Question 1

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.

Question 2

During which period did Pangaea begin to separate?

Accepted Answer

A)  Cambrian 
B)  Triassic 
C)  Jurassic 
D)  Permian 
E)  Quaternary 
A)  Cambrian 
B)  Triassic 
C)  Jurassic 
D)  Permian 
E)  Quaternary

Question 3

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 4

Which of the following represents the correct sequence of events, from earliest to latest?

Accepted Answer

A)  Permian mass extinction, decline in oxygen levels, drying of lowland swamps 
B)  Permian mass extinction, drying of lowland swamps, decline in oxygen levels 
C)  Decline in oxygen levels, Permian mass extinction, drying of lowland swamps 
D)  Drying of lowland swamps, decline in oxygen levels, Permian mass extinction 
E)  Drying of lowland swamps, Permian mass extinction, decline in oxygen levels 
A)  Permian mass extinction, decline in oxygen levels, drying of lowland swamps 
B)  Permian mass extinction, drying of lowland swamps, decline in oxygen levels 
C)  Decline in oxygen levels, Permian mass extinction, drying of lowland swamps 
D)  Drying of lowland swamps, decline in oxygen levels, Permian mass extinction 
E)  Drying of lowland swamps, Permian mass extinction, decline in oxygen levels

Question 5

Which of the following did not occur during the Pleistocene?

Accepted Answer

A)  Multiple ice ages 
B)  Humans reached North America. 
C)  Humans reached Australia. 
D)  The ranges of many animals and plants shifted to the equator. 
E)  All of the above occurred. 
A)  Multiple ice ages 
B)  Humans reached North America. 
C)  Humans reached Australia. 
D)  The ranges of many animals and plants shifted to the equator. 
E)  All of the above occurred.

Question 6

Which of the following did not take place in the Devonian?

Accepted Answer

A)  A mass extinction marking the end of the period 
B)  The appearance of the first gymnosperms 
C)  An acceleration in the rates of evolutionary change in many groups of animals 
D)  The appearance of the first known fossils of insects, spiders, and mites 
E)  All of the above occurred in the Devonian. 
A)  A mass extinction marking the end of the period 
B)  The appearance of the first gymnosperms 
C)  An acceleration in the rates of evolutionary change in many groups of animals 
D)  The appearance of the first known fossils of insects, spiders, and mites 
E)  All of the above occurred in the Devonian.

Question 7

Approximately _______ fossil species have been described.

Accepted Answer

A)  3,000 
B)  30,000 
C)  150,000 
D)  1.7 million 
E)  10 million 
A)  3,000 
B)  30,000 
C)  150,000 
D)  1.7 million 
E)  10 million

Question 8

Approximately _______ species in the current biota have been described.

Accepted Answer

A)  3,000 
B)  30,000 
C)  300,000 
D)  1.8 million 
E)  10 million 
A)  3,000 
B)  30,000 
C)  300,000 
D)  1.8 million 
E)  10 million

Question 9

A group of oxygen-generating bacteria, the _______, formed rocklike structures known as stromatolites.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A group of oxygen-generating bacteria, the _______,...

Question 10

Which of the following statements is true?

Accepted Answer

A)  Earth's magnetic field never changes. 
B)  Radioisotope dating of rocks, combined with fossil analysis, is the most powerful method of determining geological age. 
C)  Geological periods are divided into eras. 
D)  In order to date igneous rocks, geologists search for places where sedimentary rocks have intruded into the bed's igneous rocks. 
E)  All of the above 
A)  Earth's magnetic field never changes. 
B)  Radioisotope dating of rocks, combined with fossil analysis, is the most powerful method of determining geological age. 
C)  Geological periods are divided into eras. 
D)  In order to date igneous rocks, geologists search for places where sedimentary rocks have intruded into the bed's igneous rocks. 
E)  All of the above

Question 11

The formation of the giant continent _______ about 275 million years ago caused massive _______ ­eruptions.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The formation of the giant continent _______...

Question 12

The half-life of 14C, a radioactive element of carbon, is approximately 5,000 years. The ratio of 14C to 12C in a fossil 25,000 years old would be _______ that of a living organism today.

Accepted Answer

A)  the same as 
B)  1/5 
C)  1/8 
D)  1/32 
E)  5/1 
A)  the same as 
B)  1/5 
C)  1/8 
D)  1/32 
E)  5/1

Question 13

Great evolutionary radiations of corals and shelled squidlike cephalopods occurred during the _______ period.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Great evolutionary radiations of corals and shelled...

Question 14

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

Accepted Answer

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

Question 15

One of the main factors that distinguishes the Cambrian explosion from all others is that

Accepted Answer

A)  evolutionarily, it was the most recent explosion. 
B)  many new major groups of animals appeared at this time in contrast to other explosions. 
C)  it was the time when the dinosaurs became extinct. 
D)  there was a dramatic drop in species diversity, especially among marine organisms. 
E)  it was a time of massive volcanic eruptions. 
A)  evolutionarily, it was the most recent explosion. 
B)  many new major groups of animals appeared at this time in contrast to other explosions. 
C)  it was the time when the dinosaurs became extinct. 
D)  there was a dramatic drop in species diversity, especially among marine organisms. 
E)  it was a time of massive volcanic eruptions.

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

Which of the following represents the correct ordering of the categories, from largest to smallest?

Accepted Answer

A)  Epoch, period, era 
B)  Epoch, era, period 
C)  Era, epoch, period 
D)  Era, period, epoch 
E)  Period, era, epoch 
A)  Epoch, period, era 
B)  Epoch, era, period 
C)  Era, epoch, period 
D)  Era, period, epoch 
E)  Period, era, epoch

Question 18

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)  None of the above 
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)  None of the above

Question 19

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 20

The preserved remains of ancient organisms, known as _______, can tell us a great deal about the morphology of extinct species.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The preserved remains of ancient organisms, known...

Exam 25: The History of Life on Earth

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

During which period did Pangaea begin to separate?

The heat that drives plate tectonics is driven by

Which of the following represents the correct sequence of events, from earliest to latest?

Which of the following did not occur during the Pleistocene?

Which of the following did not take place in the Devonian?

Approximately _______ fossil species have been described.

Approximately _______ species in the current biota have been described.

A group of oxygen-generating bacteria, the _______, formed rocklike structures known as stromatolites.

Which of the following statements is true?

The formation of the giant continent _______ about 275 million years ago caused massive _______ ­eruptions.

The half-life of 14C, a radioactive element of carbon, is approximately 5,000 years. The ratio of 14C to 12C in a fossil 25,000 years old would be _______ that of a living organism today.

Great evolutionary radiations of corals and shelled squidlike cephalopods occurred during the _______ period.

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

One of the main factors that distinguishes the Cambrian explosion from all others is that

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

Which of the following represents the correct ordering of the categories, from largest to smallest?

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

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

The preserved remains of ancient organisms, known as _______, can tell us a great deal about the morphology of extinct species.

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 Signaling and Communication

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

Recombinent Dna and Biotechnology

Differential Gene Expression in Development

Development and Evolutionary Change

Evidence and Mechanisms of Evolution

Reconstructing and Using Phylogenies

Species and Their Formation

Evolution of Genes and Genomes

Bacteria and Archaea: the Prokaryotic Domains

The Origin and Diversification of Eukaryotes

Plants Without Seeds: From Water to Land

The Evolution of Seed Plants

Fungi: Recyclers, Pathogens, Parasites, and Plant Partners

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 and Nervous Systems

Sensory Systems

The Mammalian Nervous System: Structure and Higher Function

Musculoskeletal Systems

Gas Exchange in Animals

Circulatory Systems

Nutrition, Digestion, and Absorption

Salt and Water Balance and Nitrogen

Animal Behavior

Ecology and the Distribution of Life

Population Ecology

Species Interaction and Coevolution

Community Ecology

Ecosystems and Global Ecology

Conservation Biology

Filters

The formation of the giant continent _ about 275 million years ago caused massive _ eruptions.

The half-life of ¹⁴C, a radioactive element of carbon, is approximately 5,000 years. The ratio of ¹⁴C to ¹²C in a fossil 25,000 years old would be _______ that of a living organism today.

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

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