Question 1

Which of the following was not necessary for plants to develop in order to adapt to life on land?

Accepted Answer

A) photosynthesis 
B) roots 
C) waterproofing 
D) transport mechanisms within stems 
A) photosynthesis 
B) roots 
C) waterproofing 
D) transport mechanisms within stems

Question 2

Which of the following is true?

Accepted Answer

A) Homo habilis could probably use, but not make, fire. 
B) Homo erectus and Homo habilis probably used stone tools. 
C) Homo habilis had a larger brain and skull than Homo erectus. 
D) Homo erectus was the first bipedal hominid. 
A) Homo habilis could probably use, but not make, fire. 
B) Homo erectus and Homo habilis probably used stone tools. 
C) Homo habilis had a larger brain and skull than Homo erectus. 
D) Homo erectus was the first bipedal hominid.

Question 3

To walk upright, humans first had to evolve larger brains.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 4

The first land plants

Accepted Answer

A) were descendants of fungi that developed photosynthesis. 
B) evolved from green algae that could already carry out photosynthesis. 
C) were ferns and small shrubs. 
D) grew from the seeds of marine plants. 
A) were descendants of fungi that developed photosynthesis. 
B) evolved from green algae that could already carry out photosynthesis. 
C) were ferns and small shrubs. 
D) grew from the seeds of marine plants.

Question 5

The organism below is the evolutionary ancestor of the modern whale.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

Based on the "out-of-Africa" hypothesis, which of the following is the most likely reason why species like Neandertals and Homo floresiensis do not exist today?

Accepted Answer

A) Modern humans out-competed and replaced other populations as they migrated around the world. 
B) Extensive gene flow between human populations led to a blending of traits that resulted in the evolution of modern humans. 
C) As modern humans developed new and more accurate hunting skills they were able to hunt other "undesirable" populations to extinction. 
D) Climate change in Africa caused the extinction of all human populations except for the ones that gave rise to modern humans. 
A) Modern humans out-competed and replaced other populations as they migrated around the world. 
B) Extensive gene flow between human populations led to a blending of traits that resulted in the evolution of modern humans. 
C) As modern humans developed new and more accurate hunting skills they were able to hunt other "undesirable" populations to extinction. 
D) Climate change in Africa caused the extinction of all human populations except for the ones that gave rise to modern humans.

Question 7

Why did it take so long for eukaryotes to evolve after photosynthetic prokaryotes began releasing O₂ into the atmosphere?

Accepted Answer

A) O2 moves slowly through larger cells, so higher concentrations of O2 had to become available before eukaryotic cells could be efficiently supported. 
B) The ability to use O2 had to evolve before cells could survive in an O2-rich atmosphere. 
C) The ability to break down the waste products of O2 use had to evolve before cells could use it to create energy. 
D) Enough prokaryotes had to become extinct to provide eukaryotes with a niche to occupy before they could evolve. 
A) O2 moves slowly through larger cells, so higher concentrations of O2 had to become available before eukaryotic cells could be efficiently supported. 
B) The ability to use O2 had to evolve before cells could survive in an O2-rich atmosphere. 
C) The ability to break down the waste products of O2 use had to evolve before cells could use it to create energy. 
D) Enough prokaryotes had to become extinct to provide eukaryotes with a niche to occupy before they could evolve.

Question 8

After the extinction of the dinosaurs the adaptive radiation of ____________________ set the stage for the eventual evolution of humans.

Accepted Answer

The answer of After the extinction of the dinosaurs the...

Question 9

Fossil anklebones from the ancestors of whales and the anklebones of hippopotamuses have the same shape, which is an adaptation for running on land. This suggests that

Accepted Answer

A) whales and ancient hippopotamuses underwent convergent evolution. 
B) whales and ancient hippopotamuses evolved from a common ancestor. 
C) the fossils of ancient hippopotamuses should be found in the same location and at the same depth from the Earth's surface as the fossils of ancient whales. 
D) whales evolved from aquatic dinosaurs, whereas hippopotamuses evolved from terrestrial dinosaurs. 
A) whales and ancient hippopotamuses underwent convergent evolution. 
B) whales and ancient hippopotamuses evolved from a common ancestor. 
C) the fossils of ancient hippopotamuses should be found in the same location and at the same depth from the Earth's surface as the fossils of ancient whales. 
D) whales evolved from aquatic dinosaurs, whereas hippopotamuses evolved from terrestrial dinosaurs.

Question 10

The preserved footprint of a Neandertal is a fossil.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

Continental drift has played a role in which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A) changing regional climate 
B) extinctions 
C) promoting speciation 
D) all of the above 
A) changing regional climate 
B) extinctions 
C) promoting speciation 
D) all of the above

Question 12

Which of the following is not an advantage of being bipedal?

Accepted Answer

A) The additional height gained by standing on two legs allowed humans to easily see approaching predators. 
B) Standing up freed up human hands allowing them to carry and use tools. 
C) Standing up makes it easier to climb trees. 
D) Walking on two feet is faster than walking on four feet. 
A) The additional height gained by standing on two legs allowed humans to easily see approaching predators. 
B) Standing up freed up human hands allowing them to carry and use tools. 
C) Standing up makes it easier to climb trees. 
D) Walking on two feet is faster than walking on four feet.

Question 13

Life evolved in the oceans long before it evolved on land. Which of the following had to occur before organisms were able to live on land?

Accepted Answer

A) The Earth's landmasses had to become wetter. 
B) Organisms had to adapt to the harsh, dry conditions faced by life on land. 
C) Animals had to develop internal skeletons and efficient transport mechanisms. 
D) The supercontinent Pangaea had to break up into subcontinents. 
A) The Earth's landmasses had to become wetter. 
B) Organisms had to adapt to the harsh, dry conditions faced by life on land. 
C) Animals had to develop internal skeletons and efficient transport mechanisms. 
D) The supercontinent Pangaea had to break up into subcontinents.

Question 14

____________________ have flexible arm joints, short snouts, opposable thumbs, and big toes.

Accepted Answer

The answer of ____________________ have flexible arm joints, short snouts,...

Question 15

Which of the following is not true about archaic Homo sapiens species?

Accepted Answer

A) They have been found in Africa. 
B) They developed ways of making tools. 
C) Neandertal was an advanced type of archaic H. sapiens. 
D) They were more primitive than H. habilis. 
A) They have been found in Africa. 
B) They developed ways of making tools. 
C) Neandertal was an advanced type of archaic H. sapiens. 
D) They were more primitive than H. habilis.

Question 16

The figure below shows the number of living taxonomic families that existed on Earth during the last 540 million years. The sudden decreases in family numbers at 445, 360, 250, 200, and 65 million years ago represent Earth's five mass extinction events. Based on this data, which mass extinction had the biggest impact on the overall diversity of life on Earth?

Accepted Answer

A) 200 million years ago 
B) 250 million years ago 
C) 360 million years ago 
D) 445 million years ago 
A) 200 million years ago 
B) 250 million years ago 
C) 360 million years ago 
D) 445 million years ago

Question 17

A certain species of tree frog was able to "re-evolve" teeth on their lower jaws because

Accepted Answer

A) mutations are more likely to occur in regions of the genome that affect jaw formation. 
B) the mutations that led to the "toothless" allele were corrected over time by DNA repair proteins. 
C) organisms tend to encounter the same environmental pressures every few million years. 
D) the genes involved in tooth formation are still in the frog's genome. 
A) mutations are more likely to occur in regions of the genome that affect jaw formation. 
B) the mutations that led to the "toothless" allele were corrected over time by DNA repair proteins. 
C) organisms tend to encounter the same environmental pressures every few million years. 
D) the genes involved in tooth formation are still in the frog's genome.

Question 18

By about a half million years ago, our human ancestors were probably hunting large game and using fire.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 19

The earliest forms of life evolved and lived in ____________________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The earliest forms of life evolved and...

Question 20

Which of the following is not a key step in the evolutionary transition from reptiles to mammals?

Accepted Answer

A) the development of an opening in the bones behind the eyes 
B) the development of a larger hole behind the eyes and some specialization of teeth 
C) changes in the jaw hinge 
D) the development of bones in the reptilian inner ear 
A) the development of an opening in the bones behind the eyes 
B) the development of a larger hole behind the eyes and some specialization of teeth 
C) changes in the jaw hinge 
D) the development of bones in the reptilian inner ear

Exam 20: The Evolutionary History of Life

Which of the following was not necessary for plants to develop in order to adapt to life on land?

Which of the following is true?

To walk upright, humans first had to evolve larger brains.

The first land plants

The organism below is the evolutionary ancestor of the modern whale.

Based on the "out-of-Africa" hypothesis, which of the following is the most likely reason why species like Neandertals and Homo floresiensis do not exist today?

Why did it take so long for eukaryotes to evolve after photosynthetic prokaryotes began releasing O₂ into the atmosphere?

After the extinction of the dinosaurs the adaptive radiation of ____________________ set the stage for the eventual evolution of humans.

Fossil anklebones from the ancestors of whales and the anklebones of hippopotamuses have the same shape, which is an adaptation for running on land. This suggests that

The preserved footprint of a Neandertal is a fossil.

Continental drift has played a role in which of the following?

Which of the following is not an advantage of being bipedal?

Life evolved in the oceans long before it evolved on land. Which of the following had to occur before organisms were able to live on land?

____________________ have flexible arm joints, short snouts, opposable thumbs, and big toes.

Which of the following is not true about archaic Homo sapiens species?

A certain species of tree frog was able to "re-evolve" teeth on their lower jaws because

By about a half million years ago, our human ancestors were probably hunting large game and using fire.

The earliest forms of life evolved and lived in ____________________.

Which of the following is not a key step in the evolutionary transition from reptiles to mammals?

The Nature of Science and the Characteristics of Life

Biological Diversity, Bacteria, and Archaea

Protista, Plantae, and Fungi

Animalia

The Chemistry of Life

Cell Structure and Internal Compartments

Cell Membranes, Transport, and Communication

Energy, Metabolism, and Enzymes

Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration

Cell Division

Stem Cells, Cancer, and Human Health

Patterns of Inheritance

Chromosomes and Human Genetics

Dna and Genes

From Gene to Protein

Dna Technology

How Evolution Works

Evolution of Populations

Speciation and the Origins of Biological Diversity

The Biosphere

Growth of Populations

Ecological Communities

Ecosystems

Global Change

Internal Organization and Homeostasis

Nutrition and Digestion

Circulation and Gas Exchange

Animal Hormones

Nervous and Sensory Systems

Skeletons, Muscles, and Movement

Defenses Against Disease

Reproduction and Development

Animal Behavior

Plant Structure, Nutrition, and Transport

Plant Growth and Reproduction

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