Evolution and Fossil Record Quiz

After examining the fossil record, scientists have determined that scorpions today are much smaller than their extinct ancestors. For example, Jaekelopterus rhenaniae, a giant scorpion species that lived 255 million to 460 million years ago, was 2.5 meters long. Which of the following conclusions is supported by this information?

• Scorpions living today have increased their numbers since they first appeared.

• Scorpions in the fossil record are smaller than their descendants are.

• Scorpions have changed as a result of natural selection.

• Scorpions do not appear in their original state in the fossil record.

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The driving force behind variation that makes evolution possible is –

• mutation

• classification

• genetic engineering

• stability

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The graph shows the number of taxa of reptiles whose fossilized tracks have been found. Which statement is best supported by these data?

• Competition for food and shelter among reptile species was very low during the Triassic period.

• A great extinction occurred during the Jurassic period.

• Environmental conditions for speciation were most favorable for reptiles during the Permian period.

• Reptiles adapted to a terrestrial environment during the Cretaceous period.

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This diagram of the fossil record represents changes in mollusks over millions of years. How can the pattern of change in the fossil record best be explained?

• The mollusks were well adapted to their stable environment. A large, sudden change occurred in their environment. After the change the mollusks with the bigger shells were better adapted for the new environment.

• The mollusks were well adapted to their stable environment. The mollusks hybridized with a smaller species of mollusk. A new species of mollusk with a bigger shell resulted.

• The mollusks were not well adapted to their environment. The length of the mollusks' shells changed gradually over time. The mollusks in the original population that had small shells died over a period of many years.

• The mollusks were well adapted to their environment. Humans introduced a new species of mollusk that was not adapted to this environment. The introduced mollusk outcompeted the native mollusk species.

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Trilobite fossils are some of the most common fossils due to their ease of fossilization and long

period of existence. Trilobite species walked along the ocean floor causing them to easily be

covered by sediment. Trilobites existed for over 271 million years, longer than the dinosaurs and

humans combined. These characteristics provide humans with a large amount of fossil evidence

for trilobites.

Which statement best describes the cause of the arrangement of smooth and spikey trilobite fossils observed in the fossil record?

• The smooth trilobites were able to dig deeper into the soil than the spikey trilobites because they did not have protruding spikes that would catch on rocks in the ocean floor.

• Smooth trilobites could no longer blend in with the soil and grew spikes as an adaptation to protect themselves from predators gradually over time.

• The smooth trilobites were not able to compete with the spikey trilobites for food and slowly became extinct as the spikey trilobites became more dominant in the environment.

• A change in the environment caused the smooth trilobites to no longer be well adapted for the conditions. Spikey trilobites were well adapted to the new environment and began to thrive.

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Geologists discovered a large trilobite fossil collection near the Pecos River. The first group of fossils were found in the mountains west of the river and contained several complete fossils that the geologists labeled "Species A". The second group of fossils were found along the eastern banks of the river and contained several complete fossils that geologists labeled "Species B"

What hypothesis is best supported by the fossils found near the Pecos River?

• Species A and B were direct competitors for food. Species A was more successful, causing the extinction of Species B.

• Species A and B were direct competitors for food. Species B was more successful, causing the extinction of Species A.

• A change occurred in the environment. Species A was not well adapted to the new environmental conditions, while Species B was well adapted to the new environmental conditions.

• A change occurred in the environment. Species B was not well adapted to the new environmental conditions, while Species A was well adapted to the new environmental conditions.

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After examining the fossil record, scientists have determined that horses today are much larger than their extinct ancestors. For example, Hyracotherium Eohippus, a small horse species that lived 50-60 million years ago, was 60 cm long and 30-38 cm high at the shoulder. Which of the following conclusions is supported by this information?

• Horses living today have increased their numbers since they first appeared.

• Horses in the fossil record are larger than their descendants.

• Larger horses more readily survived their environment allowing their genetic information to be passed to the next generation.

• Only fossils from smaller horses are found because only the smaller horses died.

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Which of the following would support Darwin's hypothesis of development of a species?

• A fossil record that shows dramatic change in organism size or structure from layer to layer.

• A fossil record that shows gradual change in organism size or structure from layer to layer.

• A fossil record that shows no change in organism size or structure from layer to layer.

• A fossil record that shows an abrupt disappearance of the organism between layers.

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A scientist is examining layers of the earth and tracking information about animal fossils found in each layer. For many of the deeper layers there are consistently large animal skulls but there is a sudden shift in the skull size in one layer and they are all much smaller at that point for the remaining layers until the earth's surface. What does this suggest?

• The environment gradually changed, eventually no longer supporting large animals.

• The animals underwent a sudden, dramatic evolution.

• The lower layers had swollen in size from the pressure of the layers above and this had not happened yet at a certain depth.

• A sudden change to the environment caused a different size animal to become the prevalent species.

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During early stages of development, dolphin embryos begin to develop hind limbs. By the time the dolphin fetuses are fully developed, the hind limbs have disappeared. Which statement best explains the early development and then disappearance of hind limbs in dolphins?

• Dolphin fetuses change their development to adapt to an aquatic environment.

• The genes that control the development of hind limbs are destroyed as the fetus develops.

• The early ancestors of dolphins had hind limbs.

• Dolphins are evolving to become terrestrial animals.

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