Life on Earth
Chapter 19
The History of Life on Earth
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  1. Our best estimate for the age of Earth, 4.5 billion years, is supported by
    1. the assumption of uniformitarianism
    2. the Big Bang theory
    3. gradualism
    4. punctuated equilibrium
    5. radioactive dating of the oldest rocks found

  2. There was no free oxygen in the early atmosphere because all of it was tied up in
    1. water
    2. ammonia
    3. methane
    4. rock
    5. radioactive isotopes

  3. RNA became a candidate for the first information-carrying molecule when Tom Cech and Sidney Altman discovered that some RNAs can act as enzymes that
    1. degrade proteins
    2. turn light into chemical energy
    3. split water and release oxygen gas
    4. synthesize copies of themselves
    5. synthesize amino acids

  4. The exoskeleton of early, marine-dwelling arthropods can be considered a preadaptation for life on land because it
    1. can support an animal's weight against the pull of gravity
    2. allows a wide diversity of body types
    3. resists drying
    4. absorbs light
    5. both a and c

  5. The evolution of the shelled, amniotic (membrane-enclosed) egg was an important event in vertebrate evolution because it
    1. led to the Cambrian explosion
    2. was the first example of parents caring for their young
    3. allowed the colonization of freshwater environments
    4. freed organisms from having to lay their eggs in water
    5. allowed internal fertilization of eggs

  6. The Big Bang occurred approximately ______ years ago, according to scientists.
    1. 100 million
    2. 100 thousand
    3. 1 billion
    4. 15 billion
    5. 50 billion

  7. The first living organisms were probably
    1. autotrophic, aerobic bacteria
    2. heterotrophic, anaerobic bacteria
    3. autotrophic algae
    4. heterotrophic zooplankton
    5. autotrophic phytoplankton

  8. Eukaryotic cells evolved about _________ years ago.
    1. 4.5 billion
    2. 3.5 billion
    3. 1.4 billion
    4. 600 thousand
    5. 10 thousand

  9. Which of the following are major adaptations that allow birds and mammals to have a more active life style than reptiles?
    1. internal fertilization
    2. high, constant body temperature
    3. insulation over body surface
    4. internal fertilization and high, constant body temperature
    5. high, constant body temperature and insulation over body surface

  10. All of these are potential problems for organisms that dwell on land rather than water, except
    1. dessiccation
    2. light availability
    3. union of sex cells
    4. body support
    5. movement

  11. The first terrestrial animals probably were
    1. arthropods
    2. amphibians
    3. reptiles
    4. mycorrhizae
    5. mammals

  12. These primitive fish, called _________, were probably the ancestors of both modern bony fish and ________.
    1. lobefins, reptiles
    2. lobefins, amphibians
    3. sharks, amphibians
    4. trilobites, salmonella
    5. trilobites, reptiles

  13. Which arthropod characteristic "preadapted" them to life on land?
    1. multiple legs
    2. compound eyes
    3. exoskeleton
    4. open circulatory system
    5. antennae

  14. Which of these set primates apart from other mammals?
    1. placental young
    2. mammary glands
    3. grasping hands
    4. parental care of young
    5. tree-dwelling

      


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