Question 1

If a tunicate's pharyngeal gill slits were suddenly blocked, the animal would have trouble ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  respiring 
B)  feeding 
C)  moving 
D)  respiring and feeding 
A)  respiring 
B)  feeding 
C)  moving 
D)  respiring and feeding

Question 2

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

Accepted Answer

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

Question 3

Which clade does not include humans?

Accepted Answer

A)  synapsids 
B)  lobe-fins 
C)  diapsids 
D)  osteichthyans 
A)  synapsids 
B)  lobe-fins 
C)  diapsids 
D)  osteichthyans

Question 4

Suppose, while out camping in a forest, you found a chordate with a long, slender, limbless body slithering across the ground near your tent. This critter could be ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  a lamprey 
B)  a mammal 
C)  an amphibian 
D)  a skate 
A)  a lamprey 
B)  a mammal 
C)  an amphibian 
D)  a skate

Question 5

Why do adult urochordates (tunicates)lack notochords, even though larval urochordates have them? Larvae use notochords to ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  aid in swimming; adults are sessile and thus no longer propel themselves 
B)  stiffen their bodies; in adults, the notochord is replaced by a column of bone 
C)  induce tissue differentiation; in adults, tissue is already differentiated 
D)  organize their nervous systems; adults' nervous systems are fully developed and do not change 
A)  aid in swimming; adults are sessile and thus no longer propel themselves 
B)  stiffen their bodies; in adults, the notochord is replaced by a column of bone 
C)  induce tissue differentiation; in adults, tissue is already differentiated 
D)  organize their nervous systems; adults' nervous systems are fully developed and do not change

Question 6

Suppose you traveled back in time and located the first animals to have evolved feathers. You found that these animals were tree-dwelling ectotherms, able to run quickly but unable to fly. You also noticed that only males had feathers. Which hypothesis of feather evolution would these data most support? Feathers initially evolved in a role associated with ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  flight 
B)  insulation 
C)  courtship behavior 
D)  gliding 
A)  flight 
B)  insulation 
C)  courtship behavior 
D)  gliding

Question 7

Arrange these groups in order from most inclusive (most general)to least inclusive (most specific).

Accepted Answer

A)  osteichthyans, gnathostomes, lobe-fins, tetrapods, amphibians 
B)  osteichthyans, gnathostomes, amphibians, tetrapods, lobe-fins 
C)  gnathostomes, osteichthyans, lobe-fins, tetrapods, amphibians 
D)  gnathostomes, osteichthyans, tetrapods, lobe-fins, amphibians 
A)  osteichthyans, gnathostomes, lobe-fins, tetrapods, amphibians 
B)  osteichthyans, gnathostomes, amphibians, tetrapods, lobe-fins 
C)  gnathostomes, osteichthyans, lobe-fins, tetrapods, amphibians 
D)  gnathostomes, osteichthyans, tetrapods, lobe-fins, amphibians

Question 8

Jaws first occurred in which extant group of fishes?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 9

As hominins diverged from other primates, which of the following appeared first?

Accepted Answer

A)  reduced jawbones 
B)  an enlarged brain 
C)  the making of stone tools 
D)  bipedal locomotion 
A)  reduced jawbones 
B)  an enlarged brain 
C)  the making of stone tools 
D)  bipedal locomotion

Question 10

Which of the following taxonomic groups is the most successful?

Accepted Answer

A)  Fungi are the most successful, based on their ability to digest cellulose, the most common organic compound on Earth. 
B)  Bony fishes are the most successful, based on their high species diversity (almost as many as all other vertebrates combined). 
C)  Mammals are the most successful, based on their complex mode of reproduction. 
D)  All extant species are successful, based on their continuing existence. 
A)  Fungi are the most successful, based on their ability to digest cellulose, the most common organic compound on Earth. 
B)  Bony fishes are the most successful, based on their high species diversity (almost as many as all other vertebrates combined). 
C)  Mammals are the most successful, based on their complex mode of reproduction. 
D)  All extant species are successful, based on their continuing existence.

Question 11

Fossils of the earliest tetrapods should ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  show evidence of internal fertilization 
B)  show evidence of having produced shelled eggs 
C)  indicate limited adaptation to life on land 
D)  feature the earliest indications of the appearance of jaws 
A)  show evidence of internal fertilization 
B)  show evidence of having produced shelled eggs 
C)  indicate limited adaptation to life on land 
D)  feature the earliest indications of the appearance of jaws

Question 12

Which of the following could be considered the most recent common ancestor of living tetrapods?

Accepted Answer

A)  a sturdy-finned, shallow-water lobe-fin whose appendages had skeletal supports similar to those of terrestrial vertebrates 
B)  an armored, jawed placoderm with two pairs of appendages 
C)  an early ray-finned fish that developed bony skeletal supports in its paired fins 
D)  a salamander that had legs supported by a bony skeleton but moved with the side-to-side bending typical of fishes 
A)  a sturdy-finned, shallow-water lobe-fin whose appendages had skeletal supports similar to those of terrestrial vertebrates 
B)  an armored, jawed placoderm with two pairs of appendages 
C)  an early ray-finned fish that developed bony skeletal supports in its paired fins 
D)  a salamander that had legs supported by a bony skeleton but moved with the side-to-side bending typical of fishes

Question 13

How did the evolution of the jaw contribute to diversification of early vertebrate lineages?

Accepted Answer

A)  It allowed for smaller body size. 
B)  It was the first stage in the development of a bony skull. 
C)  It made additional food sources available. 
D)  It increased the surface area for respiration and feeding. 
A)  It allowed for smaller body size. 
B)  It was the first stage in the development of a bony skull. 
C)  It made additional food sources available. 
D)  It increased the surface area for respiration and feeding.

Question 14

Which of the following statements about human evolution is correct?

Accepted Answer

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 separately. 
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 separately.

Question 15

What is believed to be the most significant result of the evolution of the amniotic egg?

Accepted Answer

A)  Tetrapods are no longer tied to the water for reproduction. 
B)  Tetrapods can now function with just lungs. 
C)  Newborns are much less dependent on their parents. 
D)  Embryos are protected from predators. 
A)  Tetrapods are no longer tied to the water for reproduction. 
B)  Tetrapods can now function with just lungs. 
C)  Newborns are much less dependent on their parents. 
D)  Embryos are protected from predators.

Question 16

Many sentences in this chapter include the words "may suggest." This phrase indicates that ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  causality of a pattern is uncertain 
B)  there is no cause-and-effect association 
C)  the author is explaining a well-established relationship 
D)  scientists agree on the cause of a pattern 
A)  causality of a pattern is uncertain 
B)  there is no cause-and-effect association 
C)  the author is explaining a well-established relationship 
D)  scientists agree on the cause of a pattern

Question 17

Which of the following statements about the geographic distribution of marsupials is accurate?

Accepted Answer

A)  they occur only in Australia and New Guinea 
B)  they occur on all continents except Antarctica 
C)  they occur in Australia and the Americas 
D)  they occur only in Africa 
A)  they occur only in Australia and New Guinea 
B)  they occur on all continents except Antarctica 
C)  they occur in Australia and the Americas 
D)  they occur only in Africa

Question 18

Use the following information to answer the question.
Due to its system of air sacs connected to the lungs, the respiratory system of birds is arguably the most effective respiratory system of all air-breathers. Upon inhalation, air first flows into posterior air sacs, then into the lungs, and then into anterior air sacs on the way to being exhaled. Thus, there is one-way flow of air through the lungs, along thousands of tubules called parabronchi.
If the inner lining of the air sacs is neither thin nor highly vascularized, then what can be inferred about the air sacs?

Accepted Answer

A)  They must not belong to the respiratory system. 
B)  They cannot be derived from endoderm. 
C)  They are not efficient sites of gas exchange between air and blood. 
D)  They cannot effectively moisturize the air before it reaches the lungs. 
A)  They must not belong to the respiratory system. 
B)  They cannot be derived from endoderm. 
C)  They are not efficient sites of gas exchange between air and blood. 
D)  They cannot effectively moisturize the air before it reaches the lungs.

Question 19

Which of the following types of evidence would be useful in understanding if the impact of a comet caused the extinction of the dinosaurs?

Accepted Answer

A)  more DNA analyses 
B)  more comparison of skeletal structures 
C)  more phylogenetic studies 
D)  more detailed collection of fossils 
A)  more DNA analyses 
B)  more comparison of skeletal structures 
C)  more phylogenetic studies 
D)  more detailed collection of fossils

Question 20

A new species of aquatic chordate is discovered that closely resembles an ancient form. It has the following characteristics: external armor 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?

Accepted Answer

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

Exam 34: The Origin and Evolution of Vertebrates

If a tunicate's pharyngeal gill slits were suddenly blocked, the animal would have trouble ________.

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

Which clade does not include humans?

Suppose, while out camping in a forest, you found a chordate with a long, slender, limbless body slithering across the ground near your tent. This critter could be ________.

Why do adult urochordates (tunicates)lack notochords, even though larval urochordates have them? Larvae use notochords to ________.

Arrange these groups in order from most inclusive (most general)to least inclusive (most specific).

Jaws first occurred in which extant group of fishes?

As hominins diverged from other primates, which of the following appeared first?

Which of the following taxonomic groups is the most successful?

Fossils of the earliest tetrapods should ________.

Which of the following could be considered the most recent common ancestor of living tetrapods?

How did the evolution of the jaw contribute to diversification of early vertebrate lineages?

Which of the following statements about human evolution is correct?

What is believed to be the most significant result of the evolution of the amniotic egg?

Many sentences in this chapter include the words "may suggest." This phrase indicates that ________.

Which of the following statements about the geographic distribution of marsupials is accurate?

Which of the following types of evidence would be useful in understanding if the impact of a comet caused the extinction of the dinosaurs?

Evolution, the Themes of Biology, and Scientific Inquiry

The Chemical Context of Life

Water and Life

Carbon and the Molecular Diversity of Life

The Structure and Function of Large Biological Molecules

A Tour of the Cell

Membrane Structure and Function

An Introduction to Metabolism

Cellular Respiration and Fermentation

Photosynthesis

Cell Communication

The Cell Cycle

Meiosis and Sexual Life Cycles

Mendel and the Gene Idea

The Chromosomal Basis of Inheritance

The Molecular Basis of Inheritance

Gene Expression: From Gene to Protein

Regulation of Gene Expression

Viruses

DNA Tools and Biotechnology

Genomes and Their Evolution

Descent with Modification: A Darwinian View of Life

The Evolution of Populations

The Origin of Species

The History of Life on Earth

Phylogeny and the Tree of Life

Bacteria and Archaea

Protists

Plant Diversity I: How Plants Colonized Land

Plant Diversity II: The Evolution of Seed Plants

Fungi

An Overview of Animal Diversity

An Introduction to Invertebrates

Vascular Plant Structure, Growth, and Development

Resource Acquisition and Transport in Vascular Plants

Soil and Plant Nutrition

Angiosperm Reproduction and Biotechnology

Plant Responses to Internal and External Signals

Basic Principles of Animal Form and Function

Animal Nutrition

Circulation and Gas Exchange

The Immune System

Osmoregulation and Excretion

Hormones and the Endocrine System

Animal Reproduction

Animal Development

Neurons, Synapses, and Signaling

Nervous Systems

Sensory and Motor Mechanisms

Animal Behavior

An Introduction to Ecology and the Biosphere

Population Ecology

Community Ecology

Ecosystems and Restoration Ecology

Conservation Biology and Global Change

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