Introduction to Geology Exam 3 (white) Review - AppState

The Late Proterozoic Edicaran fauna is important because it:
a ) is Australia's major oil producing province
b ) preserves the oldest known multicellular animals
c ) contains the first evidence of life on land
d ) contains the ancestor to all of the tetrapods

b

Almost all major phyla living today had evolved by the end of the:
a ) Cambrian
b ) Proterozoic
c ) Archean
d ) Paleozoic

a

In order for two organisms to be classified as the same species they must:
a ) live in the dame geographic area (have a real opportunity to mate)
b ) pass a DNA test
c ) have the potential to interbreed and produce fertile offspring
d ) all of the above

c

Divergent evolution:
a ) has no known examples from the fossil record
b ) occurs as a strategy to avoid mass extinction
c ) occurs when related groups have evolved into different life modes to avoid competition
d ) is best illustrated by the "fish, dolphin, ichthyosaur" example

c

An understanding of how evolution works (natural selection) is important to our society to:
a ) develop and manage a global food supply for an increasing population
b ) combat rapidly evolving microbes that become resistant to antibiotics
c ) both "a" and "b"
d ) neither "a" nor "b"

c

Every kind of organism has the ability to reproduce and populate the world so quickly that there are no enough resources to support all of them to live at the same time.
a ) True
b ) False

a

The first appearance of hard skeletons in most invertebrate namrine organisms all occurred:
a ) with the Edicaran fauna (~700 my ago)
b ) in the Cambrian (~520 my ago)
c ) at the end of the Paleozoic (~250 my ago)
d ) non, they each happened at different times through the Paleozoic

b

The Cambrian explosion was:
a ) when the large meteorite stuck Siberia and nearly exterminated life on Earth
b ) a rapid increase in the number of body plans in multicellular life
c ) the collision of the two largest supercontinents in the Cambrian
d ) a proliferations of ferromagnesian mineral deposits across the deep sea floor

b

Which statement about biological species is true?
a ) There are more species living in the late Cenozoic than at any other point in geologic time
b ) The number of species on Earth has steadily declined since the Cambrian
c ) The number of species at any point in geologic time fluctuates randomly through the Phanerozoic
d ) The number of species on Earth is proportional to the area of exposed land through time.

a

Which of these is an example of biological evolution (changes in populations) over historical times:
a ) development of new dog breeds
b ) development of antibiotic resistant microbes
c ) strains of insects that are no longer affected by older chemical pesticides
d ) all of these are examples of biological evolution
e ) none of these are examples of biological evolution

d

Life continues to evolve on Earth (i.e. does not reach a perfect state and remain fixed) because:
a ) natural selection is too complex to eve be stable
b ) the Earth is dynamic and environments change with time
c ) not enough time has passed to allow for perfection to be attained
d ) all of the above

b

The third Domain of Life, archaebacteria:
a ) were only recognized and their importance appreciated in the past 50 years
b ) can be found living in boiling water and under frozen glaciers
c ) have a genetic diversity as broad as all of the animal Kingdom
d ) all of the above
e ) non of the above

d

Fossils of Archean prokaryotic (bacteria) cells are preserved:
a ) encased in amber
b ) only at hot springs
c ) encased in chert (silica)
d ) as furry mats like felt

c

Which of the following organisms do not have a nucleus in their cells?
a ) spinach (plant)
b ) mushroom (fungus)
c ) an amoebae (single-celled protist)
d ) all of these do have nuclei in their cells

d

In Darwin's theory of biological evolution through natural selection, "If a parent has features (traits) that are well-suited to its surroundings, then its offspring will also have the same traits (features) and be suited to their surroundings
a ) True
b ) False

b

Through the Phanerozoic, phyla have routinely gone extinct, resulting in fewer phyla present today than in the early Paleozoic.
a ) True
b ) False

b

Which of these statements is true:
a ) Disparity is the likelihood/or unlikelihood that an evolutionary event will occur
b ) An example of Diversity in nature is the difference between three kinds of mollusks (clams, squids, and snails)
c ) Diversity is the number of kinds of organisms - Disparity is the degree of difference in body plans
d ) Diversity and Disparity are two words with the same meaning, "difference"

c

What is special about the Cambrian Burgess Shale deposits in Canada?
a ) they preserve soft-bodied organisms through mineral replacement
b ) they preserve the oldest know fossils
c ) they are the only fossil bed to have their own commercial theme park
d ) all of the above

a

Missing links are breaks in morphology (body form) in an evolutionary sequence in the model above. In this theory, missing links are a result of:
a ) very large genetic mutations in a single generation
b ) an unconformity in the rock record
c ) a breakdown in natural selection
d ) all of the above

b

In a classic experiment in the 1950's Miller & Urey set up a closed system thought to stimulate early conditions on Earth (CHON) and added heat and energy. What did they produce?
a ) a complex carbon chains similar to diesel fuel
b ) living cells
c ) amino acids, building blocks of proteins
d ) nothing, the experiment was actually a failure

c

In Darwin's theory of biological evolution through natural selection, which of these is not one of the four points (tenants)
a ) traits (features) that are suited to an organism's surroundings gives them a better chance for survival
b ) variation among organisms is the results of genetic mutations
c ) more individuals are produced than can survive
d ) these three points are all part of Darwin's original theory

b

The occurrence of similar body types and life-modes among many marsupial and placental mammals (e.g. flying possums and flying squirrels), provides an excellent example of:
a ) parallel evolution
b ) divergent evolution
c ) convergent evolution
d ) iterative evolution

c

Why is Earth a Goldilocks planet?
a ) the diversity of life on Earth is reminiscent of a fairy tale
b ) the papa and momma lost theirs, but the baby had a negotiation
c ) Goldilocks was the best fit, she won out over the less fit bears
d ) it is not too hot or too cold

d

We have indirect evidence of life on Earth 3.8 billion years ago. What is it:
a ) snail shells that were replaces by silica (quartz)
b ) line in the rocks where fossil shells once were, but are now dissolved away
c ) geochemically: the ratio of stable carbon isotopes, heavy enriched
d ) radiometric age dating the rock with uranium

c

We have direct evidence of life of Earth 3.5 billion years ago. What is its nature:
a ) single celled bacteria preserved in chert (silica)
b ) the trackway of a worm crawling across the sediment on the sea floor
c ) multicellular fossils from the Ediacaran
d ) Carbon 14 age dating of calcite remnants of shells

a

What is this large, invertebrate, Middle Cambrian organism from the Burgess Shale?
a ) Zoophycus, first multicellular animal
b ) Anomalocaris, first top predator
c ) Ptestorosis, ancestor to all fish
d ) Archituthus, first animal with a hard skeleton

b

When do we think that conditions on early Earth could first support life, that is, the earliest that life may have originated on Earth?
a ) 4.6 billion years ago, as earth formed
b ) 4.2 billion years ago, once earth had cooled
c ) 3.8 billion years ago, when we have some of the oldest rocks preserved
d ) 2.0 billion years ago, once free oxygen had begun to form

b

Is biological evolution a fact or a theory?
a ) fact, because there are so many empirical examples of changing biological populations
b ) theory, because we have proposed ways in which biological evolution works, which we continue to study
c ) neither a or b
d ) both a or b

d

Darwin's theory of biological evolution is primarily based on competition among species
a ) True
b ) False

b

Our cells (animals, plants, and fungi) look like a combination of bacteria cells living together.
a ) True
b ) False

a

Cells like ours (animals, plants, and fungi) first appeared in the fossil record:
a ) 3.5 billion years ago (Archean)
b ) 1.5 billion years ago (Proterozoic)
c ) 520 million yeas ago (Cambrian - early Paleozoic)
d ) 70 million years ago (Cretaceous - late Mesozoic)

b

The "Age of Bacteria" ended at the end of the Paleozoic (~250 million years ago), after which bacteria have no played much role in the biosphere.
a ) True
b ) False

b

When multiple theories exist to explain an observation, which one do we use? The one:
a ) that is accepted by the majority of the people
b ) with the most predictive value
c ) that is supported by the most well-known scientist of the time
d ) that makes the most sense

b

In natural selection, certain character traits, such as strength, speed and intelligence, can always be expected to be best fit characters
a ) True
b ) False

b

Darwin's theory of natural selection fundamentally states that, "the strong will survive"
a ) True
b ) False

b