Question 1

Toward the end of the Permian, oxygen levels _______ due to the _______.

Accepted Answer

A)  increased; evolution of flowering plants 
B)  increased; coming together of several continents 
C)  increased; evolution of endosymbionts 
D)  decreased; drying of lowland swamps 
E)  decreased; impact of a large meteorite 
A)  increased; evolution of flowering plants 
B)  increased; coming together of several continents 
C)  increased; evolution of endosymbionts 
D)  decreased; drying of lowland swamps 
E)  decreased; impact of a large meteorite

Question 2

Which statement about Earth's history is true?

Accepted Answer

A)  A paleontologist can determine the age of a rock by its appearance alone. 
B)  In all sedimentary rock, the oldest layers lie at the bottom, and successively higher strata are progressively younger. 
C)  Sedimentary rock forms via the accumulation of grains at the bottoms of rivers and other bodies of water. 
D)  The continents have always been where they are today. 
E)  Sedimentary rock can be dated using isotopes. 
A)  A paleontologist can determine the age of a rock by its appearance alone. 
B)  In all sedimentary rock, the oldest layers lie at the bottom, and successively higher strata are progressively younger. 
C)  Sedimentary rock forms via the accumulation of grains at the bottoms of rivers and other bodies of water. 
D)  The continents have always been where they are today. 
E)  Sedimentary rock can be dated using isotopes.

Question 3

Which of the following represents a correct chronological ordering of Earth's geological history, from the most ancient to the most recent period?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 4

Humans reached North America approximately _______ years ago, during a rare opportunity to cross the land bridge across the area commonly known as the Bering Sea.

Accepted Answer

A)  500 
B)  1,500 
C)  15,000 
D)  100,000 
E)  1 million 
A)  500 
B)  1,500 
C)  15,000 
D)  100,000 
E)  1 million

Question 5

If the half-life of a radioactive substance is 800 years, what fraction of the original material is left after 3,200 years?

Accepted Answer

A)  1/2 
B)  1/4 
C)  1/8 
D)  1/16 
E)  1/32 
A)  1/2 
B)  1/4 
C)  1/8 
D)  1/16 
E)  1/32

Question 6

Which period did not end with mass extinction?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 7

During subduction, the _______ oceanic plate _______ the continental plate.

Accepted Answer

A)  thinner; moves over 
B)  thinner; moves under 
C)  thicker; pushes against 
D)  thicker; moves over 
E)  thicker; moves under 
A)  thinner; moves over 
B)  thinner; moves under 
C)  thicker; pushes against 
D)  thicker; moves over 
E)  thicker; moves under

Question 8

Which continent was most likely affected the most by the meteor strike that led to the demise of nonavian dinosaurs?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 9

Coal is the fossilized remains of _______ from the _______ period.

Accepted Answer

A)  flowering plants; Cretaceous 
B)  photosynthetic plankton; Cretaceous 
C)  photosynthetic plankton; Carboniferous 
D)  tree ferns and horsetails; Carboniferous 
E)  tree ferns and horsetails; Cretaceous 
A)  flowering plants; Cretaceous 
B)  photosynthetic plankton; Cretaceous 
C)  photosynthetic plankton; Carboniferous 
D)  tree ferns and horsetails; Carboniferous 
E)  tree ferns and horsetails; Cretaceous

Question 10

Which of the following represents the correct chronological order (from earliest to most recent)?

Accepted Answer

A)  First vascular plants; insect flight evolves; end of Ordovician extinction 
B)  Insect flight evolves; end of Ordovician extinction; first vascular plants 
C)  Insect flight evolves; first vascular plants; end of Ordovician extinction 
D)  End of Ordovician extinction; first vascular plants; insect flight evolves 
E)  End of Ordovician extinction; insect flight evolves; first vascular plants 
A)  First vascular plants; insect flight evolves; end of Ordovician extinction 
B)  Insect flight evolves; end of Ordovician extinction; first vascular plants 
C)  Insect flight evolves; first vascular plants; end of Ordovician extinction 
D)  End of Ordovician extinction; first vascular plants; insect flight evolves 
E)  End of Ordovician extinction; insect flight evolves; first vascular plants

Question 11

Suppose life is found on another planet, and you are part of a team assigned to assess the relative ages of different assemblages of fossils: Hadley, Leverett, Northampton, Sunderland, and Ware.In location A, the Hadley assemblage is found below the Ware assemblage and above the Leverett assemblage.In location B, the Northampton assemblage is found above the Sunderland assemblage.In location C, Ware is found below Sunderland.In location D, Hadley is found below Ware.Assume that the rocks are undisturbed in all locations.Which assemblage is the oldest? Which is the youngest?

Accepted Answer

Leverett is the olde

Question 12

Fossil insects many times larger than any insects alive today have been dated to the Carboniferous and Permian periods.These fossils are evidence that during these periods

Accepted Answer

A)  the climate was much warmer than it is today. 
B)  there were fewer predators on insects than there are today. 
C)  the carbon dioxide concentration of the atmosphere was lower than it is today. 
D)  insects had fewer competitors for food than modern insects. 
E)  the oxygen concentration of the atmosphere was significantly higher than it is today. 
A)  the climate was much warmer than it is today. 
B)  there were fewer predators on insects than there are today. 
C)  the carbon dioxide concentration of the atmosphere was lower than it is today. 
D)  insects had fewer competitors for food than modern insects. 
E)  the oxygen concentration of the atmosphere was significantly higher than it is today.

Question 13

Which of the following could be most accurately dated using carbon-14 dating?

Accepted Answer

A)  A fossil that is between 10,000 and 20,000 years old 
B)  An igneous intrusion that is 100 million years old 
C)  A living organism 
D)  An organism that died the previous year 
E)  A Cretaceous pterosaur fossil 
A)  A fossil that is between 10,000 and 20,000 years old 
B)  An igneous intrusion that is 100 million years old 
C)  A living organism 
D)  An organism that died the previous year 
E)  A Cretaceous pterosaur fossil

Question 14

The _______ period (characterized by the evolution of many new forms of multicellular marine life in response to the availability of atmospheric oxygen) is the most ancient period of the Paleozoic era.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The _______ period (characterized by the evolution...

Question 15

With respect to changes in climate over the course of life on Earth, the period we are currently living in has been _______ compared to the long-term average of past conditions.

Accepted Answer

A)  relatively warm 
B)  relatively cool 
C)  extremely warm 
D)  extremely cold 
E)  almost exactly the same 
A)  relatively warm 
B)  relatively cool 
C)  extremely warm 
D)  extremely cold 
E)  almost exactly the same

Question 16

The first forest soils developed during the _______, aided by _______.

Accepted Answer

A)  Permian; weathering of rocks by roots of flowering plants. 
B)  Permian; pollination by insects and scorpions 
C)  Ordovician; pollination by insects and scorpions 
D)  Devonian; weathering of rocks by roots of large club mosses and ferns 
E)  Devonian; pollination by insects and scorpions 
A)  Permian; weathering of rocks by roots of flowering plants. 
B)  Permian; pollination by insects and scorpions 
C)  Ordovician; pollination by insects and scorpions 
D)  Devonian; weathering of rocks by roots of large club mosses and ferns 
E)  Devonian; pollination by insects and scorpions

Question 17

_______ would be most likely observed at a transition between divisions of an eon.

Accepted Answer

A)  Large changes in the rate radioactive substances decay 
B)  Large changes in the absolute amounts of radioactive substances 
C)  Large changes in assemblages of fossil organisms contained in successive strata 
D)  Violations of the principles of stratigraphy 
E)  Little difference between the layers 
A)  Large changes in the rate radioactive substances decay 
B)  Large changes in the absolute amounts of radioactive substances 
C)  Large changes in assemblages of fossil organisms contained in successive strata 
D)  Violations of the principles of stratigraphy 
E)  Little difference between the layers

Question 18

Plankton, which are associated with fossil assemblages from the Proterozoic eon through the present day, are best described as

Accepted Answer

A)  filter-feeding organisms. 
B)  small floating organisms. 
C)  among the first complex, multicellular animals to appear after the Cambrian explosion. 
D)  certain forms of amber that are particularly suited to preserving fossils. 
E)  the secretions of certain Cyanobacteria. 
A)  filter-feeding organisms. 
B)  small floating organisms. 
C)  among the first complex, multicellular animals to appear after the Cambrian explosion. 
D)  certain forms of amber that are particularly suited to preserving fossils. 
E)  the secretions of certain Cyanobacteria.

Question 19

The symbiosis between legumes and nitrogen-fixing bacteria began in the _______ period.

Accepted Answer

A)  Cenozoi 
B)  Mesozoic 
C)  Triassic 
D)  Devonian 
E)  Cambrian 
A)  Cenozoi 
B)  Mesozoic 
C)  Triassic 
D)  Devonian 
E)  Cambrian

Question 20

In one region of undisturbed sedimentary rocks, the Feingold stratum is below the Tucos stratum and is above the Ruff stratum.Based on the principles of stratigraphy, the _______ stratum is oldest, and the _______ is youngest.

Accepted Answer

A)  Ruff; Feingold 
B)  Ruff; Tucos 
C)  Feingold; Tucos 
D)  Feingold; Ruff 
E)  Tucos; Ruff 
A)  Ruff; Feingold 
B)  Ruff; Tucos 
C)  Feingold; Tucos 
D)  Feingold; Ruff 
E)  Tucos; Ruff

Exam 24: The History of Life on Earth

Toward the end of the Permian, oxygen levels _______ due to the _______.

Which statement about Earth's history is true?

Which of the following represents a correct chronological ordering of Earth's geological history, from the most ancient to the most recent period?

Humans reached North America approximately _______ years ago, during a rare opportunity to cross the land bridge across the area commonly known as the Bering Sea.

If the half-life of a radioactive substance is 800 years, what fraction of the original material is left after 3,200 years?

Which period did not end with mass extinction?

During subduction, the _______ oceanic plate _______ the continental plate.

Which continent was most likely affected the most by the meteor strike that led to the demise of nonavian dinosaurs?

Coal is the fossilized remains of _______ from the _______ period.

Which of the following represents the correct chronological order (from earliest to most recent)?

Fossil insects many times larger than any insects alive today have been dated to the Carboniferous and Permian periods.These fossils are evidence that during these periods

Which of the following could be most accurately dated using carbon-14 dating?

The _______ period (characterized by the evolution of many new forms of multicellular marine life in response to the availability of atmospheric oxygen) is the most ancient period of the Paleozoic era.

With respect to changes in climate over the course of life on Earth, the period we are currently living in has been _______ compared to the long-term average of past conditions.

The first forest soils developed during the _______, aided by _______.

_______ would be most likely observed at a transition between divisions of an eon.

Plankton, which are associated with fossil assemblages from the Proterozoic eon through the present day, are best described as

The symbiosis between legumes and nitrogen-fixing bacteria began in the _______ period.

In one region of undisturbed sedimentary rocks, the Feingold stratum is below the Tucos stratum and is above the Ruff stratum.Based on the principles of stratigraphy, the _______ stratum is oldest, and the _______ is youngest.

Studying Life

Small Molecules and the Chemistry of Life

Proteins, Carbohydrates, and Lipids

Nucleic Acids and the Origin of Life

Cells: the Working Units of Life

Cell Membranes

Cell Communication and Multicellularity

Energy, Enzymes, and Metabolism

Pathways That Harvest Chemical Energy

Photosynthesis: Energy From Sunlight

The Cell Cycle and Cell Division

Inheritance, Genes, and Chromosomes

Dna and Its Role in Heredity

From Dna to Protein: Gene Expression

Gene Mutation and Molecular Medicine

Regulation of Gene Expression

Genomes

Recombinant Dna and Biotechnology

Mechanisms of Evolution

Reconstructing and Using Phylogenies

Speciation

Evolution of Genes and Genomes

Bacteria, Archaea, and Viruses

The Origin and Diversification of Eukaryotes

Plants Without Seeds: From Water to Land

The Evolution of Seed Plants

The Evolution and Diversity of Fungi

Animal Origins and the Evolution of Body Plans

Protostome Animals

Deuterostome Animals

The Plant Body

Transport in Plants

Plant Nutrition

Regulation of Plant Growth

Reproduction in Flowering Plants

Plant Responses to Environmental Challenges

Physiology, Homeostasis, and Temperature Regulation

Animal Hormones

Immunology: Animal Defense Systems

Animal Reproduction

Animal Development

Neurons, Glia, and Nervous Systems

Sensory Systems

The Mammalian Nervous System: Structure and Higher Functions

Musculoskeletal Systems

Gas Exchange

Circulatory Systems

Nutrition, Digestion, and Absorption

Salt and Water Balance and Nitrogen Excretion

Animal Behavior

The Physical Environment and Biogeography of Life

Populations

Species Interactions

Communities

Ecosystems

A Changing Biosphere

Filters

Toward the end of the Permian, oxygen levels _ due to the _.

During subduction, the _ oceanic plate _ the continental plate.

Coal is the fossilized remains of _ from the _ period.

The first forest soils developed during the _, aided by _.

In one region of undisturbed sedimentary rocks, the Feingold stratum is below the Tucos stratum and is above the Ruff stratum.Based on the principles of stratigraphy, the _ stratum is oldest, and the _ is youngest.