Deck 34: The Origin and Evolution of Vertebrates

Question 1

The earliest known mineralized structures in vertebrates are associated with which function?

A)reproduction
B)feeding
C)locomotion
D)defence
E)respiration

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which of these might have been observed in the common ancestor of chondrichthyans and osteichthyans?

A)a mineralized, bony skeleton
B)opercula
C)bony fin rays
D)a spiral valve intestine
E)a swim bladder

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Mylokkunmingia fengjiao,a fossil from the Cambrian

A)is considered the first chordate to have a head.
B)lacked vertebrae.
C)lacked ear and eye capsules.
D)resembled a hagfish.
E)A and B.

Answer 3

E

Question 4

The swim bladder of ray-finned fishes

A)was probably modified from simple lungs of chondrichthyans.
B)developed into lungs in saltwater fishes.
C)first appeared in sharks.
D)provides for regulation of buoyancy.
E)Two of the options listed are correct.

Question 5

Which of the following statements would be least acceptable to most zoologists?

A)The extant lancelets are contemporaries, not ancestors, of vertebrates.
B)The first fossils resembling lancelets appeared in the fossil record around 530 million years ago.
C)Recent work in molecular systematics supports the hypothesis that lancelets are the most recent common ancestor of all vertebrates.
D)The extant lancelets are the immediate ancestors of the fishes.
E)Lancelets display the same method of swimming as do fishes.

Question 6

Which of the following is a characteristic of all chordates at some point during their life cycle?

A)jaws
B)post-anal tail
C)four-chambered heart
D)vertebrae

Question 7

Chordate pharyngeal slits appear to have functioned first as

A)the digestive system's opening.
B)suspension-feeding devices.
C)components of the jaw.
D)gill slits for respiration.
E)portions of the inner ear.

Question 8

The lamprey species whose larvae live in freshwater streams,but whose adults live most of their lives in sea water,are similar in this respect to certain species of

A)chondrichthyans.
B)actinopterygians.
C)lungfishes.
D)coelacanths.
E)hagfishes.

Question 9

Which group's members have had both lungs and gills during their adult lives?

A)sharks, skates, and rays
B)lungfishes
C)lancelets
D)amphibians
E)ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs

Question 10

Hagfish have slime glands that can produce large amounts of slime.What is an important function of slime production?

A)Slime makes the hagfish slippery, enabling it to swim faster and escape predators.
B)Slime makes the hagfish slippery, so it slips out of a predator's grasp.
C)The slime can coat the gills of predators and suffocate them.
D)Slime clouds the water, allowing the hagfish time to escape.
E)Slime is toxic and poisons the predator.

Question 11

Jaws first occurred in which extant group of fishes?

A)lampreys
B)chondrichthyans
C)ray-finned fishes
D)lungfishes
E)placoderms

Question 12

Which extant chordates are postulated to be most like the earliest chordates in appearance?

A)lancelets
B)adult tunicates
C)amphibians
D)reptiles
E)chondrichthyans

Question 13

Which of these statements accurately describes a similarity between sharks and ray-finned fishes?

A)The skin is typically covered by flattened bony scales.
B)They are equally able to exchange gases with the environment while stationary.
C)They are highly manoeuvrable due to their flexibility.
D)They have a lateral line that is sensitive to changes in water pressure.
E)A swim bladder helps control buoyancy.

Question 14

A new species of aquatic chordate is discovered that closely resembles an ancient form.It has the following characteristics: external armour of bony plates,no paired lateral fins,and a suspension-feeding mode of nutrition.In addition to these,it will probably have which of the following characteristics?

A)legs
B)no jaws
C)an amniotic egg
D)endothermy

Question 15

There is evidence that ray-finned fishes evolved

A)in response to a crisis that wiped out the chondrichthyans.
B)directly from lampreys and hagfish.
C)early in the Cambrian period.
D)directly from lancelets.
E)the swim bladder from a lung.

Question 16

What do all vertebrates have that earlier chordates did not have?

A)brain
B)vertebrae
C)cartilaginous pipe surrounding notochord
D)partial or complete skull
E)bone

Question 17

Which of the following belongs to the lobe-fin clade?

A)chondrichthyans
B)ray-finned fishes
C)lampreys
D)hagfishes
E)tetrapods

Question 18

Lampreys differ from hagfishes in

A)lacking jaws.
B)having a cranium.
C)having pharyngeal clefts that develop into pharyngeal slits.
D)having a notochord throughout life.
E)having a notochord that is surrounded by a tube of cartilage.

Question 19

To which of the following are the scales of chondrichthyans most closely related in a structural sense?

A)osteichthyan scales
B)reptilian scales
C)mammalian scales
D)bird scales
E)chondrichthyan teeth

Question 20

A team of researchers has developed a poison that has proven effective against lamprey larvae in freshwater cultures.The poison is ingested and causes paralysis by detaching segmental muscles from the skeletal elements.The team wants to test the poison's effectiveness in streams feeding Lake Michigan,but one critic worries about potential effects on lancelets,which are similar to lampreys in many ways.Why is this concern misplaced?

A)A chemical poisonous to lampreys could not also be toxic to organisms as ancestral as lancelets.
B)Lamprey larvae and lancelets have very different feeding mechanisms.
C)Lancelets do not have segmental muscles.
D)Lancelets live only in saltwater environments.
E)Lancelets and lamprey larvae eat different kinds of food.

Question 21

Which of the following are the only extant animals that descended directly from dinosaurs?

A)lizards
B)crocodiles
C)snakes
D)birds
E)tuataras

Question 22

It is believed that the coelacanths and lungfish represent a crucial link between other fishes and tetrapods.What is the major feature in these fish in support of this hypothesis?

A)Like amphibians, they are tied to the water for reproduction.
B)Their fins have skeletal and muscular structures similar to amphibian limbs.
C)They have highly evolved nervous and circulatory systems.
D)They have lungs and are able to breathe air when water is scarce.

Question 23

Which era is known as the "age of reptiles"?

A)Cenozoic
B)Mesozoic
C)Paleozoic
D)Devonian
E)Cambrian

Question 24

Examination of the fossils of Archaeopteryx reveals that,in common with extant birds,it had

A)a long tail containing vertebrae.
B)feathers.
C)teeth.
D)Three of the options listed are correct.
E)Two of the options listed are correct.

Question 25

Which of the following is not considered an adaptation that benefits flight in birds?

A)lack teeth
B)small gonads, except during the breeding season
C)no urinary bladder
D)small pectoral muscles
E)most species have one ovary

Question 26

Which of the following could be considered the most recent common ancestor of living tetrapods?

A)a sturdy-finned, shallow-water lobe-fin whose appendages had skeletal supports similar to those of terrestrial vertebrates
B)an armored, jawed placoderm with two pairs of appendages
C)an early ray-finned fish that developed bony skeletal supports in its paired fins
D)a salamander that had legs supported by a bony skeleton but moved with the side-to-side bending typical of fishes

Question 27

What should be true of fossils of the earliest tetrapods?

A)They should show evidence of internal fertilization.
B)They should show evidence of having produced shelled eggs.
C)They should indicate limited adaptation to life on land.
D)They should be transitional forms with the fossils of chondrichthyans that lived at the same time.
E)They should feature the earliest indications of the appearance of jaws.

Question 28

Which of these are amniotes?

A)amphibians
B)fishes
C)egg-laying mammals
D)placental mammals
E)More than one of these is correct.

Question 29

At the end of which era did most dinosaurs and pterosaurs become extinct?

A)Cretaceous
B)Permian
C)Devonian
D)Ordovician
E)Triassic

Question 30

Why is the discovery of the fossil Archaeopteryx significant? It supports the

A)phylogenetic relatedness of birds and reptiles.
B)contention that birds are much older than we originally thought.
C)claim that some dinosaurs had feathers well before birds had evolved.
D)idea that the first birds were ratites.
E)hypothesis that the earliest birds were ectothermic.

Question 31

Which of these characteristics added most to vertebrate success in relatively dry environments?

A)the shelled, amniotic egg
B)the ability to maintain a constant body temperature
C)two pairs of appendages
D)bony scales
E)a four-chambered heart

Question 32

What is a key factor in the evolution of jaws that led to the diversification of vertebrates?

A)enabled the development of the lateral line system
B)enabled the vertebrates to break food into smaller pieces
C)allowed the vertebrates to gulp air
D)enabled vertebrates to feed on a large variety of different foods
E)increased the complexity of the cranium

Question 33

Which of the following is characteristic of most extant reptiles and most extant mammals?

A)ectothermy
B)diaphragm
C)shelled eggs
D)keratinized skin
E)conical teeth that are relatively uniform in size

Question 34

A trend first observed in the evolution of the earliest tetrapods was

A)the appearance of jaws.
B)the appearance of bony vertebrae.
C)feet with digits.
D)the mineralization of the endoskeleton.
E)the amniotic egg.

Question 35

Why do skates and rays have flattened bodies,while sharks are torpedo shaped?

A)Sharks are more closely related to the tubelike lampreys than skates and rays are.
B)Skates and rays need enlarged pectoral fins to help them stay level in turbulent water, while sharks do not.
C)Skates and rays exchange gases across their skin and thus require a high surface-area-to-volume ratio, while sharks use gills to respire.
D)Sharks are streamlined for active swimming off the bottom, while skates move about mostly on the ocean bed.

Question 36

The evolution of similar insulating skin coverings such as fur,hair,and feathers in mammals and birds is a result of

A)shared ancestry.
B)convergent evolution.
C)homology.
D)evolutionary divergence.

Question 37

Why is the amniotic egg considered an important evolutionary breakthrough?

A)It has a shell that increases gas exchange.
B)It allows deposition of eggs in a terrestrial environment.
C)It prolongs embryonic development.
D)It provides insulation to conserve heat.
E)It permits internal fertilization to be replaced by external fertilization.

Question 38

Arrange these taxonomic terms from most inclusive (most general)to least inclusive (most specific).
1)lobe-fins
2)amphibians
3)gnathostomes
4)osteichthyans
5)tetrapods

A)4, 3, 1, 5, 2
B)4, 3, 2, 5, 1
C)4, 2, 3, 5, 1
D)3, 4, 1, 5, 2
E)3, 4, 5, 1, 2

Question 39

Mammals and birds eat more often than reptiles.Which of the following traits shared by mammals and birds best explains this habit?

A)endothermy
B)ectothermy
C)amniotic egg
D)terrestrial

Question 40

What evolutionary innovation was of key significance in helping tetrapods reduce their dependence on aquatic environments?

A)larger limbs
B)amniotic egg
C)more efficient lungs
D)faster speed
E)teeth to defend themselves

Question 41

Female birds lay their eggs,thereby facilitating flight by reducing weight.Which "strategy" seems most likely for female bats to use to achieve the same goal?

A)lay shelled eggs
B)limit litters to a single embryo
C)refrain from flying throughout pregnancy (about 6 weeks long)
D)give birth to underdeveloped young, and subsequently carry them in a pouch that has teats
E)feed multiple embryos internally using placentas

Question 42

Which characteristic of monotremes is ancestral to amniotes?

A)produce milk
B)have hair
C)lay eggs
D)differentiated teeth
E)are bilaterally symmetrical

Question 43

Which of these species was the first to have been adapted for long-distance bipedalism?

A)Australopithecus garhi
B)H) erectus
C)H) ergaster
D)H) habilis
E)H) sapiens

Question 44

Among extant vertebrates,a sheet of muscle called the diaphragm is found in

A)birds.
B)monotremes.
C)marsupials.
D)placentals.
E)Three of the options listed are correct.

Question 45

Which of these are amniotes?

A)amphibians
B)fishes
C)turtles
D)lungfish

Question 46

Which of these traits is most strongly associated with the adoption of bipedalism?

A)fingerprints
B)enhanced depth perception
C)shortened hind limbs
D)opposable big toe
E)repositioning of foramen magnum

Question 47

In which vertebrates is fertilization exclusively internal?

A)chondrichthyans, osteichthyans, and mammals
B)amphibians, mammals, and reptiles
C)chondrichthyans, osteichthyans, and reptiles
D)reptiles and mammals
E)reptiles and amphibians

Question 48

On the back of your skull you can feel a small bump,below which is an opening where the spinal cord enters the skull.The location of this opening toward the bottom of the skull is significant in evolutionary biology for what reason?

A)It allowed for the hominin brain to grow much larger than other primates.
B)It provided greater protection for the spinal cord.
C)It occurred as a result of the change to a bipedal stance.
D)This change was necessary for the increase in size from prosimian forms to anthropoid forms.

Question 49

Unlike eutherians,both monotremes and marsupials

A)lack nipples.
B)have some embryonic development outside the uterus.
C)lay eggs.
D)are found in Australia and Africa.

Question 50

Internal fertilization,leathery amniotic egg,and skin that resists drying are characteristics of

A)amphibians.
B)nonbird reptiles.
C)chondrichthyans.
D)mammals.
E)birds.

Question 51

Arrange the following taxonomic terms from most inclusive (most general)to least inclusive (most specific).
1)apes
2)hominins
3)Homo
4)anthropoids
5)primates

A)5, 1, 4, 2, 3
B)5, 4, 1, 2, 3
C)5, 4, 2, 1, 3
D)5, 2, 1, 4, 3
E)5, 2, 4, 1, 3

Question 52

Which of the following represents the strongest evidence that two of the three middle ear bones of mammals are homologous to certain reptilian jawbones?

A)They are similar in size to the reptilian jawbones.
B)They are similar in shape to the reptilian jawbones.
C)The mammalian jaw has fewer bones than does the reptilian jaw.
D)These bones can be observed to move from the developing jaw to the developing middle ear in mammalian embryos.
E)Mammals can hear better than reptiles.

Question 53

Which of the following are the most abundant and diverse of the extant vertebrates?

A)ray-finned fishes
B)birds
C)amphibians
D)nonbird reptiles
E)mammals

Question 54

Which of the following are considered apes?

A)lorises
B)New World monkeys
C)Old World monkeys
D)orangutans
E)tarsiers

Question 55

What group of mammals have (a)embryos that spend more time feeding through the placenta than the mother's nipples,(b)young that feed on milk,and (c)a prolonged period of maternal care after leaving the placenta?

A)Eutheria
B)Marsupiala
C)Monotremata

Question 56

What is the single unique characteristic that distinguishes extant birds from other extant vertebrates?

A)endothermy
B)feathers
C)an amniotic egg
D)flight
E)a four-chambered heart

Question 57

Their scales most closely resemble teeth in both structure and origin.

A)amphibians
B)nonbird reptiles
C)chondrichthyans
D)mammals
E)osteichthyans

Question 58

Which of the following statements about human evolution is correct?

A)Modern humans are the only human species to have evolved on Earth.
B)Human ancestors were virtually identical to extant chimpanzees.
C)Human evolution has occurred within an unbranched lineage.
D)The upright posture and enlarged brain of humans evolved simultaneously.
E)Fossil evidence indicates that early anthropoids were arboreal and cat-sized.

Question 59

Which of these would a paleontologist be most likely to do in order to determine whether a fossil represents a reptile or a mammal?

A)Look for the presence of milk-producing glands.
B)Look for the mammalian characteristics of a four-chambered heart and a diaphragm.
C)Because mammals are eutherians, look for evidence of a placenta.
D)Use molecular analysis to look for the protein keratin.
E)Examine the teeth.

Question 60

During chordate evolution,what is the sequence (from earliest to most recent)in which the following structures arose?
1)amniotic egg
2)paired fins
3)jaws
4)swim bladder
5)four-chambered heart

A)2, 3, 4, 1, 5
B)3, 2, 4, 1, 5
C)3, 2, 1, 4, 5
D)2, 1, 4, 3, 5
E)2, 4, 3, 1, 5

Question 61

At least one of these has been found in all species of eumetazoan animals studied thus far.

A)Hox
B)Dlx
C)Otx
D)FOXP2
E)more than one of these

Question 62

Which of the following is a cluster of genes coding for transcription factors involved in the evolution of innovations in early vertebrate nervous systems and vertebrae?

A)Hox
B)Dlx
C)Otx
D)FOXP2
E)more than one of these

Question 63

Which of the following is the most inclusive (most general)group,all of whose members have fully opposable thumbs?

A)apes
B)Homo
C)anthropoids
D)hominins
E)primates

Question 64

Which of the following is the most inclusive (most general)group,all of whose members have foramina magna centrally positioned in the base of the cranium?

A)hominoids
B)Homo
C)anthropoids
D)hominins
E)primates

Question 65

Which of the following is the most specific group that includes both the Old World monkeys and the New World monkeys?

A)apes
B)Homo
C)anthropoids
D)hominins
E)primates

Question 66

Which shark structure is most analogous to a swim bladder full of gas?

A)its lateral line system
B)its spiral valve
C)its liver
D)its dead-end nostrils
E)its gills

Question 67

Which of these species is currently thought to have coexisted (at the same time and places)with H.neanderthalensis?

A)H) erectus
B)H) ergaster
C)H) habilis
D)H) sapiens

Question 68

Rank the following fishes,from most to least,in terms of the amount of energy it must use to maintain its position (depth)in the water column over the long term.
1)physoclistus fish
2)physostomus fish
3)chondrichthyan fish

A)1, 2, 3
B)2, 3, 1
C)2, 1, 3
D)3, 1, 2
E)3, 2, 1

Question 69

Which of these species had members who moved out of Africa?

A)H) erectus
B)H) ergaster
C)H) habilis
D)H) sapiens
E)both H. sapiens and H. erectus

Question 70

When a shark stops swimming,it does which of the following?
1)sinks
2)quickly dies
3)oxygenates its blood less effectively

A)1 only
B)2 only
C)3 only
D)1 and 3
E)1, 2, and 3

Question 71

Which of these species was the first to have some members migrate out of Africa?

A)Australopithecus garhi
B)H) erectus
C)H) ergaster
D)H) habilis
E)H) sapiens

Question 72

The oldest fossil remains of Homo sapiens found so far date from about

A)6 million years ago.
B)1)6 million years ago.
C)195 000 years ago.
D)60 000 years ago.
E)16 000 years ago.

Question 73

Which of these species was apparently the first to craft stone tools?

A)Australopithecus garhi
B)H) erectus
C)H) ergaster
D)H) habilis
E)H) sapiens

Question 74

Which of these statements about human evolution is correct?

A)The ancestors of Homo sapiens were chimpanzees.
B)Human evolution has proceeded in an orderly fashion from an ancestral anthropoid to Homo sapiens.
C)The evolution of upright posture and enlarged brain occurred simultaneously.
D)Different species of the genus Homo have coexisted at various times throughout hominin evolution.
E)Mitochondrial DNA analysis indicates that modern humans are genetically very similar to Neanderthals.

Question 75

If a physoclistus fish removes gas from its swim bladder,this fish's density cannot actually change until that gas arrives at the

A)mouth.
B)gills.
C)skin.
D)heart.
E)anus.

Question 76

Fishes that have swim bladders can regulate their density and,thus,their buoyancy.There are two types of swim bladder: physostomus and physoclistus.The ancestral version is the physostomus version,in which the swim bladder is connected to the esophagus via a short tube (see the figure above).The fish fills this version by swimming to the surface,taking gulps of air,and directing them into the swim bladder.Air is removed from this version by "belching." The physoclistus version is more derived,and has lost its connection to the esophagus.Instead,gas enters and leaves the swim bladder via special circulatory mechanisms within the wall of the swim bladder.
The presence of a swim bladder allows the typical ray-finned fish to stop swimming and still

A)effectively circulate its blood.
B)be highly manoeuvrable.
C)use its lateral line system.
D)use its swim bladder as a respiratory organ.
E)not sink.

Question 77

Which of the following statements is correct in regard to Homo erectus?

A)Their fossils are not limited to Africa.
B)On average, H. erectus had a smaller brain than H. habilis.
C)H) erectus had a level of sexual dimorphism less than that of modern humans.
D)H) erectus was not known to use tools.
E)H) erectus evolved before H. habilis.

Question 78

With which of the following statements would a biologist be most inclined to agree?

A)Humans and apes represent divergent lines of evolution from a common ancestor.
B)Humans evolved directly from Old World monkeys.
C)Humans represent the pinnacle of evolution and have escaped from being affected by natural selection.
D)Humans evolved from chimpanzees.
E)Humans and apes are the result of disruptive selection in a species of chimpanzee.

Question 79

We should expect the inner wall of the swim bladder to be lined with tissue that is derived from

A)ectoderm.
B)endoderm.
C)mesoderm.
D)mesoglea.
E)neurectoderm.

Question 80

Which of the following statements about human evolution is a common misconception?

A)Bipedalism evolved early in hominin history.
B)Brains of hominins were small compared with those of Homo sapiens.
C)Early hominins evolved from chimpanzees.
D)Earliest hominins were small in size.
E)At certain times, several species of hominins coexisted.