Deck 18: The History of Life

Question 1

Which is the correct series of events in the evolution of life on Earth?

A) Aerobic metabolism ? photosynthesis ? O₂
B) O₂ ? aerobic metabolism ? photosynthesis
C) Photosynthesis ? O₂ ? aerobic metabolism
D) O₂ ? photosynthesis ? aerobic metabolism

Answer 1

Photosynthesis ? O₂ ? aerobic metabolism

Question 2

Based on current knowledge about the conditions of early Earth, the first organisms were most likely

A) photosynthetic eukaryotes.
B) anaerobic prokaryotes.
C) anaerobic eukaryotes.
D) multicellular eukaryotes.
E) photosynthetic prokaryotes.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

RNA molecules that function as enzymes

A) developed from protein-based enzymes.
B) form primitive cells.
C) duplicate lipid molecules.
D) degrade proteins.
E) are called ribozymes.

Answer 3

E

Question 4

The oldest fossil organisms presently known have been dated at approximately how many years old?

A) more than 4.5 billion
B) 4.5 billion
C) 3.4 billion
D) less than 1.7 billion
E) 1.7 billion

Question 5

Which of the following scientists was part of a pair who first discovered that cellular reactions can be catalyzed by a ribozyme?

A) Alexander Oparin
B) Francisco Redi
C) John Tyndall
D) Stanley Miller
E) Sidney Altman

Question 6

The scientists usually given credit for disproving the theory of spontaneous generation of bacteria are

A) Tyndall and Pasteur.
B) Oparin and Haldane.
C) Cech and Altman.
D) Luis and Walter Alvarez.
E) Miller and Urey.

Question 7

Who is credited with proposing that prebiotic chemical conditions could lead to the evolution of complex molecules and, eventually, to living organisms?

A) Stanley Miller
B) Sidney Altman
C) Francisco Redi
D) Louis Pasteur
E) Alexander Oparin and John Haldane

Question 8

One theory holds that the first self-replicating molecules were

A) lipids.
B) amino acids.
C) carbohydrates.
D) RNA.
E) DNA.

Question 9

The theory that life began in the distant past from nonliving molecules that became able to reproduce themselves is called

A) prebiotic evolution.
B) prehistoric evolution.
C) endosymbiont evolution.
D) natural selection.
E) spontaneous evolution.

Question 10

The outer boundaries of Miller and Ureyʹs laboratory-created vesicles are most similar to

A) amino acids.
B) RNA.
C) bacteria.
D) complete cells.
E) cell membranes.

Question 11

Louis Pasteurʹs experiment illustrated that

A) only some organisms can form spontaneously in nutrient broth.
B) some complex molecules associated with living organisms can be synthesized by heating and cooling a solution of simple molecules and providing an electric spark.
C) microbes will not grow in a nutrient broth that has been sterilized unless air is allowed to enter the vessel through an opening.
D) microbes will grow spontaneously in a nutrient broth that has been sterilized and sealed.
E) life began by chemical evolution.

Question 12

Miller and Ureyʹs experiments to simulate prebiotic evolution produced

A) protocells.
B) mitochondria and chloroplasts.
C) a rich mixture of organic molecules.
D) prokaryotic cells.
E) large amounts of free oxygen.

Question 13

The experiments that demonstrated that meat does not spontaneously generate maggots were conducted by

A) Harold Urey.
B) Louis Pasteur.
C) Alexander Oparin.
D) Francisco Redi.
E) Sidney Altman.

Question 14

The idea that river mud left in the sun will turn into frogs illustrates

A) the endosymbiont theory.
B) self-replication.
C) how prokaryotes evolve.
D) prebiotic evolution.
E) spontaneous generation.

Question 15

Who disproved the ʺbroth-to-microorganismsʺ hypothesis?

A) Sidney Altman
B) Louis Pasteur
C) Stanley Miller
D) Alexander Oparin
E) Francisco Redi

Question 16

The scenario of prebiotic evolution leading to the origin of life on Earth is plausible because

A) there was a vast period of time for simple chemicals to evolve into complex molecules found in cells that exist today.
B) it has been observed to occur near thermal vents at the bottom of the ocean.
C) experiments suggest that all of the chemical components of living cells can be formed quickly from inorganic precursors.
D) it has been observed under laboratory conditions.
E) it has been observed to occur on other planets.

Question 17

Some RNA molecules have been discovered that can

A) convert organic molecules to protocells.
B) degrade proteins.
C) duplicate lipid molecules.
D) form primitive cells.
E) act as enzymes.

Question 18

If you open a can of chicken noodle soup and immediately examine it microscopically, you will find no microorganisms. If you let the open can sit on the shelf for a few weeks and then examine it, you will find many microorganisms. The origin of these microorganisms is most likely

A) endosymbiotic evolution.
B) spontaneous generation.
C) prebiotic evolution.
D) airborne microorganisms.
E) improper sterilization of the soup prior to canning.

Question 19

Theories on the atmosphere of early Earth indicate that it lacked

A) O₂.
B) H₂.
C) NH₃.
D) H₂O.
E) CH₄.

Question 20

What compounds were used in Miller and Ureyʹs experiment to simulate the atmosphere of early Earth?

A) Ammonia, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide
B) Oxygen, ammonia, hydrogen, and methane
C) Water, oxygen, hydrogen, and methane
D) Water, oxygen, ammonia, and methane
E) Water, ammonia, hydrogen, and methane

Question 21

The hypothesis that certain eukaryotic cell structures may have evolved from a prokaryotic cell being engulfed by a eukaryotic cell is called the

A) spontaneous generation hypothesis.
B) living intermediate hypothesis.
C) prebiotic evolution hypothesis.
D) protocell hypothesis.
E) endosymbiont hypothesis.

Question 22

The organisms originally responsible for putting oxygen in Earthʹs atmosphere lived around

A) 6 billion years ago.
B) 1.5 million years ago.
C) 3.5 billion years ago.
D) 3.5 million years ago.
E) 2.4 billion years ago.

Question 23

One advantage that enabled the seed plants to greatly surpass the ferns in colonizing the land was the evolution of

A) sex without swimming sperm.
B) photosynthesis.
C) spores.
D) a woody stem.
E) a fibrous root system.

Question 24

The earliest multicellular animals in the fossil record are

A) kelp.
B) mammals.
C) worms.
D) trilobites.
E) sponges.

Question 25

The first multicellular terrestrial organisms were

A) plants.
B) reptiles.
C) amphibians.
D) fungi.
E) insects.

Question 26

Multicellularity enables organisms to overcome cellular limits and

A) reproduce more efficiently.
B) be photosynthetic.
C) become big.
D) become fast.
E) undergo aerobic respiration.

Question 27

Probably the greatest advantage for the original multicellular organisms was their ability to

A) avoid predation.
B) use more oxygen.
C) increase their food intake.
D) photosynthesize.
E) increase their metabolism.

Question 28

About 530 million years ago, what adaptation evolved to make fish the dominant predators of the sea?

A) Scales
B) Fins
C) Internal skeleton
D) Sensory organs
E) Jaws

Question 29

Water-based photosynthesis converts carbon dioxide and which of the following to energy-containing molecules?

A) Chlorophyll
B) Water
C) Hydrogen bromide
D) Hydrogen sulfide
E) Methane

Question 30

The oxygen that arose in early Earthʹs atmosphere was likely produced by organisms that were very similar to modern

A) algae.
B) cyanobacteria.
C) plants.
D) fungi.
E) protists.

Question 31

The endosymbiotic hypothesis accounts for the origin of which cell structure?

A) Cell wall
B) Ribosome
C) Chloroplast
D) Chromosome
E) Plasma membrane

Question 32

The earliest photosynthetic organisms

A) probably used water as a source of hydrogen.
B) probably did not produce oxygen.
C) probably used hydrogen sulfide as a source of hydrogen.
D) date back to the time when life first emerged on Earth.
E) possessed chloroplasts.

Question 33

An anaerobic prokaryote engulfs a prokaryote capable of using oxygen to produce energy. The anaerobe could now perform

A) only anaerobic metabolism.
B) both photosynthesis and aerobic metabolism.
C) aerobic metabolism.
D) photosynthesis.

Question 34

If early Earthʹs atmosphere contained little or no O2, then where did most of the O2 in our modern atmosphere come from?

A) Respiration
B) The splitting of water vapor by sunlight
C) The breakdown of carbon dioxide
D) Photosynthesis
E) The oxidation of metals

Question 35

The earliest fossil organisms resemble modern

A) prokaryotes.
B) protocells.
C) protists.
D) eukaryotes.
E) green algae.

Question 36

To survive successfully on land, plants needed to develop

A) methods to prevent water loss.
B) internal skeletons.
C) photosynthesis.
D) swimming sperm.
E) the ability to use oxygen.

Question 37

Modern invertebrates first appear in the fossil record during the

A) cyanobacteria.
B) Silurian period.
C) Devonian period.
D) Cambrian period.
E) Precambrian era.

Question 38

To be classified as a eukaryote, an organism must have

A) sexual reproduction.
B) internal membranes.
C) flagella.
D) centrioles.
E) a cell wall.

Question 39

The first multicellular eukaryotic fossils were

A) cyanobacteria.
B) reptiles.
C) amphibians.
D) fungi.
E) algae.

Question 40

Exoskeletons provided an evolutionary advantage to organisms by

A) allowing increased opportunities for symbiotic relationships.
B) allowing exposure to oxygen.
C) increasing their ability to find a mate and reproduce.
D) increasing their mobility and protecting them from predation.
E) increasing predation.

Question 41

The modern-day group of vertebrates that bridges the evolutionary gap between land-dwelling and water-dwelling organisms is

A) amphibians.
B) reptiles.
C) aquatic birds.
D) fish.
E) whales and dolphins.

Question 42

The exoskeleton of early marine arthropods can be considered a ʺpre-adaptationʺ for life on land because it

A) resisted water loss.
B) absorbed light.
C) protected against predators.
D) reflected ultraviolet radiation.

Question 43

The generally slow and steady succession of species on Earth has been interrupted by

A) extreme specialization of a few species.
B) episodes of mass extinction.
C) genetic equilibrium.
D) unusually high rates of plate tectonics.
E) balanced polymorphism.

Question 44

The earliest group of land animals was the

A) amphibians.
B) lobefins.
C) lungfish.
D) arthropods.
E) protists.

Question 45

Birds and mammals have a more active lifestyle than reptiles due to

A) a high, constant body temperature and insulation over their body surface.
B) insulation over their body surface.
C) internal fertilization.
D) a slower metabolism.
E) internal fertilization and a high, constant body temperature.

Question 46

By examining fossil evidence, paleontologists believe that mammals evolved from ancestors of modern

A) lobefins.
B) sharks.
C) reptiles.
D) arthropods.
E) amphibians.

Question 47

The ʺpre-adaptationsʺ of early arthropods that allowed them to evolve into terrestrial forms were

A) exoskeletons.
B) kidneys.
C) eggs.
D) vertebral columns.
E) lungs.

Question 48

The first land plants were restricted to moist, marshy environments because of

A) reproductive cell requirements.
B) sensitivity to sunlight.
C) the lack of a cuticle.
D) the need for nutrients.
E) the need for stem support.

Question 49

The largest mass extinction event of all time occurred at the end of the

A) Cretaceous period.
B) Mesozoic era.
C) Pleistocene epoch.
D) Cambrian period.
E) Permian period.

Question 50

Early land plants required adaptations that

A) aided reproduction.
B) decreased water loss.
C) helped support the plant.
D) all of the above.
E) none of the above.

Question 51

Arthropods were the first terrestrial animals because their exoskeletons allowed them to withstand

A) starvation.
B) the force of gravity.
C) high oxygen concentrations.
D) ultraviolet radiation.
E) lower atmospheric pressure.

Question 52

Flowering plants first rose to prominence in the

A) Cambrian period.
B) Paleozoic era.
C) Eocene epoch.
D) Cretaceous period.
E) Precambrian era.

Question 53

The earliest group of land plants whose reproduction did not require water for swimming sperm were the

A) conifers.
B) club mosses.
C) lobefins.
D) ferns.
E) algae.

Question 54

Ferns and club mosses had an advantage over earlier plants because they developed

A) flowers.
B) cones.
C) mitochondria.
D) swimming sperm.
E) photosynthesis.

Question 55

Amphibians assumed to have evolved from

A) arthropods.
B) lobefin fish.
C) reptiles.
D) mollusks.
E) segmented worm.

Question 56

Most scientists attribute the mass extinction of the dinosaurs to

A) sunspots.
B) gradual climate change.
C) sea-level change.
D) meteorite impact.
E) predation by mammals.

Question 57

Which group of vertebrates was the first to evolve a waterproof egg, which allowed the group to move away from water, deeper onto dry land?

A) Mammals
B) Lobefins
C) Reptiles
D) Primates
E) Birds

Question 58

The ʺSouthern Beechʺ tree is found in such diverse places as Australia, South Africa, and South America. People did not transplant it. How did it probably get to these widely separated locations?

A) Seeds were carried by birds.
B) Seeds were blown by the prevailing winds.
C) Glaciers split what was once a continuous, huge population of beeches.
D) These landmasses were once connected and later drifted apart.
E) The simultaneous creation of the same species occurred in different geographic locations.

Question 59

The first terrestrial animals were probably

A) amphibians.
B) reptiles.
C) arthropods.
D) mammals.
E) dinosaurs.

Question 60

Reptiles evolved scaly body coverings as a means for

A) insulation.
B) heat production.
C) courtship rituals.
D) protection from drying out.
E) flight.

Question 61

Current research indicates that hominins originally evolved in which continent?

A) Europe
B) Australia
C) North America
D) Asia
E) Africa

Question 62

Which of these characteristics separates primates from other mammals?

A) Parental care of young
B) Precision grip
C) Tree-dwelling
D) Placental young
E) Mammary glands

Question 63

Which of the following species do paleoanthropologists believe may be the most direct ancestor to Homo sapiens?

A) Homo heidelbergensis
B) Homo habilis
C) Homo ergaster
D) Homo neanderthalensis
E) Homo erectus

Question 64

A major human cultural innovation that happened about 10,000 years ago was the

A) development of self-expression in art forms.
B) use of tools.
C) development of domesticated crops and livestock.
D) development of language.
E) ability to think in abstract terms.

Question 65

What is the significance of upright walking?

A) It provides good posture.
B) It facilitates digestion.
C) It facilitates circulation.
D) It facilitates social interactions.
E) It frees the hands for gathering and carrying food.

Question 66

It has been proposed that large brains evolved in Homo species because

A) large brains allowed better visual acuity, which was favored by natural selection.
B) genetic drift increased the frequency of large-brained alleles.
C) natural selection favored large-brained individuals because they were better in social interactions.
D) large-brained individuals were better able to outwit and escape predators.
E) evolution of a large brain was a consequence of evolution of overall larger body size.

Question 67

What species of hominin created the cave paintings at Lascaux, France?

A) Australopithecus robustus
B) Australopithecus afarensis
C) Homo sapiens
D) Homo erectus
E) Homo habilis

Question 68

In addition to Homo, another genus within the hominins is

A) Tarsius.
B) Cro-Magnon.
C) Habilis.
D) Lemur.
E) Australopithecus.

Question 69

An adaptation that is closely associated with hominin evolution is

A) hair.
B) omnivory.
C) grasping hands.
D) lungs.
E) a backbone.

Question 70

The first hominin species associated with the use of tools was

A) Homo sapiens.
B) Homo erectus.
C) Australopithecus robustus.
D) Homo habilis.
E) Australopithecus afarensis.

Question 71

All surviving hominins belong to the species

A) Australopithecus robustus.
B) Homo habilis.
C) Homo erectus.
D) Homo robustus.
E) Homo sapiens.

Question 72

Which of the following processes involves behaviors that are acquired by learning and can be modified and passed on from one generation to the next?

A) Natural selection
B) Prebiotic evolution
C) Pre-adaptation
D) Environmental selection
E) Cultural evolution

Question 73

Current theories hold that hominin species migrated out of Africa

A) multiple times throughout history.
B) once, nearly 800,000 years ago.
C) once, 10 million years ago.
D) once, nearly 2 million years ago.
E) once, about 150,000 years ago.

Question 74

If the Cretaceous mass extinction had not occurred, which group of animals would probably include the largest land animals today?

A) Amphibians
B) Birds
C) Insects
D) Bony fish
E) Reptiles

Question 75

The scientific name for Neanderthals is

A) Australopithecus robustus.
B) Homo sapiens.
C) Homo neanderthalensis.
D) Homo erectus.
E) Homo habilis.

Question 76

Homo heidelbergensis is believed to be the ancestor species of

A) Homo sapiens.
B) Homo neanderthalensis.
C) Homo ergaster.
D) Homo ergaster and Homo sapiens.
E) Homo neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens.

Question 77

The human species first appeared in the

A) Jurassic period.
B) Permian period.
C) Cretaceous period.
D) Quaternary period.
E) Tertiary period.

Question 78

The hobbit-sized hominin whose fossilized remains were recently discovered on a remote oceanic island belonged to the species

A) Homo floresiensis.
B) Homo erectus.
C) Homo sapiens.
D) Homo habilis.
E) Homo neanderthalensis.

Question 79

Which characteristic sets hominins apart from other primates?

A) Grasping hands
B) Bipedal locomotion
C) Facial hair
D) Binocular vision
E) A four-chambered heart

Question 80

Which era saw the rise of seeds and pollen in plants?

A) Paleozoic
B) Mesozoic
C) Cretaceous
D) Cenozoic
E) Precambrian