ancestor.

Question 42

Periods of adaptive radiation are most likely to occur after a change in the environment causes new habitats to form.

Question 43

The process of evolution ultimately depends on changes that occur in the ________ of organisms.

Question 44

Random changes in the frequency of alleles of a population because of chance events is known as natural selection.

Question 45

In the scientific process, the word ________ is reserved for those few major concepts that offer the best explanation to fit a broad range of established facts.

Question 46

When considering evolution, structures of present-day organisms that have the same function but did not develop from the same ancestral structure are said to be ________.

Question 47

In the history of Earth and in the evolution of living cells, two self-replicating molecules have formed: DNA and RNA. Determine whether each of the following characteristics can be attributed to DNA or RNA. Answers may be used more than once.

A) DNA
B) RNA
C) both DNA and RNA
10) molecule that directs production of proteins in modern cells
11) molecule first formed on templates of clay in mudflats
12) the self-replicating molecule of present-day cells
13) first molecule to evolve
14) more stable of the two molecules

Question 48

As oceans began to form on Earth billions of years ago, they were small, warm, and not very salty.

Question 49

Geographical barriers, such as large bodies of water and mountains, can result in a founder effect.

Question 50

Homo neaderthalensis is believed to be a direct ancestor of Homo sapiens.

Question 51

With the advent of photosynthesis and the subsequent production of oxygen by photosynthetic organisms, most of the anaerobic organisms present on Earth became extinct because oxygen was actually toxic to these organisms.

Question 52

Homo habilis is considered to be the first of our human ancestors to make tools.

Question 53

In an evolutionary context, ________ structures do not currently have a function in present-day organisms.

Question 54

Extinction occurs when all individuals of a population die out.

Question 55

Primitive eukaryotic photosynthetic organisms were responsible for producing oxygen gas in the atmosphere.

Question 56

RNA is believed to have evolved before DNA and proteins.

Question 57

Dinosaurs and modern humans coexisted for about a million years.

Question 58

The largest mass extinction in the history of Earth occurred during the Triassic period; the extinction was largely due to global warming and a period of high carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere.

Question 59

Humans are classified as ________ because of our larger bodies, bigger brains, and lack of tails in relation to other primates.

Question 60

Darwin's proposal that organisms that are better suited to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce is termed ________.

Question 61

As geographically isolated human subpopulations became adapted to different environments over time, different phenotypes resulted, causing the evolution of various human ________.

Question 62

The early atmosphere of Earth did not contain the gas ________; it is believed that life as we know it would not have evolved if this gas had been present.

Question 63

The process by which organisms use the energy from sunlight to produce complex carbon-containing molecules from carbon dioxide and water is called ________.

Question 64

All humans belong to the same species, but have distinct heritable physical differences known as ________.

Question 65

The process by which the continental plates move slowly over time is called ________.

Question 66

________ refers to random changes in allele frequency as a result of chance events.

Question 67

According to the modern theories on how life formed on Earth, prokaryotes are thought to have evolved before eukaryotes. Provide evidence to support that pattern of evolution based on the composition of the early Earth's atmosphere.

Question 68

________ was an early human ancestor thought to be among the first tool makers.

Question 69

The process of producing energy from organic substrates in the absence of oxygen is called ________ metabolism.

Question 70

All humans are classified as Homo sapiens, a single species. But you know from looking around you that all people do not look or sound the same. Explain how it is possible for humans to belong to the same species yet display a wide range of physical differences.

Question 71

The first self-replicating molecule hypothesized to have formed on Earth was ________.

Question 72

Movement of individuals into or out of population that results in a redistribution of alleles is called ________.

Question 73

The best-known extinction during which all dinosaurs died out completely occurred during the ________ time period.

Question 74

The most direct hominid ancestor to Homo sapiens is called ________.

Question 75

The early embryos of vertebrates follow the same pathway of development; one structure that all vertebrate embryos have in common is the ________, which serves as a primitive support structure.

Question 76

The concept of gene flow indicates that evolution of populations can occur when individuals enter or leave a population. The addition of new alleles into the population makes it easy to visualize changes to phenotypes. Explain how emigration can lead to evolutionary change.