Question 1

What might a creationist believe?

Accepted Answer

A)  God created all life in its modern form. 
B)  Fossils are evidence of the effects of evolution. 
C)  The Earth is approximately 5 billion years old. 
D)  There was no catastrophic flood on Earth, even though some people think there was. 
E)  The Bible is not a good source of information on the history of the Earth. 
A)  God created all life in its modern form. 
B)  Fossils are evidence of the effects of evolution. 
C)  The Earth is approximately 5 billion years old. 
D)  There was no catastrophic flood on Earth, even though some people think there was. 
E)  The Bible is not a good source of information on the history of the Earth.

Question 2

The ratio of extinct species to living species on Earth is about

Accepted Answer

A)  1:2 
B)  2:1 
C)  100:1 
D)  1:100 
E)  1,000:1 
A)  1:2 
B)  2:1 
C)  100:1 
D)  1:100 
E)  1,000:1

Question 3

Current scientific debates about evolution concern everything below except

Accepted Answer

A)  the rate of the evolutionary process. 
B)  mechanisms that propel evolutionary change. 
C)  whether or not evolution exists. 
D)  evidence for the process of evolution. 
E)  scientific debates include all of these. 
A)  the rate of the evolutionary process. 
B)  mechanisms that propel evolutionary change. 
C)  whether or not evolution exists. 
D)  evidence for the process of evolution. 
E)  scientific debates include all of these.

Question 4

Why should we do research about past life on Mars?

Accepted Answer

If Mars had life during its first billio

Question 5

What was a consequence of the great bombardment?

Accepted Answer

A)  Earth's oceans boiled away. 
B)  A global ice age began. 
C)  The big bang reversed itself. 
D)  Teaching evolution was outlawed in some states. 
E)  Pieces of Venus were ejected toward Earth. 
A)  Earth's oceans boiled away. 
B)  A global ice age began. 
C)  The big bang reversed itself. 
D)  Teaching evolution was outlawed in some states. 
E)  Pieces of Venus were ejected toward Earth.

Question 6

According to research groups in several disciplines, where did the first organic molecules form?

Accepted Answer

A)  in the early ocean's primordial soup 
B)  near fissures on mid-ocean ridges 
C)  on the surface of other planets 
D)  in protected tidal pools 
E)  all of these are correct 
A)  in the early ocean's primordial soup 
B)  near fissures on mid-ocean ridges 
C)  on the surface of other planets 
D)  in protected tidal pools 
E)  all of these are correct

Question 7

About 150 million years ago, what was the dominant large animal on Earth? In what geological era did the dinosaurs live and when did they become extinct?

Accepted Answer

The dinosaurs ruled the Earth

Question 8

What was the negative role that sunlight had in the evolution of early life on earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  caused melanomas on reptile skin 
B)  created broad regions of deserts 
C)  led to greenhouse-type atmospheres 
D)  broke the organic molecule bonds 
E)  dried up the primordial pools 
A)  caused melanomas on reptile skin 
B)  created broad regions of deserts 
C)  led to greenhouse-type atmospheres 
D)  broke the organic molecule bonds 
E)  dried up the primordial pools

Question 9

What is associated with the Cenozoic era?

Accepted Answer

A)  human species evolved 
B)  dinosaurs were extinct 
C)  man landed on the moon 
D)  all of these are correct 
E)  none of these are correct 
A)  human species evolved 
B)  dinosaurs were extinct 
C)  man landed on the moon 
D)  all of these are correct 
E)  none of these are correct

Question 10

The window of opportunity, during which life in the form of the first cell could have begun, was how long ago?

Accepted Answer

A)  3.5 to 4 billion years ago 
B)  3.5 to 4 million years ago 
C)  200,000 to 100,000 years ago 
D)  65 million years ago 
E)  1 million years ago 
A)  3.5 to 4 billion years ago 
B)  3.5 to 4 million years ago 
C)  200,000 to 100,000 years ago 
D)  65 million years ago 
E)  1 million years ago

Question 11

What is the new field of astrobiology?

Accepted Answer

Astrobiology is the

Question 12

What piece of evidence do scientists now compare to prove humans and chimpanzees are close relatives?

Accepted Answer

A)  physical features 
B)  behavior 
C)  DNA strands 
D)  food preferences 
E)  the cell protein cytochrome C 
A)  physical features 
B)  behavior 
C)  DNA strands 
D)  food preferences 
E)  the cell protein cytochrome C

Question 13

Which accurately describes black smokers?

Accepted Answer

A)  rare organisms existing on the mouth of active volcanoes 
B)  an entire ecosystem that obtains energy from the Earth's internal heat rather than the Sun 
C)  giant tube worms growing along the mid Atlantic Ocean ridges 
D)  water samples that have different physical and chemical properties 
E)  volcanic islands that may have one time been an Atlantic Ring of Fire 
A)  rare organisms existing on the mouth of active volcanoes 
B)  an entire ecosystem that obtains energy from the Earth's internal heat rather than the Sun 
C)  giant tube worms growing along the mid Atlantic Ocean ridges 
D)  water samples that have different physical and chemical properties 
E)  volcanic islands that may have one time been an Atlantic Ring of Fire

Question 14

Define the difference between punctuated equilibrium and the gradualism hypotheses. Why do scientists need to consider both hypotheses?

Accepted Answer

These terms represent the two extremes i

Question 15

Name at least four vestigial organs.

Accepted Answer

Answers can include four from

Question 16

Planetary research in recent years has shown that

Accepted Answer

A)  Mars's northern hemisphere was under an ocean for a billion years. 
B)  like Earth, Mars has gone through multiple mass extinctions. 
C)  by being beyond the asteroid belt, Mars was never pelted with meteorites. 
D)  Martian canals really were constructed by alien engineers. 
E)  strange tectonic pressures on Mars are projecting meteors toward Earth. 
A)  Mars's northern hemisphere was under an ocean for a billion years. 
B)  like Earth, Mars has gone through multiple mass extinctions. 
C)  by being beyond the asteroid belt, Mars was never pelted with meteorites. 
D)  Martian canals really were constructed by alien engineers. 
E)  strange tectonic pressures on Mars are projecting meteors toward Earth.

Question 17

Which of the following gases were in Earth's early atmosphere?

Accepted Answer

A)  water vapor, ammonia, hydrogen, nitrogen 
B)  water vapor, ammonia, methane and hydrogen 
C)  water vapor, oxygen, methane and nitrogen 
D)  nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide and water vapor 
E)  carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, nitrogen 
A)  water vapor, ammonia, hydrogen, nitrogen 
B)  water vapor, ammonia, methane and hydrogen 
C)  water vapor, oxygen, methane and nitrogen 
D)  nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide and water vapor 
E)  carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, nitrogen

Question 18

Evidence for a mass extinction can be found in

Accepted Answer

A)  marine animals in the fossil record. 
B)  Luis and Walter Alverez's research site in Italy. 
C)  carbon-based molecules in Australian rocks. 
D)  evidence of a meteorite near the Yucatan Peninsula. 
E)  all of these are correct. 
A)  marine animals in the fossil record. 
B)  Luis and Walter Alverez's research site in Italy. 
C)  carbon-based molecules in Australian rocks. 
D)  evidence of a meteorite near the Yucatan Peninsula. 
E)  all of these are correct.

Question 19

What is the significance of ALH84001?

Accepted Answer

A)  a rare fossil unearthed after an Appalachian landslide 
B)  a paleolithic hominid found in Alabama in 1984 
C)  an Antarctic meteorite with Martian atmosphere 
D)  an unusual aluminum-hydrogen compound in a meteorite 
E)  an alien life form predicted by George Orwell 
A)  a rare fossil unearthed after an Appalachian landslide 
B)  a paleolithic hominid found in Alabama in 1984 
C)  an Antarctic meteorite with Martian atmosphere 
D)  an unusual aluminum-hydrogen compound in a meteorite 
E)  an alien life form predicted by George Orwell

Question 20

What do fossils tell us? Why is what they tell us important?

Accepted Answer

Studies of fossils have shown at least t

Exam 25: Evolution: How Did Life Emerge on the Ancient Earth

What might a creationist believe?

The ratio of extinct species to living species on Earth is about

Current scientific debates about evolution concern everything below except

Why should we do research about past life on Mars?

What was a consequence of the great bombardment?

According to research groups in several disciplines, where did the first organic molecules form?

About 150 million years ago, what was the dominant large animal on Earth? In what geological era did the dinosaurs live and when did they become extinct?

What was the negative role that sunlight had in the evolution of early life on earth?

What is associated with the Cenozoic era?

The window of opportunity, during which life in the form of the first cell could have begun, was how long ago?

What is the new field of astrobiology?

What piece of evidence do scientists now compare to prove humans and chimpanzees are close relatives?

Which accurately describes black smokers?

Define the difference between punctuated equilibrium and the gradualism hypotheses. Why do scientists need to consider both hypotheses?

Name at least four vestigial organs.

Planetary research in recent years has shown that

Which of the following gases were in Earth's early atmosphere?

Evidence for a mass extinction can be found in

What is the significance of ALH84001?

What do fossils tell us? Why is what they tell us important?

Science: a Way of Knowing: How Do You Know What You Know

The Ordered Universe: Why Do Planets Appear to Wander Slowly Across the Sky

Energy: Why Must Animals Eat to Stay Alive

Heat and the Second Law of Thermodynamics: Why Is It Easier to Make an Omelet From an Egg Than to Make an Egg From an Omelet

Electricity and Magnetism: What Is Lightning

Waves and Electromagnetic Radiation: What Is Color

Albert Einstein and the Theory of Relativity: Can a Human Ever Travel Faster Than the Speed of Light, at Warp Speed

The Atom: Why Are There so Many Different Materials in the World

Quantum Mechanics: How Can the Electron Behave Like Both a Particle and a Wave

Atoms in Combination: the Chemical Bond: How Does Blood Clot

Materials and Their Properties: How Have Computers Gotten so Much Faster

The Nucleus of the Atom: How Do Scientists Determine the Age of the Oldest Human Fossils

The Ultimate Structure of Matter: How Can Antimatter Be Used to Probe the Human Brain

The Stars: How Much Longer Can the Sun Sustain Life on Earth

Cosmology: Will the Universe End

Earth and Other Planets: Is Earth the Only Planet With Life

Plate Tectonics: Can We Predict Destructive Earthquakes

Earths Many Cycles: Will We Ever Run Out of Fresh Water

Ecology, Ecosystems, and the Environment: Are Human Activities Affecting the Global Environment

Strategies of Life: What Is Life

The Living Cell: What Is the Smallest Living Thing

Molecules of Life: What Constitutes a Healthy Diet

Classical and Modern Genetics: Why Do Offspring Resemble Their Parents

The New Science of Life: Can We Cure Cancer

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