Question 1

Which of the following key adaptations is found in many animals from the Burgess Shale fauna, but not found in the Doushantuo and Ediacaran faunas?

Accepted Answer

A)  segmentation 
B)  burrow formation 
C)  multicellularity 
D)  mouthparts 
A)  segmentation 
B)  burrow formation 
C)  multicellularity 
D)  mouthparts

Question 2

Dinosaurs were the largest land vertebrates during the eras).

Accepted Answer

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

Question 3

Figure 25.5
-Which of the following words describes) the circled part of the phylogenetic tree in Figure 25.5?
I. monophyletic group
II. polyphyletic group
III. homoplasic trait
IV. polytomy

Accepted Answer

A)  II, III, and IV 
B)  II only 
C)  I and IV 
D)  II and III 
E)  I only 
A)  II, III, and IV 
B)  II only 
C)  I and IV 
D)  II and III 
E)  I only

Question 4

The cladistic approach to estimating phylogenetic trees is most like the approach of which species concept?

Accepted Answer

A)  biological species concept 
B)  morphospecies concept 
C)  phylogenetic species concept 
A)  biological species concept 
B)  morphospecies concept 
C)  phylogenetic species concept

Question 5

You find a new fossil deposit, containing many species with shells but no soft-bodied species. What is the most likely reason for this?

Accepted Answer

A)  Soft-bodied species were rare or absent at this time and location. 
B)  There was a mass extinction event among hard-bodied, but not soft-bodied, species at this location. 
C)  Conditions were not right to fossilize soft-bodied organisms. 
A)  Soft-bodied species were rare or absent at this time and location. 
B)  There was a mass extinction event among hard-bodied, but not soft-bodied, species at this location. 
C)  Conditions were not right to fossilize soft-bodied organisms.

Question 6

The largest extinction, measured as a percentage of species that disappeared, occurred at the end of which geological period?

Accepted Answer

A)  Tertiary 
B)  Cretaceous 
C)  Permian 
D)  Devonian 
E)  Silurian 
A)  Tertiary 
B)  Cretaceous 
C)  Permian 
D)  Devonian 
E)  Silurian

Question 7

How do mass extinctions differ from background extinctions?

Accepted Answer

A)  It is now recognized that mass extinctions but not background extinctions are generally caused by asteroid impacts. 
B)  Mass extinctions involve a relatively rapid extinction of a large proportion of organisms that were alive at that time. 
C)  Mass extinctions account for most species that have gone extinct in the history of life on Earth. 
A)  It is now recognized that mass extinctions but not background extinctions are generally caused by asteroid impacts. 
B)  Mass extinctions involve a relatively rapid extinction of a large proportion of organisms that were alive at that time. 
C)  Mass extinctions account for most species that have gone extinct in the history of life on Earth.

Question 8

What is still lacking in the hypothesis of an asteroid impact as the cause of the end-Cretaceous mass extinction?

Accepted Answer

A)  evidence that an asteroid hit Earth at the time of the extinctions 65 million years ago) 
B)  a convincing explanation of why mammals radiated after the event 
C)  evidence of the location where an asteroid hit Earth 
D)  a convincing explanation of why some lineages survived while others vanished 
A)  evidence that an asteroid hit Earth at the time of the extinctions 65 million years ago) 
B)  a convincing explanation of why mammals radiated after the event 
C)  evidence of the location where an asteroid hit Earth 
D)  a convincing explanation of why some lineages survived while others vanished

Question 9

In plant communities today, leaf morphology is correlated with mean annual temperature, so paleobotanists use fossil leaf morphology to estimate the mean annual temperature of paleoclimates. However, the angiosperm fossil record contains an overabundance of samples fossilized near lakes or rivers where vines are especially common. Since vine leaves have a somewhat different association with temperature, use of data from vine-rich locations leads to mean average temperature estimates that are lower than actual recorded temperatures in modern plant communities. This potential bias in paleobotanical climate estimates is due to which type of bias in the fossil record? R. J. Burnham, N. C. A. Pitman, K. R. Johnson, and P. Wilf. 2001.
Habitat-related error in estimating temperature from leaf margins in a humid tropical forest. American Journal of Botany 88:1096-1102.)

Accepted Answer

A)  Temporal bias 
B)  Habitat bias 
C)  Taxonomic bias 
D)  Abundance bias 
A)  Temporal bias 
B)  Habitat bias 
C)  Taxonomic bias 
D)  Abundance bias

Question 10

Which listing of geological periods is in the correct order, from oldest to most recent?

Accepted Answer

A)  Cambrian, Permian, Devonian, Cretaceous 
B)  Cambrian, Devonian, Permian, Cretaceous 
C)  Permian, Cambrian, Cretaceous, Devonian 
D)  Devonian, Cambrian, Permian, Cretaceous 
A)  Cambrian, Permian, Devonian, Cretaceous 
B)  Cambrian, Devonian, Permian, Cretaceous 
C)  Permian, Cambrian, Cretaceous, Devonian 
D)  Devonian, Cambrian, Permian, Cretaceous

Question 11

Figure 25.5
-How did the pattern shown in the circled part of Figure 25.5 most likely arise?

Accepted Answer

A)  allopatric speciation 
B)  background extinction 
C)  mass extinction 
D)  convergent evolution 
E)  adaptive radiation 
A)  allopatric speciation 
B)  background extinction 
C)  mass extinction 
D)  convergent evolution 
E)  adaptive radiation

Question 12

A hypothetical island lies far from any other landmasses. There are many different types of plants, but only one animal-a beetle that can fly or walk from plant to plant and feeds by chewing leaves. Which morphological change would be most likely to trigger an adaptive radiation of the beetles?

Accepted Answer

A)  a mouthpart that can pierce fruits and seeds 
B)  a change in wing shape that improves flight speed 
C)  an additional segment on a pair of legs 
A)  a mouthpart that can pierce fruits and seeds 
B)  a change in wing shape that improves flight speed 
C)  an additional segment on a pair of legs

Question 13

The five mass extinctions occurred at the end of which periods?

Accepted Answer

A)  Permian, Cretaceous, Devonian, Carboniferous, Silurian 
B)  Triassic, Devonian, Permian, Cretaceous, Ordovician 
C)  Jurassic, Cretaceous, Cambrian, Carboniferous, Silurian 
D)  Ordovician, Silurian, Cambrian, Devonian, Carboniferous 
E)  Devonian, Cambrian, Jurassic, Cretaceous, Permian 
A)  Permian, Cretaceous, Devonian, Carboniferous, Silurian 
B)  Triassic, Devonian, Permian, Cretaceous, Ordovician 
C)  Jurassic, Cretaceous, Cambrian, Carboniferous, Silurian 
D)  Ordovician, Silurian, Cambrian, Devonian, Carboniferous 
E)  Devonian, Cambrian, Jurassic, Cretaceous, Permian

Question 14

Which of the following is an example of homoplasy?

Accepted Answer

A)  chlorophyll in flowering plants and algae 
B)  scales in snakes and lizards 
C)  fur in bears and seals 
D)  cell walls in plants and fungi 
A)  chlorophyll in flowering plants and algae 
B)  scales in snakes and lizards 
C)  fur in bears and seals 
D)  cell walls in plants and fungi

Question 15

Which of the following would be useful in creating a phylogenetic tree of a taxon?

Accepted Answer

A)  genetic sequences from living species 
B)  behavioral data from living species 
C)  morphological data from fossil species 
D)  all of the above 
E)  none of the above 
A)  genetic sequences from living species 
B)  behavioral data from living species 
C)  morphological data from fossil species 
D)  all of the above 
E)  none of the above

Question 16

Why would gene duplication events, such as those seen in the Hox gene complex, set the stage for adaptive radiation?

Accepted Answer

A)  Without duplicated genes, species would be vulnerable to extinction. 
B)  The original gene copy is the out-group, and the new gene copies are the adaptive radiation. 
C)  There are more copies of genes, meaning speciation had occurred by polyploidy. 
D)  One copy of a gene can perform the original function while other copies are available to take on new functions. 
A)  Without duplicated genes, species would be vulnerable to extinction. 
B)  The original gene copy is the out-group, and the new gene copies are the adaptive radiation. 
C)  There are more copies of genes, meaning speciation had occurred by polyploidy. 
D)  One copy of a gene can perform the original function while other copies are available to take on new functions.

Question 17

Dicynodonts were pig-sized reptiles that lived during the Permian geologic period. An increase in dicynodont species diversity occurred soon after the Permian extinction. Given what you know of this period, this increase in dicynodont species diversity represents , most likely due to .

Accepted Answer

A)  adaptive radiation; a morphological innovation among dicynodonts 
B)  competitive exclusion; the fact that they needed new food sources 
C)  adaptive radiation; the availability of previously unoccupied niches 
D)  competitive exclusion; intrasexual selection leading to anagenesis 
A)  adaptive radiation; a morphological innovation among dicynodonts 
B)  competitive exclusion; the fact that they needed new food sources 
C)  adaptive radiation; the availability of previously unoccupied niches 
D)  competitive exclusion; intrasexual selection leading to anagenesis

Exam 25: Phylogenies and the History of Life

Which of the following key adaptations is found in many animals from the Burgess Shale fauna, but not found in the Doushantuo and Ediacaran faunas?

Dinosaurs were the largest land vertebrates during the eras).

Figure 25.5 -Which of the following words describes) the circled part of the phylogenetic tree in Figure 25.5? I. monophyletic group II. polyphyletic group III. homoplasic trait IV. polytomy

The cladistic approach to estimating phylogenetic trees is most like the approach of which species concept?

You find a new fossil deposit, containing many species with shells but no soft-bodied species. What is the most likely reason for this?

The largest extinction, measured as a percentage of species that disappeared, occurred at the end of which geological period?

How do mass extinctions differ from background extinctions?

What is still lacking in the hypothesis of an asteroid impact as the cause of the end-Cretaceous mass extinction?

Which listing of geological periods is in the correct order, from oldest to most recent?

Figure 25.5 -How did the pattern shown in the circled part of Figure 25.5 most likely arise?

A hypothetical island lies far from any other landmasses. There are many different types of plants, but only one animal-a beetle that can fly or walk from plant to plant and feeds by chewing leaves. Which morphological change would be most likely to trigger an adaptive radiation of the beetles?

The five mass extinctions occurred at the end of which periods?

Which of the following is an example of homoplasy?

Which of the following would be useful in creating a phylogenetic tree of a taxon?

Why would gene duplication events, such as those seen in the Hox gene complex, set the stage for adaptive radiation?

Dicynodonts were pig-sized reptiles that lived during the Permian geologic period. An increase in dicynodont species diversity occurred soon after the Permian extinction. Given what you know of this period, this increase in dicynodont species diversity represents , most likely due to .

Biology and the Tree of Life

Water and Carbon: the Chemical Basis of Life

Protein Structure and Function

Nucleic Acids and the Rna World

An Introduction to Carbohydrates

Lipids, Membranes, and the First Cells

Inside the Cell

Energy and Enzymes

Cellular Respiration and Fermentation

Photosynthesis

Cellcell Interactions

The Cell Cycle

Meiosis

Mendel and the Gene

Dna and the Gene: Synthesis and Repair

How Genes Work

Transcription, Rna Processing, and Translation

Control of Gene Expression in Bacteria

Control of Gene Expression in Eukaryotes

The Molecular Revolution: Biotechnology and Beyond

Gene Structure and Development

Evolution by Natural Selection

Evolutionary Processes

Speciation

Bacteria and Archaea

Protists

Green Algae and Land Plants

Fungi

An Introduction to Animals

Protostome Animals

Deuterostome Animals

Viruses

Plant Form and Function

Water and Sugar Transport in Plants

Plant Nutrition

Plant Sensory Systems, Signals, and Responses

Plant Reproduction and Development

Animal Form and Function

Water and Electrolyte Balance in Animals

Animal Nutrition

Gas Exchange and Circulation

Animal Nervous Systems

Animal Sensory Systems

Animal Movement

Chemical Signals in Animals

Animal Reproduction and Development

The Immune System in Animals

An Introduction to Ecology

Behavioural Ecology

Population Ecology

Community Ecology

Ecosystems and Global Ecology

Biodiversity and Conservation Biology

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