Question 1

Which of the following best describes the relationship between phylogeny and classification in modern biology?

Accepted Answer

Classification should reflect evolutionary relationships, grouping only monophyletic groups together.

Question 2

What is the primary reason radiometric dating is more accurate than stratigraphy for determining the absolute age of fossils?

Accepted Answer

Radiometric dating uses the constant decay rate of radioactive isotopes to calculate the age of rocks and fossils.

Question 3

A single nucleotide change in the EphB2 gene in pigeons leads to which of the following phenotypic changes?

Accepted Answer

A reversal in the polarity of feather growth on the back of the head, resulting in a crest.

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT a step hypothesized to be involved in the origin of life on Earth?

Accepted Answer

Formation of multicellular organisms from single cells.

Question 5

The 'oxygen revolution' was primarily caused by which biological process?

Accepted Answer

Photosynthesis by prokaryotes that split water molecules, releasing oxygen.

Question 6

Which of the following best explains why 14C dating is only useful for materials up to about 50,000 years old?

Accepted Answer

The half-life of $$^{14}C is $$about 5,700 years, so after about 50,000 years, too little $$^{14}C$$ remains to measure accurately.

Question 7

Which of the following is a correct sequence of major evolutionary events, from oldest to most recent?

Accepted Answer

Origin of life → photosynthesis → eukaryotes → multicellularity → Cambrian explosion → colonization of land

Question 8

Which of the following best describes a monophyletic group?

Accepted Answer

A group that includes an ancestor and all of its descendants.

Question 9

What is the main difference between microevolution and macroevolution?

Accepted Answer

Microevolution refers to changes within populations or species, while macroevolution refers to large-scale patterns and processes over long time periods.

Question 10

Which of the following is a real-world example of how physical changes on Earth have influenced biological evolution?

Accepted Answer

The movement of tectonic plates led to the geographic isolation of populations, promoting speciation.

Question 11

Which of the following statements about the Cambrian explosion is correct?

Accepted Answer

It was a period when most major animal phyla appeared in the fossil record over a relatively short time.

Question 12

Which of the following best describes the process of stratigraphy?

Accepted Answer

The study of rock layers (strata) and their sequence to understand the relative ages of fossils and rocks.

Question 13

Which of the following is a correct statement about the role of RNA in early life?

Accepted Answer

RNA can both store genetic information and act as a catalyst (ribozyme).

Question 14

Which of the following is a plausible explanation for why multicellularity evolved multiple times in different lineages?

Accepted Answer

Multicellularity provides advantages such as division of labor and increased size, which can evolve independently in different groups.

Question 15

Which of the following best describes the effect of a mass extinction event on biodiversity?

Accepted Answer

It rapidly reduces the number of species, but can also open ecological niches for new species to evolve.

Question 16

Which of the following is true about the use of potassium-argon dating in geology?

Accepted Answer

It is used to date igneous rocks and can be applied to materials millions to billions of years old.

Question 17

Which of the following is an example of abiotic synthesis relevant to the origin of life?

Accepted Answer

Formation of amino acids from simple molecules in the absence of living organisms, as demonstrated by the Miller-Urey experiment.

Question 18

Which of the following best explains why the fossil record is incomplete?

Accepted Answer

Many organisms were soft-bodied and did not fossilize well, and geological processes can destroy fossils.

Question 19

Which of the following is a direct consequence of the oxygen revolution for early life on Earth?

Accepted Answer

Many anaerobic prokaryotes went extinct, while aerobic metabolism evolved in others.

Major Events in the History of Life, Phylogeny, and the Fossil Record

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