Question 1

The net effect of human activity is currently causing the average global temperature to _______ primarily by the release of _______.

Accepted Answer

A)  increase; carbon dioxide 
B)  increase; sulfur dioxide 
C)  increase; oxygen 
D)  decrease; carbon dioxide 
E)  decrease; oxygen 
A)  increase; carbon dioxide 
B)  increase; sulfur dioxide 
C)  increase; oxygen 
D)  decrease; carbon dioxide 
E)  decrease; oxygen

Question 2

The mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous period eliminated many forms of organisms, producing ecological opportunities for the evolution of new forms.Which group radiated at this time?

Accepted Answer

A)  Flying reptiles called pterosaurs 
B)  Giant insects including dragonflies with wingspans of more than 70 centimeters 
C)  Cephalopod mollusks called ammonites 
D)  The earliest amphibians 
E)  Modern and recent forms of mammals 
A)  Flying reptiles called pterosaurs 
B)  Giant insects including dragonflies with wingspans of more than 70 centimeters 
C)  Cephalopod mollusks called ammonites 
D)  The earliest amphibians 
E)  Modern and recent forms of mammals

Question 3

When Nicolaus Steno discovered that the relative ages of rocks can be determined by examining the position of fossils in separate layers of soil, he coined a process called

Accepted Answer

A)  stratigraphy. 
B)  paleomagnetic dating. 
C)  radiometric dating. 
D)  fossilography. 
E)  dendrochronology. 
A)  stratigraphy. 
B)  paleomagnetic dating. 
C)  radiometric dating. 
D)  fossilography. 
E)  dendrochronology.

Question 4

The ability of legumes to fix nitrogen via symbioses with bacteria began about _______ million years ago.

Accepted Answer

A)  6 
B)  20 
C)  60 
D)  120 
E)  180 
A)  6 
B)  20 
C)  60 
D)  120 
E)  180

Question 5

Why is it useful to be able to date past events absolutely as well as relatively?

Accepted Answer

Relative dating provides us an order for

Question 6

Refer to the figure, which shows volcanic activity.   Explain the consequences of the "parasol effect" of a volcano with respect to the global decline in species diversity found in the fossil record following episodes of heightened volcanic activity.

Accepted Answer

The soot associated with a volcano erupt

Question 7

The type of rocks that contain fossils are formed when grains accumulate at the bottom of bodies of water; they are called _______ rocks, and they can be dated relative to each other by a method called stratigraphy.

Accepted Answer

A)  igneous 
B)  sedimentary 
C)  stromatolite 
D)  tertiary 
E)  deep 
A)  igneous 
B)  sedimentary 
C)  stromatolite 
D)  tertiary 
E)  deep

Question 8

After the eruption of a major volcano, the concentrations of _______ are likely to increase greatly, and the temperature is likely to _______.

Accepted Answer

A)  oxygen; drop 
B)  oxygen; rise 
C)  sulfur dioxide; drop 
D)  sulfur dioxide; rise 
E)  carbon dioxide; rise 
A)  oxygen; drop 
B)  oxygen; rise 
C)  sulfur dioxide; drop 
D)  sulfur dioxide; rise 
E)  carbon dioxide; rise

Question 9

The Cambrian explosion started _______ the Cambrian and lasted for _______ of years.

Accepted Answer

A)  during; hundreds 
B)  before; tens of thousands 
C)  during; tens of thousands 
D)  during; millions 
E)  before; millions 
A)  during; hundreds 
B)  before; tens of thousands 
C)  during; tens of thousands 
D)  during; millions 
E)  before; millions

Question 10

The fossil record is relatively detailed for organisms such as

Accepted Answer

A)  soft-bodied marine invertebrate animals. 
B)  algae. 
C)  terrestrial plants. 
D)  hard-shelled mollusks. 
E)  most terrestrial animals. 
A)  soft-bodied marine invertebrate animals. 
B)  algae. 
C)  terrestrial plants. 
D)  hard-shelled mollusks. 
E)  most terrestrial animals.

Question 11

Becoming trapped in an environment with a _______ concentration of _______ would likely increase an organism's likelihood of being preserved in the fossil record.

Accepted Answer

A)  high; oxygen 
B)  high; nitrogen 
C)  high; carbon dioxide 
D)  low: oxygen 
E)  low; nitrogen 
A)  high; oxygen 
B)  high; nitrogen 
C)  high; carbon dioxide 
D)  low: oxygen 
E)  low; nitrogen

Question 12

In undisturbed sedimentary rock, strata from the _______ period would be immediately above rocks from the Cambrian.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In undisturbed sedimentary rock, strata from the...

Question 13

The heat that drives plate tectonics is driven by

Accepted Answer

A)  radiant energy from the sun. 
B)  chemical energy from bacteria. 
C)  chemical energy from inorganic enzymatic cycles. 
D)  radioactive decay inside Earth's crust. 
E)  kinetic energy from meteorite collisions. 
A)  radiant energy from the sun. 
B)  chemical energy from bacteria. 
C)  chemical energy from inorganic enzymatic cycles. 
D)  radioactive decay inside Earth's crust. 
E)  kinetic energy from meteorite collisions.

Question 14

The half-life of carbon-14 is 5,700 years.If 10 percent of the original carbon-14 is left in a structure, that structure would be _______ years old.

Accepted Answer

A)  less than 2,850 
B)  about 5,700 
C)  between 11,400 and 17,100 
D)  between 17,100 and 22,800 
E)  about 57,000 
A)  less than 2,850 
B)  about 5,700 
C)  between 11,400 and 17,100 
D)  between 17,100 and 22,800 
E)  about 57,000

Question 15

The possible collision of a large meteorite with Earth 65 million years ago may explain

Accepted Answer

A)  the existence of Gondwana. 
B)  continental drift, according to Alfred Wegener. 
C)  the mass extinction that killed off the dinosaurs. 
D)  contemporary atmospheric conditions on Earth. 
E)  the rise of the Rocky Mountains and Andes Mountains. 
A)  the existence of Gondwana. 
B)  continental drift, according to Alfred Wegener. 
C)  the mass extinction that killed off the dinosaurs. 
D)  contemporary atmospheric conditions on Earth. 
E)  the rise of the Rocky Mountains and Andes Mountains.

Question 16

The study of the movement of major land masses, also known as _______, led to strong evidence for continental drift.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The study of the movement of major...

Question 17

The supercontinent Pangaea formed during the

Accepted Answer

A)  Ordovician. 
B)  Carboniferous. 
C)  Permian. 
D)  Jurassic. 
E)  Devonian. 
A)  Ordovician. 
B)  Carboniferous. 
C)  Permian. 
D)  Jurassic. 
E)  Devonian.

Question 18

The rapid climate change we are currently experiencing is primariy due to the human-caused build up of atmospheric _______.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The rapid climate change we are currently...

Question 19

Fossils

Accepted Answer

A)  are scarce because organisms were not as prevalent during the history of life on Earth as they are today. 
B)  are scarce because most organisms died in oxygen-poor environments. 
C)  are less numerous for marine animals than they are for terrestrial animals. 
D)  provide a glimpse into the history of life on Earth. 
E)  provide a complete record of life on Earth. 
A)  are scarce because organisms were not as prevalent during the history of life on Earth as they are today. 
B)  are scarce because most organisms died in oxygen-poor environments. 
C)  are less numerous for marine animals than they are for terrestrial animals. 
D)  provide a glimpse into the history of life on Earth. 
E)  provide a complete record of life on Earth.

Question 20

During the Permian period, all of the continents came together to form one supercontinent known as

Accepted Answer

A)  Pangaea. 
B)  Gondwana. 
C)  Laurasia. 
D)  Crinoid. 
E)  Ork. 
A)  Pangaea. 
B)  Gondwana. 
C)  Laurasia. 
D)  Crinoid. 
E)  Ork.

Exam 24: The History of Life on Earth

The net effect of human activity is currently causing the average global temperature to _______ primarily by the release of _______.

The mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous period eliminated many forms of organisms, producing ecological opportunities for the evolution of new forms.Which group radiated at this time?

When Nicolaus Steno discovered that the relative ages of rocks can be determined by examining the position of fossils in separate layers of soil, he coined a process called

The ability of legumes to fix nitrogen via symbioses with bacteria began about _______ million years ago.

Why is it useful to be able to date past events absolutely as well as relatively?

Refer to the figure, which shows volcanic activity. Explain the consequences of the "parasol effect" of a volcano with respect to the global decline in species diversity found in the fossil record following episodes of heightened volcanic activity.

The type of rocks that contain fossils are formed when grains accumulate at the bottom of bodies of water; they are called _______ rocks, and they can be dated relative to each other by a method called stratigraphy.

After the eruption of a major volcano, the concentrations of _______ are likely to increase greatly, and the temperature is likely to _______.

The Cambrian explosion started _______ the Cambrian and lasted for _______ of years.

The fossil record is relatively detailed for organisms such as

Becoming trapped in an environment with a _______ concentration of _______ would likely increase an organism's likelihood of being preserved in the fossil record.

In undisturbed sedimentary rock, strata from the _______ period would be immediately above rocks from the Cambrian.

The heat that drives plate tectonics is driven by

The half-life of carbon-14 is 5,700 years.If 10 percent of the original carbon-14 is left in a structure, that structure would be _______ years old.

The possible collision of a large meteorite with Earth 65 million years ago may explain

The study of the movement of major land masses, also known as _______, led to strong evidence for continental drift.

The supercontinent Pangaea formed during the

The rapid climate change we are currently experiencing is primariy due to the human-caused build up of atmospheric _______.

Fossils

During the Permian period, all of the continents came together to form one supercontinent known as

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

The net effect of human activity is currently causing the average global temperature to _ primarily by the release of _.

After the eruption of a major volcano, the concentrations of _ are likely to increase greatly, and the temperature is likely to _.

The Cambrian explosion started _ the Cambrian and lasted for _ of years.

Becoming trapped in an environment with a _ concentration of _ would likely increase an organism's likelihood of being preserved in the fossil record.