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WorksheetsBiology Chapter 20 Exam - The History of Life
Total questions: 36
Worksheet time: 18mins
_____ division of geologic time into which eras are subdivided.
period
epoch
century
millennium
_____ term used to refer to a species that has died out and has no living members.
Extinct
Endangered
Threatened
Vulnerable
_____ length of time required for half of the radioactive atoms in a sample to decay.
half-life
quarter-life
full-life
double-life
What describes the evolution of a species by gradual accumulation of small genetic changes over long periods of time?
Gradualism
Punctuated equilibrium
Catastrophism
Uniformitarianism
_____ theory that proposes that eukaryotic cells formed from a symbiotic relationship among several different prokaryotic cells.
endosymbiotic
cellular
photosynthetic
genetic
Miller and Urey used all of the following substances to simulate Earth's early atmosphere EXCEPT:
Methane
Hydrogen
Oxygen
Ammonia
A scientist is using potassium-40, which is a radioactive isotope of potassium, to find the absolute age of a fossil by radiometric dating. The scientist determines that about three-fourths of the original potassium-40 atoms in the fossil now remain in the fossil. What additional information is necessary for the scientist to determine the absolute age of the fossil?
the half-life of potassium-40
the identity of an index fossil
the atomic mass of potassium-40
the total mass of the fossil
The three Eras in the geologic time scale are all of the following EXCEPT:
Mesozoic
Paleozoic
Phanerozoic
Cenozoic
The earliest cellular life forms appear to have been
viruses
one-celled plants
one-celled animals
bacteria
In the far-distant past, where may have been the place(s) where life first appeared?
Subduction zones
Hydrothermal vents
“Hot spots”
Continental lithosphere
_____ Earth has had several mass extinctions throughout its long history. Which describes a mass extinction, but not background extinction?
Species go extinct because their environment no longer supports them.
Species go extinct because other species are better adapted to the environment.
Extinctions of many species drastically alter whole ecosystems.
Extinctions affect only species of large animals, and not small animals, plants, or microorganisms.
_____ Cladograms that are based on the fossil record always show
relationships based on shared derived characteristics.
which organisms are direct ancestors of the others.
relative ages of organisms in the clade.
that clades are made up of only extinct species.
When is adaptive radiation most likely to occur, and for what reason?
after a mass extinction, because the survivors give rise to species that fill new niches
just before a mass extinction, because species are competing intensely for limited resources
when the climate is warmest, because high temperatures act to increase the rate of evolutionary change
when the climate is stable, because a stable environment tends to decrease the rate of evolutionary change
Which of the following organisms alive today is likely to be most similar to the first life forms that evolved on the earth?
methane-producing bacteria
algae
humans
reptiles
Which of the following traits evolved last (i.e., most recently)?
prokaryotic cells
eukaryotic cells
multicellularity
photosynthesis
The Miller-Urey experiment demonstrated
how RNA could have been the first organic molecule
that simple molecules could not have evolved spontaneously
the kinds of molecules that could have been produced on the early earth
that oxygen was required for the formation of molecules on early earth
Which observation provides the strongest evidence in support of the endosymbiotic theory?
Mitochondria do not survive when they are removed and separated from a eukaryotic cell.
Bacteria and algae have been observed to live inside eukaryotic cells.
The cell membranes of prokaryotes and eukaryotes have a similar structure, including proteins embedded in a lipid bilayer.
Chloroplasts are found in plant cells, but not animal cells.
Which of the following gases is least likely to have existed in the early atmosphere of the earth?
NH3
CO2
N2
O2
What changes to Earth’s surface are explained by the theory of plate tectonics?
Mountain formation and earthquakes
Weather patterns and climate change
Ocean currents and tides
Volcanic eruptions and solar flares
What was responsible for the color change?
The chemical reaction
The temperature change
The light exposure
The moisture level
What evidence leads scientists to believe that RNA, rather than DNA, was the first information-carrying molecule?
RNA can store genetic information and catalyze chemical reactions.
DNA is more stable than RNA.
Proteins are the primary catalysts in cells.
RNA is found in all living organisms.
The theory of plate tectonics explains how and why Earth’s lithospheric plates move relative to each other, causing mid-ocean ridges, volcanoes, and mountains to form.
True
False
Oxygen accumulated in the atmosphere forming the ozone layer and turning the sky blue.
True
False
Evolutionary change in one species can lead to evolutionary change in another species through the process of coevolution. An example is flowers that are suited to a specific pollinator.
True
False
The layers in the geosphere are:
Crust, Mantle, Core
Lithosphere, Hydrosphere, Atmosphere
Biosphere, Atmosphere, Hydrosphere
Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere
What was the early atmosphere like?
Rich in oxygen and nitrogen
Composed mainly of hydrogen and helium
Dominated by carbon dioxide and water vapor
Similar to the current atmosphere
The concept of plate tectonics explains the movement of which of the following?
Continental and oceanic plates
Atmospheric layers
Ocean currents
Mountain ranges
Describe subduction zones.
Areas where two tectonic plates collide and one is forced below the other
Regions where tectonic plates move apart
Zones where tectonic plates slide past each other
Locations where tectonic plates are stationary
Half-life in the context of dating rocks and fossils is:
the time it takes for half of the radioactive isotopes in a sample to decay.
the time it takes for a fossil to form.
the age of the oldest rock on Earth.
the time it takes for a rock to erode completely.
Radiometric dating is a technique used to:
Determine the age of rocks and fossils
Measure the temperature of the Earth's core
Calculate the distance between stars
Identify the chemical composition of water
The geologic time scale is a system of chronological dating that relates geological strata to time. What does the geologic time scale represent?
A system of chronological dating
A method for predicting weather
A tool for measuring earthquakes
A calendar for historical events
The differences between eons, eras, and periods are:
Eons are the largest time units, followed by eras, and then periods.
Eras are the largest time units, followed by eons, and then periods.
Periods are the largest time units, followed by eons, and then eras.
Eons, eras, and periods are all the same in terms of time units.
The Miller-Urey experiment was trying to find out what?
The origin of life on Earth
The structure of DNA
The theory of relativity
The function of enzymes
The RNA world hypothesis suggests that:
RNA was the first genetic material and played a crucial role in the early stages of life.
DNA was the first genetic material and RNA evolved later.
Proteins were the first molecules to carry genetic information.
RNA and DNA evolved simultaneously as genetic materials.
The endosymbiotic theory explains the origin of which cellular structures?
Mitochondria and chloroplasts
Nucleus and ribosomes
Cell membrane and cytoplasm
Golgi apparatus and lysosomes
Fossils reveal:
the history of life on Earth
the future of living organisms
the current climate conditions
the behavior of living animals
