Phylogenetic Trees and NOVA Missions

If these rock layers have been undisturbed, which layer is the oldest? Which layer is the youngest?

• The top layer is the oldest, and the bottom layer is the youngest.

• The second layer from the top is the oldest, and the second from the bottom is the youngest.

• The third layer from the top is the oldest, and the third from the bottom is the youngest.

• The bottom layer is the oldest, and the top layer is the youngest.

According to the Mission 2 video, fossils provide each of the following except:

• Examples of transitional species

• A complete record of past life on Earth

• Physical proof of extinction and speciation

• Evidence that evolutionary change tends to be gradual

What is another name for the wishbone?

• Furcula

• Lucky bone

• Shoulder blade

• Sternum

What two species does the wishbone provide a direct link between?

• T.rex & Velociraptor

• T.rex & Allosaurus

• T.rex & Albertosaurus

• T.rex & Stegosaurus

Which feature is shared by T. rex, Albertosaurus, Archaeopteryx, Ostrich, and Chicken according to the diagram?

• Toothless beak

• Shafted feathers

• Wishbone

• 2-fingered hand

What characteristic is indicated by the blue dot shared by Archaeopteryx, Ostrich, and Chicken in the diagram?

• Toothless beak

• Shafted feathers

• Wishbone

• 2-fingered hand

For an animal that lives in shallow water, what is the advantage of having eyes on the top of its head?

• To see prey/predators above it

• To see better in the dark

• To look for food on the ground

• To blend in with the environment

We know that Tiktaalik is more closely related to Acanthostega than it is to Eusthenopteron because Tiktaalik and Acanthostega:

• Both lacked digits

• Both lacked strong forearms

• Both had a humerus, radius, and ulna

• Both had eyes on the top of their heads

Which feature is indicated by the blue dot in the evolutionary diagram?

• Eyes on top of a flat head

• Strong arm-like bones

• Digits

• Gills

When did whale ancestors begin living full time in the water?

• After they nursed under water

• After they lost their hind legs

• Before they evolved gills

• Before they began eating a carnivorous diet