Deck 17: The Early Tetrapods and Modern Amphibians

Question 1

Evidence points to the ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)as the closest relatives to the terrestrial vertebrates.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

A 350 million-year-old fossil called Ichthyostega was

A)a lobe-finned fish that gave rise to the amphibians.
B)the earliest known tetrapod.
C)a lizard-like stem reptile.
D)a ray-finned fish that gave rise to the amphibians.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The Anura differ from the Caudata in that the Anura

A)lack a tail in the adult stage.
B)have hind legs adapted for jumping.
C)have a tadpole larval stage.
D)all of these

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Some salamanders have neither lungs nor gills.

Question 5

Some frogs tolerate ill effects of freezing by accumulation of glucose and glycerol in the body fluids.
Multiple Choice Questions

Question 6

The decline in amphibian populations,particularly frogs,may be attributed to habitat destruction,environmental pollutants,depletion of ozone,and random population fluctuations.

Question 7

Amphibians relied less on the lateral line system and more on smell and hearing than their ancestors.

Question 8

Most of our familiar frogs belong to the large family

A)Hylidae.
B)Bufonidae.
C)Ranidae.
D)Plethodontidae.

Question 9

Although most amphibians have a larval metamorphosis in their life cycle,there are some that retain a permanently aquatic,larval morphology throughout life.

Question 10

The mud puppy Necturus

A)does not have gills.
B)does not have a tail.
C)is a permanent larva.
D)lives on lanD.

Question 11

A characteristic of amphibians is

A)a mostly bony skeleton.
B)usually four limbs present.
C)a smooth,moist skin with many glands.
D)all of these

Question 12

The frogs and toads are the most familiar but least numerous amphibians.

Question 13

Amplexus refers to

A)the way a male frog grasps a female frog during mating.
B)the nervous system of frogs.
C)the larval stages of toads.
D)a permanent larval stage of salamanders.

Question 14

Most amphibians remain dependent on their aquatic environment because of their method of reproduction.

Question 15

Viviparity is common among the caecilians.

Question 16

The Caudata

A)are hermaphroditic.
B)have a tadpole stage.
C)retain their tail permanently.
D)live only in the tropics.

Question 17

Caecilians

A)live in the tropics.
B)are blind or nearly blind.
C)are elongate,burrowing animals.
D)all of these

Question 18

____________ are carnivorous in both the adult and larval stages.

A)Salamanders
B)Toads
C)Frogs
D)Caecilians
Fill in the Blank Questions

Question 19

The tetrapods originated in the Devonian period of the Paleozoic era.

Question 20

The double circulation of tetrapods consists of a circulation serving the body and a circulation serving the lungs.

Question 21

Frogs typically lay eggs in water,but some exhibit _____________ development,in which the tadpole stage is bypassed,and the frog that emerges from the egg appears as a miniature adult.

Question 22

Frogs and toads belong to the order ________,a name that means "without a tail."

Question 23

Most familiar North American salamanders (family Plethodontidae)lack both gills and ____________.

Question 24

Some salamanders (such as the mud puppy Necturus),that retain features as adults that were found only in the larval stages of their ancestors,are said to be ____________.

Question 25

The frog heart has two atria and a single,undivided ___________.

Question 26

Amphibians typically have webbed feet,but lack _____________ on their toes.

Question 27

The leopard frog,_____________ pipiens,is found in nearly every state in the U.S.and province in Canada.

Question 28

Most salamanders are fertilized internally,usually after the female picks up a packet of sperm called the ____________.

Question 29

The heart of modern amphibians has __________ chambers.

Question 30

Salamanders and newts are in the order _______.

Question 31

The African clawed frog,______________ laevis,has escaped from captivity and become a nuisance in some southern states.