Deck 19: A Slow Unfolding: the History of Life on Earth

Question 1

Which of these gases was absent in the early Earth atmosphere at the time life first appeared?

A)nitrogen
B)water vapor
C)carbon dioxide
D)oxygen

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Refer to the scenario below, and then answer the following question(s).
You are the managing naturalist for a natural history museum that has just received a batch of fossils from one of the field paleontologists sponsored by the museum. The note in the box states the fossils all came from the same rock layer. The museum is organized according to geologic timescale, and its management needs you to tell them to which department (based on era)and period specialist (an individual with experience with life-forms of a particular geologic-timescale period)the fossils should go. You find fossils of fish and seed-bearing plants but no reptiles or higher animals and no flowering plants.
To which period specialist should you forward the fossils?

A)Devonian
B)Carboniferous
C)Permian
D)Triassic

Answer 2

A

Question 3

A major event in the Precambrian era responsible for dramatically increasing organic material on Earth was:

A)evolution of mitochondria.
B)evolution of photosynthesis.
C)deposition of carbon in rocks.
D)leaching of sulfur into the oceans.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

You discover a single-celled organism that does not have a nucleus,and you also notice that the culture is producing methane.In which group would you place this organism?

A)Domain Bacteria
B)Domain Archaea
C)Domain Eukarya
D)Kingdom Protista

Question 5

Some rock strata associated with coal seams in Illinois,Ohio,and Pennsylvania can be shown to have the same mixture of pollen grain types.This suggests that these rocks are/were:

A)the same age.
B)equally radioactive.
C)deposited from a common source material.
D)the same type of rock.

Question 6

Sections of the geologic timescale are defined by:

A)how close the rocks are to the surface of the earth.
B)whether the rocks are metamorphic or sedimentary.
C)the age of the rocks.
D)the kinds of fossils present.

Question 7

Refer to the scenario below, and then answer the following question(s).
You are the managing naturalist for a natural history museum that has just received a batch of fossils from one of the field paleontologists sponsored by the museum. The note in the box states the fossils all came from the same rock layer. The museum is organized according to geologic timescale, and its management needs you to tell them to which department (based on era)and period specialist (an individual with experience with life-forms of a particular geologic-timescale period)the fossils should go. You find fossils of fish and seed-bearing plants but no reptiles or higher animals and no flowering plants.
To which era do these fossils belong?

A)Precambrian
B)Paleozoic
C)Mesozoic
D)Cenozoic

Question 8

Before the development of photosynthesis and as ancient cells became crowded,there was probably a major competition for:

A)enzymes.
B)water.
C)organic molecules.
D)oxygen gas.

Question 9

A major difference between cells of organisms in Domain Eukarya and the cells of those in Domains Bacteria and Archaea is that:

A)Domain Eukarya organisms can only live in acid environments.
B)Domain Bacteria and Archaea cells can only live in acid environments.
C)Domain Bacteria and Archaea cells have a nucleus and Domain Eukarya cells do not.
D)cells of Domain Eukarya have a nucleus and Domains Bacteria and Archaea do not.

Question 10

Experiments with enzymes made of RNA support which origin-of-life model?

A)Miller model
B)replicator-first model
C)metabolism-first model
D)DNA world model

Question 11

To be a successful cell evolutionarily,the earliest cells had to:

A)reproduce.
B)consume oxygen.
C)photosynthesize.
D)have mitochondria.

Question 12

Organisms from which kingdom or domain were the first photosynthesizers?

A)Protista
B)Plantae
C)Bacteria
D)Archaea

Question 13

What is the significance of finding evidence that zirconium/uranium rocks formed in water 4.2 million years ago?

A)Zirconium can be used for dating old rock samples.
B)The Earth coalesced from gas earlier than originally thought.
C)The Earth cooled earlier than originally thought.
D)Radiation played a role in the origin of life.

Question 14

The greatest extinction event of all time occurred at the end of the:

A)Permian period.
B)Mesozoic era.
C)Cretaceous period.
D)Cambrian period.

Question 15

The end of the ________ era was marked by a transition into an explosion of life-forms rather than an extinction event.

A)Precambrian
B)Mesozoic
C)Paleozoic
D)Jurassic

Question 16

What argument do scientists who support the metabolism-first model use to dispute the replicator-first model?

A)The replicator nucleic acid molecule would be too large and complex.
B)DNA cannot replicate without the help of proteins.
C)RNA can only be used to make proteins, not other nucleic acids.
D)Replicators cannot exist without metabolism.

Question 17

During which of these eras were dinosaurs dominant?

A)Paleozoic
B)Precambrian
C)Mesozoic
D)Cenozoic

Question 18

If a 10-mile-wide comet hit Earth,how would this likely affect the history of life?

A)A mass extinction would occur, followed by lots of evolutionary change among descendants of the survivors.
B)A slow climate warming and drying would begin, decreasing the biological diversity on Earth.
C)Continental drift would be reversed, and all the continents would slowly be pushed together again.
D)Most species would become extinct, and the rest would remain more or less unchanged.

Question 19

Which large animals were wiped out by the Cretaceous extinction?

A)sharks
B)dinosaurs
C)whales
D)mammoths

Question 20

Which of the following statements best describes the history of life on Earth?

A)The Earth was lifeless far longer than it had living things.
B)The Earth had multicellular life-forms for most of its history.
C)The Earth had single-celled life-forms for most of its history.
D)The Earth had photosynthetic organisms about 100 million years after it formed.

Question 21

Some of the earliest true land plants lacked roots or a vascular system.The implication of this would be that they:

A)lived mostly underground.
B)lived in protected areas such as caves.
C)had high mortality.
D)could not grow tall.

Question 22

An adaptation of arthropods that made them well adapted for life on land was an exoskeleton that can:

A)provide camouflage.
B)prevent water loss.
C)overcome the effects of gravity.
D)protect against predators.

Question 23

A eukaryotic cell organelle is found to have its own DNA and to make some of its own ribosomes.It also can make some protein without the help of DNA in the cell's nucleus.Propose an explanation for the origin of this organelle.

A)intracellular evolution from latent bacterial DNA
B)symbiotic merger of two bacteria cells; one becoming the nucleus, the other becoming the organelle
C)symbiotic merger of bacteria into a eukaryotic cell with the bacterial cell becoming the organelle
D)viral transmission of DNA from a bacterium to a eukaryotic cell

Question 24

One advantage of angiosperms over gymnosperms is that angiosperms have evolved:

A)more efficient means of pollination.
B)more water-resistant leaves.
C)stronger vascular tissue.
D)better protection from plant pathogens such as fungi.

Question 25

The evolution of land organisms was not possible until enough ________ had been made by the early forms of aquatic life.

A)oxygen gas
B)carbon dioxide
C)ammonia
D)organic food

Question 26

Early mammals differed from reptiles in many respects,including:

A)the number of legs used for walking.
B)feeding their young milk.
C)eating other organisms for food.
D)internal versus external fertilization.

Question 27

Which of the following is assumed to be more primitive than a dinosaur and more complex than a shark?

A)segmented worm
B)crayfish
C)starfish
D)frog

Question 28

Which of the following is an adaptation that helped plants move from aquatic environments to the land?

A)seeds
B)a cuticle
C)pollen
D)swimming sperm

Question 29

Of the following groups,which have been in existence the longest?

A)multicellular animals
B)cyanobacteria
C)gastropods
D)green algae

Question 30

An organelle that probably evolved from an independent organism that moved inside and began to live within a eukaryotic cell is the:

A)mitochondrion.
B)nucleus.
C)Golgi apparatus.
D)endoplasmic reticulum.

Question 31

The evolution of which of the following biochemical processes changed the physical and chemical nature of Earth in such a way that most life-forms had to adapt radically or become extinct?

A)aerobic respiration
B)DNA replication
C)anaerobic respiration
D)photosynthesis

Question 32

Because there would not have been any significant soil before significant establishment of life-forms on land,the earliest eukaryotic life-forms on land most likely were:

A)animals.
B)fungi.
C)plant-fungi combinations.
D)plant-animal combinations.

Question 33

An advantage allowing the seed plant to greatly surpass the seedless vascular plants in colonizing the land was the evolution of:

A)large leaves with great surface area.
B)fibrous root systems.
C)air-dispersed sperm in pollen grains.
D)durable, water-resistant spores.

Question 34

Some of the earliest animals to successfully adapt to life on land were the:

A)trilobites.
B)arthropods.
C)amphibians.
D)aquatic vertebrates.

Question 35

An example of a "seedless vascular plant" is a:

A)club moss.
B)pine tree.
C)gymnosperm.
D)green alga.

Question 36

The Cambrian explosion of life is most notable for the:

A)appearance of multicellular animals, including nearly all phyla of the animal kingdom.
B)movement of life from the oceans to the land masses, including all kingdoms.
C)appearance of stromatolites.
D)appearance of the first photosynthetic organisms.

Question 37

Which of the following is the most likely candidate for the first eukaryotic life-forms to move onto land?

A)amphibians in shallow water
B)algae in shallow water
C)fungi
D)trilobites

Question 38

During the Silurian,the oxygen gas concentration in the atmosphere is postulated to have reached an amount equivalent to more than 10 percent of its present-day concentration.Thus,nearly all lethal ultraviolet radiation was unable to reach the Earth's surface,making dry land available for newly evolved forms.Which of the following major events in the evolution of animals and plants probably occurred at this time?

A)The amphibians developed watertight skins and eggs.
B)The crayfish become the first land organisms.
C)The first major groups of seed plants appeared.
D)Primitive bryophytes and fern-like plants appeared.

Question 39

Which group of vertebrates possessed an anatomical feature that made evolution of the limbs of all tetrapods possible?

A)reptiles
B)sharks
C)amphibians
D)lobe-finned fish

Question 40

Which of the following is a correct sequence of events in the history of life on Earth?

A)aquatic organisms, photosynthesis, RNA world, land organisms
B)prokaryotes, eukaryotes, land animals, land plants
C)Cambrian explosion, multicellular organisms, photosynthesis, eukaryotes
D)prokaryotes, photosynthesis, eukaryotes, land organisms

Question 41

Which aquatic vertebrates are thought to be the ancestors of the amphibians?

A)skates and rays
B)tadpoles
C)lobe-finned fish
D)sharks

Question 42

The gnathostomes were the first vertebrates to:

A)develop gills.
B)possess jaws.
C)develop scales.
D)develop feathers.

Question 43

Which group of animals is the most recent to evolve?

A)invertebrates
B)amphibians
C)reptiles
D)mammals

Question 44

Photosynthesis was first performed by bacteria about 3.4 billion years ago.

Question 45

Lobe-finned fish gave rise to tetrapods that successfully moved onto land.

Question 46

The Cambrian explosion followed extinction of the dinosaurs.

Question 47

Mammals arose as a dominant life-form after which event?

A)the start of the Quaternary period
B)the Cretaceous extinction
C)the Devonian extinction
D)the Cambrian explosion

Question 48

Vascular tissue is important for both efficient water distribution and taller growth in plants.

Question 49

An important characteristic common to most primates is:

A)large, front-facing eyes.
B)short or absent tails.
C)grassland habitats.
D)the use of tools.

Question 50

The amniotic egg first appeared in which group of animals?

A)amphibians
B)reptiles
C)birds
D)mammals

Question 51

The amniotic egg was important in the colonization of the land because it:

A)was deposited in water.
B)could hold multiple embryos.
C)had a hard shell and membranes to prevent drying out.
D)was easy to produce.

Question 52

Modern birds are probably direct descendants of:

A)marsupials.
B)iguanas.
C)dinosaurs.
D)crocodiles.

Question 53

Which of the following would support a hypothesis that insects preceded amphibians on land and were flourishing when the first amphibians evolved?

A)Amphibians and insects both have lungs in their terrestrial stage.
B)Amphibians and insects have many adaptations in common.
C)Amphibians and insects share a recent common ancestor.
D)Many amphibians are insectivores in their terrestrial stage.

Question 54

The first vertebrates to develop jaws were the:

A)fish.
B)amphibians.
C)mammals.
D)reptiles.

Question 55

Laboratory experiments suggest that many of the kinds of organic molecules needed to form the first forms of life could have been made nonbiologically in Earth's early history.

Question 56

Both gymnosperms and angiosperms may be pollinated by animals.

Question 57

The earliest evidence of life on Earth dates to about 3.8 billion years ago.

Question 58

Primates first appear in the fossil record in the:

A)Mesozoic era.
B)Cambrian period.
C)Paleozoic era.
D)Cenozoic era.

Question 59

Some of the more advanced organisms in Domains Bacteria and Archaea have a nucleus.

Question 60

The metabolism-first model suggests that a self-replicating RNA molecule was responsible for driving the evolution of the first forms of life.

Question 61

Life first evolved in and the earliest forms of life lived in ________.

Question 62

The eukaryotic kingdom ________ has the greatest fundamental diversity,including some species that are animal-like,plant-like,and fungus-like,as well as some algae.

Question 63

Propose reasons why major extinction events (or explosions of life-forms)are good dividing lines for the geologic timescale.Support your answer.

Question 64

The first dinosaurs appeared during the ________ period.

Question 65

The first single-celled organisms appeared around 3.5 ________ years ago.

Question 66

Defend the following statement: Vascular tissue was,arguably,the most important evolutionary step,making possible the kinds of plant life we see today.

Question 67

The oxygen present in Earth's atmosphere has been produced as a waste product of the process of ________.

Question 68

Compare and contrast the life-forms found in Domains Bacteria,Archaea,and Eukarya.

Question 69

Most evolutionary "branches" on the tree of life can read like the story of stepwise challenge and evolutionary innovation.For example,a cuticle solved the problem of maintaining moisture in the first terrestrial plants.Outline and explain the steps in the evolution of terrestrial vertebrates that lead to the evolution of mammals.

Question 70

The early primates were specialized for life in the ________.

Question 71

Refer to the figure below, and then answer the question that follows.

The missing label indicated with a question mark in the figure should be:

A)chloroplasts.
B)seeds.
C)flowers.
D)vascular tissue.

Question 72

Refer to the figure below, and then answer the question that follows.

The missing label indicated with a question mark in the figure should be:

A)amniotic egg.
B)mammary glands.
C)scales.
D)lungs.

Question 73

What adaptations did ancient algae have to achieve as they washed ashore and evolved into the more advanced land plants we see today?

Question 74

List three characteristics of all non-ape primates,and state an advantage for each of these characteristics.

Question 75

Examine and explain the connections between Stanley Miller's experiments and the importance of the evolution of photosynthesis to the current state of life on Earth.

Question 76

The first land vertebrates were the ________.

Question 77

Angiosperms are unique among plants because they produce ________.

Question 78

Discuss why many scientists consider RNA to have been the basis for early forms of life.