Question 1

Fishlike amphibians began to occupy land during the

Accepted Answer

A)  Cretaceous. 
B)  Cambrian. 
C)  Holocene. 
D)  Silurian. 
E)  Devonian. 
A)  Cretaceous. 
B)  Cambrian. 
C)  Holocene. 
D)  Silurian. 
E)  Devonian.

Question 2

Which planet would most likely experience more continental drift than Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  A planet that is closer to its sun than Earth is to our sun 
B)  A planet that has more radioactive material in its core 
C)  A planet that is further away from its sun than Earth is to our sun 
D)  A planet that has less radioactive material in its core 
E)  A planet that has more oxygen in its atmosphere 
A)  A planet that is closer to its sun than Earth is to our sun 
B)  A planet that has more radioactive material in its core 
C)  A planet that is further away from its sun than Earth is to our sun 
D)  A planet that has less radioactive material in its core 
E)  A planet that has more oxygen in its atmosphere

Question 3

The current geological period is the

Accepted Answer

A)  Tertiary. 
B)  Quaternary. 
C)  Triassic. 
D)  Devonian. 
E)  Pleistocene. 
A)  Tertiary. 
B)  Quaternary. 
C)  Triassic. 
D)  Devonian. 
E)  Pleistocene.

Question 4

The half-life of carbon-14 is 5,700 years.If 10 percent of the original carbon-14 is left in a structure,that structure is _______ years old.

Accepted Answer

A)  less than 2,850 
B)  about 5,700 
C)  between 11,400 and 17,100 
D)  between 17,100 and 22,800 
E)  about 57,000 
A)  less than 2,850 
B)  about 5,700 
C)  between 11,400 and 17,100 
D)  between 17,100 and 22,800 
E)  about 57,000

Question 5

The period of time between life's first appearance on Earth and the definite appearance of multicellular life was about _______ years.

Accepted Answer

A)  200 million 
B)  500 million 
C)  1 billion 
D)  2.5 billion 
E)  4.5 billion 
A)  200 million 
B)  500 million 
C)  1 billion 
D)  2.5 billion 
E)  4.5 billion

Question 6

In the late Precambrian,the first _______ evolved.

Accepted Answer

A)  vascular plants 
B)  multicellular eukaryotes 
C)  jawed fish 
D)  photosynthetic bacteria 
E)  insects 
A)  vascular plants 
B)  multicellular eukaryotes 
C)  jawed fish 
D)  photosynthetic bacteria 
E)  insects

Question 7

The possible collision of a large meteorite with Earth 65 million years ago may explain

Accepted Answer

A)  the existence of Gondwana. 
B)  continental drift,according to Alfred Wegener. 
C)  the mass extinction that killed off the dinosaurs. 
D)  contemporary atmospheric conditions on Earth. 
E)  the breaking apart of Gondwana. 
A)  the existence of Gondwana. 
B)  continental drift,according to Alfred Wegener. 
C)  the mass extinction that killed off the dinosaurs. 
D)  contemporary atmospheric conditions on Earth. 
E)  the breaking apart of Gondwana.

Question 8

Humans reached North America approximately _______ years ago.

Accepted Answer

A)  500 
B)  1,500 
C)  15,000 
D)  100,000 
E)  1 million 
A)  500 
B)  1,500 
C)  15,000 
D)  100,000 
E)  1 million

Question 9

Which condition would increase the likelihood of an animal's being fossilized?

Accepted Answer

A)  Living in an oxygen-rich environment 
B)  Having an exoskeleton 
C)  Living in an area where geological processes often transform rocks 
D)  Living in an area where decomposition occurs rapidly 
E)  Having an internal digestive system 
A)  Living in an oxygen-rich environment 
B)  Having an exoskeleton 
C)  Living in an area where geological processes often transform rocks 
D)  Living in an area where decomposition occurs rapidly 
E)  Having an internal digestive system

Question 10

Which series represents the correct sequence of events,from earliest to latest?

Accepted Answer

A)  Permian mass extinction,decline in oxygen levels,drying of lowland swamps 
B)  Permian mass extinction,drying of lowland swamps,decline in oxygen levels 
C)  Decline in oxygen levels,Permian mass extinction,drying of lowland swamps 
D)  Drying of lowland swamps,Permian mass extinction,decline in oxygen levels 
E)  Drying of lowland swamps,decline in oxygen levels,Permian mass extinction 
A)  Permian mass extinction,decline in oxygen levels,drying of lowland swamps 
B)  Permian mass extinction,drying of lowland swamps,decline in oxygen levels 
C)  Decline in oxygen levels,Permian mass extinction,drying of lowland swamps 
D)  Drying of lowland swamps,Permian mass extinction,decline in oxygen levels 
E)  Drying of lowland swamps,decline in oxygen levels,Permian mass extinction

Question 11

If the half-life of a radioactive substance is 600 years,what fraction of the original material is left after 1,800 years?

Accepted Answer

A)  One-half 
B)  One-fourth 
C)  One-eighth 
D)  One-sixteenth 
E)  None of the above 
A)  One-half 
B)  One-fourth 
C)  One-eighth 
D)  One-sixteenth 
E)  None of the above

Question 12

Which of the following is the longest period of time?

Accepted Answer

A)  The length of the entire Mesozoic era 
B)  The half-life of 40K 
C)  Five million years 
D)  Five half-lives of 14C 
E)  The time since the Cambrian explosion 
A)  The length of the entire Mesozoic era 
B)  The half-life of 40K 
C)  Five million years 
D)  Five half-lives of 14C 
E)  The time since the Cambrian explosion

Question 13

Which statement about geological dating is false?

Accepted Answer

A)  The isotopes in sedimentary rocks contain reliable information about the dates of their formation. 
B)  Igneous rocks are formed when molten material cools. 
C)  The decay of potassium-40 to argon-40 has been used to date the most ancient events in the evolution of life. 
D)  Paleomagnetic dating relates the ages of rocks to patterns in Earth's magnetism. 
E)  Sedimentary rocks are formed by the accumulation of sediments. 
A)  The isotopes in sedimentary rocks contain reliable information about the dates of their formation. 
B)  Igneous rocks are formed when molten material cools. 
C)  The decay of potassium-40 to argon-40 has been used to date the most ancient events in the evolution of life. 
D)  Paleomagnetic dating relates the ages of rocks to patterns in Earth's magnetism. 
E)  Sedimentary rocks are formed by the accumulation of sediments.

Question 14

Most mass extinctions are associated with _______ in sea level corresponding with ______ glaciation.

Accepted Answer

A)  rapid increases;increased 
B)  rapid increases;decreased 
C)  fluctuations;fluctuating 
D)  rapid decreases;decreased 
E)  rapid decreases;increased 
A)  rapid increases;increased 
B)  rapid increases;decreased 
C)  fluctuations;fluctuating 
D)  rapid decreases;decreased 
E)  rapid decreases;increased

Question 15

Vascular plants first appeared during the

Accepted Answer

A)  Silurian. 
B)  Ordovician. 
C)  Cambrian. 
D)  Carboniferous. 
E)  Permian. 
A)  Silurian. 
B)  Ordovician. 
C)  Cambrian. 
D)  Carboniferous. 
E)  Permian.

Question 16

During the Permian period,all of the continents came together to form one supercontinent known as

Accepted Answer

A)  Pangaea. 
B)  Gondwana. 
C)  Laurasia. 
D)  Crinoid. 
E)  Ork. 
A)  Pangaea. 
B)  Gondwana. 
C)  Laurasia. 
D)  Crinoid. 
E)  Ork.

Question 17

There was no life during the

Accepted Answer

A)  Precambrian. 
B)  Phanerozoic. 
C)  Archean. 
D)  Hadean. 
E)  Proterozoic. 
A)  Precambrian. 
B)  Phanerozoic. 
C)  Archean. 
D)  Hadean. 
E)  Proterozoic.

Question 18

The first flying animals were _______,which first appeared in the _______ period.

Accepted Answer

A)  insects;Carboniferous 
B)  birds;Cretaceous 
C)  bats;Jurassic 
D)  birds;Carboniferous 
E)  insects;Permian 
A)  insects;Carboniferous 
B)  birds;Cretaceous 
C)  bats;Jurassic 
D)  birds;Carboniferous 
E)  insects;Permian

Question 19

Observations from Krakatau and Mt.Pinatubo

Accepted Answer

A)  provide evidence for mass extinctions caused by extraterrestrial events. 
B)  challenge the notion that extraterrestrial events can cause mass extinctions. 
C)  demonstrate that volcanic activity can increase global temperatures. 
D)  demonstrate that volcanic activity can decrease global temperatures. 
E)  demonstrate that volcanic activity is the major cause of mass extinctions. 
A)  provide evidence for mass extinctions caused by extraterrestrial events. 
B)  challenge the notion that extraterrestrial events can cause mass extinctions. 
C)  demonstrate that volcanic activity can increase global temperatures. 
D)  demonstrate that volcanic activity can decrease global temperatures. 
E)  demonstrate that volcanic activity is the major cause of mass extinctions.

Question 20

According to experimental evidence,Drosophila exposed to higher than normal oxygen concentrations increase their body mass by about 2 percent each generation.Suppose that the concentration of oxygen were to increase again,but this time the average size increase is only 0.1 percent (0.001)per generation.Suppose that these flies have five generations per year,and their average body mass is now 1 mg.How large would the flies be after 1,000 years? [Use the formula W = S(1 + R)N,where W is the final mass,S is the starting mass,R is the rate of increase (0.001),and N is the number of generations.]

Accepted Answer

A)  2.1 mg 
B)  2.7 mg 
C)  5.0 mg 
D)  38 mg 
E)  148 mg 
A)  2.1 mg 
B)  2.7 mg 
C)  5.0 mg 
D)  38 mg 
E)  148 mg

Exam 18: The History of Life on Earth

Fishlike amphibians began to occupy land during the

Which planet would most likely experience more continental drift than Earth?

The current geological period is the

The half-life of carbon-14 is 5,700 years.If 10 percent of the original carbon-14 is left in a structure,that structure is _______ years old.

The period of time between life's first appearance on Earth and the definite appearance of multicellular life was about _______ years.

In the late Precambrian,the first _______ evolved.

The possible collision of a large meteorite with Earth 65 million years ago may explain

Humans reached North America approximately _______ years ago.

Which condition would increase the likelihood of an animal's being fossilized?

Which series represents the correct sequence of events,from earliest to latest?

If the half-life of a radioactive substance is 600 years,what fraction of the original material is left after 1,800 years?

Which of the following is the longest period of time?

Which statement about geological dating is false?

Most mass extinctions are associated with _______ in sea level corresponding with ______ glaciation.

Vascular plants first appeared during the

During the Permian period,all of the continents came together to form one supercontinent known as

There was no life during the

The first flying animals were _______,which first appeared in the _______ period.

Observations from Krakatau and Mt.Pinatubo

Introduction

The Chemistry and Energy of Life

Nucleic Acids, Proteins, and Enzymes

Cells: the Working Units of Life

Cell Membranes and Signaling

Pathways That Harvest and Store Chemical Energy

The Cell Cycle and Cell Division

Inheritance, Genes, and Chromosomes

DNA and Its Role in Heredity

From Dna to Protein: Gene Expression

Regulation of Gene Expression

Genomes

Biotechnology

Genes, Development, and Evolution

Processes of Evolution

Reconstructing and Using Phylogenies

Speciation

Bacteria, Archaea, and Viruses

The Origin and Diversification of Eukaryotes

The Evolution of Plants

The Evolution and Diversity of Fungi

Animal Origins and Diversity

The Plant Body

Plant Nutrition and Transport

Plant Growth and Development

Reproduction of Flowering Plants

Plants in the Environment

Fundamentals of Animal Function

Nutrition and Digestion

Breathing

Circulation

Muscle and Movement

Neurons, Sense Organs, and Nervous Systems

Nervous and Endocrine Control

Water and Salts: Excretion

Animal Reproduction

Animal Development

Immunology: Animal Defense Systems

Animal Behavior

The Distribution of Earths Ecological Systems

Populations

Ecological and Evolutionary Consequences of Interactions Within and Among Species

Ecological Communities

The Global Ecosystem

Filters

Most mass extinctions are associated with _ in sea level corresponding with glaciation.

The first flying animals were _,which first appeared in the _ period.