Question 1

Upon being formed, oceanic islands, such as the Hawaiian Islands, should feature what characteristic, leading to which phenomenon?

Accepted Answer

A)  mass extinctions, leading to bottleneck effect 
B)  major evolutionary innovations, leading to rafting to nearby continents 
C)  a variety of empty ecological niches, leading to adaptive radiation 
D)  adaptive radiation, leading to founder effect 
A)  mass extinctions, leading to bottleneck effect 
B)  major evolutionary innovations, leading to rafting to nearby continents 
C)  a variety of empty ecological niches, leading to adaptive radiation 
D)  adaptive radiation, leading to founder effect

Question 2

How did the Cretaceous and Permian extinctions affect the numbers of prey organisms?

Accepted Answer

A)  After the Permian extinction, the numbers or prey organisms increased then levelled off. 
B)  After the Cretaceous extinction, the number of predators continuously increased. 
C)  The Permian predators removed all Cretaceous predators. 
D)  Predators and prey decreased in numbers. 
A)  After the Permian extinction, the numbers or prey organisms increased then levelled off. 
B)  After the Cretaceous extinction, the number of predators continuously increased. 
C)  The Permian predators removed all Cretaceous predators. 
D)  Predators and prey decreased in numbers.

Question 3

A female fly, full of fertilised eggs, is swept by high winds to an island far out to sea. She is the first fly to arrive on this island and the only fly to arrive in this way. Thousands of years later, her numerous offspring occupy the island, but none of them resembles her. There are, instead, several species, each of which eats only a certain type of food. None of the species can fly and their balancing organs (halteres) are now used in courtship displays. The male members of each species bear modified halteres that are unique in appearance to their species. Females bear vestigial halteres. The ranges of all of the daughter species overlap.
Which of these fly organs, as they exist in the description, best illustrates an exaptation?

Accepted Answer

A)  the vestigial halteres 
B)  the halteres 
C)  the mouthparts 
D)  the eggs 
A)  the vestigial halteres 
B)  the halteres 
C)  the mouthparts 
D)  the eggs

Question 4

Which of the following steps has not yet been accomplished by scientists studying the origin of life?

Accepted Answer

A)  synthesis of small RNA polymers by ribozymes 
B)  formation of molecular aggregates with selectively permeable membranes 
C)  formation of protocells that use DNA to direct the polymerisation of amino acids 
D)  abiotic synthesis of organic molecules 
A)  synthesis of small RNA polymers by ribozymes 
B)  formation of molecular aggregates with selectively permeable membranes 
C)  formation of protocells that use DNA to direct the polymerisation of amino acids 
D)  abiotic synthesis of organic molecules

Question 5

Which of the following organisms would be most likely to form a fossil?

Accepted Answer

A)  a rare worm 
B)  a common worm 
C)  a rare possum 
D)  a common possum 
A)  a rare worm 
B)  a common worm 
C)  a rare possum 
D)  a common possum

Question 6

The first genetic material on Earth was probably ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  DNA produced by reverse transcriptase from abiotically produced RNA 
B)  DNA molecules whose information was transcribed to RNA and later translated in polypeptides 
C)  self-replicating RNA molecules 
D)  oligopeptides located within protocells 
A)  DNA produced by reverse transcriptase from abiotically produced RNA 
B)  DNA molecules whose information was transcribed to RNA and later translated in polypeptides 
C)  self-replicating RNA molecules 
D)  oligopeptides located within protocells

Question 7

The following question is based on the observation that several dozen different proteins comprise the prokaryotic flagellum and its attachment to the prokaryotic cell, producing a highly complex structure.
-Certain proteins of the complex motor that drives bacterial flagella are modified versions of proteins that had previously belonged to plasma membrane pumps. This evidence supports the claim that ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  natural selection produces organs that will be needed in future environments 
B)  the motors of bacterial flagella must have originated in other organisms 
C)  natural selection can produce new structures by coupling together parts of other structures 
D)  bacteria that possess flagella must have lost the ability to pump certain chemicals across their plasma membranes 
A)  natural selection produces organs that will be needed in future environments 
B)  the motors of bacterial flagella must have originated in other organisms 
C)  natural selection can produce new structures by coupling together parts of other structures 
D)  bacteria that possess flagella must have lost the ability to pump certain chemicals across their plasma membranes

Question 8

Which factor most likely caused animals and plants in India to differ greatly from species in nearby southeast Asia?

Accepted Answer

A)  The species became separated by convergent evolution. 
B)  The climates of the two regions are similar. 
C)  India is in the process of separating from the rest of Asia. 
D)  India was a separate continent until 45 million years ago. 
A)  The species became separated by convergent evolution. 
B)  The climates of the two regions are similar. 
C)  India is in the process of separating from the rest of Asia. 
D)  India was a separate continent until 45 million years ago.

Question 9

What adaptions by mammals helped their adaptive radiation after extinction of terrestrial dinosaurs?

Accepted Answer

A)  nocturnal vision 
B)  small size 
C)  increase in diversity 
D)  outcompeting for food 
A)  nocturnal vision 
B)  small size 
C)  increase in diversity 
D)  outcompeting for food

Question 10

A female fly, full of fertilised eggs, is swept by high winds to an island far out to sea. She is the first fly to arrive on this island and the only fly to arrive in this way. Thousands of years later, her numerous offspring occupy the island, but none of them resembles her. There are, instead, several species, each of which eats only a certain type of food. None of the species can fly, and their balancing organs (halteres) are now used in courtship displays. The male members of each species bear modified halteres that are unique in appearance to their species. Females bear vestigial halteres. The ranges of all of the daughter species overlap.
In each fly species, the entire body segment that gave rise to the original flight wings is missing. The mutation(s) that led to the flightless condition could have ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  duplicated all of the Hox genes in these flies' genomes 
B)  resulted in paedomorphosis 
C)  altered the expression of a Hox gene 
D)  originated in another species 
A)  duplicated all of the Hox genes in these flies' genomes 
B)  resulted in paedomorphosis 
C)  altered the expression of a Hox gene 
D)  originated in another species

Question 11

What is the most accurate method used to measure the age of a fossil?

Accepted Answer

A)  radiometric dating 
B)  sequence fossils in rock strata 
C)  use uranium-238 
D)  use whole-life decay 
A)  radiometric dating 
B)  sequence fossils in rock strata 
C)  use uranium-238 
D)  use whole-life decay

Question 12

A sediment core is removed from the floor of an inland sea. The sea has been in existence, off and on, throughout the entire time that terrestrial life has existed. Researchers wish to locate and study the terrestrial organisms fossilised in this core. The core is illustrated as a vertical column, with the top of the column representing the most recent strata and the bottom representing the time when land was first colonised by life.  
If arrows indicate locations in the column where fossils of a particular type (see key) first appear, then which core in the figure above has the most accurate arrangement of fossils?

Accepted Answer

A)  core A 
B)  core B 
C)  core C 
D)  core D 
A)  core A 
B)  core B 
C)  core C 
D)  core D

Question 13

What is true of the fossil record of mammalian origins?

Accepted Answer

A)  It shows that mammals and birds evolved from the same kind of dinosaur. 
B)  It includes transitional forms with progressively specialised teeth. 
C)  It indicates that mammals and dinosaurs did not overlap in geologic time. 
D)  It includes a series that shows the gradual change of scales into fur. 
A)  It shows that mammals and birds evolved from the same kind of dinosaur. 
B)  It includes transitional forms with progressively specialised teeth. 
C)  It indicates that mammals and dinosaurs did not overlap in geologic time. 
D)  It includes a series that shows the gradual change of scales into fur.

Question 14

Which factor most likely caused animals and plants in India to differ greatly from species in nearby south-east Asia?

Accepted Answer

A)  The climates of the two regions are similar. 
B)  India is in the process of separating from the rest of Asia. 
C)  Life in India was wiped out by ancient volcanic eruptions. 
D)  India was a separate continent until 45 million years ago. 
A)  The climates of the two regions are similar. 
B)  India is in the process of separating from the rest of Asia. 
C)  Life in India was wiped out by ancient volcanic eruptions. 
D)  India was a separate continent until 45 million years ago.

Question 15

The duplication of homeotic (Hox) genes has been significant in the evolution of animals because it ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  permitted the evolution of novel forms 
B)  caused the extinction of major groups 
C)  reduced morphological diversity into simpler forms of life 
D)  allowed animals to survive on significantly fewer calories 
A)  permitted the evolution of novel forms 
B)  caused the extinction of major groups 
C)  reduced morphological diversity into simpler forms of life 
D)  allowed animals to survive on significantly fewer calories

Question 16

Endosymbiosis is an evolutionary theory that explains the origin of eukaryotes and suggests a specific order in which this might have occurred. Ancestral cells engulfed and then began to use the metabolic processes of the smaller cells. Based on shared-core processes and features, which statement most accurately describes the order, the theory, and the evolutionary implications for all organisms within domain Eukarya?

Accepted Answer

A)  Ancestral heterotrophic eukaryotes most likely engulfed both a heterotrophic and an autotrophic prokaryote, whereas ancestral photosynthetic eukaryotes probably provided the host cell for the first mitochondria. Over time, natural selection favoured these relationships, and these cells became ancestors of all eukaryotes. 
B)  All ancestral eukaryotes would have most likely consumed a nucleus-like prokaryote that eventually became the eukaryotic nucleus. These new eukaryotic cells would have had an advantage over prokaryotic cells by acquiring a nuclear command centre for regulating cellular activities. 
C)  As carbon dioxide levels were increasing over time, natural selection would have favoured organisms that acquired a photosynthetic prokaryote to convert carbon dioxide into sugars. These would have likely been the first eukaryotic cells. These ancestral cells engulfed mitochondria-like prokaryotes, which would have provided an even greater advantage for cells in this environment. 
D)  As Earth was becoming more aerobic, mitochondria would have provided an advantage to host cells by converting "toxic" oxygen into energy for heterotrophic cells. Since mitochondria are found in all eukaryotes, these combinations likely evolved first. Photosynthetic eukaryotes probably acquired an autotrophic prokaryote, which developed an advantageous symbiotic relationship with the host cell. 
A)  Ancestral heterotrophic eukaryotes most likely engulfed both a heterotrophic and an autotrophic prokaryote, whereas ancestral photosynthetic eukaryotes probably provided the host cell for the first mitochondria. Over time, natural selection favoured these relationships, and these cells became ancestors of all eukaryotes. 
B)  All ancestral eukaryotes would have most likely consumed a nucleus-like prokaryote that eventually became the eukaryotic nucleus. These new eukaryotic cells would have had an advantage over prokaryotic cells by acquiring a nuclear command centre for regulating cellular activities. 
C)  As carbon dioxide levels were increasing over time, natural selection would have favoured organisms that acquired a photosynthetic prokaryote to convert carbon dioxide into sugars. These would have likely been the first eukaryotic cells. These ancestral cells engulfed mitochondria-like prokaryotes, which would have provided an even greater advantage for cells in this environment. 
D)  As Earth was becoming more aerobic, mitochondria would have provided an advantage to host cells by converting "toxic" oxygen into energy for heterotrophic cells. Since mitochondria are found in all eukaryotes, these combinations likely evolved first. Photosynthetic eukaryotes probably acquired an autotrophic prokaryote, which developed an advantageous symbiotic relationship with the host cell.

Question 17

Which of the following showed their greatest diversity during the Mesozoic era but were a small, less diverse group during the Paleozoic era?

Accepted Answer

A)  gymnosperms 
B)  fungi 
C)  flowering plants 
D)  mammals 
A)  gymnosperms 
B)  fungi 
C)  flowering plants 
D)  mammals

Question 18

A swim bladder is a gas-filled sac that helps fish maintain buoyancy. The evolution of the swim bladder from lungs of an ancestral fish is an example of ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  exaptation 
B)  changes in Hox gene expression 
C)  paedomorphosis 
D)  adaptive radiation 
A)  exaptation 
B)  changes in Hox gene expression 
C)  paedomorphosis 
D)  adaptive radiation

Question 19

A sediment core is removed from the floor of an inland sea. The sea has been in existence, off and on, throughout the entire time that terrestrial life has existed. Researchers wish to locate and study the terrestrial organisms fossilised in this core. The core is illustrated as a vertical column, with the top of the column representing the most recent strata and the bottom representing the time when land was first colonised by life.  
To assign absolute dates to fossils in this sediment core, it would be most helpful if ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  you knew the order in which the fossils occurred 
B)  the sediments had not been affected by underwater currents during their deposition 
C)  volcanic ash layers were regularly interspersed between the sedimentary strata 
D)  fossils throughout the column were equally spaced apart 
A)  you knew the order in which the fossils occurred 
B)  the sediments had not been affected by underwater currents during their deposition 
C)  volcanic ash layers were regularly interspersed between the sedimentary strata 
D)  fossils throughout the column were equally spaced apart

Question 20

The Permian period ended and then rapid speciation occurred as new animal and plant forms evolved. The most likely explanation for this is ________.
I. adaptive radiation
II. ecological opportunity
III. lack of competition
IV. morphological innovation

Accepted Answer

A)  just one of the above 
B)  two of the above 
C)  three of the above 
D)  all of the above 
A)  just one of the above 
B)  two of the above 
C)  three of the above 
D)  all of the above

Exam 25: The History of Life on Earth

Upon being formed, oceanic islands, such as the Hawaiian Islands, should feature what characteristic, leading to which phenomenon?

How did the Cretaceous and Permian extinctions affect the numbers of prey organisms?

Which of the following steps has not yet been accomplished by scientists studying the origin of life?

Which of the following organisms would be most likely to form a fossil?

The first genetic material on Earth was probably ________.

Which factor most likely caused animals and plants in India to differ greatly from species in nearby southeast Asia?

What adaptions by mammals helped their adaptive radiation after extinction of terrestrial dinosaurs?

What is the most accurate method used to measure the age of a fossil?

What is true of the fossil record of mammalian origins?

Which factor most likely caused animals and plants in India to differ greatly from species in nearby south-east Asia?

The duplication of homeotic (Hox) genes has been significant in the evolution of animals because it ________.

Which of the following showed their greatest diversity during the Mesozoic era but were a small, less diverse group during the Paleozoic era?

A swim bladder is a gas-filled sac that helps fish maintain buoyancy. The evolution of the swim bladder from lungs of an ancestral fish is an example of ________.

The Permian period ended and then rapid speciation occurred as new animal and plant forms evolved. The most likely explanation for this is ________. I. adaptive radiation II. ecological opportunity III. lack of competition IV. morphological innovation

Evolution, the Themes of Biology, and Scientific Inquiry

The Chemical Context of Life

Water and Life

Carbon and the Molecular Diversity of Life

The Structure and Function of Large Biological Molecules

A Tour of the Cell

Membrane Structure and Function

An Introduction to Metabolism

Cellular Respiration and Fermentation

Photosynthesis

Cell Communication

The Cell Cycle

Meiosis and Sexual Life Cycles

Mendel and the Gene Idea

The Chromosomal Basis of Inheritance

The Molecular Basis of Inheritance

Gene Expression: From Gene to Protein

Regulation of Gene Expression

Viruses

Dna Tools and Biotechnology

Genomes and Their Evolution

Descent With Modification: a Darwinian View of Life

The Evolution of Populations

The Origin of Species

Phylogeny and the Tree of Life

Bacteria and Archaea

Protists

Plant Diversity I: How Plants Colonised Land

Plant Diversity Ii: the Evolution of Seed Plants

Fungi

An Overview of Animal Diversity

An Introduction to Invertebrates

The Origin and Evolution of Vertebrates

Vascular Plant Structure, Growth, and Development

Resource Acquisition and Transport in Vascular Plants

Soil and Plant Nutrition

Angiosperm Reproduction and Biotechnology

Plant Responses to Internal and External Signals

Basic Principles of Animal Form and Function

Animal Nutrition

Circulation and Gas Exchange

The Immune System

Osmoregulation and Excretion

Hormones and the Endocrine System

Animal Reproduction

Animal Development

Neurons, Synapses, and Signalling

Nervous Systems

Sensory and Motor Mechanisms

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