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WorksheetsDiversity of Life Review
Total questions: 20
Worksheet time: 39mins
In 2010, scientists excavated a skull fossil that provides evidence of a newly discovered species of big cat. Based on the evidence, scientists hypothesize that big cats branched off from smaller wild cats about 6 million years ago. Which of these resources did the scientists most likely rely on to form their hypothesis?
A food web showing feeding relationships of organisms where the fossil skull was found
The historical record of interactions between different species of big cats
Population and migration data for small wild cats living in the ecosystem where the skull was found
The fossil record and DNA comparisons of big cats and small cats
Cetaceans are whales and their relatives. The diagram shows some fossils of cetaceans.
Which statement provides the best evidence that Ambulocetus natans is an ancestor of Basilosaurus isis?
The fossils were found in different locations.
The youngest fossil is larger than the older fossils.
Homologous structures occur in each fossil.
Similar nitrogenous bases are found in the DNA of each fossil.
Genome maps provide the DNA sequences of chromosomes. Some scientists have compared the genome maps of a hedgehog and a sloth. What do these genome maps allow the scientists to determine?
How much the size ranges of the two species differ
How closely related the two species are to each other
The methods of protein synthesis that each species uses
The color patterns of the offspring of each species
The opossum, which is native to North America, and the kangaroo, which is native to Australia, are marsupials.
The fact that both these mammals incubate their immature offspring in a pouch provides
evidence that they —
must range great distances to eat
have very similar skeletal structures
belong to the same species
are descended from a common ancestor
The diagram shows a model of species divergence among some primates. If this model is correct, the greatest genetic differences would be found in the DNA sequences of which two
species?
Hylobates lar and Pongo pygmaeus
Pan troglodytes and Lemur catta
Macaca sylvanus and Macaca mulatta
Tarsius bancanus and Cebus albifrons
Three species of lizards of the genus Gallotia are found on the Canary Islands, a chain of seven volcanic islands off the west coast of Africa. The easternmost island, Lanzarote, is the oldest, while the westernmost island, El Hierro, is the youngest. The distribution of lizard species is shown on the map below.
The common ancestor of the lizards probably came from Africa.
The common ancestor of the lizards first colonized the island of El Hierro
The ancestors of each species evolved in Spain and were brought to the islands at the same time.
The ancestors of each species came from different continents at different times.
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 in the fossil record are smaller than their descendants are.
Scorpions living today have increased their numbers since they first appeared.
Scorpions have changed as a result of natural selection.
Scorpions do not appear in their original state in the fossil record.
Researchers studying populations of lizards from the genus Gallotia on the Canary Islands compared the protein cytochrome b in different populations. The table shows the number of differences in the cytochrome b protein between different populations.
Which conclusion about the relatedness of the lizards do these data support?
G. atlantica and G. stehlini are the least closely related.
G. simonyi and G. bravoana are the most closely related.
G. galloti eisentrauti and G. galloti palmae are the most closely related.
G. galloti eisentrauti and G. galloti galloti are the least closely related.
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 environment. Humans introduced a new species of mollusk that was not adapted to this environment. The introduced mollusk outcompeted the native mollusk species.
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 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 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.
An analysis of DNA and RNA sequences can be used to classify organisms. A dendrogram, such as the one shown below, is based on molecular data. It can be used to represent evolutionary relationships within a group of organisms that are hypothesized to have descended from a common ancestor.
Which statement is best supported by the information in this dendrogram?
Brown bears are more genetically similar to giant pandas than they are to sun bears.
The bear species are all more genetically similar to dogs than they are to giant pandas.
Lesser pandas are more genetically similar to raccoons than they are to giant pandas.
Lesser pandas are more genetically similar to giant pandas than they are to raccoons.
The survival of a species depends on its ability to adapt to changes in the environment. A species must be capable of surviving and reproducing despite changes to food sources, climate, or threats from predators. Which statement correctly describes a way that mutations increase the likelihood that a species will survive in a changing environment?
Mutations are the cause of disease in the species.
Mutations are always passed on to subsequent generations of the species.
Mutations are a source of variation in the species.
Mutations are not harmful when they occur in somatic cells of the species.
Plants have developed many methods of seed dispersal. The table below shows seeds of two different plants.
How has the seed dispersal method developed by these plants given them a reproductive advantage?
The method reduces the plants’ need for water and other nutrients.
The method lengthens the life cycle of each of these plants.
The method reduces the chance that herbivores will consume the seeds.
The method ensures that offspring will be dispersed and reduces competition for resources.
Which condition is essential for natural selection to result in a new species?
Unlimited resources
An inherited variation
A static environment
A long life span
The concept of gene flow is demonstrated when a cow is driven off from its herd, joins another herd, and reproduces. When the cow contributes to the gene pool of the new herd, which of these most likely increases?
Environmental fitness
Reproductive mutations
Natural selection
Genetic variation
Scientists estimate that there are more than 20,000 species of ants. The species range in size from 1 mm long to 38 mm long and live in most environments. The diets of ants range from flowers and seeds to fluids from their own larvae. Ants have been able to successfully inhabit so many different environments because their populations have been able to —
hybridize with other species of insects
occupy habitats that have no other life-forms
fill niches usually occupied by mammals
adapt to a variety of habitats and food sources
Nudibranchs are marine gastropods that lack shells. Many of these gastropods retain the foul-tasting poisons of their prey and secrete them when threatened. The bright coloration of the nudibranchs warns predators to avoid them.
Based on this information, how has adaptation allowed marine gastropods to be successful without a shell?
They find enough food as they move through the marine environment.
They are not attacked by most predators and are able to reproduce successfully.
They blend in with their environment to hide from their predators.
They have bright colors that attract a mate.
A prey population consists of individuals with a variety of running speeds.
The adaptation that allows some of these animals to run fast would be an example of natural selection if it helps them —
survive and undergo mutations in their DNA
produce offspring that run at average speeds
reproduce and increase the frequency of their genes in the population
lower the mortality rates of the population
Two populations of mice living in the same forest are separated by a large water-filled ditch. After a rainstorm, flooding brings several mice from one population to the other population. When the mice from the first population reproduce with members of the second population, which of the following will likely occur?
All the offspring will die as a result of reproductive mutations.
The offspring will be genetically identical to their parent from the first population.
The offspring will be forced to leave the second population.
The offspring in the second population will have greater genetic variety
In the 1940s, the scientist J. B. S. Haldane linked many human red blood cell disorders with the tropical regions where malaria occurs. Haldane hypothesized that the widespread presence of these red blood cell disorders as well as traits that protect individuals from malaria were the result of natural selection. Haldane’s hypothesis was later confirmed by the research of A. C. Allison.
The resistance to malaria carried by individuals in areas where malaria is widespread is the result of —
the individuals’ genetic composition
a vaccine against malaria
antibiotic medications
the individuals’ behavior in avoiding those with the infection
A harmless scarlet king snake and a venomous eastern coral snake have similar band patterns, as shown below. For the scarlet king snake, the adaptation of having a banding pattern like the eastern coral snake’s is known as mimicry.
The outcome of this adaptation in the scarlet king snake is to —
make it easier for the scarlet king snake to interbreed with the other snake
make it easier for the scarlet king snake to attract prey
protect the scarlet king snake from predators
allow the scarlet king snake to blend in with its environment
