Question 1

Humans belong to a lineage of mammals called the ____________.

Accepted Answer

Humans belong to the primate lineage, along with gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans, lemurs, and other species.

Question 2

The Miocene epoch saw the spread of which new vegetative zone?

Accepted Answer

The Miocene epoch saw the spread of savannah grasslands as the climate became drier and cooler.

Question 3

When does the fossil record indicate that the first species of the genus Homo that used tools evolved?

Accepted Answer

The fossil record indicates that the first species of the genus Homo that used tools evolved around 1.6 million years ago, specifically the species Homo habilis.

Question 4

Which statement about Cretaceous paleogeography (shown below)is INCORRECT?

Accepted Answer

Subduction of oceanic lithosphere between India and Asia had not ceased during the Cretaceous period. In fact, it was the collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates due to ongoing subduction that caused the uplift of the Himalaya Mountains.

Question 5

The earliest large,mobile life forms that may have been able to live and reproduce on land were amphibians.Most amphibians lay eggs.Why would laying eggs have been a logical step in the evolution of mobile life forms from sea to land?

Accepted Answer

Eggs provided a stable environment with nutrients, similar to fish eggs in water, allowing embryos to develop on land.

Question 6

During the Cenozoic Era,most large-bodied terrestrial animals inhabiting regions of temperate climate have been ____________.

Accepted Answer

The Cenozoic Era is commonly referred to as the Age of Mammals, as most large-bodied terrestrial animals during this time were mammals. Birds and crocodiles do exist during this time, but were not dominant in the same way mammals were. Dinosaurs, on the other hand, went extinct at the end of the Mesozoic Era, before the start of the Cenozoic.

Quiz 11: A Biography of Earth

Humans belong to a lineage of mammals called the ____________.

The Miocene epoch saw the spread of which new vegetative zone?

When does the fossil record indicate that the first species of the genus Homo that used tools evolved?

Which statement about Cretaceous paleogeography (shown below) is INCORRECT?

The earliest large,mobile life forms that may have been able to live and reproduce on land were amphibians.Most amphibians lay eggs.Why would laying eggs have been a logical step in the evolution of mobile life forms from sea to land?

During the Cenozoic Era,most large-bodied terrestrial animals inhabiting regions of temperate climate have been ____________.