Question 1

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

Accepted Answer

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. 
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 2

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

Accepted Answer

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

Question 3

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 4

Chordate pharyngeal slits appear to have functioned first as

Accepted Answer

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. 
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 5

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

Accepted Answer

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

Question 6

Which of these are amniotes?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 7

The swim bladder of ray-finned fishes

Accepted Answer

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. 
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 8

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

Accepted Answer

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. 
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 9

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

Accepted Answer

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. 
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.

Question 10

The movement of air along parabronchi is most similar to the movement of

Accepted Answer

A) air in the lungs of other amniotes. 
B) food/waste in a gastrovascular cavity. 
C) food/waste in a digestive system with separate mouth and anus. 
D) the frog tongue during feeding. 
E) air in lungs of terrestrial amphibians. 
A) air in the lungs of other amniotes. 
B) food/waste in a gastrovascular cavity. 
C) food/waste in a digestive system with separate mouth and anus. 
D) the frog tongue during feeding. 
E) air in lungs of terrestrial amphibians.

Question 11

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

Accepted Answer

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

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 armoured, 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 
E) an early terrestrial caecilian whose legless condition had evolved secondarily 
A) a sturdy-finned, shallow-water lobe-fin whose appendages had skeletal supports similar to those of terrestrial vertebrates 
B) an armoured, 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 
E) an early terrestrial caecilian whose legless condition had evolved secondarily

Question 13

The following questions refer to the description below.
While on an intersession course in tropical ecology,Kris pulls a large,snakelike organism from a burrow (the class was granted a collecting permit).The 1-metre-long organism has smooth skin,which appears to be segmented.It has two tiny eyes that are hard to see because they seem to be covered by skin.Kris brings it back to the lab at the field station,where it is a source of puzzlement to the class.Kris says that it is a giant oligochaete worm; Shaun suggests it is a legless amphibian; Kelly proposes it belongs to a snake species that is purely fossorial (lives in a burrow).
-Which one of these,if found,should clear up any remaining doubt as to the identity of the organism?

Accepted Answer

A) vestigial pelvic girdle 
B) blood vessels carrying oxygenated blood from both the skin and the functional lung to the heart 
C) closed circulatory system 
D) ability to produce toxins from glands located on the skin, or that empty into the mouth 
E) two-chambered heart 
A) vestigial pelvic girdle 
B) blood vessels carrying oxygenated blood from both the skin and the functional lung to the heart 
C) closed circulatory system 
D) ability to produce toxins from glands located on the skin, or that empty into the mouth 
E) two-chambered heart

Question 14

The following questions refer to the description below.
While on an intersession course in tropical ecology,Kris pulls a large,snakelike organism from a burrow (the class was granted a collecting permit).The 1-metre-long organism has smooth skin,which appears to be segmented.It has two tiny eyes that are hard to see because they seem to be covered by skin.Kris brings it back to the lab at the field station,where it is a source of puzzlement to the class.Kris says that it is a giant oligochaete worm; Shaun suggests it is a legless amphibian; Kelly proposes it belongs to a snake species that is purely fossorial (lives in a burrow).
-The organism was found to have two lungs,but the left lung was much smaller than the right lung.Kelly added that the herpetology instructor had said that in most snakes,the same condition exists.If the size difference between the lungs in this organism is not a shared ancestral characteristic with its occurrence in snakes,then its existence in this organism is explained as which of the following?
1)a result of convergent evolution
2)an example of homologous structures
3)a similar adaptation to a shared lifestyle or body plan
4)a result of having identical Hox genes
5)a homoplasy

Accepted Answer

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

Question 15

Why do skates and rays have flattened bodies,while sharks are torpedo shaped?

Accepted Answer

A) Sharks are more closely related to the tubelike lampreys than skates and rays are. 
B) Skates and rays need enlarged pectoral fins to help them stay level in turbulent water, while sharks do not. 
C) Skates and rays exchange gases across their skin and thus require a high surface-area-to-volume ratio, while sharks use gills to respire. 
D) Sharks are streamlined for active swimming off the bottom, while skates move about mostly on the ocean bed. 
A) Sharks are more closely related to the tubelike lampreys than skates and rays are. 
B) Skates and rays need enlarged pectoral fins to help them stay level in turbulent water, while sharks do not. 
C) Skates and rays exchange gases across their skin and thus require a high surface-area-to-volume ratio, while sharks use gills to respire. 
D) Sharks are streamlined for active swimming off the bottom, while skates move about mostly on the ocean bed.

Question 16

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?

Accepted Answer

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. 
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 17

Which hypothesis of feather evolution do your observations lend support to?

Accepted Answer

A) Feathers were initially used for courtship display. 
B) Feathers were initially used for insulation. 
C) Feathers were initially used for camouflage. 
D) Feathers replace scales. 
E) Two of the responses are correct. 
A) Feathers were initially used for courtship display. 
B) Feathers were initially used for insulation. 
C) Feathers were initially used for camouflage. 
D) Feathers replace scales. 
E) Two of the responses are correct.

Question 18

Which of these are amniotes?

Accepted Answer

A) amphibians 
B) fishes 
C) turtles 
D) lungfish 
A) amphibians 
B) fishes 
C) turtles 
D) lungfish

Question 19

Vertebrates and tunicates share

Accepted Answer

A) jaws adapted for feeding. 
B) a high degree of cephalization. 
C) the formation of structures from the neural crest. 
D) an endoskeleton that includes a skull. 
E) a notochord and a dorsal, hollow nerve cord. 
A) jaws adapted for feeding. 
B) a high degree of cephalization. 
C) the formation of structures from the neural crest. 
D) an endoskeleton that includes a skull. 
E) a notochord and a dorsal, hollow nerve cord.

Question 20

Use the following information to answer the questions below.
Due to its system of nine 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 cannot be sites of gas exchange between air and blood. 
D) They must obtain nutrition from some source other than the bloodstream. 
E) 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 cannot be sites of gas exchange between air and blood. 
D) They must obtain nutrition from some source other than the bloodstream. 
E) They cannot effectively moisturize the air before it reaches the lungs.

Exam 34: The Origin and Evolution of Vertebrates

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

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

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

Chordate pharyngeal slits appear to have functioned first as

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

Which of these are amniotes?

The swim bladder of ray-finned fishes

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

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

The movement of air along parabronchi is most similar to the movement of

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

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

Why do skates and rays have flattened bodies,while sharks are torpedo shaped?

Which hypothesis of feather evolution do your observations lend support to?

Which of these are amniotes?

Vertebrates and tunicates share

Introduction: Evolution and Themes of Biology

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

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

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 Signalling

Nervous Systems

Sensory and Motor Mechanisms

Animal Behaviour

An Introduction to Ecology and the Biosphere

Population Ecology

Community Ecology

Ecosystems and Restoration Ecology

Conservation Biology and Global Change

Filters