Deck 13: Evidence of Evolution

Question 1

Some dinosaurs and birds share characteristics that make flight possible such as

A) All of the answer choices are correct.
B) hollow bones.
C) a horizontal back.
D) a short tail.
E) an upright stance.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Petrification occurs when

A) All of the answer choices are correct.
B) a whole organism is trapped in a plant resin.
C) the imprint of an animal fills with mud, that later hardens to rock.
D) a leaf sinks into water and fine sediment covers the leaf and compresses.
E) minerals replace the organic material left by a decaying organism.

Answer 2

E

Question 3

The discovery of the fossilized remains of Archaeopteryx in 1860 led to the beginning of the hypothesis of birds being closely related to

A) butterflies.
B) salamanders.
C) dinosaurs.
D) bats.
E) bees.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

In biology lab,your instructor informs you that Carbon-14 dating will demonstrate the use of determining the age of a fossil.Using only this information,you estimate that the age of the fossil must be less than

A) about 1.3 billion years old.
B) about 300,000 years old.
C) only one or two half-lifes of carbon, or from 5,730 to 11,460 years.
D) about 40,000 years old.
E) about 10,000 years old.

Question 5

If an isotope's half-life is 100 years,

A) in 50 years, only half of the atoms in a sample of that isotope will remain.
B) in 100 years, only half of the atoms in a sample of that isotope will remain.
C) in 200 years, only half of the atoms in a sample of that isotope will remain.
D) that isotope will no longer exist in 200 years.
E) that isotope will no longer exist in 50 years.

Question 6

Aside from biology,(a)field (fields)of study that have contributed to modern evolutionary understanding is (are)

A) geology.
B) biogeography.
C) biochemistry.
D) paleontology.
E) All of the answer choices are correct.

Question 7

According to fossil records,mammals

A) first appeared in the same geologic era, the Mesozoic, as dinosaurs.
B) None of the answer choices are correct.
C) first appeared in the current Quaternary period of the Cenozoic era.
D) did not appear until the Cenozoic era, after dinosaurs were extinct.
E) lived in the same era, the Paleozoic, as reptiles, amphibians, and bony fishes.

Question 8

Absolute dating uses ______ to estimate how old a fossil is.

A) a molecular clock
B) embryonic structures
C) depth within rock layers
D) radioactive isotopes
E) structural features

Question 9

According to Plate Tectonics Theory,Earth once consisted of a single,large landmass named

A) Pangaea.
B) Gondwana.
C) Panthalassa.
D) Laurasia.
E) Ultima Continenta.

Question 10

The large geologic time period which includes eons that predate life on Earth,and also include eons in which the earliest life on Earth began is the

A) Phanerozoic.
B) Cenozoic.
C) Precambrian.
D) Hadean.
E) Archaean.

Question 11

In the geologic timescale,an environmental condition that changed prior to the appearance of complex species,from eukaryote cells to animals and plants,was

A) an "explosion" of simpler and diverse animals that helped develop ecological interrelationships among species.
B) a large increase in atmospheric oxygen gas levels from photosynthesis in prokaryote cells.
C) microevolution had to change the species traits enough that paleontologists could distinguish the geologic eras and periods.
D) non-vascular and vascular plants had to develop the photosynthesis process and produce oxygen gas in the atmosphere.

Question 12

The abundant remains of ammonites in Oklahoma indicate that Oklahoma was

A) once covered by a shallow ocean.
B) part of a vast tropical forest.
C) once a part of a mountain range that has now eroded.
D) once a vast desert with almost no rainfall.
E) always a semi-arid grassland.

Question 13

As recently as 2007,researchers found evidence of ___,that was (were)shared by chickens and Tyrannosaurus rex.

A) gene sequences on chromosomes
B) 35 body features
C) None of the answer choices are correct.
D) amino acids in the collagen proteins
E) brain structures in the skulls

Question 14

The name of the specialized field of studies that examines fossils and other clues to past life or environmental conditions is

A) All of these answer options refer to the specific study of fossils.
B) genetics.
C) microevolution.
D) evolution.
E) paleontology.

Question 15

Relative dating uses ______ to estimate how old a fossil is.

A) structural features
B) radioactive isotopes
C) a molecular clock
D) embryonic structures
E) depth within rock layers

Question 16

In the geologic timescale used by our author,the sequence of eons and eras beginning with the earliest era and proceeding forward to the most recent era is

A) Paleozoic - Proterozoic - Archean - Mesozoic - Cenozoic.
B) Archean - Paleozoic - Proterozoic - Cenozoic - Mesozoic.
C) Mesozoic - Cenozoic - Paleozoic - Proterozoic - Archean.
D) Archean - Proterozoic - Paleozoic - Mesozoic - Cenozoic.
E) Cenozoic - Archean - Mesozoic - Paleozoic - Proterozoic.

Question 17

Fossils may be

A) All of the answer choices are correct.
B) from impressions left after an organism decays.
C) casts from footprints that have filled with mud and then turned to stone.
D) formed when plant resin or tar preserves the specimen.
E) formed as organic matter is replaced by minerals, turning to stone.

Question 18

Potassium-40 is useful in determining the age of a fossil in samples

A) 300,000 years of age and older.
B) less than 25,000 years of age.
C) less than 50,000 years of age.
D) aged between 50,000 and 100,000 years.
E) aged between 100,000 and 250,000 years.

Question 19

The Cretaceous and Jurassic periods are part of the _____ era.

A) Mesozoic
B) Cenozoic
C) Proterozoic
D) Archean
E) Paleozoic

Question 20

A fossil is defined as any evidence of an organism from more than _____ years ago.

A) 10,000
B) 100,000
C) 1,000
D) 25,000
E) 500

Question 21

Marsupials are mammals that

A) carry their young in a pouch.
B) do not bear live young.
C) breathe through gills.
D) lay eggs.
E) have evolved recently.

Question 22

The femur in a snake and pelvis in a whale are examples of _____ structures.

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

Question 23

If a structure has no apparent function in one species,yet is homologous to a functional organ in another species,this structure is termed

A) heterologous.
B) homologous.
C) analogous.
D) vestigial.
E) homeotic.

Question 24

The half life of ¹⁴C is 5,730 years.If you test a fossilized bone and find that it has 1/8^th the ¹⁴C as a modern bone,you could conclude that it is approximately __ years old.

A) 5,730 × 1 = 5730
B) 5,730 × 3 = 17,190
C) 5,730 / 8 = 716
D) 5,730 × 2 = 11,460
E) 5,730 × 8 = 42,960

Question 25

Which of the following is least likely to be preserved as a fossil?

A) a leaf or stem
B) a bone or shell
C) an organ like an eye or lung
D) a complete large organism
E) an organism that died on land

Question 26

The forelimb of a bat and the forelimb of a bird are examples of ______ structures.

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

Question 27

The wing of a bat and an insect are examples of _____ structures.

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

Question 28

The observation that most aquatic vertebrates (e.g.fish,penguins,and whales)have streamlined bodies and fins or flippers for steering are a result of

A) analogous selection.
B) convergent evolution.
C) sexual selection.
D) vestigial selection.
E) artificial selection.

Question 29

Amphibians,birds,and mammals look the most similar as

A) fossils.
B) embryos.
C) newborns.
D) juveniles.
E) adults.

Question 30

Which of the following is most likely to be preserved as a fossil?

A) an organ like an eye or lung
B) a leaf or stem
C) an organism that died on land
D) a bone or shell
E) a complete large organism

Question 31

The number of differences between human cytochrome c and cytochrome c of some other organisms is as follows: rhesus monkey - 1 difference; pigeon - 12 differences; fruit fly - 24 differences.The order in which these species are most similar to humans is

A) fruit fly, pigeon, rhesus monkey.
B) rhesus monkey, pigeon, fruit fly.
C) pigeon, rhesus monkey, fruit fly.
D) rhesus monkey, fruit fly, pigeon.
E) pigeon, fruit fly, rhesus monkey.

Question 32

In a fruit fly embryo,the end that becomes the head will contain a protein called bicoid.What would happen if you injected additional bicoid in the other end of the embryo?

A) Legs would grow out of its head.
B) It would not grow legs.
C) It would develop two heads.
D) It would not have segments.
E) It would fail to develop a head.

Question 33

The fossil record indicates that at one time marsupials were common to both Australia and South America,but today most South American marsupials have become extinct.The most probable explanation for marsupials being common to Australia yet not very common to South America today is

A) South American placental mammals and Australian marsupials interbred, when they occupied similar ecological niches.
B) marsupials were able to flourish in South America because of its isolation from other landmasses.
C) placental mammals are less fully developed than marsupials when born, and therefore have a better chance of survival after birth.
D) South American marsupials were displaced by placental mammals when a land bridge formed between North America and South America about three million years ago.
E) marsupials can only survive in warm climates like Australia and the Amazon rainforest.

Question 34

Within the country of Indonesia,the island of Sumatra has tigers and rhinos,while to the East,the island of Sulawesi has cockatoos and tree kangaroos.What is the best explanation for this observation?

A) Sumatra separated from Sulawesi millions of years ago, and the Sumatran animals have since become dissimilar to their ancestors in Australia.
B) The climates on the two islands are very different, allowing some species to survive, and others not.
C) Some species can migrate between islands and others cannot.
D) Animals in Sumatra came from Asia, while those in Sulawesi came from Australia.
E) Animals in Sumatra and Sulawesi both came from Asia, but those in Sulawesi migrated farther.

Question 35

If similarities between two structures in different organisms reflect independent evolution,these structures are

A) heterologous.
B) homeotic.
C) homologous.
D) analogous.
E) vestigial.

Question 36

In a fruit fly embryo,a homeotic gene Antp determines where legs grow.When the promoter of Antp is mutated,a fly ends up with legs growing out of its head in place of antennae.In this mutation,

A) Antp must be turned off in all of the fly cells.
B) The Antp gene, and its transcription factor, and enhancer sequence are turned on in the head.
C) antennae grow where the legs would normally be found.
D) Antp must be turned on in the head.
E) the Antp enhancer sequence, or transcription factor is not functional.

Question 37

If similarities between two structures in different organisms reflect common ancestry,these structures are

A) vestigial.
B) analogous.
C) homologous.
D) homeotic.
E) heterologous.

Question 38

The large,rigid layers of Earth's surface that are moving in response to forces deep within Earth,are called

A) paleontologic units.
B) tectonic plates.
C) radioisotopes.
D) Wallace's lines.
E) petrifactions.

Question 39

A gene that,when mutated,leads to organisms with structures in abnormal places is termed

A) homologous.
B) dominant.
C) parsimonious.
D) homeotic.
E) vestigial.

Question 40

The half life of ¹⁴C is 5,730 years.11,460 years after an organism dies,what percent of the initial ¹⁴C will still be present in the organism's bones?

A) 75%
B) 100%
C) 0%
D) 25%
E) 50%

Question 41

Because of age estimates of the Tiktaalik fossil species,at approximately 380 mya,it lived

A) at the same time, in the Mesozoic era, as early dinosaurs, mammals, and early conifer trees.
B) None of these answer options correctly places the geologic time scale context of Tiktaalik.
C) in the Phanerozoic eon, and the Devonian era, before dinosaurs and mammals appeared.
D) during the Precambrian, when only primitive species were found in the fossil record.
E) after the widespread extinction of dinosaurs, marking the expansion of more modern, living species in the Cenozoic era.

Question 42

Placental mammals give birth to more fully developed offspring than marsupial mammals and therefore have a greater chance of survival.This helps to explain why placental mammals from North America displaced many native South American marsupial mammals when a land bridge formed between the two continents.

Question 43

According to fossil evidence,Tiktaalik either crawled or paddled in shallow,tropical streams,approximately 380 mya.These streams may have occasionally become anaerobic,but fossil structures in Tiktaalik indicate it could have what adaptation or selective advantage in these conditions?

A) It could swim better than fish with the adaptation for both gills and lungs.
B) It could lift and support its head to breath air with its lungs.
C) It could easily crawl long distances to find new water habitats when needed.
D) It could feed equally well on aquatic foods, and terrestrial foods.

Question 44

The fossil record is often incomplete,in part because scientists will never be able to discover some of the fossils that are buried deep in the earth.

Question 45

The techniques used to study molecular evolution are based on the comparison of nucleotide and amino acid sequences among species.

Question 46

Figuer:
Najash is an extinct fossil species that has distinct functional pelvis and hindlimbs.Choose the best answer which explains this in evolutionary theory.theory?

A) Najash was an evolutionary dead end, since no other snake species have anything but vestigial structures.
B) Najash is both a transitional species, and shares homologous structures with other vertebrates, such as reptiles.
C) Najash is a transitional species, that has not yet lost its pelvis and hindlimbs.
D) Najash hindlimbs and pelvis bones represent vestigial structures in that species.
E) Najash shares homologous features with other vertebrates, such as reptiles.

Question 47

If many human genes differ in about 10% of their bases from another species' same genes and substitutions occur at an estimated rate of 2% per one million years,then about _____ years have passed since the two species diverged.

A) three million
B) five million
C) 10 million
D) 20 million
E) 200,000

Question 48

If many genes from two species differ in about 5% of their bases and substitutions occur at an estimated rate of 5% per 1 million years,then about _____ million years have passed since the two species diverged.

A) 5
B) 50
C) 20
D) 1
E) 10

Question 49

A phylogenetic tree is shown in part (b)of the image above.Phylogenetic trees visually represent hypotheses of the evolutionary relationships and ancestry of species or species groups.In this case,Najash is placed in proposed context with other snake species,representing different groups of snakes around the world.What can you conclude about the evolution of sea snakes and the Najash species?

A) Najash is proposed as a separate group from other snakes, while the three fossil marine snakes are more similar to living snakes.
B) The phylogenetic tree shows that Najash, lower in the diagram, had the fossil marine snakes in its ancestry.
C) Najash diverged separately and earlier than the three fossil marine snakes, indicating only weak evolutionary relationship.
D) Both Najash and the three fossil marine snakes have ancestry traced back to an original snake species.
E) All of these answer options are correct, except that Najash did not have fossil marine snakes in its ancestry.

Question 50

Earth's history spans about 4.5 billion years.

Question 51

The abundant presence of ammonite fossils,corals,sponges,and crinoids in a large area indicate that the area was once part of an ocean.

Question 52

Dinosaurs devoloped,became diverse and eventually became extinct during the Paleozoic era.

Question 53

If,according to one hypothesis,Najash evolved from terrestrial,burrowing snakes,which of the following best reflects the adaptive or selective benefit for other snakes to have lost their pelvis and hindlimbs?

A) Chasing prey would have been easier, because the snakes would be much faster without hindlimbs and pelvis.
B) In situations of flooded burrows and land surface, the snakes could swim better without hindlimbs and pelvis.
C) Chasing prey through tunnels and burrows could be easier without the function and obstruction of hindlimbs and pelvis.
D) Burrowing snakes would be better able to dig their burrows without the hindlimbs and pelvis.
E) Grasping prey would have been easier and more efficient without the hindlimbs and pelvis.

Question 54

The common skeletal organization between two vertebrate animals,with bony limbs used for movement,is a example of analogous structures.

Question 55

Why do different mutations accumulate in two species once they diverge?

A) convergent evolution
B) They can no longer mate and swap the mutation.
C) Natural selection favors mutations in one species over another.
D) The molecular clock runs at different speeds in different species.
E) The mutations make the species different.

Question 56

The hypothesis that birds are closely related to small dinosaurs called theropods began with the discovery of the fossilized skeleton of Archeopteryx.

Question 57

When ocean levels dropped about 70 million years ago,marsupial mammals moved into North America and displaced many of the placental mammal species.

Question 58

Figuer:
Fossil evidence shows that Tiktaalik had both lungs and gills,indicating that it could

A) take in food for nutrition through the gills, but breath the air for oxygen.
B) absorb oxygen only from the air.
C) take in food for nutrition from the air or the water.
D) absorb oxygen from both air and water.
E) absorb oxygen only from the water.

Question 59

One line of evidence that humans arose in Africa is the observation that

A) African rRNA sequences place them in the domain Archaea.
B) Africans have the most diverse nuclear DNA sequences.
C) Africans have slower molecular clocks.
D) Africans have the most diverse mitochondrial DNA sequences.
E) Africans have fewer genes.