AnswersTPS EdX BiologyBiological Evidence and the Fossil Record

Biological Evidence and the Fossil Record — Test Answers

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1
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Which method is most likely used to identify what happened before the start of the Paleozoic era?

A
Scientists examine fossil evidence during the Precambrian time.
B
Scientists explore the emergence of mammals and humans in the Cenozoic era.
C
Scientists study fossils from the Jurassic period.
D
Scientists observe index fossil records of the Mesozoic era.
2
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Which statement describes the geologic features?

A
Layer K is the oldest.
B
Layer W is the youngest.
C
Layers B, W, and E were deposited after fault Q occurred.
D
Fault Q occurred before layer K was deposited.
3

Josiah says this is a phylogenetic tree of the dinosaurs. Maleek says it is a cladogram of the dinosaurs. Who is correct?

A
Neither is correct.
B
Both are correct.
C
Maleek is correct.
D
Josiah is correct.
4

Which type of anatomic structure are bird wings and butterfly wings when compared to each other?

A
homologous
B
analogous
C
heterologous
D
vestigial
5

A fossilized fish is found that has jaws but no true bones. Where does this fossil belong on the cladogram?

A
A
B
B
C
C
D
D
6

According to the principle of original horizontality, what most likely happened to the rock layers in the background?

A
They were deposited at an angle.
B
They were deposited vertically and then shifted by a geologic event.
C
They were deposited horizontally and then shifted by a geologic event.
D
They cracked at an angle.
7

Which best explains how scientists confirmed that the moon formed around the same time as Earth?

A
Scientists used radioactive dating to study the age of material from the moon and Earth.
B
Scientists determined the approximate age of fossils from the moon and Earth.
C
Scientists explored the cycle of condensation and evaporation over time on the moon and Earth.
D
Scientists analyzed the content of gases that were part of the atmospheres on the moon and Earth.
8

Which feature causes a gap in the geologic record?

A
extrusion
B
intrusion
C
fault
D
erosion
9

Which statement describes one of Wegener’s ideas that contributed to the theory of continental drift?

A
The continents were once connected as one landmass.
B
The continents have moved apart very quickly due to earthquakes.
C
The continents are magnetically pulled toward or pushed away from one another.
D
The continents drifted apart due to repeated meteor impacts.
10

A scientist is trying to determine the relationship between clams, snails, and squid. When she generates a molecular clock, she is surprised to see that clams and squid are more closely related than clams and snails. Which did the molecular clock data show?

A
Clams and squid have been evolving separately for a longer time than clams and snails.
B
Clams and snails have more in common genetically than clams and squid.
C
Clams and snails are more similar in related structures than clams and squids.
D
Clams and squid have been evolving separately for a shorter time than clams and snails.
11

Why are the Miller-Urey experiments essential to the theory of evolution?

A
They showed that electricity can create life.
B
They showed the role that natural selection played in the evolution of modern day organisms.
C
They showed that life can only come from life.
D
They showed how organic molecules could be made from Earth's early atmosphere.
12

Thylacosmilus is a marsupial, and Smilodon is a mammal. Thylacosmilus and Smilodon both have saber teeth, but they do not share an ancestor that had saber teeth. What are saber teeth for these organisms?

A
homologous structures
B
mutated structures
C
analogous structures
D
vestigial structures
13

Which phrase describes the relative age of a rock?

A
can determine the age based on location of a rock within the same layer
B
requires only one rock to determine the age
C
uses the law of superposition to determine which rock is older or younger
D
can provide the exact age of a rock
14

Which best explains a primary reason for the inability of life to exist in Earth’s early atmosphere?

A
Available oxygen was used to help create an ozone layer within Earth’s atmosphere.
B
There was insufficient energy from material collisions to change their density.
C
Volcanic eruptions and comet collisions added different gases to the atmosphere.
D
High temperatures during Precambrian time caused surface water evaporation.
15

Scientists notice structural similarities between fossils of a land animal and an aquatic organism. They know the similarities are not a result of the two organisms having to adapt to similar environments. What can they attribute the structural similarities to?

A
transitional evolution
B
common ancestry
C
convergent evolution
D
similar mating habits
16

Which best describes eras and periods?

A
Eras have a smaller time span than periods.
B
Eras and periods are independent of each other.
C
Eras and periods both appear at the start of the Cambrian period.
D
Eras were more recently established on the time scale than periods.
17

How did Wegener explain why fossils of land animals were found on continents that are across oceans from one another?

A
Animals evolved separately on each continent.
B
Animals swam across the ocean to new continents.
C
Land bridges existed between the continents.
D
Continents were once one landmass and have drifted apart.
18

Mr. Morales is teaching a lesson on classification. He says that spiders are classified as a different group than insects because they have eight legs instead of six legs. He explains that spiders evolved first. Mr. Morales also says that having eight legs is the derived trait that separates the two groups. Antonio thinks Mr. Morales is wrong. Which piece of information is Antonio considering?

A
Spiders do not have eight legs.
B
If spiders evolved first, six legs is the derived trait.
C
Spiders do not have derived traits, since they evolved first.
D
Insects do not have six legs.
19

Which best describes the fossil record?

A
The fossil record provides evidence that disputes the theory of evolution.
B
The fossil record cannot provide evidence of evolution.
C
The fossil record is inaccurate because scientists are not able to date fossils.
D
The fossil record provides evidence of a common ancestor to many species.
20

Which indicates how evidence of climate change supports the theory of continental drift?

A
coal fields in several continents
B
folded mountains in Africa and South America
C
glacial evidence found in South Africa
D
volcano formation

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