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WorksheetsEvolutionary History Unit Exam (Amplify)
Total questions: 37
Worksheet time: 40mins
Which of the following is NOT a characteristic shared between blue whales and humans?
Giving birth to live young
Having skin instead of scales
Producing milk for their babies
Having gills for breathing
What do the small leg bones in blue whales indicate about their ancestors?
They were once capable of flying
They lived entirely underwater
They had legs and walked on land
They were smaller in size
The body structures for a population of chimpanzees were stable for a long time. Then, their body structures changed, making the chimpanzees stronger. Why did this happen?
Organisms naturally become stronger over time.
It is impossible to say without more information.
The chimpanzee population wanted to be stronger.
Their environment must have changed.
This tortoise and this moray eel both have jaws that help them grab food. However, they have different structures in their jaws for eating. The tortoise has a bony beak that helps it bite plants. The moray eel has sharp teeth that help it eat fish. What most likely explains why both have jaws and why the jaws are different?
All species have their own specific body structures, so it is a coincidence that this tortoise and moray eel each happen to have jaws that are different.
Tortoises and moray eels are different species, so they do not share an ancestor population. These species had separate ancestor populations, and each evolved jaws that help it survive in its environment.
It is impossible to explain the structures of different species. The way structures change over time is very complex, and no one has ever observed these changes occurring.
Tortoises and moray eels both inherited jaws from a shared ancestor population, but this population separated into different environments. In each environment, different types of jaws evolved that help the populations survive.
This living sea star and fossil sea urchin both have body structures that are formed along five lines. What best explains why both species have this five-lined body structure?
The sea star and sea urchin are different species, so they must not share an ancestor population. They must have inherited this five-lined body structure from separate ancestor populations.
The sea star and sea urchin both share the same ancestor population that had a five-lined body structure. They inherited this structure from the ancestor population.
It is impossible to say. Fossils are very old; therefore, we cannot make observations of the sea urchin’s ancestors, and we cannot explain its body structure.
All species have their own specific body structures, so it is a coincidence that this sea star and sea urchin each have this specific type of five-lined body structure.
What does this diagram show?
All three species share a common ancestor, but the bold jumping spider and Bombay locust are more closely related to each other than they are to the common octopus.
All three species share a common ancestor, but the bold jumping spider and common octopus are more closely related to each other than they are to the Bombay locust.
The three species are not related and come from separate lines of evolutionary history.
All three species share a common ancestor and are equally related to one another.
This living manta ray and this fossil shark both have a skeleton made of cartilage (which is softer than bone). What best explains why both species have a skeleton like this?
The manta ray and shark are different species, so they must not share an ancestor population. They inherited cartilage skeletons from separate ancestor populations.
The manta ray and shark both share the same ancestor population that had a cartilage skeleton. They inherited this structure from the ancestor population.
All species have their own specific body structures, so it is a coincidence that the manta ray and shark each happen to have a cartilage skeleton structure.
It is impossible to say. Fossils are very old; therefore, we cannot make observations of the shark’s ancestors, and we cannot explain its body structures.
The body structures for a population of green herons (a species of bird that lives near water) were stable for a long time. Then, their body structures changed to make the green herons taller. Why did this happen?
It is impossible to say without more information.
The green heron population wanted to be taller.
Their environment must have changed.
Organisms naturally become taller over time.
Species (a) their body structures from their (b) populations.
Flor is studying the evolutionary history of house geckos, Pacific gulls, and wolves. All three species share some body structures, but they also have some differences in their body structures. Here is a table that includes information about the body structures that Flor is studying. Which 2 species are more related?
house gecko and wolf
house gecko and pacific gull
wolf and pacific gull
A population of a certain kind of fish is introduced into a new habitat. These fish have variations in color from light to dark. Because of the lighting conditions and predators in this new habitat, light-colored fish survive better near the surface and dark-colored fish survive better near the bottom. What change would likely result after many generations of these fish living in this environment?
All the fish would become more similar, something exactly between light-colored and dark-colored.
None of the fish would be able to survive, because the new habitat is not suited to any of them.
There would be two populations of fish, light-colored near the surface and dark-colored near the bottom.
The fish would become smaller over time so that they could more easily defend themselves from predators.
In the front limb diagram, what does the shared structures indicate about the evolutionary relationships among the organisms?
They are not related because they use them for different purposes.
They have evolved from a common ancestor.
There is no way of knowing if these organisms are related just by looking at their bones.
The diagram provided here is an evolutionary tree. It shows how groups of organisms are related through a shared evolutionary history. Which of the following provides the best evidence that can be used to create this diagram?
The habitats in which the animals live
Competition between organisms for resources
Similarities and differences in body structures
Observations of interactions in the wild
What does this diagram show?
All three species share a common ancestor, but the African elephant and Sumatran tiger are more closely related to each other than they are to the Norway rat.
All three species share a common ancestor, but the Sumatran tiger and Norway rat are more closely related to each other than they are to the African elephant.
The Sumatran tiger, African elephant, and Norway rat are not related and come from separate lines of evolutionary history.
All three species share a common ancestor and are equally related to each other.
This ctenophore, this sea cucumber, and this cuttlefish have similarities and differences in their body structures. What does the information about these structures tell you about the ancestors of these species?
All three species share an ancestor population, but the sea cucumber and the cuttlefish share a more recent ancestor population. This is why they share the intestine structure.
None share an ancestor population because different species cannot share an ancestor population. It is a coincidence that these species have some of the same body structures.
Sea cucumbers and cuttlefish share an ancestor population, but they must not share an ancestor with the ctenophore because ctenophores don’t have the intestine structure.
We cannot make observations of ancestor populations from the past. It is impossible to explain ancestors with only the information about the body structures of different species.
Which species (H, I, or K) is the closest relative to Species J?
Species H
Species I
Species K
Neither
Do you think the two species have a common ancestor?
NO
YES
Imagine a population of frogs that live in the forest. The frogs have a green coloring on top that helps them blend into the forest so they are not noticed by predators.
Imagine that half of this population stayed in the forest and the other half of the population moved to the hills above the forest, which are drier, with some brown grass and brown soil.
Which population of frogs is likely to have more changes after many generations?
Descendant Species 1: The frogs in the brown hills.
Descendant Species 2: The frogs in the green forest.
Neither.
Shared Structures always come from
random chance
two different species in a similar environment
a common ancestor
species structures are entirely unique.
What structure did the common ancestor have?
Scapula bone in shoulder
Three bones in inside ear
Two bones in inside ear
Five toes in each back limb
Which of these animals are the most closely related?
The Desert Cottontail and The Grizzly Bear, because they are both mammals and give milk to their babies
The Sea Otter and the Desert Cottontail, because they are both much smaller than the bear
The Grizzly Bear and the Sea Otter, because they both share a backbone and canine teeth
All three animals are equally related
Which Traits did the Common Ancestor have? select all that apply
Tibia Bone
Lays eggs
scale
fur
Which of these animals are more closely related?
The turtle and the Siamang because they both give live birth
The Flamingo and the Siamang, because they fur and feathers are more similar that feathers and scales
The flamingo and the turtle, because they both have a tibia bone and lay eggs
All three animals are equally related
About 99% of all species who ever lived are extinct. Why do organisms go extinct?
Humans hunt them.
They are all eaten by other species.
Their environments change and they are no longer well adapted to them.
The Mystery fossil is most closely relates to...
species A
species B
It is equally related to both species.
The common mammal ancestor.
Which of the following is NOT a descendant species of species d?
Species A
Species B
Species C
Species A, B, and C all share a common ancestor, which is...
Species E
Species D
Species A
What is the most recent common ancestor that species B and C share?
Species E
Species D
Species A
Match the following
Mystery Fossil
Whale
Wolf
Species C belongs
In box 1
In box 2
It doesn't belong on this tree.
Whales, wolves, and the mystery fossil (a) . The mystery fossil and crocodiles (b) .
(a) inherit their body structures from (b)
The mystery fossil has a backbone which means it is a (a) . The mystery fossil has live birth which means it is a (b) .
A species can split into 2 groups. Those two groups have (a) because they have a common ancestor. The two groups have (b) because they are adapted to their own environment.
Among any three species, the two species that separated (a) are the (b) to each other.
Who is most closely related when two species share a structure that is not shared with a third.
The first 2 species
One of the first species and the third species.
They are all equally related.
None of them are related.
The common ancestor is (a) and the descendants are (b) . We know that species A had to have nostrils on the top of its head because (c) have this trait. This is therefore a (d) . We don't know if species A had arms because (e) has this trait.
