Earth 03

Increasing the linear (length) dimensions of an object (e.g., a cube) by a factor of 3 will result in an increase in volume by a factor of: 3 8 27 64

27

The origin of the Earth has been dated roughly as: 4,500 years ago. 4,550,000 years ago. 4,550,000,000 years ago. 45,500,000,000 years ago.

4,550,000,000 years ago.

Before settling on the idea it belonged to a giant human, Robert Plot speculated that a fragmentary leg bone of a creature that would later be known as Megalosaurus was actually: A Roman war elephant. A giant horse. A giant bird. An unusual tortoise.

A Roman war elephant.

What aspect of the Chicxulub impact was probably the most important contributor to extinction at the end of the Cretaceous? Organisms were crushed directly by the impact. Wildfires sparked by the impact. Acid rain. A dust cloud that reduced photosynthesis.

A dust cloud that reduced photosynthesis.

Which of these extinct creatures is your closest relative? An ichthyosaur like Ichthyosaurus. A dinosaur like Megalosaurus. A pelycosaur like Dimetrodon. A pterosaur like Quetzalcoatlus.

A pelycosaur like Dimetrodon.

What is a morphospace? A geographic region where creatures with different morphologies live. A quantitative summary of the morphology of different creatures. A space into which different morphological structures expand as they grow. A morphological feature that is not adaptive.

A quantitative summary of the morphology of different creatures.

The diversification of mammals in the early Cenozoic or of dinosaurs in the early Jurassic represent possible examples of what phenomenon? Selective extinction. Evolutionary stasis. Adaptive radiation. Evolutionary constraint.

Adaptive radiation.

What is the most massive animal ever to evolve? Patagotitan. Tyrannosaurus. Blue whale. Dimetrodon.

Blue whale.

Which anatomical observation was historically used to argue against an immediate relationship between birds and dinosaurs? Dinosaurs were too large to be related to birds. Dinosaurs did not share archosaur features with birds. Unlike any bird, dinosaurs had teeth. Dinosaurs were thought to lack a furcula.

Dinosaurs were thought to lack a furcula.

Which of these terms best describes the thermal physiology of mammals and birds? Poikilothermy. Inertial homeothermy. Endothermic homeothermy. Ectothermy.

Endothermic homeothermy.

Pangaea split in two during the Mesozoic, with its southern part (containing the modern landmasses of Africa, South America, Australia, Antarctica, India, and Madagascar) known as: Gondwana. Baltica. Laurentia. Rhodinia.

Gondwana.

The two major divisions of the dinosaur family tree, Saurischia and Ornithischia, are most readily distinguished on the basis of their: Size. Hip bones. Teeth. Geographic distribution.

Hip bones.

The correspondence of parts between organisms due to their shared ancestry is known as: Analogy. Convergence. Divergence. Homology

Homology

What is the functional significance of the offset between the tooth row and jaw joint of ornithopod dinosaurs? It amplifes the biting force of the jaws. It brings the upper and lower teeth in gradual contact from back to front, like scissors. It increases the speed with which jaws close. It brings all the upper and lower teeth into contact at once, like a plier wrench.

It brings all the upper and lower teeth into contact at once, like a plier wrench.

What was the most significant aspect of the discovery of Archaeopteryx? It was the oldest dinosaur fossil known. It showed that dinosaurs also lived in Europe. It had a remarkable combination of bird and reptile features. It was a remarkably complete fossil specimen.

It had a remarkable combination of bird and reptile features.

Which line of evidence did not factor into Wegener's argumentation for continental drift? Presence of similar fossils in now distant land masses. Correspondence between continental outlines. Continuity of geological features between separate land masses Magnetic signals from rocks suggesting continents once had different locations.

Magnetic signals from rocks suggesting continents once had different locations.

Which group of living creatures did Owen consider most similar to dinosaurs in terms of their their stance and posture? Lizards. Mammals. Crocodiles. Frogs.

Mammals.

Which of the following groups of animals does not have air sacs associated with its bones? Theropods. Birds. Sauropods. Ornithischians.

Ornithischians.

Which of these features is not a special feature uniting archosaurs? Correct Answer Perforate acetabulum. S-shaped femur. Thecodont dentition. You Answered Antorbital fenestra.

Perforate acetabulum.

The largest terrestrial (land-living) mammal to ever evolve was an extinct: Rhinoceros. Giraffe. Elephant. Hippopotamus.

Rhinoceros.

Early paleontological art depicted dinosaurs as active dynamic creatures, but early 20th century reconstructions showed them as sluggish and lumbering. Why? Fossil evidence showed they were outcompeted by mammals. Since they were exinct, dinosaurs were considered evolutionary failures. New fossils showed dinosaurs had sprawling postures. Dinosaur trackways showed that they could only move slowly.

Since they were exinct, dinosaurs were considered evolutionary failures.

For an undisturbed sequence of sedimentary rocks, the law of superposition indicates that: The oldest rocks are at the top of a sequence. Sedimentary rocks are generally deposited by water. Rock layers cut through by erosion were originally continuous. The oldest rocks are at the bottom of a sequence.

The oldest rocks are at the bottom of a sequence.

Uniformitarianism refers to the idea that: The same processes operating today also operated in the geological past. Sediments are deposited uniformly in flat sheets. Nothing ever changes in geology. Rates of evolutionary change are constant.

The same processes operating today also operated in the geological past.

Why is the name "bird-hipped dinosaurs" unfortunate in the case of ornithischians? They do not have bird-like hips. They did not have beaks. They weren't dinosaurs. They didn't give rise to birds.

They didn't give rise to birds.

Why did Owen regard dinosaurs as a fundamentally new kind of reptile? They were ancient. They were enormous. They were ecologically diverse. They had special adaptations related to their posture.

They had special adaptations related to their posture.

One factor that might have permitted the evolution of large sizes in sauropods relative to mammals was: They spent all of their time in water. Earth's gravity was lower in the Mesozoic. They had a sprawling posture that was more efficient for bearing weight. They laid eggs rather than giving birth to live young.

They laid eggs rather than giving birth to live young.

What is the functional significance of turbinate bones in birds and mammals? They aid in unidirectional air flow to the lungs. They aid in the grinding of plant material. They provide extra surface for the attachment of jaw muscle They play a role in warming and humidifying inhaled air.

They play a role in warming and humidifying inhaled air.

Why were the discoveries of Hadrosaurus and Dryptosaurus in New Jersey during the 1860s particularly important for our understanding of dinosaurs relative to fossils that had been found earlier? They showed dinosaurs dragged their tails on the ground. They had adaptations for swimming. They presented evidence that dinosaurs walked on two legs. They had diverse feeding adaptations.

They presented evidence that dinosaurs walked on two legs.