Evolutionary History Quiz 2.1-3.3

This lamprey, tuna and salamander have similarities and differences in their body structures. What does the information about these structures tell you about the ancestors of these species?

• We cannot make observations of ancestor populations from the past. It is impossible to explain ancestors with only the information about the body structures of different species.

• Tuna and salamanders share an ancestor population, but they must not share an ancestor with the lamprey because lamprey have no jaw bone.

• All three species share an ancestor population, but tuna and the salamander share a more recent ancestor population. This is why they share the jaws structure.

• None share an ancestor population because different species cannot share an ancestor population. It is a coincidence that these species have some of the same body structures.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

What is evolutionary time?

• C.) the very long time that spans the history of Earth, from the very first cellular life to the present

• None of these

• B.) the process by which one population evolves into two or more different species

   

• A.) when something stays mostly the same over time

   

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NGSS.MS-LS4-1

What is stability?

• None of these

• A.) when something stays mostly the same over time

•  

  C.) the very long time that spans the history of Earth, from the very first cellular life to the present

• B.) the process by which one population evolves into two or more different species

   

What is speciation?

• A.) when something stays mostly the same over time

   

• None of these

• B.) the process by which one population evolves into two or more different species

•  

  C.) the very long time that spans the history of Earth, from the very first cellular life to the present

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This fossil turtle and this living hawk both have a structure in their neck called the atlas bone. What best explains why both species have an atlas bone?

• A) All species have their own specific body structures, so it is a coincidence that this turtle and hawk each happen to have the atlas bone structure.

• B) It is impossible to say. Fossils are very old; therefore, we cannot make observations of the turtle’s ancestors, and we cannot explain its body structures.

• C) The turtle and hawk both share the same ancestor population that had an atlas bone. They inherited this structure from the ancestor population.

• D) The turtle and hawk are different species, so they must not share an ancestor population. They inherited their atlas bone structure from separate ancestor populations.

Tags

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What most likely explains why both have tail bones and why the tail bones are different?

• All species have their own specific body structures, so it is a coincidence that the human and chimp each happen to have tail bones that are different.

• It is impossible to explain the structures of different species. The way that structures change over time is very complex, and no one has ever observed these changes occurring.

• The human and chimp both inherited tail bones from a shared ancestor population, but this population separated into different environments. In each environment, different types of tail bones evolved, which helped the populations survive.

• The human and chimp are different species, so they do not share an ancestor population. These species had separate ancestor populations, and each evolved tail bones that help it survive in its environment.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

What does this diagram show?

• All three species share a common ancestor, but the Puma and house cat are more closely related to each other than they are to the Tiger.

• The three species are not related and come from separate lines of evolutionary history.

• All three species share a common ancestor, but the Puma and Tiger are more closely related to each other than they are to the house cat.

• All three species share a common ancestor and are equally related to one another.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

Why do both humans and whales have similar bone structures in their limbs?

• A) It is a coincidence that humans and whales have similar bone structures in their limbs.

• B) Humans and whales share a common ancestor that had a similar limb structure, which they inherited.

• C) The bone structures evolved independently in humans and whales due to similar environmental pressures.

• D) Humans and whales do not share any common ancestry, so their limb structures are unrelated.

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NGSS.MS-LS4-2

What is the significance of homologous structures in different species?

• B) They suggest that the species have a common ancestor and have inherited similar structures.

• A) They indicate that the species have evolved independently without any common ancestry.

• C) They show that the species have adapted to similar environments in the same way.

• D) They are structures that have no function in the species.

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NGSS.MS-LS4-2

What is convergent evolution?

• C) The very long time that spans the history of Earth, from the very first cellular life to the present.

• B) The process by which one species evolves into two or more different species.

• A) The process by which unrelated species evolve similar traits due to similar environmental pressures.

• D) When something stays mostly the same over time.

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