Deck 34: The Origin and Evolution of Vertebrates

Question 1

There is evidence that ray-finned fishes evolved

A)in response to a crisis that wiped out the chondrichthyans.
B)directly from lampreys and hagfish.
C)early in the Cambrian period.
D)directly from lancelets.
E)the swim bladder from a lung.

Answer 1

E

Question 2

Which of these statements accurately describes a similarity between sharks and ray-finned fishes?

A)The skin is typically covered by flattened bony scales.
B)They are equally able to exchange gases with the environment while stationary.
C)They are highly manoeuvrable due to their flexibility.
D)They have a lateral line that is sensitive to changes in water pressure.
E)A swim bladder helps control buoyancy.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Hagfish have slime glands that can produce large amounts of slime. What is an important function of slime production?

A)Slime makes the hagfish slippery, enabling it to swim faster and escape predators.
B)Slime makes the hagfish slippery, so it slips out of a predator's grasp.
C)The slime can coat the gills of predators and suffocate them.
D)Slime clouds the water, allowing the hagfish time to escape.
E)Slime is toxic and poisons the predator.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The feeding mode of the extinct conodonts was

A)herbivory.
B)suspension feeding.
C)predation.
D)filter feeding.
E)absorptive feeding.

Question 5

Which group's members have had both lungs and gills during their adult lives?

A)sharks, skates, and rays
B)lungfishes
C)lancelets
D)amphibians
E)ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs

Question 6

Which extant chordates are postulated to be most like the earliest chordates in appearance?

A)lancelets
B)adult tunicates
C)amphibians
D)reptiles
E)chondrichthyans

Question 7

Which of the following belongs to the lobe-fin clade?

A)chondrichthyans
B)ray-finned fishes
C)lampreys
D)hagfishes
E)tetrapods

Question 8

How many of the following statements about craniates is (are)correct? 1. Craniates are more highly cephalized than are noncraniates.
2. Craniates' genomic evolution includes duplication of clusters of genes that code for transcription factors.
3. The craniate clade is synonymous with the vertebrate clade.
4. Pharyngeal slits that play important roles in gas exchange originated in craniates.
5. The two-chambered heart originated with the early craniates.

A)one of these
B)two of these
C)three of these
D)four of these
E)five of these

Question 9

Which of the following statements would be least acceptable to most zoologists?

A)The extant lancelets are contemporaries, not ancestors, of vertebrates.
B)The first fossils resembling lancelets appeared in the fossil record around 530 million years ago.
C)Recent work in molecular systematics supports the hypothesis that lancelets are the most recent common ancestor of all vertebrates.
D)The extant lancelets are the immediate ancestors of the fishes.
E)Lancelets display the same method of swimming as do fishes.

Question 10

The earliest known mineralized structures in vertebrates are associated with which function?

A)reproduction
B)feeding
C)locomotion
D)defence
E)respiration

Question 11

To which of the following are the scales of chondrichthyans most closely related in a structural sense?

A)osteichthyan scales
B)reptilian scales
C)mammalian scales
D)bird scales
E)chondrichthyan teeth

Question 12

What do all craniates have that earlier chordates did not have?

A)brain
B)vertebrae
C)cartilaginous pipe surrounding notochord
D)partial or complete skull
E)bone

Question 13

A new species of aquatic chordate is discovered that closely resembles an ancient form. It has the following characteristics: external armour of bony plates, no paired lateral fins, and a suspension-feeding mode of nutrition. In addition to these, it will probably have which of the following characteristics?

A)legs
B)no jaws
C)an amniotic egg
D)endothermy

Question 14

Jaws first occurred in which extant group of fishes?

A)lampreys
B)chondrichthyans
C)ray-finned fishes
D)lungfishes
E)placoderms

Question 15

A team of researchers has developed a poison that has proven effective against lamprey larvae in freshwater cultures. The poison is ingested and causes paralysis by detaching segmental muscles from the skeletal elements. The team wants to test the poison's effectiveness in streams feeding Lake Michigan, but one critic worries about potential effects on lancelets, which are similar to lampreys in many ways. Why is this concern misplaced?

A)A chemical poisonous to lampreys could not also be toxic to organisms as ancestral as lancelets.
B)Lamprey larvae and lancelets have very different feeding mechanisms.
C)Lancelets do not have segmental muscles.
D)Lancelets live only in saltwater environments.
E)Lancelets and lamprey larvae eat different kinds of food.

Question 16

The lamprey species whose larvae live in freshwater streams, but whose adults live most of their lives in sea water, are similar in this respect to certain species of

A)chondrichthyans.
B)actinopterygians.
C)lungfishes.
D)coelacanths.
E)hagfishes.

Question 17

Chordate pharyngeal slits appear to have functioned first as

A)the digestive system's opening.
B)suspension-feeding devices.
C)components of the jaw.
D)gill slits for respiration.
E)portions of the inner ear.

Question 18

Which of these might have been observed in the common ancestor of chondrichthyans and osteichthyans?

A)a mineralized, bony skeleton
B)opercula
C)bony fin rays
D)a spiral valve intestine
E)a swim bladder

Question 19

Lampreys differ from hagfishes in

A)lacking jaws.
B)having a cranium.
C)having pharyngeal clefts that develop into pharyngeal slits.
D)having a notochord throughout life.
E)having a notochord that is surrounded by a tube of cartilage.

Question 20

The swim bladder of ray-finned fishes

A)was probably modified from simple lungs of chondrichthyans.
B)developed into lungs in saltwater fishes.
C)first appeared in sharks.
D)provides for regulation of buoyancy.
E)Two of the options listed are correct.

Question 21

Which of the following represents the strongest evidence that two of the three middle ear bones of mammals are homologous to certain reptilian jawbones?

A)They are similar in size to the reptilian jawbones.
B)They are similar in shape to the reptilian jawbones.
C)The mammalian jaw has fewer bones than does the reptilian jaw.
D)These bones can be observed to move from the developing jaw to the developing middle ear in mammalian embryos.
E)Mammals can hear better than reptiles.

Question 22

Why is the amniotic egg considered an important evolutionary breakthrough?

A)It has a shell that increases gas exchange.
B)It allows deposition of eggs in a terrestrial environment.
C)It prolongs embryonic development.
D)It provides insulation to conserve heat.
E)It permits internal fertilization to be replaced by external fertilization.

Question 23

Which of these characteristics added most to vertebrate success in relatively dry environments?

A)the shelled, amniotic egg
B)the ability to maintain a constant body temperature
C)two pairs of appendages
D)bony scales
E)a four-chambered heart

Question 24

Examination of the fossils of Archaeopteryx reveals that, in common with extant birds, it had

A)a long tail containing vertebrae.
B)feathers.
C)teeth.
D)Three of the options listed are correct.
E)Two of the options listed are correct.

Question 25

What should be true of fossils of the earliest tetrapods?

A)They should show evidence of internal fertilization.
B)They should show evidence of having produced shelled eggs.
C)They should indicate limited adaptation to life on land.
D)They should be transitional forms with the fossils of chondrichthyans that lived at the same time.
E)They should feature the earliest indications of the appearance of jaws.

Question 26

A trend first observed in the evolution of the earliest tetrapods was

A)the appearance of jaws.
B)the appearance of bony vertebrae.
C)feet with digits.
D)the mineralization of the endoskeleton.
E)the amniotic egg.

Question 27

What is a key factor in the evolution of jaws that led to the diversification of vertebrates?

A)enabled the development of the lateral line system
B)enabled the vertebrates to break food into smaller pieces
C)allowed the vertebrates to gulp air
D)enabled vertebrates to feed on a large variety of different foods
E)increased the complexity of the cranium

Question 28

Which of the following are the only extant animals that descended directly from dinosaurs?

A)lizards
B)crocodiles
C)snakes
D)birds
E)tuataras

Question 29

What evolutionary innovation was of key significance in helping tetrapods reduce their dependence on aquatic environments?

A)larger limbs
B)amniotic egg
C)more efficient lungs
D)faster speed
E)teeth to defend themselves

Question 30

Which era is known as the "age of reptiles"?

A)Cenozoic
B)Mesozoic
C)Paleozoic
D)Devonian
E)Cambrian

Question 31

Which of the following is not considered an adaptation that benefits flight in birds?

A)lack teeth
B)small gonads, except during the breeding season
C)no urinary bladder
D)small pectoral muscles
E)most species have one ovary

Question 32

Arrange these taxonomic terms from most inclusive (most general)to least inclusive? (most specific). 1. lobe-fins
2. amphibians
3. gnathostomes
4. osteichthyans
5. tetrapods

A)4, 3, 1, 5, 2
B)4, 3, 2, 5, 1
C)4, 2, 3, 5, 1
D)3, 4, 1, 5, 2
E)3, 4, 5, 1, 2

Question 33

During chordate evolution, what is the sequence (from earliest to most recent)in which the following structures arose? 1. amniotic egg
2. paired fins
3. jaws
4. swim bladder
5. four-chambered heart

A)2, 3, 4, 1, 5
B)3, 2, 4, 1, 5
C)3, 2, 1, 4, 5
D)2, 1, 4, 3, 5
E)2, 4, 3, 1, 5

Question 34

Which of these would a paleontologist be most likely to do in order to determine whether a fossil represents a reptile or a mammal?

A)Look for the presence of milk-producing glands.
B)Look for the mammalian characteristics of a four-chambered heart and a diaphragm.
C)Because mammals are eutherians, look for evidence of a placenta.
D)Use molecular analysis to look for the protein keratin.
E)Examine the teeth.

Question 35

Among extant vertebrates, a sheet of muscle called the diaphragm is found in

A)birds.
B)monotremes.
C)marsupials.
D)placentals.
E)Three of the options listed are correct.

Question 36

Female birds lay their eggs, thereby facilitating flight by reducing weight. Which "strategy" seems most likely for female bats to use to achieve the same goal?

A)lay shelled eggs
B)limit litters to a single embryo
C)refrain from flying throughout pregnancy (about 6 weeks long)
D)give birth to underdeveloped young, and subsequently carry them in a pouch that has teats
E)feed multiple embryos internally using placentas

Question 37

Why is the discovery of the fossil Archaeopteryx significant? It supports the

A)phylogenetic relatedness of birds and reptiles.
B)contention that birds are much older than we originally thought.
C)claim that some dinosaurs had feathers well before birds had evolved.
D)idea that the first birds were ratites.
E)hypothesis that the earliest birds were ectothermic.

Question 38

Which of the following is characteristic of most extant reptiles and most extant mammals?

A)ectothermy
B)diaphragm
C)shelled eggs
D)keratinized skin
E)conical teeth that are relatively uniform in size

Question 39

At the end of which era did most dinosaurs and pterosaurs become extinct?

A)Cretaceous
B)Permian
C)Devonian
D)Ordovician
E)Triassic

Question 40

Which of these are amniotes?

A)amphibians
B)fishes
C)egg-laying mammals
D)placental mammals
E)More than one of these is correct.

Question 41

The oldest fossil remains of Homo sapiens found so far date from about

A)6 million years ago.
B)1.6 million years ago.
C)195 000 years ago.
D)60 000 years ago.
E)16 000 years ago.

Question 42

What is the single unique characteristic that distinguishes extant birds from other extant vertebrates?

A)endothermy
B)feathers
C)an amniotic egg
D)flight
E)a four-chambered heart

Question 43

Arrange the following taxonomic terms from most inclusive (most general)to least inclusive (most specific). 1. apes
2. hominins
3. Homo
4. anthropoids
5. primates

A)5, 1, 4, 2, 3
B)5, 4, 1, 2, 3
C)5, 4, 2, 1, 3
D)5, 2, 1, 4, 3
E)5, 2, 4, 1, 3

Question 44

Which of the following statements about human evolution is correct?

A)Modern humans are the only human species to have evolved on Earth.
B)Human ancestors were virtually identical to extant chimpanzees.
C)Human evolution has occurred within an unbranched lineage.
D)The upright posture and enlarged brain of humans evolved simultaneously.
E)Fossil evidence indicates that early anthropoids were arboreal and cat-sized.

Question 45

Which of these species was apparently the first to craft stone tools?

A)Australopithecus garhi
B)H. erectus
C)H. ergaster
D)H. habilis
E)H. sapiens

Question 46

Which of these statements about human evolution is correct?

A)The ancestors of Homo sapiens were chimpanzees.
B)Human evolution has proceeded in an orderly fashion from an ancestral anthropoid to Homo sapiens.
C)The evolution of upright posture and enlarged brain occurred simultaneously.
D)Different species of the genus Homo have coexisted at various times throughout hominin evolution.
E)Mitochondrial DNA analysis indicates that modern humans are genetically very similar to Neanderthals.

Question 47

Which of these species was the first to have been adapted for long-distance bipedalism?

A)Australopithecus garhi
B)H. erectus
C)H. ergaster
D)H. habilis
E)H. sapiens

Question 48

Which of the following is the most inclusive (most general)group, all of whose members have foramina magna centrally positioned in the base of the cranium?

A)hominoids
B)Homo
C)anthropoids
D)hominins
E)primates

Question 49

Which of these species is currently thought to have coexisted (at the same time and places)with H. neanderthalensis?

A)H. erectus
B)H. ergaster
C)H. habilis
D)H. sapiens

Question 50

Which of these species had members who moved out of Africa?

A)H. erectus
B)H. ergaster
C)H. habilis
D)H. sapiens
E)both H. sapiens and H. erectus

Question 51

In which vertebrates is fertilization exclusively internal?

A)chondrichthyans, osteichthyans, and mammals
B)amphibians, mammals, and reptiles
C)chondrichthyans, osteichthyans, and reptiles
D)reptiles and mammals
E)reptiles and amphibians

Question 52

With which of the following statements would a biologist be most inclined to agree?

A)Humans and apes represent divergent lines of evolution from a common ancestor.
B)Humans evolved directly from Old World monkeys.
C)Humans represent the pinnacle of evolution and have escaped from being affected by natural selection.
D)Humans evolved from chimpanzees.
E)Humans and apes are the result of disruptive selection in a species of chimpanzee.

Question 53

Which of the following statements is correct in regard to Homo erectus?

A)Their fossils are not limited to Africa.
B)On average, H. erectus had a smaller brain than H. habilis.
C)H. erectus had a level of sexual dimorphism less than that of modern humans.
D)H. erectus was not known to use tools.
E)H. erectus evolved before H. habilis.

Question 54

Which characteristic of monotremes is ancestral to amniotes?

A)produce milk
B)have hair
C)lay eggs
D)differentiated teeth
E)are bilaterally symmetrical

Question 55

Which of these species was the first to have some members migrate out of Africa?

A)Australopithecus garhi
B)H. erectus
C)H. ergaster
D)H. habilis
E)H. sapiens

Question 56

For the following items, match the extant vertebrate groups with the descriptions.
Which of the following are the most abundant and diverse of the extant vertebrates?

A)ray-finned fishes
B)birds
C)amphibians
D)nonbird reptiles
E)mammals

Question 57

Which of the following are considered apes?

A)lorises
B)New World monkeys
C)Old World monkeys
D)orangutans
E)tarsiers

Question 58

For the following items, match the extant vertebrate groups with the descriptions.
Their scales most closely resemble teeth in both structure and origin.

A)amphibians
B)nonbird reptiles
C)chondrichthyans
D)mammals
E)osteichthyans

Question 59

Which of these traits is most strongly associated with the adoption of bipedalism?

A)fingerprints
B)enhanced depth perception
C)shortened hind limbs
D)opposable big toe
E)repositioning of foramen magnum

Question 60

For the following items, match the extant vertebrate groups with the descriptions.
Internal fertilization, leathery amniotic egg, and skin that resists drying are characteristics of

A)amphibians.
B)nonbird reptiles.
C)chondrichthyans.
D)mammals.
E)birds.

Question 61

We should expect the inner wall of the swim bladder to be lined with tissue that is derived from

A)ectoderm.
B)endoderm.
C)mesoderm.
D)mesoglea.
E)neurectoderm.

Question 62

Which of the following is the most inclusive (most general)group, all of whose members have fully opposable thumbs?

A)apes
B)Homo
C)anthropoids
D)hominins
E)primates

Question 63

Which of the following is the most specific group that includes both the Old World monkeys and the New World monkeys?

A)apes
B)Homo
C)anthropoids
D)hominins
E)primates

Question 64

If a ray-finned fish is to both hover (remain stationary)in the water column and ventilate its gills effectively, then what other structure besides its swim bladder will it use?

A)its heart
B)its pectoral fins
C)its lateral line system
D)its caudal (tail)fin
E)its opercula

Question 65

If a physoclistus fish removes gas from its swim bladder, this fish's density cannot actually change until that gas arrives at the

A)mouth.
B)gills.
C)skin.
D)heart.
E)anus.

Question 66

In coelacanths, a swim bladder is present, but the swim bladder is full of adipose tissue (fat), which is there on a fairly permanent basis. If such a swim bladder is used by coelacanths to affect buoyancy, then it does so in much the same way as does the

A)liver of a shark.
B)physoclistus swim bladder.
C)physostomus swim bladder.
D)lung of a lungfish.

Question 67

Regarding its position in the water column, the same thing that happens to a shark when it stops swimming also happens to a

A)physostomus fish when it gulps air.
B)physoclistus fish when it moves gas from the blood into the water.
C)physoclistus fish when it moves gas from the swim bladder into the blood.
D)physoclistus fish when it moves gas from the blood into the swim bladder.

Question 68

Rank the following fishes, from most to least, in terms of the amount of energy it must use to maintain its position (depth)in the water column over the long term. 1. physoclistus fish
2. physostomus fish
3. chondrichthyan fish

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

Question 69

At least one of these has been found in all species of eumetazoan animals studied thus far.

A)Hox
B)Dlx
C)Otx
D)FOXP2
E)more than one of these

Question 70

Which shark structure is most analogous to a swim bladder full of gas?

A)its lateral line system
B)its spiral valve
C)its liver
D)its dead-end nostrils
E)its gills

Question 71

The following questions refer to the phylogenetic tree shown below.

If circle 3 includes all of the extant reptiles that are ectotherms, then what do circles 4 and 6 represent?

A)crocodiles and birds
B)turtles and birds
C)ratites and carinates
D)mammals and birds
E)There is not enough information to say.

Question 72

Which of the following is a cluster of genes coding for transcription factors involved in the evolution of innovations in early vertebrate nervous systems and vertebrae?

A)Hox
B)Dlx
C)Otx
D)FOXP2
E)more than one of these

Question 73

Fishes that have swim bladders can regulate their density and, thus, their buoyancy. There are two types of swim bladder: physostomus and physoclistus. The ancestral version is the physostomus version, in which the swim bladder is connected to the esophagus via a short tube (see the figure above). The fish fills this version by swimming to the surface, taking gulps of air, and directing them into the swim bladder. Air is removed from this version by "belching." The physoclistus version is more derived, and has lost its connection to the esophagus. Instead, gas enters and leaves the swim bladder via special circulatory mechanisms within the wall of the swim bladder.
The presence of a swim bladder allows the typical ray-finned fish to stop swimming and still

A)effectively circulate its blood.
B)be highly manoeuvrable.
C)use its lateral line system.
D)use its swim bladder as a respiratory organ.
E)not sink.

Question 74

At 5, 10, and 15 hours in the graph below, which of the following statements should be true?

A)This fish is in the process of adding gas to its swim bladder.
B)This fish is in the process of removing gas from its swim bladder.
C)This fish has a swim bladder that is relatively full of gas.
D)This fish has a swim bladder that contains relatively little gas.

Question 75

The following questions refer to the phylogenetic tree shown below.

Which pair of numbers represents extinct reptiles that had returned to an aquatic life?

A)1 and 2
B)3 and 4
C)5 and 7
D)6 and 8
E)7 and 9

Question 76

Which graph below best represents the way that density changes over time in a physoclistus fish and in a physostomus fish, respectively?

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

Question 77

Which of the following statements about human evolution is a common misconception?

A)Bipedalism evolved early in hominin history.
B)Brains of hominins were small compared with those of Homo sapiens.
C)Early hominins evolved from chimpanzees.
D)Earliest hominins were small in size.
E)At certain times, several species of hominins coexisted.

Question 78

The following questions refer to the phylogenetic tree shown below.

Which number represents the birds?

A)3
B)4
C)6
D)8
E)10, if it were at the end of a branch emerging from the dinosaurs

Question 79

Which graph properly depicts the relationship between the amount of gas in the swim bladder and the density of the fish?

A)
B)
C)
D)
E)

Question 80

When a shark stops swimming, it does which of the following? 1. sinks
2. quickly dies
3. oxygenates its blood less effectively

A)1 only
B)2 only
C)3 only
D)1 and 3
E)1, 2, and 3