Question 1

The process of biological evolution often allows humans to survive consistent environmental stresses that occur across multiple generations.As humans colonized Earth's diverse environments,they encountered hot,dry areas and decided to settle.What trait likely offered an advantage in this environment?

Accepted Answer

A)   the ability to produce sweat to cool their bodies
B)   the ability to shiver to create body heat
C)   the ability to squint eyes to block out bright light
D)   the ability to dig deep holes to find groundwater A

Question 2

What characteristic is unique to echinoderms?

Accepted Answer

A)   a lack of segmentation
B)   a water vascular system
C)   radial symmetry
D)   larvae with bilateral symmetry B

Question 3

Unique features of vertebrates include the presence of a(n)________.

Accepted Answer

A)   endoskeleton
B)   notochord
C)   skull and a backbone
D)   pharyngeal slit C

Question 4

A(n)________ is an example of a mollusc that does not have a shell.

Accepted Answer

A)   octopus
B)   snail
C)   spider
D)   oyster

Question 5

Which of the following is a characteristic of all chordates?

Accepted Answer

A)   They all have vertebral columns.
B)   They all exhibit radial symmetry.
C)   They all have a notochord sometime during their life cycle.
D)   They all have an exoskeleton sometime during their life cycle.

Question 6

Among vertebrates,the unique feature of lampreys and hagfish is the ________.

Accepted Answer

A)   presence of a cartilaginous skeleton
B)   absence of a backbone
C)   absence of jaws
D)   absence of a postanal tail

Question 7

A feature that freed reptiles from dependence on water for reproduction is ________.

Accepted Answer

A)   parental care of eggs
B)   ectothermy
C)   metamorphosis
D)   the amniotic egg

Question 8

J)R.R.Tolkien is a famous author who wrote,among others,several books about the adventures of a community of a humanoid (meaning resembling a human)race.The individuals of this race are described by Tolkien as being "…between 2 and 4 feet (0.61-1.22 m)tall,the average height being 3 feet 6 inches (1.07 m)… a fairly human figure." This general description characterizes the humanoids mostly closely resembling ________.

Accepted Answer

A)   Homo sapiens
B)   Homo floresiensis
C)   mandrills
D)   lemurs

Question 9

The mobile stage of the cnidarian life cycle is the ________ stage.

Accepted Answer

A)   bilateral
B)   polyp
C)   tadpole
D)   medusa

Question 10

What name is given to the food-trapping cells of sponges?

Accepted Answer

A)   cnidocytes
B)   amoebocytes
C)   skeletal fibers
D)   choanocytes

Question 11

Which group of fishes includes a lineage that migrated out of fresh water and adapted to life on land?

Accepted Answer

A)   ray-finned fishes
B)   jawless fishes
C)   lobe-finned fishes
D)   cartilaginous fishes

Question 12

You are given the task of confirming the categorization of a newly discovered animal that has been tagged as a species of annelid.What evidence would convince you that it is indeed an annelid and not a roundworm or flatworm?

Accepted Answer

A)   an incomplete digestive tract
B)   a highly branched gastrovascular cavity
C)   parasitic feeding habits
D)   body segmentation

Question 13

Art Questions
 
-According to the figure,which organism group demonstrates the most advanced body plan in reference to presence of tissue and symmetry?

Accepted Answer

A)   sponges
B)   cnidarians
C)   ancestral protists
D)   arthropods

Question 14

Where did humans first appear?

Accepted Answer

A)   South America
B)   Africa
C)   Asia
D)   Europe

Question 15

At a natural history museum,you see a skeleton with the following characteristics: four long,slender finger bones and a smaller opposable thumb bone,and larger feet with long toes.In what type of environment would you expect this organism to have lived?

Accepted Answer

A)   one that lacks vegetation
B)   one that is very cold
C)   one that is very dry
D)   one that is heavily forested

Question 16

Scenario Questions
Read the following scenario to answer the following questions.
Birds are a widespread group of animals with approximately 10,000 different species found throughout the world today. Because they are relatively easy to find and so visually appealing, they have been studied more thoroughly than many other groups of animals. They are also valuable biological indicators because many species live in different habitats during different times of the year and cover long migration routes. According to the World Conservation Union, extinction threatens over 1,200 bird species today, and at least 179 are critically endangered. Some of the most endangered species include the Tahiti monarch, with only 10 pairs remaining, and the Bali starling, with only 12 wild individuals left. In Hawaii, the last captive po'ouli died in 2005, and the last two known to be alive in the wild have not been seen since 2003-2004. Common birds are also disappearing. In North America, red-winged blackbird populations declined by at least 1 percent each year between 1980 and 1999. These examples can serve as a warning. Habitat loss through destruction, degradation, and fragmentation are serious problems that affect 86 percent of threatened birds and are exacerbated by unsustainable forestry practices and intensifying agriculture. All of this shows that conservation of habitats is critical if many of the world's bird species are going to be saved from extinction in the near future.
-What is the greatest threat to birds today?

Accepted Answer

A)   pollution
B)   poaching
C)   habitat loss
D)   the illegal pet trade

Question 17

Which of these is a defining characteristic of animals that distinguishes them from other eukaryotes?

Accepted Answer

A)   Animals are multicellular.
B)   Animals ingest food.
C)   Animals are heterotrophs.
D)   Animals use photosynthesis.

Question 18

Swim bladders ________.

Accepted Answer

A)   contain the gills
B)   are required for fish to exchange gases with the surrounding water
C)   are present in both bony and cartilaginous fishes
D)   help bony fish maintain buoyancy

Question 19

A feature unique to mammals includes ________.

Accepted Answer

A)   the presence of hair
B)   extended parental care of the young
C)   being endotherms
D)   having no egg-laying members

Question 20

A characteristic of arthropods that has allowed for their great success is the presence of ________.

Accepted Answer

A)   bilateral symmetry
B)   an endoskeleton
C)   a brain
D)   specialized segments

Exam 17: The Evolution of Animals