Question 1

Fossil evidence suggests that multicellular organisms evolved approximately
A) 500-600 million years ago.
B) 800-900 million years ago.
C) 1.8 billion years ago.
D) 3 billion years ago.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Fossil evidence suggests that multicellular organisms evolved...

Question 2

Yvette is studying the effects of physical exercise on the brains of mice.She is very excited because her results clearly show that exercise increases neurogenesis in the
A) hippocampus.
B) corpus callosum.
C) amygdala.
D) cerebellum.

Accepted Answer

The hippocampus is known to be involved in memory and learning, and studies have shown that physical exercise can increase neurogenesis (the growth of new neurons) in this region of the brain.

Question 3

Ramona is a woman.Stefan is a man.Which of the following hypotheses is most tenable regarding potential differences between the brains of these two individuals?
A) Stefan's brain may be quite a bit larger than Ramona's.
B) Ramona's corpus callosum may be quite a bit larger than Stefan's.
C) Ramona's corpus callosum may be slightly larger than Stefan's.
D) Ramona's corpus callosum may be slightly smaller than Stefan's.

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that on average, women tend to have a slightly larger corpus callosum than men (although there is a lot of individual variability). Therefore, it is most tenable to hypothesize that Ramona's corpus callosum may be slightly larger than Stefan's, but it would be unlikely to assume a large difference in brain size between the two individuals, as there is generally no significant difference in overall brain size between men and women.

Question 4

How different are the right and left hemispheres in terms of their functions?
A) There is no difference in function between the two hemispheres.
B) Functionally, the two hemispheres are more similar than they are different.
C) Functionally, the two hemispheres are more different than they are similar.
D) The two hemispheres have opposing functions.

Accepted Answer

Functionally, the two hemispheres of the brain are more similar than they are different, with both sides contributing to most cognitive and physical activities. However, there are lateralization of functions, where certain tasks are more efficiently handled by one hemisphere than the other, but this does not mean they have opposing functions or are vastly different in their roles.

Question 5

Imagine that scientists have discovered a new species of goat that has an incredibly long neck,just like a giraffe.They learn that this new species doesn't eat grass like regular goats,but instead,it prefers to eat leaves from the tops of the trees.Since further DNA testing has revealed that this new species of goat has no common ancestor with the giraffe,the evolution of their long neck would be the result of
A) homologous evolution.
B) convergent evolution.
C) divergent evolution.
D) phylogenetic evolution.

Accepted Answer

Convergent evolution is the process by which different species independently evolve similar traits or characteristics, usually as a result of adapting to similar environments or ecological niches. In this case, the goat and the giraffe both evolved long necks independently, but for the same purpose of being able to reach the leaves at the tops of trees. Since the DNA testing revealed that they have no common ancestor, this is likely an example of convergent evolution rather than homologous or divergent evolution. Phylogenetic evolution is not a recognized term in evolutionary biology.

Question 6

When a trait appears in two distinct species that share a common ancestor,this is called
A) divergent evolution.
B) homologous evolution.
C) analogous evolution.
D) convergent evolution.

Accepted Answer

Homologous evolution refers to the development of similar traits in two different species that are descended from a common ancestor. This is in contrast to convergent evolution (D), where similar traits develop independently in two species that are not closely related, and to analogous evolution (C), where two species develop similar traits due to similar selective pressures but not due to a common ancestor. Divergent evolution (A) refers to the development of different traits in two species that shared a common ancestor.

Question 7

Given evidence of laterality of function,which difference is most unlikely?
A) right dominance for creativity
B) left dominance for analytical skills
C) right dominance for language
D) left dominance for language

Accepted Answer

Right dominance for language is most unlikely because, in the majority of people, language functions are predominantly located in the left hemisphere of the brain.

Question 8

Nanette is right-handed.Onslow is left-handed.Which of the following hypotheses is most tenable regarding the location of Broca's and Wernicke's areas in these two individuals?
A) Onslow is more likely to have Broca's and Wernicke's area located in the right hemisphere than is Nanette.
B) Onslow is more likely to have Broca's and Wernicke's area located in the left hemisphere than is Nanette.
C) Onslow is just as likely as Nanette to have Broca's and Wernicke's area located in the left hemisphere.
D) Handedness does not allow one to predict the brain lateralization of language areas.

Accepted Answer

CIn most people, including right-handed individuals like Nanette, Broca's and Wernicke's areas are located in the left hemisphere. However, left-handed individuals like Onslow have a higher likelihood of having these language areas in the right hemisphere or having a more bilateral distribution. Nonetheless, a significant proportion of left-handers still have these areas in the left hemisphere, making both A and C tenable hypotheses.

Question 9

Characteristics that are similar between species and that can be traced back to a common ancestor are referred to as
A) analogous.
B) homologous.
C) homogenous.
D) heterogenous.

Accepted Answer

Homologous characteristics are similar between species and can be traced back to a common ancestor. This includes traits like the bone structure in the limbs of different mammals. Analogous characteristics are also similar between species but are not due to a common ancestor, instead they evolve due to similar environmental pressures. Homogenous and heterogenous refer to the sameness or diversity of a group, and are not relevant to the characteristics of different species.

Question 10

Dr.Trantham obtains the following data from a large sample of community dwelling older adults: 1)"mental exercise" scores -- the average time spent on crosswords,brainteasers,and other puzzles each week; 2)physical exercise scores -- the average time spent on aerobic exercise each week; and 3)scores on a measure of overall current cognitive functioning.She then computes two correlation coefficients: one between mental exercise scores and scores on the measure of cognitive functioning,and one between physical exercise scores and cognitive functioning.Based on your text's discussion,which of the following pairs of coefficient is she most likely to find?
A) mental exercise and cognitive functioning: .15; physical exercise and cognitive functioning: .15
B) mental exercise and cognitive functioning: .15; physical exercise and cognitive functioning: .35
C) mental exercise and cognitive functioning: .35; physical exercise and cognitive functioning: .15
D) mental exercise and cognitive functioning: .35; physical exercise and cognitive functioning: .35

Accepted Answer

Research suggests that while both mental and physical exercises are beneficial for cognitive functioning, the impact of physical exercise is often stronger. Therefore, it's likely that the correlation between physical exercise and cognitive functioning would be higher than that between mental exercise and cognitive functioning.

Question 11

Imagine that scientists have discovered the Abominable Snowman living in the northern Rocky Mountains.They learn that this rare creature can see in the dark,just like an owl.Since further DNA testing revealed that the snowman creature and an owl have no common ancestor,the evolution of their visual abilities would be the result of
A) homologous evolution.
B) convergent evolution.
C) divergent evolution.
D) phylogenetic evolution.

Accepted Answer

Convergent evolution is the process where two unrelated species independently evolve similar traits or characteristics due to similar environmental pressures. In this case, both the Abominable Snowman and owls evolved the ability to see in the dark, but their genetic ancestry is different. Thus, the evolution of their visual abilities is an example of convergent evolution. Homologous evolution refers to the evolution of similar traits through a common ancestor, while divergent evolution means the development of different traits from a common ancestor. Phylogenetic evolution is not a recognized term in evolutionary biology.

Question 12

You and a friend are on a nature walk when you notice both a butterfly and a bird flying in a meadow.Your friend comments how interesting it is that both have wings but are completely distinct species.Which of the following explanations would be the best response?
A) Wings are a homologous characteristic.
B) Wings are an analogous characteristic.
C) Wings are a heterogenous characteristic.
D) Wings are a homogenous characteristic.

Accepted Answer

Wings are an analogous characteristic, meaning they have a similar function but evolved independently in different species. In this case, the butterfly and bird have wings that serve the same purpose of flying, but the wings evolved differently in each species.

Question 13

Popular theories suggest the presence of sizeable differences in brain structure between groups of individuals,such as between women and men.In general,what does contemporary neuroscientific research say with respect to such differences?
A) Neuroscientific research indicates that such differences are about as large as popular theories suggest.
B) Neuroscientific research suggests that such differences are larger than popular theories propose.
C) Neuroscientific research suggests that such differences are essentially nonexistent.
D) Neuroscientific research suggests that such differences may exist, but that they are smaller than popular theories suppose.

Accepted Answer

Contemporary neuroscientific research suggests that there may be some differences in brain structure between groups of individuals, such as between women and men. However, these differences are generally smaller than popular theories suggest. Studies have shown that there is much more variability in brain structure within groups than between groups, and that the differences between individuals within a group are often larger than the differences between groups.

Question 14

Yolanda is studying neurogenesis in mice,and is very excited about her latest results.Specifically,she found that ___ increases neurogenesis in the ___.
A) vitamins; cerebellum
B) social contact; amygdala
C) exercise; hippocampus
D) living in a dark environment; auditory cortex

Accepted Answer

Exercise has been shown to increase neurogenesis in the hippocampus, which is important for learning and memory processes. Vitamins, social contact, and living in a dark environment do not have significant effects on neurogenesis in the brain.

Question 15

Which of the following approximate correlation coefficients is a researcher most likely to obtain between total brain volume and IQ score?
A) .05
B) -.35
C) .50
D) .70

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following approximate correlation coefficients...

Question 16

When a trait appears in two distinct species that do NOT share a common ancestor,this is called
A) divergent evolution.
B) homologous evolution.
C) phylogenetic evolution.
D) convergent evolution.

Accepted Answer

Convergent evolution is when two distinct species evolve similar traits independently of each other, often due to similar selective pressures in their environments. This is in contrast to homologous evolution, where two species share a common ancestor and evolve similar traits due to inherited genetic similarities. Divergent evolution refers to the process where two species with a common ancestor evolve differing traits over time. Phylogenetic evolution is a general term that refers to the evolutionary relationships and branching patterns among species.

Question 17

The ability of an individual of a species to survive and reproduce is called
A) evolution.
B) adaptability.
C) natural selection.
D) fitness.

Accepted Answer

Fitness refers to an individual's ability to survive and reproduce in their environment. It is a measure of how well adapted an individual is to their surroundings, and it is a key concept in the theory of natural selection. Therefore, the ability of an individual of a species to survive and reproduce is referred to as fitness.

Question 18

Which of the following reflects the order in which organisms evolved?
A) chordates, vertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, mammals
B) vertebrates, chordates, reptiles, amphibians, mammals
C) vertebrates, mammals, chordates, reptiles amphibians
D) chordates, reptiles, amphibians, vertebrates, mammals

Accepted Answer

Chordates are the earliest group, followed by the evolution of vertebrates from within the chordate group. Amphibians evolved from early vertebrates, which were followed by reptiles, and finally, mammals evolved from within the group of reptiles. Therefore, the correct order of the evolution of these groups is chordates, vertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals.

Question 19

Which of the following is TRUE about gender differences and brain size?
A) Men have a larger corpus callosum than women.
B) People with abnormally large brains are more intelligent than average.
C) People with thicker cortices tend to be less intelligent.
D) Women tend to use both hemispheres more often than men.

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that women tend to use both hemispheres of their brain more often than men, which is related to the way cognitive tasks are processed. This does not necessarily imply superiority in cognitive abilities but indicates a difference in brain activity patterns between genders. The other statements are either misleading or incorrect based on current scientific understanding.

Question 20

Which of the following is NOT one of the major kingdoms?
A) Eucharia
B) Archea
C) Chordea
D) Bacteria

Accepted Answer

Chordea is not one of the major kingdoms. The major kingdoms are Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya.

Quiz 3: Neuroscience

Fossil evidence suggests that multicellular organisms evolved approximately

Yvette is studying the effects of physical exercise on the brains of mice.She is very excited because her results clearly show that exercise increases neurogenesis in the

Ramona is a woman.Stefan is a man.Which of the following hypotheses is most tenable regarding potential differences between the brains of these two individuals?

How different are the right and left hemispheres in terms of their functions?

When a trait appears in two distinct species that share a common ancestor,this is called

Given evidence of laterality of function,which difference is most unlikely?

Nanette is right-handed.Onslow is left-handed.Which of the following hypotheses is most tenable regarding the location of Broca's and Wernicke's areas in these two individuals?

Characteristics that are similar between species and that can be traced back to a common ancestor are referred to as

You and a friend are on a nature walk when you notice both a butterfly and a bird flying in a meadow.Your friend comments how interesting it is that both have wings but are completely distinct species.Which of the following explanations would be the best response?

Popular theories suggest the presence of sizeable differences in brain structure between groups of individuals,such as between women and men.In general,what does contemporary neuroscientific research say with respect to such differences?

Yolanda is studying neurogenesis in mice,and is very excited about her latest results.Specifically,she found that _ increases neurogenesis in the _.

Which of the following approximate correlation coefficients is a researcher most likely to obtain between total brain volume and IQ score?

When a trait appears in two distinct species that do NOT share a common ancestor,this is called

The ability of an individual of a species to survive and reproduce is called

Which of the following reflects the order in which organisms evolved?

Which of the following is TRUE about gender differences and brain size?

Which of the following is NOT one of the major kingdoms?