Question 1

The original continent that existed about 200 mya, from which the modern continents ultimately emerged, is called:

Accepted Answer

A)   Eurasia.
B)   Afrinesia.
C)   Australasia.
D)   Pangaea. D

Question 2

Chemical analysis of the _________ can provide information on diets and habitats.

Accepted Answer

A)   shell
B)   cloth
C)   bones and teeth
D)   wood C

Question 3

During crucial periods of human evolution, the Pleistocene was characterized by:

Accepted Answer

A)   massive glaciation, then warm interglacials.
B)   high humidity.
C)   aridity then humidity.
D)   glaciation then aridity. A

Question 4

A wooden tomb is discovered with a well-preserved mummy inside. What method could be used to date the tomb?

Accepted Answer

A)   superposition
B)   electron spin resonance
C)   thermoluminescence
D)   dendrochronology

Question 5

A mummy is discovered whose tomb includes cloth, food, and other organic remains. What dating method might be used to date the tomb?

Accepted Answer

A)   carbon 4
B)   carbon 14
C)   dendrochronology
D)   electron spin resonance

Question 6

Why is punctuated equilibrium an important addition to natural selection?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Why is punctuated equilibrium an important addition...

Question 7

The study of fossils is called:

Accepted Answer

A)   phylogeny.
B)   biology.
C)   chronometry.
D)   paleontology.

Question 8

Igneous rock can be dated with which of the following methods?

Accepted Answer

A)   radiopotassium dating
B)   dendrochronology
C)   radiocarbon dating
D)   flourine dating

Question 9

If fossil species A is consistently recovered from geological deposits beneath layers containing fossil species B, then A is considered older than B. This relative dating technique is based on the principle of:

Accepted Answer

A)   superposition.
B)   paleomagnetism.
C)   fluorine analysis.
D)   geolayering.

Question 10

An index fossil is:

Accepted Answer

A)   a fossil found in a particular site.
B)   the ideal specimen of that species that all examples must follow.
C)   a fossil used to categorize a stratigraphic layer.
D)   the type specimen of a species.

Question 11

Crucial to creating a fossil record of a species is a:

Accepted Answer

A)   paleontologist.
B)   representation.
C)   cladistics.
D)   binomial nomenclature.

Question 12

The molecular clock has been useful to determine the phylogenetic relationships of species based on the assumption that:

Accepted Answer

A)   a species accumulates genetic differences over time at a constant rate.
B)   all species are related.
C)   species will eventually change in time.
D)   species adapt at specific rates.

Question 13

Which period saw the proliferation of mammals?

Accepted Answer

A)   Holocene
B)   Cenozoic
C)   Jurassic
D)   Mesozoic

Question 14

To reconstruct and interpret evolutionary changes, it is crucial to place each fossil in time. This is called:

Accepted Answer

A)   a chronological sequence.
B)   an era.
C)   a period.
D)   a phylogeny.

Question 15

What is the basic difference between relative and absolute dating?

Accepted Answer

A)   the use of species
B)   the use of bones and teeth
C)   the use of an actual number of years
D)   the use of wood

Question 16

Electron spin resonance dating can provide dates when used on which type of material?

Accepted Answer

A)   wood
B)   shells
C)   teeth
D)   stone

Question 17

The earth's age is:

Accepted Answer

A)   4.6 billion years.
B)   3.4 billion years.
C)   6,000 years.
D)   12 billon years.

Question 18

Thermoluminescence dating can provide dates when used on which types of materials?

Accepted Answer

A)   sediment, stone, and ceramics
B)   bone, wood, and stone
C)   bone, shell, and fabric
D)   shell, ceramics, and wood

Question 19

Studies of temperatures during the Cenozoic era suggest that:

Accepted Answer

A)   temperatures have steadily increased over time.
B)   temperatures have steadily decreased over time.
C)   temperatures have fluctuated, sometimes greatly, over time.
D)   temperatures have stayed basically the same over time.

Question 20

The English surveyor who developed the technique of stratigraphic correlation between regions was:

Accepted Answer

A)   William Smith.
B)   Charles Lyell.
C)   Alfred Wallace.
D)   Richard Owen.

Exam 8: Fossils and Their Place in Time and Nature