BIO EXAM PART 1
Which of the following is a defining characteristic of primates?
Binocular vision
Which of the following is a notable characteristic of Australopithecus afarensis, an early hominid species?
Bipedalism and an upright posture.
The Cambrian Period was characterized by unprecedented proliferation of species & phyla including an explosion of animal diversity. Identify the one FALSE statement below. A. Dramatic increase in atmospheric O2to support more complex organisms. B. Snowball Earth or the complete glaciation of Earth occurred just prior to the Cambrian Period. C. Increased volcanic activity raised CO2levels which in turn increased the greenhouse effect leading to glacier melting and huge runoff of minerals, nutrients, and microorganisms into the oceans. D. The Cambrian Period occurred during the late Hadean eon.
D
Since hydrogen and oxygen are gases at room temperature, the compound hydrogen peroxide formed from these elements: A. can be predicted to be a gas based upon the properties of hydrogen and oxygen B. can be predicted to be a solid based upon the properties of hydrogen and oxygen C. can be predicted to be a liquid based upon the properties of hydrogen and oxygen D. None of the answers are correct
D NONE
The North American Pronghorn far outraces any predators remaining on the North American continent. If maintaining this speed means bearing fewer offspring, which of the following is the most likely to happen given enough time?
This species will slow down
Reduced allele variation results in an increased chance of extinction.(T/F)
True
Species, Genus, Family, Order, Class, Phylum, Kingdom: Lists the taxonomic categories in the order from most specific to most general.
True
Stromatolites are some of the oldest evidence of life on Earth and are formed by the activity of ancient photosynthetic bacteria.(T/F)
True
The earliest primates were arboreal and small in size.(T/F)
True
The major events in the history of life on Earth, from earliest to most recent is: prokaryotes, photosynthesis, eukaryotes, and then colonization of land by plants and fungi.(T/F)
True
What caused Snowball Earth to become warmer and melt?
Volcanoes protruded through the ice, released greenhouse gases which in turn heated the earth
This person independently converged on the idea of evolution by natural selection:
Wallace
From which method do we know approximately what the Earth was like when it was formed?
analysis of meteorites
Bacteria:
are one of the three domains of life
In addition to light energy from the sun, what two substances are needed in order for photosynthesis to take place?
carbon dioxide and water
During the Industrial Revolution, dark-colored moths became more prevalent in industrial areas, while light-colored moths became less common due to pollution staining trees. In rural areas, light-colored moths remained dominant. Over time, this led to a significant shift in the moth population. What type of natural selection is most likely occurring in this moth population as a result of the Industrial Revolution?
Directional selection
Ingredients for the origin of life include: Basic elements B. Basic organic compounds C. Complex biomolecule(s) capable of replication D. A membrane enclosure E. All of the answers are correct
E
What modern evidence is consistent with the hypothesis that mitochondria & chloroplasts arose through endosymbiosis? A. DNA structure & cell division of mitochondria & chloroplasts are similar to those in bacteria B. Mitochondria & chloroplasts transcribe and translate their own DNA C. Their ribosomes are more similar to bacterial ones and synthesize their own proteins D. Eukaryotic cells cannot make more mitochondria or chloroplasts E. All of the answers are correct
E
Which scientific evidence allows us to reconstruct the origins of Earth andevolution of life? A. Analysis of rocks: meteorites, volcanic rocks/sediment, stromatolites, sedimentary rocks B. The Stanley Miller experiments C. The discovery of RNA with catalytic activity, ribozymes D. Technological advances in modern telescopes to observe and study the birth of a solar system and planets E. All of the answers are correc
E
A rabbit population consists of animals that are either very dark or very light on top. The color pattern is not related to sex. No rabbit shows intermediate coloration (medium darkness). This pattern might result from:
disruptive selection
Two populations of organisms belong to the same biological species when they
encounter each other, mate, and produce viable, fertile offspring under natural conditions.
Which of the following options lists major events in the history of life on Earth in the proper order, from earliest to most recent?
first prokaryotes; photosynthesis; then eukaryotes; colonization of land by plants and fungi
A small population of tortoises has been isolated on a small, remote island in the Galapagos for over 10,000 generations. While the population's characteristics are still similar to the ancestral mainland species, male sperm exhibit a variety of abnormalities and female fertility is much lower than on the mainland. What process may have been acting on this island's population?
genetic drift
When there seems to be no contemporary selective forces that can explain the traits of recent organisms, such as the New Zealand Moa, evolutionary biologists often invoke the idea of:
ghost of predation past
A nucleus of a cell:
has its own membrane
The endosymbiotic theory explains
how mitochondria and chloroplasts originated from free-living cells
What was the iron catastrophe?
intense heat caused earth to melt causing heavy metals to sink to the core and lighter material to rise to the surface
In coevolution with moths and bats:
moths developed ears or ability to detect sonar and avoid predation by bats
During the Hadean Eon, ~4 BYA, which of these was likely to emerge?
protocells
A current leading hypothesis about the first system of inheritance in the earliest life forms involves:
self-replicating RNA molecules with ribozyme activity
Birds with average-sized wings survived a severe storm more successfully than other birds in the same population with longer or shorter wings. This illustrates:
stabilizing selection
What characterizes the Gray stage of earth?
the formation of new minerals
Which best describes Ida (Darwinius masillae)?
the possible missing link between primate/hominid evolution
The reason that pea hens mate with peacocks with large tails and many eye spots is that:
the size and spot density are indicative of peacock fitness shown as an increased survival rate of chicks.
Zircons are important because:
their appearance in the geological record is the earliest evidence of liquid water on Earth
How did scientists change the behavior of the male polygamous Montane Vole to become monogamous?
transferred to the male polygamous vole a gene for a hormone that caused monogamy
Which of the following is the first distinctively hominid trait to appear in the fossil record?
upright walking (bipedalism)
How does the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite locate planets?
watch and keep track of the light of a star
What compounds and conditions did Stanley Miller use to perform his 1953 experiment to simulate the atmosphere of early Earth to test the hypothesis of abiotic synthesis of organic molecules?
water vapor, H2 (hydrogen gas), CH4 (methane), NH3 (ammonia), spark for lightening
What compounds and conditions did Stanley Miller need to perform his 1953 experiment to simulate an early atmosphere?
water vapor, H2, CH4, NH3 and Lightning
Why was aerobic respiration a requirement for the emergence of eukaryotes?
Eukaryotes are much more complex than prokaryotes and require greater amounts of energy for their metabolism.
Which of the following is NOT consistent with natural selection?
Every member of the population shares the same genotype.
A "ring species" is an example of allopatric speciation.(T/F)
FALSE
A Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite locates planets by shooting a laser at a suspected location and observing the reflection.(T/F)
FALSE
Archaea have the simplest known genomes because they are the most ancient microorganisms.(T/F)
FALSE
Bacteria belong to the same domain of life as archaea.(T/F)
FALSE
In 2019, the creation of artificial life was accomplished by inserting a chemically synthesized bacterial genome into a plant cell.(T/F)
FALSE
The Cambrian explosion was caused by impact on Earth of a large meteorite.(T/F)
FALSE
The first fossil evidence dates from about 1 billion years coinciding with the appearance of the first eukaryotic cells.(T/F)
FALSE
The fossil record provides a complete and continuous record of the entire history of life on Earth.(T/F)
FALSE
The simplest known bacteria evolved from a virus.(T/F)
FALSE
Based on mitochondrial DNA analyses the "multiregional hypothesis" about where modern humans came from is currently favored.(T/F)
False
Protocell fossils were found in New Zealand.(T/F)
False
Thirty people are selected for a long-term mission to colonize a planet many light-years away from Earth. The mission is successful, and the population rapidly grows to several hundred individuals. However, certain genetic diseases are unusually common in this group, and the group's gene pool is quite different from the population on Earth that they left behind. Which of the following phenomena has left its mark on this population?
Founder effect
Which best describes Homo habilis?
Handy man- first to make and use stone tools
Which best describes the Permian Mass Extinction Event?
Highest mass extinction death rate
What were the two first essential elements required to form other common building elements for living organisms?
Hydrogen and helium
Banded iron formations arise from
O2 reacting with iron, causing it to rust out of the oceans about 2.4 BYA
Archaea are:
Often found in extreme habitats such as low acidity and high temperature
Why did snowball earth glaciation follow the Oxygen Revolution?
Photosynthesis exchanged atmospheric CO2 for O2, and O2 reacted with methane resulting in depletion of the greenhouse gases.
The figures are histograms of the distribution of Geospirza fortis beak widths observed by Rosemary & Peter Grant in 1976 and in 1978 on Daphne Major Island. Which of the following statements either can be inferred or is supported by the data presented?
The G. fortis on this island is experiencing directional selection.
What is the term "Darwin's dilemma" often used to describe in the context of evolutionary biology?
The apparent lack of transitional fossils prior to the Cambrian time period.
A population of grasshoppers in the Kansas prairie has two color phenotypes, green and brown. Typically, the prairie receives enough water to maintain healthy, green grass. Assume a bird that eats grasshoppers moves into the prairie. How will this affect natural selection of the grasshoppers?
The brown phenotype should be more easily seen by the predator and decrease in frequency.
What is a genetic bottleneck, and which of the following scenarios is an example of it?
A genetic bottleneck is when a population undergoes a drastic reduction in size, leading to decreased genetic diversity.
The forelimbs of humans, cats, and bats have a number of detailed similarities in their construction. What best explains these similarities?
The forelimbs are similar because all of these organisms inherited the basic forelimb design from a common ancestor.
What is meant by the concept of "emergence" in biology?
The phenomenon where complex properties or behaviors arise from simpler interactions among components.
Different criteria are currently used to define animal and bacterial species.(T/F)
TRUE
Predators have learned to associate poisonous prey with bright colors.(T/F)
TRUE
The K-T boundary is geologically identifiable because scientists found evidence of a massive asteroid impact in the form of depositions of:
Iridium
Neil Shubin & colleagues made one of the greatest paleontological discoveries of all time. Why was the discovery of Tiktaalik so important?
It explained the transition from fish in the water to vertebrates that could walk on land
What is a significant feature of the Cambrian explosion?
It is characterized by the rapid diversification of multicellular oceanic life.
What makes the Burgess Shale an important paleontological discovery in the field of biology?
It preserves fossils from the Cambrian period.
In the context of astrobiology and the search for extraterrestrial life, Fermi's Paradox raises intriguing questions. Which of the following best summarizes Fermi's Paradox?
It questions why, given the vast number of potentially habitable planets, we have not yet observed signs of advanced extraterrestrial civilizations.
Which of the following best characterizes adaptive radiation?
It results in the rapid diversification of species into various ecological niches.
Neil Shubin & colleagues made one of the greatest paleontological discoveries of all time. Why was the discovery of Tiktaalik so important?
It was the missing ancestral link between fish and tetrapods and explained the transition from fish in the water to vertebrates that could walk on land.
Which of the following is not a quality of binocular vision Depth perception Advantageous when navigating in trees Large field of view Excellent focus
Large field of view
Which of the following types of evidence provides insights into the evolutionary history of species based on the study of their DNA sequences?
Molecular biology
What concept did the video on the Christmas Island crabs emphasize?
More offspring will be produced than can possibly survive
What is the primary role of RNA in the RNA world hypothesis?
RNA acted as both an information carrier and a catalyst for biochemical reactions.
Male bower birds build large, elaborate structures up to six feet high that they decorate with flowers, colored pebbles, and shiny objects. During the breeding season they use these structures as stages to display and court females. What process could drive the evolution of these remarkable bowers?
Sexual selection
What is one significant discovery made through the study of Neanderthal genetics?
Some modern humans carry Neanderthal DNA in their genomes.
In the North Pacific Ocean, two groups of the same species of killer whales (Orcinus orca) appear to be forming two different species based on what they eat. One group eats fish while the other eats mammals such as seals. Scientists can tell what they eat based on their teeth because whales that feed on fish have significantly different wear patterns. Which of the following best describes the type of speciation event that is occurring in the whales?
Sympatric speciation
Anaerobic bacteria existed earlier than aerobic bacteria.(T/F)
TRUE
Beta hemoglobin is a conserved protein that is useful for comparing the lineage of species.(T/F)
TRUE