Question 1

The Carboniferous Period is extremely significant to our current society because

Accepted Answer

A)  the Carboniferous forests turned into the coal that fuels modern society.
B)  human evolution began in the period.
C)  plants and animals first adapted to a terrestrial environment during this period.
D)  mammals diversified.E) A) and D)
F) B) and D)

Question 2

Plate tectonics explain that the amount of Earth being formed is much greater than the amount of the Earth's crust being destroyed in subduction zones.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 3

The lack of oxygen in the ancient Earth's atmosphere was beneficial because oxygen combines with organic molecules to prevent them from forming polymers.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 4

The fact that a nucleic acid is a very complicated molecule suggests that

Accepted Answer

A)  the RNA-first hypothesis is impossible.
B)  RNA could not have arisen on its own by chance,but required enzymes to guide the synthesis of nucleotides and then nucleic acids.
C)  sophisticated enzymes were not present or available to synthesize it.
D)  no natural system could ever generate it.
E)  the protein-first hypothesis is therefore the only plausible hypothesis.F) A) and B)
G) A) and C)

Question 5

Mass extinctions

Accepted Answer

A)  have occurred at least 5 times in the Earth's history.
B)  may have been due to climatic changes after meteorite collisions.
C)  may have been due to changing environments caused by continental drift.
D)  All of the choices are correct.
E)  The Earth has never experienced a mass extinction.F) B) and D)
G) D) and E)

Question 6

Which piece of evidence best supports the endosymbiotic theory of organelle evolution?

Accepted Answer

A)  Mitochondria and chloroplast are the same size as bacteria.
B)  Mitochondria and chloroplast divide by binary fission.
C)  Mitochondria and chloroplast both contain DNA and some can make their own proteins.
D)  The outer membrane of chloroplast and mitochondria resemble that of a eukaryotic cell while the inner membrane resembles that of a bacterial cell.
E)  All of the above are correct.F) B) and D)
G) All of the above

Question 7

The first known multicellular organisms evolved approximately how many years ago?

Accepted Answer

A)  3.5 BYA
B)  2.1 BYA
C)  1.4 BYA
D)  100 MYAE) A) and C)
F) B) and D)

Question 8

Wegener first presented the idea of continental drift in 1920 and this theory was confirmed in 1960.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

Which of the following molecules are believed to have been absent from the primitive reducing atmosphere?

Accepted Answer

A)  water vapor (H2O) 
B)  carbon dioxide (CO2) 
C)  hydrogen (H2) 
D)  oxygen (O2) 
E)  nitrogen (N2) F) B) and E)
G) B) and C)

Question 10

Which biological events took place during the Paleozoic Era and the Mesozoic Era?

Accepted Answer

A)  During the Paleozoic Era three mass extinctions occurred which led to the colonization of land by plants while during the Mesozoic Era gymnosperms became the dominant plant life.
B)  During the Mesozoic Era three mass extinctions occurred which led to the colonization of land by plants while during the Paleozoic Era gymnosperms became the dominant plant life.
C)  During the Paleozoic Era five mass extinctions occurred which led to the colonization of land by plants while during the Mesozoic Era angiosperms became the dominant plant life.
D)  During the Mesozoic Era five mass extinctions occurred which led to the colonization of land by plants while during the Paleozoic Era angiosperms became the dominant plant life.E) B) and C)
F) C) and D)

Question 11

The formation of the ozone shield during the Precambrian era created favorable conditions for the evolution of terrestrial life forms.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

Biological evolution differs from chemical evolution in that it would have been possible only after the development of

Accepted Answer

A)  true cells.
B)  nucleic acids.
C)  enzymes.
D)  a metabolic pathway.E) A) and B)
F) B) and C) A

Question 13

Fossils used to define and identify geologic periods are ________ fossils.

Accepted Answer

A)  body
B)  index
C)  trace
D)  stromatoliteE) B) and C)
F) B) and D)

Question 14

With the appearance of photosynthetic cyanobacteria and aerobic bacteria during the Precambrian era,

Accepted Answer

A)  an oxidizing atmosphere developed on Earth.
B)  the formation of the ozone shield occurred.
C)  the amount of UV light reaching the Earth was reduced and chemical evolution slowed.
D)  All of the choices are correct.E) C) and D)
F) None of the above

Question 15

Which piece of evidence best supports the endosymbiotic theory of organelle evolution?

Accepted Answer

A)  The outer membrane of a mitochondrion and chloroplast resemble a eukaryotic cell while the inner membrane resembles that of a bacterial cell.
B)  The inner membrane of a mitochondrion and chloroplast resemble a eukaryotic cell while the outer membrane resembles that of a bacterial cell.
C)  Both mitochondria and chloroplast divide by Mitosis.
D)  Mitochondria and chloroplast are much larger than present day bacteria.E) B) and C)
F) A) and B)

Question 16

The place where two plates meet and scrape past one another,creating stress that results in earthquakes is a

Accepted Answer

A)  subduction zone.
B)  transform boundary.
C)  oceanic ridge.
D)  supercontinent.E) A) and D)
F) A) and B)

Question 17

Which of the following time periods contains the others?

Accepted Answer

A)  Cretaceous
B)  Triassic
C)  Jurassic
D)  MesozoicE) A) and D)
F) A) and B) D

Question 18

The first eukaryotic cells probably arose about _____ billion years ago.

Accepted Answer

A)  2.2
B)  2.5
C)  3.5
D)  4.5E) C) and D)
F) A) and B)

Question 19

Some viruses never use DNA to carry out protein synthesis and have only RNA as their genetic material.This would lend evidence to which theory?

Accepted Answer

A)  RNA-first hypothesis
B)  protein-first hypothesis
C)  simultaneous evolution of RNA and proteins
D)  endosymbiotic theory of eukaryote evolutionE) A) and D)
F) B) and C) A

Question 20

Fossils from the Paleozoic are plentiful because

Accepted Answer

A)  mammals greatly diversified during this time.
B)  multicellular organisms first evolved during this time.
C)  this is the time period most studied.
D)  hard body parts evolved in plants and animals.E) All of the above
F) None of the above

Exam 18: Origin and History of Life

The Carboniferous Period is extremely significant to our current society because

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Plate tectonics explain that the amount of Earth being formed is much greater than the amount of the Earth's crust being destroyed in subduction zones.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The lack of oxygen in the ancient Earth's atmosphere was beneficial because oxygen combines with organic molecules to prevent them from forming polymers.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The fact that a nucleic acid is a very complicated molecule suggests that

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Mass extinctions

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which piece of evidence best supports the endosymbiotic theory of organelle evolution?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The first known multicellular organisms evolved approximately how many years ago?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Wegener first presented the idea of continental drift in 1920 and this theory was confirmed in 1960.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following molecules are believed to have been absent from the primitive reducing atmosphere?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which biological events took place during the Paleozoic Era and the Mesozoic Era?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The formation of the ozone shield during the Precambrian era created favorable conditions for the evolution of terrestrial life forms.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Biological evolution differs from chemical evolution in that it would have been possible only after the development of

Correct AnswerverifiedA

Fossils used to define and identify geologic periods are ________ fossils.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

With the appearance of photosynthetic cyanobacteria and aerobic bacteria during the Precambrian era,

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which piece of evidence best supports the endosymbiotic theory of organelle evolution?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The place where two plates meet and scrape past one another,creating stress that results in earthquakes is a

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following time periods contains the others?

Correct AnswerverifiedD

The first eukaryotic cells probably arose about _____ billion years ago.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Some viruses never use DNA to carry out protein synthesis and have only RNA as their genetic material.This would lend evidence to which theory?

Correct AnswerverifiedA

Fossils from the Paleozoic are plentiful because

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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