Question 1

You are looking at a plant and you notice that the major veins in its leaves are parallel to the middle vein, its vascular bundles are distributed throughout the stem, and only one leaf attaches to any of the nodes. You are looking at a:

Accepted Answer

The characteristics described in the question (parallel major leaf veins, scattered vascular bundles, and one leaf per node) are all typical of monocots. Grasses are a type of monocot, but "grass" is not one of the answer choices. Eudicots typically have branching leaf veins and vascular bundles arranged in a ring, and succulents are plants that have adapted to retain water in arid environments, so neither of these choices fit the description given.

Question 2

Which of the following statements accurately describes the role of insects in early angiosperm evolution?

Accepted Answer

Insect pollination is believed to have played a key role in the early success and diversification of angiosperms, especially in understory habitats of tropical rain forests. Mammal pollination also exists, but it is not believed to have been a significant factor in early angiosperm evolution.

Question 3

Most parasitic plants are eudicots.

Accepted Answer

Most parasitic plants belong to the eudicot subclass of flowering plants. Examples include mistletoe, dodder, and Indian pipe. However, there are also some parasitic plants that belong to other subclasses, such as the monocot family of Orchidaceae.

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT one of the ways we can study grass evolutionary history?

Accepted Answer

Grasses do not fossilize very well due to their soft and decomposable structure, making the fossil record a less reliable source for studying their evolutionary history compared to other methods like examining high-crowned teeth adaptations in mammals, analyzing organic compounds in phytoliths, or studying special compounds from photosynthesis.

Question 5

At least two-thirds of human caloric intake is accounted for by a few species in which group?

Accepted Answer

The majority of human caloric intake comes from cereal grains (e.g. wheat, rice, corn), which are all monocots. Therefore, at least two-thirds of human caloric intake is accounted for by species within the monocot group.

Question 6

Which of the following plants were first domesticated in North America?

Accepted Answer

Corn, also known as maize, was first domesticated in North America over 7,000 years ago. Cabbage and grapes originated in Europe, and chocolate comes from Central and South America. Therefore, option C is the only correct choice.

Question 7

Monocots evolved from plants that had a vascular cambium.

Accepted Answer

Monocots are believed to have evolved from ancestral plants that had a vascular cambium, which is a feature of dicots and gymnosperms, but lost this feature over time.

Question 8

Which of the following is a possible reason for the high level of angiosperm diversity?

Accepted Answer

Animal pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, play a crucial role in facilitating reproduction in angiosperms by transporting pollen between flowers. This increases the likelihood of successful fertilization and seed production. Additionally, animal pollinators are more likely to visit rare individuals, thus increasing the chances of gene flow and genetic diversity within a population. This could contribute to the high levels of species diversity seen among angiosperms.

Quiz 33: Plant Diversity