Evolution & Classification Quiz

1. An animal has these characteristics:

Many more than 8 jointed legs on a segmented body
2 pairs of legs attached to each body segment
Lacks biting jaws

Dragonfly

Millipede

Sea Star

Slug

2. What characteristic of early autotrophs gave them an advantage over early heterotrophs?

They ate heterotrophs.

They produced spores.

They made their own food.

They reproduced asexually.

3. What characteristic of early autotrophs gave them an advantage over early heterotrophs?

They ate heterotrophs.

They produced spores.

They made their own food.

They reproduced asexually.

4. Based on their taxonomic classification, which 2 organisms share the most recent common ancestor?

Squid and octopus (same class)

Lobster and eel (same kingdom)

Chimpanzee and gorilla (same family)

Iguana and mouse (same phylum)

5. These animals are all placed in the vertebrate class Amphibia and the order Anura. - wood frog, Rana sylvatica - bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana - western toad, Bufo boreas - spadefoot toad, Scaphiopus hammondi What is the most likely conclusion about the evolutionary relationship between or among these organisms?

The wood frog and bullfrog are better jumpers than the western toad and the spadefoot toad.

The wood frog and bullfrog share a more recent common ancestor than do the western toad and the spadefoot toad.

6. Horse skeleton fossils indicate that the size of horses increased over time. Which statement best explains this fossil record?

Smaller horses bred with larger horses, creating hybrids.

Smaller horses were infected by a fatal virus early in their history.

Larger horses consumed the food supply of the smaller horses.

Larger horses produced a slightly greater number of surviving offspring.

7. The organisms of what kingdom possess these traits?

Eukaryotic cells
Photosynthetic
Cellulose cell walls

Eubacteria

Fungi

Plantae

Monera

8. Lions and tigers both belong to genus Panthera. Cheetahs belong to the genus Acinonyx. Scientists group these 3 types of cats together at the next taxonomic level. What is the most specific taxonomic level tat lions, cheetahs, and tigers share?

Class

Family

Kingdom

Order

9. As part of a simulation of evolutionary process, a teacher drops 500 red and 500 green jelly beans on green grass. The read and green jelly beans represent individuals of the same species. Students represent predators and pick up as many jelly beans as possible in 30 seconds. Which prediction is most accurate?

Red individuals are more likely to survive and reproduce.

Green individuals are more likely to survive and reproduce.

Predators are more likely to capture green individuals.

Predators are equally likely to capture red and green individuals.

10. Which example best illustrates the process of natural selection?

Giraffe necks varied in length, and all offspring had an equal chance of survival.

Giraffe necks varied in length, and the shorter-necked giraffes were at a disadvantage.

Giraffes with short necks migrated to locations best suited for their neck lengths.

Giraffes stretched their necks to reach for food, and resulting offspring had longer necks.

11. All members of which biological group require a host cell to reproduce?

Fungi

Bacteria

Protists

Viruses

12. Which type of change exemplifies biological evolution?

Size of individuals

Size of a population

Gene pool of a population

Outward appearance of individuals

13. In what kingdom would scientists classify a multicellular, nonmotile, autotrophic organism?

Animalia

Fungi

Plantae

Protista

14. When comparing 2 populations of animals, which statement most likely indicates that they are the same species?

They produce fertile offspring.

They inhabit the same general area.

Their outward appearance is similar.

They consume the same type of diet.

15. Based on their scientific names, what is the most accurate conclusion about the relationship of the organisms Homo erectus and Homo neanderthalus?

They are genetically similar.

They are the same species.

They are in different genera.

They are in different kingdoms.

16. Maria wanted to rid her home of cockroaches. She applied pesticide and after 1 day she found many dead cockroaches. Days later, she observed a few live cockroaches. She reapplied the pesticide, but she continued to see some live cockroaches. What best explains the continuing presence of live cockroaches?

A few cockroaches exhibited pesticide resistance due to natural variability within the population.

A few cockroaches developed pesticide resistance through contact with other resistant insects.

A few cockroaches developed pesticide resistance after contact with it.

A few cockroaches detected the pesticide and avoided sprayed areas.

17. Which criterion is NOT necessarily true of a trait that has evolved through natural selection?

It is heritable.

It varies among individuals.

It increases individuals' life spans.

It influences individuals' reproductive success.

18. An entomologist identified a new species of beetle in a South American rain forest. The beetle has all the features of the darkling beetle family Tenebrionidae and closely resembles other darkling beetles of the genus Tenebrio. What should the entomologist do next?

Give the beetle new genus and family names.

Give the beetle a new species name not used in the genus Tenebrio.

Name the beetle after the species it is most similar to.

Discard the beetle because it is not found in existing taxonomy.

19. What level of biological taxa includes Chordata, Molluska, Echinodermata, Arthropoda, and Cnidaria?

Family

Genus

Kingdom

Phylum

20. Alec studied an unknown microscopic organism and recorded this information: - It contains DNA. - It has a cell wall, but no nucleus. What is Alec most likely studying?

Bacterium

Fungus

Protist

Virus

21. When comparing 2 populations of animals, which statement most likely indicates that they are the same species?

They produce fertile offspring.

They inhabit the same general area.

Their outward appearance is similar.

They consume the same type of diet.

22. What process of natural selection favors the extreme phenotypes of a trait and eliminates intermediate phenotypes?

Directional selection

Disruptive selection

Random selection

Stabilizing selection

23. Which group(s) contain organisms that can be classified as primary producers?

Monerans only

Protists only

Monerans and protists

Viruses and monerans

24. What accounts for genetic biodiversity existing in modern multicellular organisms?

Mutations in gametes are passed to offspring.

Protein mutations cause DNA changes, creating new species.

Genetic mutations form when similar species mate and reproduce.

Somatic cell DNA mutations create new phenotypes in the population.

25. Cytochrome C is a protein used in the electron transport chain. This table shows short sections of Cytochrome C's amino acid sequences in 5 organisms, using single letter abbreviations.

Use this data to determine which organism most likely shares the most recent common ancestor with humans.

Organism 1

Organism 2

Organism 3

Organism 4

26. Dr. Romero is raising 3 types of damselfishes in separate aquariums: 2 from the Atlantic Ocean and 1 from the Pacific Ocean. This table summarizes the information she gathered through observations and breeding experiments.

Based on the most commonly accepted definition of a species, how many different species of damselfishes is Dr. Romero raising, and which fish are they?

1 species: Fish A, B, and C are all members of a single species

2 species: Fish A and B are a single species; Fish C is a separate species

2 species: Fish A and C are a single species; Fish B is a separate species

3 species: Fish A, B, and C are all members of separate species