Question 1

Photosynthesis is&#10;A)a process found only among modern flowering plants.&#10;B)a process common to many animals and plants.&#10;C)first found after the Cambrian Explosion.&#10;D)found among some of the earliest life forms on earth.

Accepted Answer

Photosynthesis is a process found among some of the earliest life forms on earth, such as cyanobacteria, which were present around 3.5 billion years ago. It is not exclusive to modern flowering plants nor is it common among animals. It also predates the Cambrian Explosion, which occurred around 541 million years ago.

Question 2

What is the relationship in time between dinosaurs and mammals?&#10;A)Mammals evolved only after the dinosaurs became extinct.&#10;B)Mammals evolved first followed by the dinosaurs.&#10;C)Mammals and dinosaurs appear in the fossil record at about the same time.&#10;D)Mammals evolved directly from dinosaurs.

Accepted Answer

Mammals and dinosaurs both appear in the fossil record during the Mesozoic Era, indicating they coexisted. Mammals did not evolve directly from dinosaurs nor did they wait for dinosaurs to become extinct before evolving.

Question 3

The universe&#10;A)has always been the same size as it is now.&#10;B)is shrinking.&#10;C)is expanding.&#10;D)expands and shrinks in cycles.

Accepted Answer

The expansion of the universe is a well-established scientific fact, supported by numerous observations such as the cosmic microwave background radiation and the redshift of distant galaxies. There is no evidence to suggest that the universe is shrinking or that it has always been the same size. While there are theories suggesting cyclical patterns of expansion and contraction, there is no concrete evidence to support this notion.

Question 4

Organic compounds on earth first came from&#10;A)processes that are still unknown.&#10;B)rearrangements of inorganic compounds.&#10;C)amino acids.&#10;D)outer space,via an asteroid hitting the earth.

Accepted Answer

It is believed that the first organic compounds on Earth were produced through rearrangement and combination of simple inorganic compounds such as methane, ammonia and water. This was due to the high energy input from lightning and UV radiation on Earth's early atmosphere. This hypothesis is known as the Miller-Urey experiment. Amino acids, while they are organic compounds, were not the first organic compounds on Earth, but were likely formed later through further chemical reactions. There is currently no evidence to support the idea that organic compounds came from outer space via an asteroid hitting the Earth.

Question 5

Multicellular organisms first appear&#10;A)3.6 billion years ago.&#10;B)2 billion years ago.&#10;C)1.7 billion years ago.&#10;D)5 million years ago.

Accepted Answer

The first multicellular organisms are believed to have appeared around 1.7 billion years ago, during the Proterozoic eon. Evidence of multicellular fossils has been found in Australia and Canada from this time period.

Question 6

Some of the earliest fossils indicate that living creatures over 3 billion years ago may already have been&#10;A)capable of photosynthesis.&#10;B)reproducing sexually.&#10;C)made up of more than one cell.&#10;D)living on land.

Accepted Answer

The earliest fossils, dating back over 3 billion years, indicate that some of the first forms of life were capable of photosynthesis. This process, used by plants and some bacteria, converts light energy into chemical energy, suggesting that even the earliest life forms could harness energy from their environment.

Question 7

At the moment,the best guess for the age of the universe is&#10;A)about 10,000 years.&#10;B)4.5 billion years.&#10;C)13 billion years.&#10;D)20 or more billion years.

Accepted Answer

The age of the universe is estimated to be around 13 billion years based on observations and measurements of cosmic background radiation, the expansion of the universe, and the ages of the oldest known stars. The option A is incorrect as it was the belief in the past based on religious and cultural beliefs. Option B refers to the age of our solar system, not the entire universe. Option D is an outdated estimate based on earlier measurements that have been refined over time with newer data.

Question 8

The process that explains the movements of the earth's continents is&#10;A)continental drift.&#10;B)genetic drift.&#10;C)speciation.&#10;D)plate tectonics.

Accepted Answer

The process that explains the movements of the earth's continents is plate tectonics. Continental drift is a part of plate tectonics, but the explanation of the overall process is better described as plate tectonics. Genetic drift and speciation are not related to the movement of earth's continents.

Question 9

An important result of the evolution of sexual reproduction was that&#10;A)reproduction became more pleasurable.&#10;B)the mutation rate was decreased.&#10;C)genetic variation was increased.&#10;D)organisms became suddenly multicellular.

Accepted Answer

Sexual reproduction allows for the mixing of genetic material from two individuals, resulting in offspring that have a combination of traits from both parents. This increases genetic variation within a population, which is beneficial for survival and adaptation to changing environments.

Question 10

The earth was formed about&#10;A)1 million years ago.&#10;B)3.2 million years ago.&#10;C)4.5 billion years ago.&#10;D)15 billion years ago.

Accepted Answer

The age of the Earth is estimated to be around 4.5 billion years old based on radiometric dating of rocks and meteorites. Choices A, B, and D are not accurate estimates of the Earth's age.

Question 11

At the time the earth was formed,the universe was what fraction of its present size?&#10;A)1/4&#10;B)1/2&#10;C)2/3&#10;D)100%

Accepted Answer

The answer of At the time the earth was formed,the...

Question 12

The heavy elements that now make up the stars,planets,and even us were formed&#10;A)at the very beginning of the universe,during the Big Bang.&#10;B)as the energy of the early universe condensed into matter.&#10;C)by unknown processes.&#10;D)by nuclear reactions within early stars.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The heavy elements that now make up...

Question 13

Most of the history of life on earth has involved&#10;A)simple,single-celled organisms.&#10;B)complex,multicellular organisms.&#10;C)dinosaurs.&#10;D)mammals.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Most of the history of life on...

Question 14

The extinction that wiped out the dinosaurs resulted initially from&#10;A)an asteroid impact.&#10;B)the coming of the Ice Ages.&#10;C)the formation of a supercontinent through continental drift.&#10;D)global warming through a greenhouse effect.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The extinction that wiped out the dinosaurs...

Question 15

How old is the first evidence of life on earth?&#10;A)10,000 years&#10;B)5 million years&#10;C)3.6 billion years&#10;D)15 billion years

Accepted Answer

The answer of How old is the first evidence of...

Question 16

The formation of the &#34;supercontinent&#34; of Pangea&#10;A)was responsible for the evolution of the primates.&#10;B)may have contributed to the most extensive ancient mass extinction.&#10;C)caused the evolution of multicellular animals.&#10;D)is known as the Big Bang.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The formation of the &#34;supercontinent&#34; of Pangea&#10;A)was...

Question 17

The earth's continents drift because&#10;A)they are actually floating on the surface of the sea.&#10;B)different areas of land alternately rise above and sink below the oceans.&#10;C)the plates of the earth's crust interact with the molten rock below.&#10;D)gravitation forces acting on the earth change over time.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The earth's continents drift because&#10;A)they are actually...

Question 18

The sudden appearance of organisms with shells and other hard parts is referred to as&#10;A)the Big Bang.&#10;B)the Cambrian Explosion.&#10;C)a mass extinction.&#10;D)the origin of species.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The sudden appearance of organisms with shells...

Question 19

Sexual reproduction probably evolved&#10;A)to increase genetic variation.&#10;B)to speed the evolution of complex organisms.&#10;C)so that reproduction was more pleasurable and thus more frequent.&#10;D)out of a mechanism of genetic exchange to replace defective genes.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Sexual reproduction probably evolved&#10;A)to increase genetic variation.&#10;B)to...

Question 20

The mass extinction of 65 million years ago included&#10;A)just the dinosaurs.&#10;B)only land animals.&#10;C)large land animals,many plants,and much of the ocean's plankton.&#10;D)most of the primates except our ancestors.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The mass extinction of 65 million years...

Deck 6: A Brief Evolutionary Timetable