Quiz about History of Life

Question 1

The image shows three organisms found in layers of rock. Which statement about the relative ages of the organisms is correct?

Accepted Answer

The organism in layer C is the oldest.

Answer

The organism in layer B is the oldest.

Answer

The organism in layer A is the oldest.

Answer

All organisms are about the same age.

Question 2

A scientist finds a fossil in rock layer A and another fossil in rock layer B. Which statement about the fossils is most likely true?

Accepted Answer

The fossil in layer A is younger.

Answer

The fossil in layer A is larger.

Answer

The fossil in layer A is smaller.

Answer

The fossil in layer A is older.

Question 3

The image shows three rock layers, two of which contain fossils. Which statement accurately describes the relative ages of the fossils in these layers?

Accepted Answer

The fossil in layer C is older than the fossil in layer A.

Answer

The fossil in layer C is the same age as the fossil in layer A.

Answer

The fossil in layer C is younger than the fossil in layer A.

Answer

The fossil in layer C may be older than, younger than, or the same age as the fossil in layer A; more information is required.

Question 4

When scientists do not know the actual age of a fossil but want to compare its age to that of another fossil, they use...

Accepted Answer

relative dating.

Answer

radioactive dating.

Answer

record dating.

Answer

absolute dating.

Question 5

A scientist discovers two fossils in the side of a large cliff, one above the other. Based on the chart, if the fossil on top is of a dinosaur, which organism is the bottom fossil most likely to be?

Accepted Answer

A worm.

Answer

A flowering plant.

Answer

A human.

Answer

A chimpanzee.

Question 6

A scientist discovers two fossils in the side of a large cliff, one above the other. Based on the chart, if the fossil on top is of a fish, which group of organisms is the bottom fossil most likely to be from?

Accepted Answer

Algae.

Answer

Mammals.

Answer

Plants.

Answer

Dinosaurs.

Question 7

By comparing the wing of a monarch butterfly with the fossilized wing of an extinct dodo bird, a scientist determines that they have completely different structures. Which conclusion might the scientist draw from these observations?

Accepted Answer

The two species are not closely related.

Answer

Both animals are of the same species.

Answer

The two species' wings are homologous.

Answer

Birds evolved from butterflies.

Question 8

By comparing the fossilized wing of an extinct bird with the arm of a modern reptile, a scientist determines that the bones of both structures are very similar. Which conclusion might the scientist draw from these observations?

Accepted Answer

The two species had a common ancestor.

Answer

There are no major differences between birds and reptiles.

Answer

Both animals are of the same species.

Answer

The two species are able to reproduce with each other.

Question 9

The image shows the bone structure of a human arm. Based on this, which similar structure belongs to the organism most closely related to humans?

Accepted Answer

Option A is correct

Answer

B.

Answer

C.

Answer

D.

Question 10

A scientist is comparing the bone structures of a hippo, a pig, and a whale. What evolutionary information might the scientist discover by comparing the anatomical structures of these living animals?

Accepted Answer

Evidence that the animals share a common ancestor.

Answer

How the predator-prey relationships of the animals changed over time.

Answer

Why the animals have the same structures that perform the same functions.

Answer

Evidence that the animals share a similar diet.

Question 11

By comparing the anatomy of many different species of horses, including those known only from fossils, a scientist concludes that over many millions of years, species in the horse family have increased in size. Which statement does this information support?

Accepted Answer

Horses have changed over time.

Answer

Fossils of bones usually shrink over time.

Answer

There is no value in comparing extinct and modern species.

Answer

All known horse species are still living.

Question 12

The front limbs of whales are flippers that help them swim. The fins of fish serve a similar purpose, but fins are not limbs, and their structure is different from that of flippers. Which statement best describes how whale flippers and fish fins are related?

Accepted Answer

They are analogous structures.

Answer

They are both specialized limbs.

Answer

They are both vestigial structures.

Answer

They are homologous structures.

Question 13

Early chicken and lizard embryos are very similar in appearance. Early shark embryos look very different from chicken and lizard embryos. Which conclusions can be drawn from this information?

Accepted Answer

Sharks and chickens share a common ancestor that lived a long time ago.

Accepted Answer

Chickens and lizards share a common ancestor that lived relatively recently.

Answer

Sharks do not share a common ancestor with either chickens or lizards.

Answer

Lizards and sharks share a common ancestor that lived relatively recently.

Question 14

Why do scientists examine embryos to investigate the history of life?

Accepted Answer

Comparing embryos of different species reveals developmental similarities that support the idea that all living things share a common ancestor.

Answer

Scientists use embryos to identify differences in the genetic structures of different organisms.

Answer

Scientists use embryos to determine how humans are related to chimpanzees.

Answer

Comparing embryos of different species reveals differences in their bone structures and how those structures relate to different functions.

Question 15

The notochord is an embryonic structure in humans that develops into the spinal cord in the adult. What does the notochord suggest about humans' relatedness to other species?

Accepted Answer

Humans are related to other species that possess notochords as embryos.

Answer

Humans are related to other species that possess spinal cords as adults.

Answer

Humans are related to other species that possess notochords as adults.

Answer

Humans are related to other species that possess spinal cords as embryos.

Question 16

Different animals have different front limbs. Whales have flippers, birds have wings, and humans have arms and hands. How do the embryological forms of these organisms' front limbs compare with one another?

Accepted Answer

The limbs are similar at first and gradually become different as the embryo develops.

Answer

The limbs are quite different from the start because they develop in different parts of the embryo.

Answer

The limbs are different from the start and become even more different as the embryo develops.

Answer

The limbs are similar throughout the embryonic stage and change after the organism is born.

Question 17

The image shows a chicken embryo and a human embryo. Which statement best explains why they are so similar in appearance?

Accepted Answer

Chickens and humans share a common ancestor.

Answer

Chickens and humans are both mammals.

Answer

All embryos look the same because they perform the same functions.

Answer

All embryos look the same because they are microscopic.

Question 18

The embryonic forms of jellyfish and frogs are very different from each other. Which conclusion can be drawn from this information?

Accepted Answer

Jellyfish and frogs share a common ancestor that lived a long time ago.

Answer

Jellyfish and frog embryos are different at first but become similar to each other over time.

Answer

Jellyfish and frogs share a common ancestor that lived relatively recently.

Answer

Jellyfish and frogs are not related to each other.

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