Question 1

The largest mass extinction event of all time occurred at the end of the:

Accepted Answer

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

Question 2

The endosymbiotic hypothesis accounts for the origin of which cell structure?

Accepted Answer

A) chloroplast 
B) cell wall 
C) chromosome 
D) plasma membrane 
E) ribosome 
A) chloroplast 
B) cell wall 
C) chromosome 
D) plasma membrane 
E) ribosome

Question 3

Which of the following processes involves behaviors that are acquired by learning and can be modified and passed on from one generation to the next?

Accepted Answer

A) prebiotic evolution 
B) environmental selection 
C) pre-adaptation 
D) natural selection 
E) cultural evolution 
A) prebiotic evolution 
B) environmental selection 
C) pre-adaptation 
D) natural selection 
E) cultural evolution

Question 4

A major human cultural innovation that happened about 10,000 years ago was the:

Accepted Answer

A) development of domesticated crops and livestock. 
B) development of language. 
C) development of self-expression in art forms. 
D) use of tools. 
E) ability to think in abstract terms. 
A) development of domesticated crops and livestock. 
B) development of language. 
C) development of self-expression in art forms. 
D) use of tools. 
E) ability to think in abstract terms.

Question 5

If the early Earth's atmosphere contained little or no O2, then where did most of the O2 in our modern atmosphere come from?

Accepted Answer

A) the oxidation of metals 
B) photosynthesis 
C) respiration 
D) the breakdown of carbon dioxide 
E) the splitting of water vapor by sunlight 
A) the oxidation of metals 
B) photosynthesis 
C) respiration 
D) the breakdown of carbon dioxide 
E) the splitting of water vapor by sunlight

Question 6

Reptiles evolved scaly body coverings as a means for:

Accepted Answer

A) insulation. 
B) courtship rituals. 
C) heat production. 
D) flight. 
E) protection from drying out. 
A) insulation. 
B) courtship rituals. 
C) heat production. 
D) flight. 
E) protection from drying out.

Question 7

The exoskeleton of early marine arthropods can be considered a "pre-adaptation" for life on land because it:

Accepted Answer

A) protected against predators. 
B) resisted water loss. 
C) absorbed light. 
D) reflected ultraviolet radiation. 
A) protected against predators. 
B) resisted water loss. 
C) absorbed light. 
D) reflected ultraviolet radiation.

Question 8

What species of hominin created the cave paintings at Lascaux, France?

Accepted Answer

A) Homo erectus 
B) Homo habilis 
C) Homo sapiens 
D) Australopithecus robustus 
E) Australopithecus afarensis 
A) Homo erectus 
B) Homo habilis 
C) Homo sapiens 
D) Australopithecus robustus 
E) Australopithecus afarensis

Question 9

Current research indicates that hominins originally evolved in:

Accepted Answer

A) Africa. 
B) Asia. 
C) Europe. 
D) North America. 
E) Australia. 
A) Africa. 
B) Asia. 
C) Europe. 
D) North America. 
E) Australia.

Question 10

Describe how the mitochondrion evolved as an organelle, according to the endosymbiont hypothesis.

Accepted Answer

The mitochondrion probably began as an a

Question 11

Pollen evolved in response to plants moving to drier land. True or False?

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

Exoskeletons provided an evolutionary advantage to organisms by:

Accepted Answer

A) increasing their ability to find a mate and reproduce. 
B) allowing increased opportunities for symbiotic relationships. 
C) increasing their mobility and protecting them from predation. 
D) increasing predation. 
E) allowing exposure to oxygen. 
A) increasing their ability to find a mate and reproduce. 
B) allowing increased opportunities for symbiotic relationships. 
C) increasing their mobility and protecting them from predation. 
D) increasing predation. 
E) allowing exposure to oxygen.

Question 13

By examining fossil evidence, paleontologists believe that mammals evolved from ancestors of modern:

Accepted Answer

A) sharks. 
B) arthropods. 
C) amphibians. 
D) reptiles. 
E) lobefins. 
A) sharks. 
B) arthropods. 
C) amphibians. 
D) reptiles. 
E) lobefins.

Question 14

The scientists usually given credit for disproving the theory of spontaneous generation of bacteria are:

Accepted Answer

A) Tyndall and Pasteur. 
B) Oparin and Haldane. 
C) Miller and Urey. 
D) Cech and Altman. 
E) Luis and Walter Alvarez. 
A) Tyndall and Pasteur. 
B) Oparin and Haldane. 
C) Miller and Urey. 
D) Cech and Altman. 
E) Luis and Walter Alvarez.

Question 15

Who disproved the "broth-to-microorganisms" hypothesis?

Accepted Answer

A) Stanley Miller 
B) Francisco Redi 
C) Louis Pasteur 
D) Alexander Oparin 
E) Sidney Altman 
A) Stanley Miller 
B) Francisco Redi 
C) Louis Pasteur 
D) Alexander Oparin 
E) Sidney Altman

Question 16

One theory holds that the first self-replicating molecules were:

Accepted Answer

A) lipids. 
B) amino acids. 
C) RNA. 
D) carbohydrates. 
E) DNA. 
A) lipids. 
B) amino acids. 
C) RNA. 
D) carbohydrates. 
E) DNA.

Question 17

Early land plants required adaptations that:

Accepted Answer

A) aided reproduction. 
B) helped support the plant. 
C) decreased water loss. 
D) all of the above 
E) none of the above 
A) aided reproduction. 
B) helped support the plant. 
C) decreased water loss. 
D) all of the above 
E) none of the above

Question 18

The outer boundaries of laboratory-created vesicles are most similar to:

Accepted Answer

A) complete cells. 
B) RNA. 
C) bacteria. 
D) amino acids. 
E) cell membranes. 
A) complete cells. 
B) RNA. 
C) bacteria. 
D) amino acids. 
E) cell membranes.

Question 19

It has been proposed that large brains evolved in Homo species because:

Accepted Answer

A) natural selection favored large-brained individuals because they were better in social interactions. 
B) evolution of a large brain was a consequence of evolution of overall larger body size. 
C) large brains allowed better visual acuity, which was favored by natural selection. 
D) genetic drift increased the frequency of large-brained alleles. 
E) large-brained individuals were better able to outwit and escape predators. 
A) natural selection favored large-brained individuals because they were better in social interactions. 
B) evolution of a large brain was a consequence of evolution of overall larger body size. 
C) large brains allowed better visual acuity, which was favored by natural selection. 
D) genetic drift increased the frequency of large-brained alleles. 
E) large-brained individuals were better able to outwit and escape predators.

Question 20

The "Southern Beech" tree is found in such diverse places as Australia, South Africa, and South America. It was not transplanted by people. How did it probably get to these widely separated locations?

Accepted Answer

A) Seeds were carried by birds. 
B) Seeds were blown by the prevailing winds. 
C) These landmasses were once connected and later drifted apart. 
D) The simultaneous creation of the same species occurred in different geographic locations. 
E) Glaciers split what was once a continuous, huge population of beeches. 
A) Seeds were carried by birds. 
B) Seeds were blown by the prevailing winds. 
C) These landmasses were once connected and later drifted apart. 
D) The simultaneous creation of the same species occurred in different geographic locations. 
E) Glaciers split what was once a continuous, huge population of beeches.

Exam 17: The History of Life

The largest mass extinction event of all time occurred at the end of the:

The endosymbiotic hypothesis accounts for the origin of which cell structure?

Which of the following processes involves behaviors that are acquired by learning and can be modified and passed on from one generation to the next?

A major human cultural innovation that happened about 10,000 years ago was the:

If the early Earth's atmosphere contained little or no O2, then where did most of the O2 in our modern atmosphere come from?

Reptiles evolved scaly body coverings as a means for:

The exoskeleton of early marine arthropods can be considered a "pre-adaptation" for life on land because it:

What species of hominin created the cave paintings at Lascaux, France?

Current research indicates that hominins originally evolved in:

Describe how the mitochondrion evolved as an organelle, according to the endosymbiont hypothesis.

Pollen evolved in response to plants moving to drier land. True or False?

Exoskeletons provided an evolutionary advantage to organisms by:

By examining fossil evidence, paleontologists believe that mammals evolved from ancestors of modern:

The scientists usually given credit for disproving the theory of spontaneous generation of bacteria are:

Who disproved the "broth-to-microorganisms" hypothesis?

One theory holds that the first self-replicating molecules were:

Early land plants required adaptations that:

The outer boundaries of laboratory-created vesicles are most similar to:

It has been proposed that large brains evolved in Homo species because:

The "Southern Beech" tree is found in such diverse places as Australia, South Africa, and South America. It was not transplanted by people. How did it probably get to these widely separated locations?

An Introduction to Life on Earth

Atoms, Molecules, and Life

Biological Molecules

Cell Structure and Function

Cell Membrane Structure and Function

Energy Flow in the Life of a Cell

Capturing Solar Energy: Photosynthesis

Harvesting Energy: Glycolysis and Cellular Respiration

The Continuity of Life: Cellular Reproduction

Patterns of Inheritance

Dna: the Molecule of Heredity

Gene Expression and Regulation

Biotechnology

Principles of Evolution

How Populations Evolve

The Origin of Species

Systematics: Seeking Order Amidst Diversity

The Diversity of Prokaryotes and Viruses

The Diversity of Protists

The Diversity of Plants

The Diversity of Fungi

Animal Diversity I: Invertebrates

Animal Diversity Ii: Vertebrates

Animal Behavior

Population Growth and Regulation

Community Interactions

How Do Ecosystems Work

Earths Diverse Ecosystems

Conserving Earths Biodiversity

Homeostasis and the Organization of the Animal Body

Circulation

Respiration

Nutrition and Digestion

The Urinary System

Defenses Against Disease

Chemical Control of the Animal Body: the Endocrine System

The Nervous System

The Senses

Action and Support: the Muscles and Skeleton

Animal Reproduction

Animal Development

Plant Anatomy and Nutrient Transport

Plant Reproduction and Development

Plant Responses to the Environment

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