Early Earth and Origins of Life

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is a limiting factor in a population of organisms.

• reproductive replacement

• life spans of the members

• fluctuations in atmospheric temperature

• availability of food

Multiple Choice

Yucca moths obtain nectar from Yucca flowers, which benefits the Yucca flowers' pollination and reproduction. What type of relationship is this?

• Mutualistic

• Commensalistic

• Parasitic

• Competition

Multiple Choice

The Spider Wasp lands on the Wolf Spider and lays its eggs inside of the spider. The egg grows into a larva and hatches from the spider by devouring it. What type of relationship is this?

• Mutualistic

• Commensalistic

• Parasitic

• Animal Communication

Multiple Choice

Which of the following was presumably absent from Earth Early atmosphere based on the conditions present at the time?

• Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

• Methane (CH4)

• Oxygen (O2)

• Water(H2O)

• Cyanide (CN-)

Multiple Choice

Volcanic eruptions and comets hitting the early Earth brought ___________ to the surface.

• atmospheric gases and water

• animal life

• continents

• plant life

Multiple Choice

Cells without a nucleus are said to be _____________________.

• Eukaryotic
• Prokaryotic

Multiple Choice

Which types of organisms developed first due to the early environmental conditions on Earth? 

• prokaryotic and aerobic

• prokaryotic and anaerobic

• eukaryotic and aerobic

• eukaryotic and anaerobic

Open Ended

How would Earth's atmosphere be different if organisms capable of photosynthesis had not evolved?

Multiple Choice

These scientists proved that organic molecules formed from inorganic molecules present in the Earth’s early atmosphere when given energy from lightening.

• Lennon and McCartney

• Einstein and Newton

• Watson and Crick

• Miller and Urey

Multiple Choice

The Miller-Urey experiment of 1953 was designed to test the hypothesis that lightning supplied the energy needed to turn atmospheric gases into organic molecules such as amino acids. Which of the following describes why the Miller-Urey theory is widely accepted today?

• Amino acids spontaneously form from molecules in the atmosphere today.

• Organic molecules are present today in extremely high concentrations.

• The process of synthesizing organic molecules from a mixture of gases has been successfully modeled in the laboratory. 

• No other alternative hypotheses have been introduced.

Multiple Choice

What was formed in the Miller-Urey experiments?

• amino acids

• proteins

• living cells

• DNA

Multiple Choice

Which type of cell came first?

• Eukaryotic
• Prokaryotic
• Plant
• Both Eukaryotic and Prokaryotic cells evolved around the same time

Multiple Choice

Mitochondria and chloroplasts are thought to be ________________________ cells engulfed by a larger one.

• Plants

• Eukaryotic

• Prokaryotic

• Viruses

Multiple Choice

The diagram shows a proposed theory of the origin of eukaryotic cells, called endosymbiosis.

Which of the following explains why cells that contained mitochondria-like organelles had an evolutionary advantage?

• They were able to photosynthesize

• They had more DNA

• They were able to make more use of available energy

• They were immune to bacterial invasion.

Multiple Choice

How are mitochondria and chloroplasts like bacteria cells?

• They divide by meiosis

• They contain their own DNA

• They have the same membrane-bound organelles

• They can make their own food

Multiple Choice

What do you call all of the genes in a population?

• Gene pool
• Relative Frequency
• Genetic Drift
• Allele pool

Multiple Choice

Many members of one species in an area

• ecosystem
• community
• biodiversity
• population

Multiple Choice

The white fur of an arctic wolf allow it to blend in with its environment during the winter months (snow). This is an example of ________________

• Species

• Environmental Change

• Adaptation

• Variation

Multiple Choice

Which of the following variations would help members of a rabbit population survive if the climate turned very hot?

• Thinner fur
• Ability to run faster
• Ability to jump higher
• Ability to eat more

Multiple Choice

Do populations or individuals evolve over time?

• Populations

• Individuals

• Neither - this is a simulation

Open Ended

In your own words, explain what is meant by the phrase, "Individuals don't evolve, populations do."