Question 1

The most recent mass extinction,which occurred during the Cretaceous period,may have been caused by

Accepted Answer

The most widely accepted theory is that the mass extinction that occurred at the end of the Cretaceous period was caused by an asteroid impact. This theory is supported by evidence such as the discovery of a large impact crater in Mexico, the presence of iridium (an element abundant in asteroids) in the sedimentary layers at the time of the extinction, and the sudden disappearance of many species, including the dinosaurs, which coincides with the estimated time of the impact.

Question 2

Imagine the discovery of an undescribed nonphotosynthetic,multicellular organism.To determine whether it is a(n)________,you would need to examine it microscopically to determine if its ________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Imagine the discovery of an undescribed nonphotosynthetic,multicellular...

Question 3

Although it is costly to produce fruit,the large number of fruit-producing plant species attests to its success as an evolutionary adaptation.In what way is fruit production helpful to plants?

Accepted Answer

Fruit production is helpful to plants because consumers eating fruits also eat seeds that,when not digested, can be deposited far from the parent plant and increase the range of that plant species. This increases the chances of survival and dissemination of the plant species. Additionally, fruit is eaten by animals which can then distribute the seeds over far distances.

Question 4

Which of the following statements about bird evolution is NOT correct?

Accepted Answer

This statement is not correct as recent scientific studies have actually confirmed and refined the evolutionary relationship between dinosaurs and birds, rather than dismissing it entirely.

Question 5

The evolutionary history of the protists remains unresolved,but it is being refined with the addition of DNA evidence.This is an example of

Accepted Answer

The statement describes how new DNA evidence is refining our understanding of the evolutionary history of protists without challenging the overall theory of evolution. This demonstrates how scientific data can update and refine our understanding of past events while still supporting the broader theory.

Question 6

You are a marine biologist who has isolated a microorganism from the Gulf of Mexico.This organism is unicellular,photosynthetic,uses a flagellum to swim,and you have observed it ingesting smaller microorganisms in its vicinity.To what kingdom does this organism most likely belong?

Accepted Answer

The organism described has characteristics of a protist, which is a diverse group of unicellular organisms that can be photosynthetic or heterotrophic. The presence of a flagellum for movement and the ability to ingest other microorganisms suggests it could be a mixotrophic protist that can obtain energy from both photosynthesis and heterotrophy.

Question 7

Neighboring plant or fungi cells share a common cell wall,making multicellularity relatively simple.How do animal cells remain connected to one another?

Accepted Answer

Animal cells remain connected to one another through an extracellular matrix, which is a fiber-rich material secreted by the cells themselves. This matrix provides a surface to which cells can attach and also helps in cell signaling and communication. Animal cells do not have a common cell wall like plant or fungi cells, and they are not connected by interconnecting fibers or the cytoskeleton.

Question 8

Evolutionary trees are continually revised by scientists as new information becomes available from various sources such as

Accepted Answer

The answer of Evolutionary trees are continually revised by scientists...

Question 9

Upon examining specimens recovered from the small intestine of a murder victim during the autopsy,you find clusters of cells that are attached to each other by shared cell walls.The outer layers of these cells are covered with a waxy cuticle,and there is evidence of many green organelles inside the more intact cells in the clusters.What type of cells would you propose you are examining?

Accepted Answer

The presence of a waxy cuticle and green organelles (chloroplasts) suggests these are plant cells, as these features are characteristic of plants.

Question 10

The current classification system used by biologists is

Accepted Answer

The statement "updated and revised whenever new information becomes available" suggests that the current classification system used by biologists is not unchanging and is subject to change with new information. Therefore, option D is the best choice. Option B is incorrect because not all biologists may universally accept the classification system. Option C is incorrect because there are more than four generalized types of living organisms that are currently recognized. Option A is incorrect because the current classification system is complex, but not unchanging.

Question 11

When making sourdough bread,bakers use a combination of microorganisms to produce the sour flavor and to leaven the dough before baking.The organisms typically used to produce the lactic acid that give sourdough its distinctive flavor are very small rod-shaped prokaryotic organisms known generally as Lactobacilli.These microorganisms are from the kingdom ________.The other organisms that produce the leavening effect are nonphotosynthetic eukaryotes,have cell walls,absorb their nutrients from their environment,and (in this case)are very tolerant of acidic environments.These microorganisms are from the kingdom ________.

Accepted Answer

Lactobacilli are bacteria, and the organisms that produce leavening in sourdough are typically yeasts, which are a type of fungi. Therefore, the best choice is A) Bacteria; Fungi.

Question 12

Which of these kingdoms share a most recent,common ancestor?

Accepted Answer

Animals and Fungi both belong to the domain Eukarya and share a more recent common ancestor than any of the other options. Plantae and Fungi also belong to Eukarya, but they diverged earlier than the split between Animals and Fungi. Likewise, Animalia and Protista belong to Eukarya but diverged even earlier.

Question 13

What criteria best characterize membership in the kingdom Protista?

Accepted Answer

The kingdom Protista is a "catch-all" category for eukaryotic organisms that do not fit into the other kingdoms. Therefore, the defining characteristic of Protista is the inability to meet the defining characteristics of the other eukaryotic kingdoms (Plantae, Fungi, and Animalia).

Question 14

In order to best determine relationships among different organisms,scientists would examine

Accepted Answer

To best determine relationships among different organisms, scientists would examine a combination of DNA, body structures, and behavior. DNA analysis can reveal genetic similarities and differences, while body structures help indicate physical traits and adaptations. Behavioral observations can also provide insight into shared traits and evolutionary history. Therefore, examining all three factors together provides the most comprehensive understanding of relationships among different organisms.

Question 15

Gymnosperms and angiosperms are believed to be more closely related to one another than the other major plant groups because

Accepted Answer

The answer of Gymnosperms and angiosperms are believed to be...

Question 16

Branches on the evolutionary tree are sometimes rearranged by scientists because

Accepted Answer

As new fossils are discovered or more information is gathered about existing ones, scientists may need to rearrange the branches on the evolutionary tree to reflect a better understanding of the relationships between species. This is an ongoing process as new information and discoveries are made.

Question 17

The most ancient lineage in kingdom Animalia is the ________ followed closely by the ________.

Accepted Answer

Sponges are considered the most ancient lineage in the animal kingdom, having evolved over 600 million years ago. Cnidarians, which include jellyfish and coral, evolved shortly after sponges and are therefore considered to be closely following in lineage. The other answer choices are not accurate in terms of the order of ancient lineages in the animal kingdom.

Question 18

Resolving the relationship between the various kingdoms has been challenging because species often resemble one another.For example,the kingdom ________ contains some organisms that are animal-like and others that are plantlike.

Accepted Answer

The kingdom Protista contains organisms that are unicellular and often have characteristics of both plants and animals, making it difficult to classify them into other kingdoms.

Question 19

Scientists use existing fossils to predict what the transitional forms between organisms might look like.Why might it be so hard for scientists to find fossils of these transitional forms?

Accepted Answer

Fossils of transitional species may have never formed due to environmental conditions, or if they did form, natural processes like erosion may have destroyed them. This is why it may be hard for scientists to find fossils of these transitional forms.

Question 20

The emergence of each new branch on the evolutionary tree represents

Accepted Answer

The emergence of each new branch on the evolutionary tree represents a common ancestor and the introduction of a new shared derived feature. This is because each branching point represents a divergence from a common ancestor and the development of unique traits or characteristics that are shared among the descendants of that ancestor.

Quiz 13: The History of Life

The most recent mass extinction,which occurred during the Cretaceous period,may have been caused by

Imagine the discovery of an undescribed nonphotosynthetic,multicellular organism.To determine whether it is a(n) ,you would need to examine it microscopically to determine if its .

Although it is costly to produce fruit,the large number of fruit-producing plant species attests to its success as an evolutionary adaptation.In what way is fruit production helpful to plants?

Which of the following statements about bird evolution is NOT correct?

The evolutionary history of the protists remains unresolved,but it is being refined with the addition of DNA evidence.This is an example of

You are a marine biologist who has isolated a microorganism from the Gulf of Mexico.This organism is unicellular,photosynthetic,uses a flagellum to swim,and you have observed it ingesting smaller microorganisms in its vicinity.To what kingdom does this organism most likely belong?

Neighboring plant or fungi cells share a common cell wall,making multicellularity relatively simple.How do animal cells remain connected to one another?

Evolutionary trees are continually revised by scientists as new information becomes available from various sources such as

The current classification system used by biologists is

Which of these kingdoms share a most recent,common ancestor?

What criteria best characterize membership in the kingdom Protista?

In order to best determine relationships among different organisms,scientists would examine

Gymnosperms and angiosperms are believed to be more closely related to one another than the other major plant groups because

Branches on the evolutionary tree are sometimes rearranged by scientists because

The most ancient lineage in kingdom Animalia is the followed closely by the .

Resolving the relationship between the various kingdoms has been challenging because species often resemble one another.For example,the kingdom ________ contains some organisms that are animal-like and others that are plantlike.

Scientists use existing fossils to predict what the transitional forms between organisms might look like.Why might it be so hard for scientists to find fossils of these transitional forms?

The emergence of each new branch on the evolutionary tree represents

Quiz 13: The History of Life

The most recent mass extinction,which occurred during the Cretaceous period,may have been caused by

Imagine the discovery of an undescribed nonphotosynthetic,multicellular organism.To determine whether it is a(n) ________,you would need to examine it microscopically to determine if its ________.

Although it is costly to produce fruit,the large number of fruit-producing plant species attests to its success as an evolutionary adaptation.In what way is fruit production helpful to plants?

Which of the following statements about bird evolution is NOT correct?

The evolutionary history of the protists remains unresolved,but it is being refined with the addition of DNA evidence.This is an example of

You are a marine biologist who has isolated a microorganism from the Gulf of Mexico.This organism is unicellular,photosynthetic,uses a flagellum to swim,and you have observed it ingesting smaller microorganisms in its vicinity.To what kingdom does this organism most likely belong?

Neighboring plant or fungi cells share a common cell wall,making multicellularity relatively simple.How do animal cells remain connected to one another?

Evolutionary trees are continually revised by scientists as new information becomes available from various sources such as

The current classification system used by biologists is

Which of these kingdoms share a most recent,common ancestor?

What criteria best characterize membership in the kingdom Protista?

In order to best determine relationships among different organisms,scientists would examine

Gymnosperms and angiosperms are believed to be more closely related to one another than the other major plant groups because

Branches on the evolutionary tree are sometimes rearranged by scientists because

The most ancient lineage in kingdom Animalia is the ________ followed closely by the ________.

Resolving the relationship between the various kingdoms has been challenging because species often resemble one another.For example,the kingdom ________ contains some organisms that are animal-like and others that are plantlike.

Scientists use existing fossils to predict what the transitional forms between organisms might look like.Why might it be so hard for scientists to find fossils of these transitional forms?

The emergence of each new branch on the evolutionary tree represents

Imagine the discovery of an undescribed nonphotosynthetic,multicellular organism.To determine whether it is a(n) ,you would need to examine it microscopically to determine if its .

The most ancient lineage in kingdom Animalia is the followed closely by the .