GLY 130
Which of the following is the correct order of eras from newest to oldest?
Cenozoic -> Mesozoic -> Paleozoic
Listed below are important factors related to the understanding of cladograms. Which of the following is false?
Characters listed at a node are shared by some but not all members of the group associated with that node
What is the most important difference between a cladogram and an evolutionary tree?
Cladograms can be tested whereas evolutionary trees present untestable scenarios
There may have been four independent attempts at flight in theropod evolution. These would be: - Troodontids (e.g., Anchiornis) - Dromaeosaurs (e.g., Microraptor) - Avialans (e.g., birds, including modern Aves) - Scansoriopterygians (which involves bat-like characteristics) What is this form of evolution called?
Convergent evolution
An origination fossil is exciting because it means a scientist can add a new grade to a phylogeny.
False
Greenhouse conditions caused by enhanced heat absorption in the Earth's atmosphere are unique to the present day Earth.
False
Polar ice during the Cretaceous helped to normalize global temperatures reducing the variation of temperatures between the poles and the equator.
False
The order in which two organisms sharing the same characters are presented on a cladogram is important to understanding their relationships.
False
What is the structure labeled "1" (arrow goes into hole)? Note: It is an important structure for vertebrates because it allows the spinal cord to connect to the brain.
Foramen Magnum
sedimentary rocks
Fossils are most often found in:
The pattern of growth through an organism's life is called a/an ________.
Growth trajectory
List the correct bone order for a tetrapod forelimb from the proximal end (towards the body) to the distal end (away from the body):
Humerus -> Radius and Ulna -> Carpals -> Metapodials -> Phalanges
Which of the following taxa belong to the clade Euornithopoda?
Iguanodontidae
Biostratigraphy
Is a method of relative dating that utilizes the presence of fossil organisms
Which of the following statements is false regarding the relationship between stance anatomy and endothermy?
Lung capacities when running are minimized in endotherms with a fully erect stance compared to ectotherms with sprawling stances
The era of the dinosaurs was called the:
Mesozoic era
What does a big and commodious abdomen most likely mean for an ankylosaur?
Most of their digestion likely occurred through gut fermentation (much like modern-day ruminants)
Diagnostic characters of an amniote include all of the following except:
NOT* A lifestyle that is exclusively terrestrial.
If feathers were found on both pterosaurs and dinosaurs, what is the parsimonious conclusion about feather as a trait in evolution?
NOT* It evolved independently in both dinosaurs and pterosaurs
Which Epoch signals the end of nondinosaur dinosauromorphs and the start of the full-blown Age of dinosaurs?
NOT* Middle Triassic
Which of the following is NOT one of the sequential types of feather in feather evolution?
NOT* Monofilamentous, hair-like feathers
Identify the amniotic skull type below:
NOT* Synapsid
Which of the following characteristics are NOT part of what make ceratopsians such highly derived chewers?
None of the above
What are the diagnostic characteristics of Ankylosauria?
None of these
The dominant organism to go extinct at the K-Pg boundary was:
None of these choices
Instead of having a perpendicular pubis-ischium arrangement (like many saurischians), ornithischians have a rearward-facing pubis that lies parallel with the ischium (also mis-characterized as "bird-hip"). This arrangement (indicated by the red arrow in the figure below) is technically referred to as a/an:
Opisthopubic arrangement
What is/are the difference(s) in bone structures found organisms with determinate growth compared to those with indeterminate growth?
Organisms with determinate growth undergo a more rapid and extensive bone remodeling process prior to sexual maturity *AND* It is much more difficult to guess the age of organisms with indeterminate growth via bone examination
As diagnostic characters for Dinosauria becomes less and less clear with the increasing discoveries, what is one character that clearly distinguishes dinosaurs from nondinosaurs?
Perforate acetabulum
What is/are the characteristic(s) of sauropods (shared by birds and theropods) that allow(s) them to maximize oxygen usage and prevent unused oxygen from being entrapped in their long necks?
Pneumatic bones (Hollowed bones) *AND* Pleurocoels
The figure below shows a core-to-extremities temperature of an anonymous tetrapod. Based on your understanding of endotherms and ectotherms, how would you categorize the tetrapod in terms of its temperature regulation mechanism?
Poikilothermic ectotherm
Listed below are diagnostic characters of Chordata except for:
Presence of a brain
Which of the following is NOT true regarding "prosauropod" evolution?
Progression towards an omnivorous lifestyle
Which of the following is a characteristic that is present in Neornithes but absent in Archaeopteryx?
Pygostyle
Since dinosaurs did generally not live in volcanoes, which scientific idea can be used to determine the age of a dinosaur fossil that is sandwiched between two layers of volcanic ash? Note: The numerical ages of the two ash layers were known.
Relative dating
What is the name of the structure highlighted in the figure below?
Rostral bone
Many maniraptorans share a character involving a modification in the wrist bone which increased the wrist joint flexibility (highlighted in blue in the diagram below). What is the name of this structure?
Semi-lunate carpal
Tyrannosaur evolution showed an increase in body size through time; however, the size of the arms grew smaller and shorter compared to the body. What could be a plausible explanation for this?
Short arms are a structural by-product of the enlargement of the size and power of the skull
What is the most parsimonious solution to a stegosaur's problem with having disproportionately long back legs (as compared to its front legs)?
Slowing down its walking gait
Behaviors of primitive tetrapods do not include chewing because:
The absence of a secondary palate is a derived trait
What is the feature which differentiates a crurotarsan's mode of walking from that of an ornithodirans?
The angle between the ankle hinge and the lower portion of the leg
In desert regions known to have sedimentary rocks
The best place to look for fossils is:
What are the two factors that help paleontologists make a general estimation of a dinosaur's growth?
The dinosaur's weight *AND* Length of long bones
Evidence that theropods cared for their young is
The interactions that we see with living animals today that have babies that are anthropomorphically different than adults (ie "cute" babies with big eyes and shortened muzzles)
What are the diagnostic characteristics of Marginocephilia?
The key characteristic is the shelf on the back of the skull (on the parietal bone, producing the "margin" in Marginocephalia)
The discovery of oviraptorosaur skeletons overlying a nest of eggs suggest which of the following:
The possibility of maternal behavior similar to that of a modern bird (a non-avian theropod)
A pachycephalosaur's tooth morphology (shown in the figure below) represents that of a typical primitive ornithischian tooth similar to that found in heterodontosaurids and thyreophorans. What does this tell us about its tooth function?
The teeth were used to cut or puncture leaves or fruit while the main digestion more likely occurred in the gut
A gradual extinction of the dinosaurs
all of these
Adaptations that will have to be made to make a bird back into a dinosaur are
all of these
During resperation animals release
all of these
Pachycephalosauria and ceratopsians were
all of these
The very earliest dinosaurs were likely:
all of these.
Of birds:
birds are dinosaurs
The "dinosaur renaissance "of the late 1960s - 1970s was fueled by.
cladistic methods, dinosaurs as endotherms, birds as dinosaurs
There is a clear timing relationship between
continental flood basalts and extinctions
Iguanadon means "iguana thumb".
false
The name "Dinosauria" was invented by Richard Owen in 1842 to
group three large reptiles thought to have mammalian physiologies
Respiratory turbinates:
have mucus-covered surfaces that keep moisture in the nose to conserve water
Feathers could have been used by dinosaurs for
insulation
The illustration below shows an interaction between two centrosaurs. This type of interaction is referred to as ______.
interspecific
Roy Chapman Andrews, the man who led the very successful American Museum of Natural History expeditions in Mongolia in the 1920s,
is thought to be the inspiration for the Indiana Jones character in Raiders of the Lost Ark
The "Golden Age of Dinosaurs" is considered to be ___________________ due to the many familiar forms including very large theropods and sauropods.
late jurassic
It is generally thought that
mammals radiated after the dinosaur extinction, filling niches abandoned by them
Thyreophorans
means shield bearer ate plants
A cycadophyte is
none of these
Angiosperms are
none of these
Any hypothesis to explain an extinction must be
parsimonious and testable
Endothermy requires lungs to
replenish their air at a relatively high rate.
An effect of the Jurassic Park movies on paleontology
they inspired a lot of people in at least two generations to become paleontologists
Fossil evidence found throughout history suggest many intra and interspecific interactions of theropods. These include: a) Presence of feathers and visual interactions (feathers showing different colors and patterns) b) Predator and prey interactions (e.g., Velociraptor vs Protoceratop) c) Cannibalism (e.g., Majungatholus conspecific bitemarks) d) All of the choices above are
true
While most theropods ate meat, Therizinosaurus is like todays panda in that it evolved back into a plant eater from a meat eating family.
true
Average climatic conditions throughout the Mesozoic were
warm
Based upon the number of extant (still living) species
we live in the Age of Dinosaurs
Which of the following is NOT a characteristic that belongs in the node shown in the cladogram below?
Webbed feet
Understanding the value of dinosaur fossils and setting an auction price
Which factor does NOT contribute to the planning process for dinosaur collection?
The study of strata formation from movement of the Earth's tectonic plates
Which of the following is NOT the correct statement associated with the word "stratigraphy"?
What are the benefits of studying a dinosaur tooth and its morphology? Why is it important?
a and b
To achieve an upright stance dinosaur femur heads were oriented at about a ______ degree angle from the shaft.
90
Which of the images below is a much more plausible reconstruction of Deinonychus? a feathers b not
A
What does the term digitigrade refer to?
A stance condition in which the foot is supported by three of four digits, acting as an extra joint in the leg, with the fourth digit parked alongside the foot
Diagrams below show examples of the different pelvic bone structures that differentiates the two clades Dinosauria (Saurishia and Ornithischia). Which of the following structures illustrated shows the saurischian condition? Hint: The pubis is directed anteriorly (a primitive trait).
B
Below is a diagram of the infamous Deinocheirus (a sub-group of ornithomimids). Looking at its body morphology, what can be speculated regarding its behavior?
All of the above
The basic skeletal structures of a tetrapod include:
All of the above
What are the main groups of present-day flying animals (both vertebrates and invertebrates alike)?
All of the above
Which of the following does NOT support parental investment between sauropods and their eggs?
All of the above
What does having an erect or parasagittal stance mean for dinosaurs?
All of the choices are correct
Which of the following are characteristics that diagnose the group Sauropodomorpha (Prosauropods)?
All of the listed choices
Which of the following are diagnostic characteristics of neotheropods?
All of the listed choices
Marginocephalian
All of these
What are the diagnostic characteristics of the Stegosauria?
All of these
The presence of antorbital fenestra (opening on the side of the snout, in front of the eye) diagnoses which group?
Archosauria
The Linnaean classification was established prior to the understanding of evolution, yet, it is still widely in use regardless of its poor relevance towards evolution. How could this be possible?
Because Linnaeus established the system on the basis of overall similarities (which is true for many relationships but not all)
Which of the following about bidirectional breathering is true?
Bidirectional breathing is a less efficient process due to the existence of a physiological dead space (trapped air) inside the trachea
Dinosaurs all had _______________ skulls.
Diapsid
The term digitigrade refers to a characteristic of an animal to walk/stand on top of its fingertips/digits whereas plantigrade refers to an animal's characteristic to walk/stand on the length of its toe bones. The diagram below shows illustrations of a sauropod's forelimb (a) and hindlimb (b). Based on the terms shown above:
Digitigrade (a); Plantigrade (b)
planning, prospection, collecting and preparing.
Dinosaur collecting is done by:
Which of the taxa below includes dinosaurs and their very close relatives?
Dinosauromorpha
Which of the following are one of the speculated functions of a stegosaur's plates, spikes, or spines that was falsified by Harvard biologist R. P. Main and colleagues?
Thermoregulation
The twisting of the first phalanx of manual digit I (in a semi-opposable fashion), in other words, twisting of the thumb at an angle across the palm (shown in the figure below), is a derived character in which of the following clades?
Theropoda *AND* Saurischia *AND* Sauropodomorpha
In terms of theropod hunting and social behavior, what could be suggested based on fossil evidence and speculation?
Theropods lived in packs (e.g., Tyrannosaurus fossils are commonly found in pairs at a minimum) *AND* All theropods are likely facultative scavengers (or equal opportunity consumers), meaning that they would not pass the opportunity consume any available prey dead or alive *AND* Many theropods hunt in packs (including T. rex and Velociraptor) due to the size difference of predator and prey
Paleoclimates means ancient climates.
True
To determine a numerical age of a rock or a fossil, we need to acquire: a). the original amount of parent isotope at the time of its formation b). the amount of parent isotope currently present c). rate of decay of that isotope.
True
