Question 1

Animals with a nerve cord along the back and gill slits during some developmental stage are called
A)insects.
B)invertebrates.
C)chordates.
D)metazoans.
E)trilobites.

Accepted Answer

Chordates are characterized by having a notochord, a dorsal nerve cord, pharyngeal slits at some stage of development, and a post-anal tail. These features, especially the nerve cord along the back and gill slits during development, distinguish chordates from other animal groups.

Question 2

Ideally, taxonomic classification
A)reflects evolutionary relationships.
B)is based on the presence of acquired characteristics.
C)is always based solely on between-species behavioral similarities.
D)reflects the current geographic distribution of species.
E)is only applicable to nonhuman species.

Accepted Answer

Taxonomic classification aims to reflect evolutionary relationships among organisms, organizing them into groups that share common ancestors. This system, developed by Carl Linnaeus, is based on similarities and differences in physical or genetic characteristics that are inherited, rather than on acquired characteristics, behavior, geographic distribution, or applicability to only nonhuman species.

Question 3

When assessing evolutionary relationships, one approach is to interpret patterns of ancestral (primitive)and derived (modified)characteristics. This approach is called
A)taxonomy.
B)phylogeny.
C)classification.
D)cladistics.
E)metamorphosis.

Accepted Answer

Cladistics is the approach in evolutionary biology that classifies organisms based on common ancestry and the branching of the evolutionary lineage, focusing on the distinction between ancestral (primitive) and derived (modified) characteristics.

Question 4

Structural similarities between species that are based on common function and not on common evolutionary descent are called
A)acquired.
B)generalized.
C)nonadaptive.
D)analogies.
E)homologies.

Accepted Answer

Analogies refer to similarities between species that arise due to convergent evolution, where different species evolve similar traits or structures due to similar environmental pressures and functions, not because of a shared ancestry.

Question 5

Morphological variation between individuals within  a species
A)may be the product of male/female morphological differences.
B)is called interspecific variation.
C)is of no concern to anthropologists.
D)is unimportant when interpreting the fossil record.
E)produces large numbers of identical individuals.

Accepted Answer

Morphological variation within a species can indeed be the result of sexual dimorphism, which refers to differences in size, coloration, or structure between males and females of the same species. This is a common phenomenon observed in many species, including humans.

Question 6

The evolutionary process that produced analogous structures in New and Old World monkeys is called
A)speciation.
B)homology.
C)homoplasy.
D)founder effect.
E)random selection.

Accepted Answer

Homoplasy refers to the process where similar traits evolve independently in species that do not share a recent common ancestor, often due to similar environmental pressures and natural selection, which is the case with analogous structures in New and Old World monkeys.

Question 7

Traits that reflect specific evolutionary lineages and can be informative of evolutionary relationships are called
A)ancestral (primitive).
B)acquired.
C)derived (modified).
D)convergent characters.
E)analogies.

Accepted Answer

Derived (modified) traits are those that have evolved from an ancestral form and are used to determine evolutionary relationships among species, reflecting specific evolutionary lineages.

Question 8

The presumed evolutionary link between theropod dinosaurs and birds is based on
A)island dwarfing phenomenon.
B)general analogous characteristics.
C)a few shared ancestral characteristics.
D)derived (modified)characteristics such as the presence of feathers in both lineages.
E)evidence of hybridization between the two.

Accepted Answer

The evolutionary link between theropod dinosaurs and birds is strongly supported by derived characteristics, such as the presence of feathers, shared by both groups. This evidence suggests a direct evolutionary lineage from theropod dinosaurs to modern birds.

Question 9

A genus may be defined as a group of
A)reptiles.
B)closely related species.
C)species that live in very different adaptive zones.
D)mammals.
E)individuals who interbreed but are reproductively isolated from other such groups.

Accepted Answer

A genus is defined as a group of closely related species, which share common characteristics and are more closely related to each other than to species in other genera.

Question 10

A phylogenetic tree _______, whereas a cladogram does not.
A)indicates exact relationships between all species.
B)indicates ancestral-descendant relationships
C)uses only analogous character traits.
D)contains only reptiles.
E)contains only mammals.

Accepted Answer

A phylogenetic tree indicates ancestral-descendant relationships, showing how species or other groups evolved from a common ancestor. Cladograms, on the other hand, show relationships based on shared characteristics but do not necessarily indicate direct lines of descent or the timing of evolutionary events.

Question 11

Which of the following does NOT promote speciation?
A)Geographic isolation
B)Natural selection acting on populations
C)Behavioral isolation
D)Gene flow and interbreeding
E)Accumulation of mutations

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following does NOT promote...

Question 12

In grouping organisms together in a cladistic classification, the most important characteristics are those that are
A)ancestral.
B)derived (modified).
C)primitive.
D)analogous.
E)homologous.

Accepted Answer

Derived characteristics are used in cladistics to group organisms because they indicate evolutionary changes that have occurred from a common ancestor.

Question 13

Assigning fossil remains to a particular primate species
A)is an uncomplicated process.
B)requires splitting samples into as many species as possible.
C)requires making comparisons to well-known living species of primates.
D)can be accomplished only if the species is sexually dimorphic.
E)can promote extinction.

Accepted Answer

Assigning fossil remains to a particular primate species often involves comparing those remains to well-known living species of primates to understand their characteristics and evolutionary relationships. This comparison helps scientists classify fossils accurately based on similarities and differences with existing species.

Question 14

The two primary schools of classification discussed in the text are
A)generalized and specialized.
B)organic and inorganic.
C)evolutionary systematics and cladistics.
D)cladistics and noncladistics.
E)ancestral and derived (modified).

Accepted Answer

Evolutionary systematics and cladistics are the two primary schools of classification discussed, focusing on different methodologies for categorizing organisms based on evolutionary relationships and characteristics.

Question 15

Structural similarities shared by species that are acquired by descent from a common ancestor are
A)analogies.
B)homologies.
C)acquired.
D)uncommon.
E)uninformative of evolutionary relationships.

Accepted Answer

Homologies are structural similarities between species that arise from evolutionary descent from a common ancestor, indicating a shared ancestry.

Question 16

Structural similarities shared by a wide array of distantly related species that are inherited from a common ancestor, such as the number of bones in the forelimb, are termed
A)specialized.
B)ancestral (primitive).
C)adaptive radiations.
D)analogies.
E)derived (modified).

Accepted Answer

These structural similarities are considered ancestral or primitive because they are inherited from a common ancestor, indicating a shared evolutionary history among the species that possess them.

Question 17

One possible test for classifying contemporary animals into genera is to check for results of hybridization between
A)individuals of different species.
B)individuals of the same species.
C)individuals of the same order.
D)two males only.
E)two females only.

Accepted Answer

Hybridization tests between individuals of different species can provide information on the genetic and reproductive compatibilities, which are key factors in classifying animals into genera. Successful hybridization often indicates a close genetic relationship, suggesting that the species involved belong to the same genus or closely related genera.

Question 18

The ordering of organisms into categories, such as orders or families, is termed
A)evolution.
B)classification.
C)parallelism.
D)analogy.
E)generalization.

Accepted Answer

Classification is the process of organizing organisms into categories such as orders, families, genera, and species based on their similarities and evolutionary relationships.

Question 19

The oldest fossils found to date are more than _____ years old.
A)47 million
B)3 billion
C)1.5 billion
D)500 million
E)125 million

Accepted Answer

The oldest fossils found to date are more than 3 billion years old, consisting of stromatolites and other microfossils that evidence early life forms on Earth.

Question 20

A hypothesis regarding ancestor-descendant relationships that includes a time-scale is called a
A)cladogram.
B)phylogenetic tree.
C)phylogram tree.
D)hypogram tree.
E)clarion gram.

Accepted Answer

A phylogenetic tree is a diagram that represents evolutionary relationships among organisms. It includes a time scale, showing how species have diverged from common ancestors over time.

Quiz 5: Macroevolution: Processes of Vertebrate and Mammalian Evolution

Animals with a nerve cord along the back and gill slits during some developmental stage are called

Ideally, taxonomic classification

When assessing evolutionary relationships, one approach is to interpret patterns of ancestral (primitive) and derived (modified) characteristics. This approach is called

Structural similarities between species that are based on common function and not on common evolutionary descent are called

Morphological variation between individuals within a species

The evolutionary process that produced analogous structures in New and Old World monkeys is called

Traits that reflect specific evolutionary lineages and can be informative of evolutionary relationships are called

The presumed evolutionary link between theropod dinosaurs and birds is based on

A genus may be defined as a group of

A phylogenetic tree _______, whereas a cladogram does not.

Which of the following does NOT promote speciation?

In grouping organisms together in a cladistic classification, the most important characteristics are those that are

Assigning fossil remains to a particular primate species

The two primary schools of classification discussed in the text are

Structural similarities shared by species that are acquired by descent from a common ancestor are

Structural similarities shared by a wide array of distantly related species that are inherited from a common ancestor, such as the number of bones in the forelimb, are termed

One possible test for classifying contemporary animals into genera is to check for results of hybridization between

The ordering of organisms into categories, such as orders or families, is termed

The oldest fossils found to date are more than _____ years old.

A hypothesis regarding ancestor-descendant relationships that includes a time-scale is called a