Earth-Space Final Exam Review #5: Evolution/origin of life

Which statement explains how fossils of the same species can be found on different continents?

• Organisms swam at different times to the same locations.

• Plate tectonics moved species on land masses that were once connected.

• New species evolved by choosing adaptations for the changing environments.

• Organisms evolved into a marine form and then reverted back to a terrestrial form.

The diagram shows undisturbed sedimentary strata at the bottom of an ocean. The fossils found in Layer X resemble the fossils found in Layer W. This similarity suggests that

• the fossils in Layer X were formed before the fossils in Layer W.

• modern forms of life may have developed from earlier forms of life.

• vertebrate fossils are only found in sediments underneath the ocean.

• the fossils in Layer W must be more complex than those in Layer X.

In 1666, Nicholas Steno determined that triangular stones were fossilized teeth from sharks that lived long ago. By comparing the fossilized teeth with those of a modern shark, which could Steno conclude?

• Sharks used to live on land.

• Sharks used to live in warmer waters than they do today.

• Sharks that lived in the past were similar to sharks that live today.

• Shark behavior used to be radically different than shark behavior today.

The drawings below show two fossil whale skulls and a modern whale skull. Which statement best explains how these skulls provide evidence for the theory of evolution?

• Isolated organisms grow slowly.

• Species change gradually over time.

• Only the largest organisms survive.

• Traits are acquired by species that swim.

The pictures below show a fossil of a glyptodon and a live armadillo, two different species. Glyptodons existed between 2,500 to 10,000 years ago, while armadillos exist today. What do the pictures suggest about the armadillo?

• The armadillo and glyptodon used to breed years ago.

• The armadillo was a predator of the glyptodon in the past.

• The armadillo and the glyptodon share a common ancestor.

• The armadillo and the glyptodon lived in similar environments.

The fossil record shows that some organisms have become extinct. However, some of these extinct organisms closely resemble organisms that are still alive today. Which of the following best describes why some extinct species in the fossil record are similar to organisms living today?

• All organisms have identical genetic codes and therefore produce similar features.

• Organisms are related by a common ancestor that evolved over a very long period of time.

• Organisms adapted the same way to their environments in order to produce beneficial traits.

• Following mass extinctions, new organisms followed the genetic path of the previous extinct organisms.

The scientific explanation of the origin of life on Earth is based on evidence gathered throughout the physical and life sciences. What is the common thread of the different theories of the origin of life on Earth?

• Lightning caused living organisms to form.

• Lightning provided energy for cell membranes to form.

• The earliest life-building compounds contained carbon.

• The early Earth's atmosphere was similar to what we see now.

What evidence strongly suggests that life on Earth originated deep in the ocean near hydrothermal vents?

• Electric sparks can generate amino acids and sugars from a watery environment.

• Plant fossils are found near hot springs where water temperatures are near the boiling point.

• Mineral crystals in hot clay could have arranged organic molecules into organized patterns.

• The ancestors of today's prokaryotes are most closely related to the bacteria that live on the deep-sea vents.

Which theory is most widely supported by scientists as an explanation of how life began on Earth?

• Photosynthetic organisms developed after consumers.

• Prokaryotic organisms evolved from eukaryotic organisms.

• Organic molecules formed from common inorganic molecules.

• Organisms developed first on land then moved into the oceans.

In 1953, the Miller-Urey experiment showed that, under conditions similar to Earth's early atmosphere, organic compounds could be formed from atmospheric gases. The results of this experiment are considered to support which of the following ideas about the origin of life on Earth?

• Living things can arise from nonliving matter.

• Bacteria evolved before complex organisms.

• Photosynthesis is essential too life on Earth.

• Life began to evolve in the oceans.