GEOS 2000 Evolution of Life

[1]Which of the following is NOT a fundamental characteristic of a eukaryote?
[A]having a nucleus
[B]having complex cellular organelles
[C]having much larger cell size, relative to prokaryotes
[D]multicellularity

[2]Which of the following is NOT true about mitochondria?
[A]they carry out aerobic respiration
[B]they only exist as independent organisms
[C]they have DNA
[D]they have their own cell membrane

[3]The theory of Endosymbiosis asserts that mitochondria and chloroplasts originated how?
[A]mitochondria convey the Force, which unifies all life, makes it grow
[B]early eukaryote ancestors took on free-living bacteria as internal symbiotes
[C]chloroplasts and mitochondria are viruses
[D]mitochondria and chloroplasts are more primitive clone versions of the host cell that encloses them

[4]Mitochondrian and chloroplast DNA most closely resemble the genetic composition of….
[A]Archaea
[B]Eukaryotes
[C]Bacteria
[D]no known living organism or group

[5] The earliest stages in the development of multicellular life, from single-celled ancestors, are today best exemplified by the…
[A]choanoflagellates
[B]diatoms
[C]acritarchs
[D]plasmids

[6]The gene clusters that control activation and deactivation of other genes during an animal’s embryonic development, are called what?
[A]ribosomal genes
[B]rRNA genes
[C]Hox genes
[D]D7-3 genes

[7]Australian fossils have been found that pre-date the Cambrian Explosion, and represent some very odd, primitive animals without hard parts, such as Dickinsonia. What is this fauna called?
[A]Tholian
[B]Atharian
[C]Ediacaran
[D]Mazon

[8]The “Cambrian Explosion” refers to what aspect of the Cambrian fossil record?
[A]Cambrian fossils were first discovered after the Upper Heyford (England) coal mine explosion, which killed 74 miners on August 5th, 1843, but uncovered a new stratum of rock containing never before-seen fossils.
[B]Catastrophic volcanic activity at the beginning of the Cambrian wiped out most life on Earth, leaving a phenomenal fossil record of animal life preserved in ash laid down during the explosions.
[C]In the early Cambrian, an array of new animals with hard parts appeared suddenly in the fossil record. This abrupt appearance of diverse fossils is seen as an “explosion” of animal biodiversity.
[D]There is no such term as “Cambrian Explosion”.

[9]What is the name of the unusual filter-feeding organ possessed by brachiopods and bryozoans?
[A]lophophore
[B]siderophore
[C]pseudopod
[D]cnidocyte

[10]The most common fossils, overall, to be found in rocks of the Cambrian Period are…
[A]molluscs
[B]crustaceans
[C]land plants
[D]trilobites

[11]The Burgess Shale was laid down in what type of sedimentary environment?
[A]sandy beach
[B]meandering-river banks
[C]deep sea hydrothermal vents
[D]marine mud, beyond an algal reef

[12]The fossil animal Pikaia, found in the Burgess Shale, likely belongs in what group of animals?
[A]echinoderms
[B]chordates
[C]molluscs
[D]no known group

[13]The animal Opabinia, found in the Burgess Shale (and on the GEOS 2000 website home page) belongs in what group of animals?
[A]echinoderms
[B]chordates
[C]mollusks
[D]no known group

[14]The largest predator animal so far found in Burgess Shale fossils, belonging to no known living animal group, and at one time described as being three different animals, is named what?
[A]Anomalocaris
[B]Hallucigenia
[C]Opabinia
[D]Pikaia

[15]Starfish, brittle stars, sea cucumbers and crinoids belong to what phylum?
[A]Porifera
[B]Mollusca
[C]Brachiopoda
[D]Echinodermata

[16]Sea anemones, jellyfish, hydras and box jellies belong to what phylum?
[A]Annelida
[B]Cnidaria
[C]Bryozoa
[D]Mollusca

[17]Vertebrates and tunicates belong to what phylum?
[A]Annelida
[B]Cnidaria
[C]Bryozoa
[D]Chordata

[18]Which of the following is NOT a living group of arthropods?
[A]trilobites
[B]chelicerates
[C]myriapods
[D]uniramids

[19]Crinoids or “sea lilies” feed using what strategy in the marine ecosystem?
[A]deposit feeding, by burrowing in soft mud or sand
[B]filter feeding, by capturing food particles that pass by in the water column
[C]predation, by hunting and killing prey animals
[D]grazing, by siphoning up algae and food particles directly from the sea floor surface

[20]Which statement accurately describes the succession of marine faunas in the Phanerozoic?
[A]The “modern” marine fauna of today is less diverse, overall, than earlier faunas.
[B]The “Paleozoic” marine fauna was more primitive, and less successful, than the “Cambrian” fauna.
[C]The succession of faunas demonstrates a trend of increasingly sessile, rooted sea animals as time progresses.
[D]The “Paleozoic” fauna largely replaced the more primitive “Cambrian” fauna, but then dropped significantly in diversity following the end-Permian mass extinction.

[21]Horseshoe crabs belong to which group of arthropods?
[A]trilobites
[B]crustaceans
[C]chelicerates
[D]uniramids

[22]What characteristic of brachiopods makes them easy to confuse with bivalve molluscs?
[A]both are mighty tasty
[B]both possess a muscular foot, which leaves a similar burrowing trace
[C]both are extinct
[D]both have two (paired) shells that can close to protect the animal within

[23]Chordates possess one basic characteristic that is unique among other animal phyla. What is it?
[A]a notochord
[B]bilateral symmetry
[C]a side-to-side swimming motion
[D]a lophophore

[24]Bone is composed of the organic polymer collagen, reinforced by spicules of what biologically-precipitated mineral?
[A]calcium carbonate (calcite)
[B]calcium phosphate (apatite)
[C]chitin
[D]silicon dioxide (silica)

[25]The earliest true fishes in the fossil record are characterized by what attributes?
[A]no internal skeleton
[B]an exoskeleton of bone or bony plates
[C]no jaws
[D]all of the above

[26]Placoderms were early fish of the Silurian and Devonian who possessed what characteristics?
[A]they had unusually heavy head and neck armor, and teeth made of bony projections
[B]they were exclusively freshwater-dwelling animals
[C]they had a lophophore
[D]they were bottom-dwelling filter feeders

[27]Which of the following was NOT an important innovation needed for plants to invade land?
[A]a vascular system
[B]a waxy cuticle
[C]flowers
[D]stomata

[28]The sarcopterigii differ from the other major group of bony fish, the actinopterigii, in what way?
[A]sarcopterigii had strong, fleshy lobe-fins connected skeletally to the vertebral column
[B]the actinopterigii are extinct
[C]sarcopterigii do not possess teeth
[D]actinopterigii gave rise to land-dwelling vertebrates

[29]Which group is most closely related to modern land plants?
[A]blue-green algae
[B]brown algae
[C]red algae
[D]green algae

[30]Which sarcopterigian fish was discovered alive in 1938, although it was previously thought to have been extinct for 65 million years? (HINT: There is a model of one on display in the Rood Hall mineral museum.)
[A]coelophysis
[B]coelacanth
[C]cnidarian
[D]centurion

[31]The first land animals were what type of organism?
[A]arthropods
[B]vertebrates
[C]cniderians
[D]echinoderms

[32] Reptiles in the Carboniferous evolved a new reproductive innovation that allowed them to breed independently of water. What is this innovation?
[A]scales
[B]endothermy
[C]binocular vision
[D]amniote egg

[33]Lizards, dinosaurs and birds belong to which of the following major groups of vertebrates?
[A]Anapsids
[B]Diapsids
[C]Synapsids
[D]Euryapsids

[34]Pelycosaurs, therapsids, and mammals belong to which major group?
[A]Anapsids
[B]Diapsids
[C]Synapsids
[D]Euyapsids

[35]Synapsids differ from anapsids and diapsids in having how many pre-orbital (behind the eye sockets) openings on each side of the skull?
[A]one
[B]two
[C]three
[D]none

[36]Anapsids include which living group of animals?
[A]crocodiles
[B] salamanders
[C]ostriches
[D]turtles

[37]One of the most well-known of the pelycosaurs, a predator having a sail-like fin on its back, was called what?
[A]Dimetrodon
[B]Eryops
[C]Moschops
[D]Elasmosaurus

[38]The sail-backs of some pelycosaurs are thought to have served what function, most likely?
[A]flight
[B]defense
[C]thermoregulation
[D]no known function

[39]Cynodonts, dinocephalians, and gorgonopsians belong to what group of animals that became dominant on land during the late Permian?
[A]dinosaurs
[B]therapsids
[C]amniotes
[D]trilobites

[40]Modern monotremes (like the platypus) gestate their young in the same way that most Permian proto-mammals probably did. What is this strategy?
[A]asexual reproduction
[B]placental gestation
[C]marsupial gestation
[D]amniote egg-laying

[41]The massive super-continent that assembled at the end of the Permian, and which comprised all existing continental plates, is named what?
[A]Laurasia
[B]Gondwana
[C]Pangaea
[D]Tethys

[42]Which group did NOT go extinct at the end of the Permian?
[A]trilobites
[B]rugose corals
[C]tetrapods
[D]blastoids

[43]What fraction of all species on Earth are thought to have gone extinct during the Permo-Triassic event?
[A]50 – 60%
[B]10 – 20%
[C]80 – 90%
[D]95 – 99%

[44]Which is NOT a reasonably likely explanation for the Permo-Triassic extinction event?
[A]nearby supernova
[B]asteroid or comet impact
[C]massive flood volcanism
[D]tectonic plate movements

[45]Where on the modern Earth can evidence be found of extensive volcanic activity at the end of the Permian?
[A] Australia
[B]North America
[C]Siberia
[D]Africa

[46]Which of the following is NOT likely to have been a result of massive flood volcanism in late Permian times?
[A]global acid rain
[B]global climate shifts caused by CO2 increase in the atmosphere
[C]darkening of the Earth due to abundant ash and dust in the upper atmosphere
[D]catastrophic heating of the Earth’s lower atmosphere, all over the planet

[47]Evidence for an asteroid impact at the end of the Permian has been uncovered near what modern continent?
[A]Australia
[B]North America
[C]South America
[D]Africa

[48]Archosaur descendents DO NOT include which group of animals?
[A]tortoises
[B]crocodiles
[C]birds
[D]dinosaurs



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Exam Two with Correct Answers [1]Which of the following is NOT a fundamental characteristic of a eukaryote? [A]having a nucleus [B]having complex cellular organelles [C]having much larger cell size, relative to prokaryotes [D]multicellularity [2]Which of the following is NOT true about mitochondria? [A]they carry out aerobic respiration [B]they only exist as independent organisms [C]they have DNA [D]they have their own cell membrane [3]The theory of Endosymbiosis asserts that mitochondria and chloroplasts originated how? [A]mitochondria convey the Force, which unifies all life, makes it grow [B]early eukaryote ancestors took on free-living bacteria as internal symbiotes [C]chloroplasts and mitochondria are viruses [D]mitochondria and chloroplasts are more primitive clone versions of the host cell that encloses them [4]Mitochondrian and chloroplast DNA most closely resemble the genetic composition of…. [A]Archaea [B]Eukaryotes [C]Bacteria [D]no known living organism or group [5] The earliest stages in the development of multicellular life, from single-celled ancestors, are today best exemplified by the… [A]choanoflagellates [B]diatoms [C]acritarchs [D]plasmids [6]The gene clusters that control activation and deactivation of other genes during an animal’s embryonic development, are called what? [A]ribosomal genes [B]rRNA genes [C]Hox genes [D]D7-3 genes [7]Australian fossils have been found that pre-date the Cambrian Explosion, and represent some very odd, primitive animals without hard parts, such as Dickinsonia. What is this fauna called? [A]Tholian [B]Atharian [C]Ediacaran [D]Mazon [8]The “Cambrian Explosion” refers to what aspect of the Cambrian fossil record? [A]Cambrian fossils were first discovered after the Upper Heyford (England) coal mine explosion, which killed 74 miners on August 5th, 1843, but uncovered a new stratum of rock containing never before-seen fossils. [B]Catastrophic volcanic activity at the beginning of the Cambrian wiped out most life on Earth, leaving a phenomenal fossil record of animal life preserved in ash laid down during the explosions. [C]In the early Cambrian, an array of new animals with hard parts appeared suddenly in the fossil record. This abrupt appearance of diverse fossils is seen as an “explosion” of animal biodiversity. [D]There is no such term as “Cambrian Explosion”. [9]What is the name of the unusual filter-feeding organ possessed by brachiopods and bryozoans? [A]lophophore [B]siderophore [C]pseudopod [D]cnidocyte [10]The most common fossils, overall, to be found in rocks of the Cambrian Period are… [A]molluscs [B]crustaceans [C]land plants [D]trilobites [11]The Burgess Shale was laid down in what type of sedimentary environment? [A]sandy beach [B]meandering-river banks [C]deep sea hydrothermal vents [D]marine mud, beyond an algal reef [12]The fossil animal Pikaia, found in the Burgess Shale, likely belongs in what group of animals? [A]echinoderms [B]chordates [C]molluscs [D]no known group [13]The animal Opabinia, found in the Burgess Shale (and on the GEOS 2000 website home page) belongs in what group of animals? [A]echinoderms [B]chordates [C]mollusks [D]no known group [14]The largest predator animal so far found in Burgess Shale fossils, belonging to no known living animal group, and at one time described as being three different animals, is named what? [A]Anomalocaris [B]Hallucigenia [C]Opabinia [D]Pikaia [15]Starfish, brittle stars, sea cucumbers and crinoids belong to what phylum? [A]Porifera [B]Mollusca [C]Brachiopoda [D]Echinodermata [16]Sea anemones, jellyfish, hydras and box jellies belong to what phylum? [A]Annelida [B]Cnidaria [C]Bryozoa [D]Mollusca [17]Vertebrates and tunicates belong to what phylum? [A]Annelida [B]Cnidaria [C]Bryozoa [D]Chordata [18]Which of the following is NOT a living group of arthropods? [A]trilobites [B]chelicerates [C]myriapods [D]uniramids [19]Crinoids or “sea lilies” feed using what strategy in the marine ecosystem? [A]deposit feeding, by burrowing in soft mud or sand [B]filter feeding, by capturing food particles that pass by in the water column [C]predation, by hunting and killing prey animals [D]grazing, by siphoning up algae and food particles directly from the sea floor surface [20]Which statement accurately describes the succession of marine faunas in the Phanerozoic? [A]The “modern” marine fauna of today is less diverse, overall, than earlier faunas. [B]The “Paleozoic” marine fauna was more primitive, and less successful, than the “Cambrian” fauna. [C]The succession of faunas demonstrates a trend of increasingly sessile, rooted sea animals as time progresses. [D]The “Paleozoic” fauna largely replaced the more primitive “Cambrian” fauna, but then dropped significantly in diversity following the end-Permian mass extinction. [21]Horseshoe crabs belong to which group of arthropods? [A]trilobites [B]crustaceans [C]chelicerates [D]uniramids [22]What characteristic of brachiopods makes them easy to confuse with bivalve molluscs? [A]both are mighty tasty [B]both possess a muscular foot, which leaves a similar burrowing trace [C]both are extinct [D]both have two (paired) shells that can close to protect the animal within [23]Chordates possess one basic characteristic that is unique among other animal phyla. What is it? [A]a notochord [B]bilateral symmetry [C]a side-to-side swimming motion [D]a lophophore [24]Bone is composed of the organic polymer collagen, reinforced by spicules of what biologically-precipitated mineral? [A]calcium carbonate (calcite) [B]calcium phosphate (apatite) [C]chitin [D]silicon dioxide (silica) [25]The earliest true fishes in the fossil record are characterized by what attributes? [A]no internal skeleton [B]an exoskeleton of bone or bony plates [C]no jaws [D]all of the above [26]Placoderms were early fish of the Silurian and Devonian who possessed what characteristics? [A]they had unusually heavy head and neck armor, and teeth made of bony projections [B]they were exclusively freshwater-dwelling animals [C]they had a lophophore [D]they were bottom-dwelling filter feeders [27]Which of the following was NOT an important innovation needed for plants to invade land? [A]a vascular system [B]a waxy cuticle [C]flowers [D]stomata [28]The sarcopterigii differ from the other major group of bony fish, the actinopterigii, in what way? [A]sarcopterigii had strong, fleshy lobe-fins connected skeletally to the vertebral column [B]the actinopterigii are extinct [C]sarcopterigii do not possess teeth [D]actinopterigii gave rise to land-dwelling vertebrates [29]Which group is most closely related to modern land plants? [A]blue-green algae [B]brown algae [C]red algae [D]green algae [30]Which sarcopterigian fish was discovered alive in 1938, although it was previously thought to have been extinct for 65 million years? (HINT: There is a model of one on display in the Rood Hall mineral museum.) [A]coelophysis [B]coelacanth [C]cnidarian [D]centurion [31]The first land animals were what type of organism? [A]arthropods [B]vertebrates [C]cniderians [D]echinoderms [32] Reptiles in the Carboniferous evolved a new reproductive innovation that allowed them to breed independently of water. What is this innovation? [A]scales [B]endothermy [C]binocular vision [D]amniote egg [33]Lizards, dinosaurs and birds belong to which of the following major groups of vertebrates? [A]Anapsids [B]Diapsids [C]Synapsids [D]Euryapsids [34]Pelycosaurs, therapsids, and mammals belong to which major group? [A]Anapsids [B]Diapsids [C]Synapsids [D]Euyapsids [35]Synapsids differ from anapsids and diapsids in having how many pre-orbital (behind the eye sockets) openings on each side of the skull? [A]one [B]two [C]three [D]none [36]Anapsids include which living group of animals? [A]crocodiles [B] salamanders [C]ostriches [D]turtles [37]One of the most well-known of the pelycosaurs, a predator having a sail-like fin on its back, was called what? [A]Dimetrodon [B]Eryops [C]Moschops [D]Elasmosaurus [38]The sail-backs of some pelycosaurs are thought to have served what function, most likely? [A]flight [B]defense [C]thermoregulation [D]no known function [39]Cynodonts, dinocephalians, and gorgonopsians belong to what group of animals that became dominant on land during the late Permian? [A]dinosaurs [B]therapsids [C]amniotes [D]trilobites [40]Modern monotremes (like the platypus) gestate their young in the same way that most Permian proto-mammals probably did. What is this strategy? [A]asexual reproduction [B]placental gestation [C]marsupial gestation [D]amniote egg-laying [41]The massive super-continent that assembled at the end of the Permian, and which comprised all existing continental plates, is named what? [A]Laurasia [B]Gondwana [C]Pangaea [D]Tethys [42]Which group did NOT go extinct at the end of the Permian? [A]trilobites [B]rugose corals [C]tetrapods [D]blastoids [43]What fraction of all species on Earth are thought to have gone extinct during the Permo-Triassic event? [A]50 – 60% [B]10 – 20% [C]80 – 90% [D]95 – 99% [44]Which is NOT a reasonably likely explanation for the Permo-Triassic extinction event? [A]nearby supernova [B]asteroid or comet impact [C]massive flood volcanism [D]tectonic plate movements [45]Where on the modern Earth can evidence be found of extensive volcanic activity at the end of the Permian? [A] Australia [B]North America [C]Siberia [D]Africa [46]Which of the following is NOT likely to have been a result of massive flood volcanism in late Permian times? [A]global acid rain [B]global climate shifts caused by CO2 increase in the atmosphere [C]darkening of the Earth due to abundant ash and dust in the upper atmosphere [D]catastrophic heating of the Earth’s lower atmosphere, all over the planet [47]Evidence for an asteroid impact at the end of the Permian has been uncovered near what modern continent? [A]Australia [B]North America [C]South America [D]Africa [48]Archosaur descendents DO NOT include which group of animals? [A]tortoises [B]crocodiles [C]birds [D]dinosaurs