DE_LE_3.5.1-3

What did Darwin think about the pace of evolutionary change?

• It occurred rapidly and sporadically.

• It occurred gradually over long periods.

• It was constant and unchanging.

• It was unpredictable and chaotic.

What does the fossil record suggest about evolution?

• It is complete without any gaps.

• It only records the most recent species.

• It takes place at a constant rate.

• It shows periods of rapid change and stasis.

What are necessary conditions for fossil preservation?

• Minimal decay and environmental disturbance.

• High heat and pressure.

• Rapid evolutionary changes.

• Exposure to the surface.

What event is described as an 'explosion' in the diversity of life about 550 million years ago?

• Cretaceous explosion

• Cambrian explosion

• Jurassic explosion

• Precambrian explosion

What might explain the sudden appearance of different species in the fossil record?

• Stable and unchanging climate

• Mass extinction and new ecological niches

• Lack of evolutionary material

• Constant environmental conditions

Why are Cambrian fossils more common than Precambrian fossils?

• More organisms existed during the Cambrian period.

• Organisms in the Cambrian had hard body parts.

• Fossil collection methods have improved.

• Precambrian organisms did not die.

What does the Burgess Shale primarily contain?

• A diverse array of early animal life

• Exclusively marine organisms

• Only vertebrate fossils

• Only plant fossils

What is an example of convergent evolution?

• The development of eyes in vertebrates

• The mineralization in Cambrian organisms

• The forelimbs of mammals

• The body shapes of sharks, ichthyosaurs, and dolphins

What does homology in biology refer to?

• Adaptations to aquatic environments

• Random mutations that lead to similar features

• Similarity in features due to common ancestry

• Structures that perform the same function but are not from a common ancestor

What model explains short bursts of speciation in the fossil record?

• Gradual equilibrium

• Punctuated equilibrium

• Constant evolution

• Adaptive radiation