Complete Test Bank The Origin And History Of Life Chapter.15 - Biopsychology 11e | Test Bank by Marielle Hoefnagels. DOCX document preview.

Complete Test Bank The Origin And History Of Life Chapter.15

Chapter 15

The Origin and History of Life

 


Multiple Choice Questions
 

1.

Clues from geology and paleontology suggest that simple cells, or their precursors, arose about _____ years ago. 
 

A. 

6 million

B. 

4 billion

C. 

2 billion

D. 

1 million

E. 

3 million

 

2.

The Soviet chemist Oparin suggested that for organic molecules to form on Earth, the atmosphere was probably rich in 
 

A. 

argon.

B. 

oxygen and water.

C. 

hydrogen.

D. 

oxygen.

E. 

helium.

 

3.

Stanley Miller's first prebiotic simulation experiment showed that, under the right conditions, Oparin's ancient atmosphere could allow for the formation of 
 

A. 

amino acids.

B. 

plants.

C. 

living cells.

D. 

DNA molecules.

E. 

liposomes.

 

4.

Carl Woese named the ancient aggregate of DNA, RNA, proteins, and lipids a 
 

A. 

progenote.

B. 

molecule.

C. 

liposome.

D. 

domain.

E. 

cell.

 

5.

According to Miller and other researchers, the most difficult condition to have been met in an "RNA world" was to 
 

A. 

have converted clay particles into organic molecules.

B. 

produce specialized molecules, such as enzymes, lipids, and carbohydrates that supported life functions.

C. 

produce chemical reactions that would produce large molecules.

D. 

synthesize molecules that would coalesce into the correct shape and structure of cells.

E. 

have established molecules that reproduce themselves.

 

6.

Photosynthesis probably originated during the __________ era, and most likely used _____________ as an electron donor. 
 

A. 

Proterozoic; hydrogen sulfide

B. 

Paleozoic; water

C. 

Proterozoic; water

D. 

Archean; water

E. 

Archean; hydrogen sulfide

 

7.

The last shared ancestor for today's cell types is thought to have arisen about _____ years ago. 
 

A. 

5 million

B. 

2 million

C. 

3 billion

D. 

4 billion

E. 

6 billion

 

8.

It is thought that eukaryotes probably originated about _____ years ago. 
 

A. 

2 billion

B. 

6 million

C. 

1 billion

D. 

4 million

E. 

3 billion

 

9.

It is thought that the first cells probably arose about _____ years ago. 
 

A. 

1.2 billion

B. 

2 billion

C. 

500 million

D. 

3.5 billion

E. 

6 billion

 

10.

It is thought that the first multicellular organisms arose about _____ years ago. 
 

A. 

6 billion

B. 

1.2 billion

C. 

3 billion

D. 

500 million

E. 

3.5 billion

 

11.

Evidence supporting the idea that mitochondria and chloroplasts in present-day cells originated as independent organisms includes 
 

A. 

similarity between photosynthetic pigments in chloroplasts and cyanobacteria.

B. 

similarity in the way mitochondria, chloroplasts, and bacteria reproduce.

C. 

similarities in DNA sequences between mitochondrial and bacterial genomes.

D. 

All of the answer choices are correct.

E. 

similarities in size and shape between mitochondria and some bacteria.

 

12.

Which scientist is given credit for proposing the endosymbiont theory? 
 

A. 

Svante Arrenhius

B. 

Charles Darwin

C. 

Stanley Miller

D. 

Louis Pasteur

E. 

Lynn Margulis

 

13.

The Cambrian explosion refers to Earth's historical benchmark of life involving the 
 

A. 

appearance of fossils for all major phyla of animals.

B. 

origination of life, when the progenotes formed the first cells.

C. 

All of the answer choices are correct.

D. 

mass extinction of the nonavian dinosaurs.

E. 

development of the first multicellular organisms.

 

14.

Which of the following did not occur during Precambrian time? 
 

A. 

ancestors of all modern animals appeared

B. 

O2 accumulated in Earth's atmosphere

C. 

eukaryotes arose

D. 

photosynthesis evolved

E. 

life originated

 

15.

Ediacaran organisms lived during the _____ period. 
 

A. 

Jurassic

B. 

Silurian

C. 

Devonian

D. 

Cambrian

E. 

Precambrian

 

16.

Ediacaran organisms 
 

A. 

lived from about 600 million years ago to about 540 million years ago.

B. 

have been thought to be ferns, worms, or fungi.

C. 

All of the answer choices are correct.

D. 

lived during the Precambrian period.

E. 

did not leave any modern-day descendants.

 

17.

Which of the following was/were found in the Cambrian seas? 
 

A. 

sponges and jellyfish

B. 

mollusks and worms

C. 

trilobites and nautiloids

D. 

red and green algae

E. 

All of the answer choices are correct.

 

18.

The major Canadian geological deposit that contains numerous Cambrian animals is the 
 

A. 

Stomatolite formation.

B. 

Ordovician coast.

C. 

hydrothermal clays.

D. 

Gondwana formation.

E. 

Burgess shale.

 

19.

Jawless fishes were the first vertebrates to leave fossil evidence during the _____ period. 
 

A. 

Cambrian

B. 

Devonian

C. 

Carboniferous

D. 

Silurian

E. 

Ordovician

 

20.

The first vascular plants evolved during the _____ period. 
 

A. 

Silurian

B. 

Carboniferous

C. 

Cambrian

D. 

Ordovician

E. 

Devonian

 

21.

The "age of fishes" was the _____ period. 
 

A. 

Ordovician

B. 

Silurian

C. 

Carboniferous

D. 

Permian

E. 

Devonian

 

22.

The first amphibians appeared during the _____ period. 
 

A. 

Silurian

B. 

Carboniferous

C. 

Cambrian

D. 

Devonian

E. 

Ordovician

 

23.

The "age of amphibians" was the _____ period. 
 

A. 

Carboniferous

B. 

Silurian

C. 

Permian

D. 

Devonian

E. 

Ordovician

 

24.

Primitive reptiles first appeared during the _____ period. 
 

A. 

Carboniferous

B. 

Cambrian

C. 

Devonian

D. 

Ordovician

E. 

Silurian

 

25.

The amniote egg, in which an embryo could develop completely on dry land, arose during the _____ period. 
 

A. 

Cambrian

B. 

Ordovician

C. 

Devonian

D. 

Silurian

E. 

Permian

 

26.

The mass extinction of the Permian period 
 

A. 

All of the answer choices are correct.

B. 

was caused by a long series of volcanic eruptions.

C. 

was caused by a drop in sea level.

D. 

was caused by a rise in global temperature.

E. 

paved the way for the age of dinosaurs.

 

27.

The three periods of the Mesozoic era in sequence from most ancient to most recent are 
 

A. 

Permian, Triassic, and Jurassic.

B. 

Cretaceous, Jurassic, and Triassic.

C. 

Silurian, Ordovician, and Cambrian.

D. 

Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous.

E. 

Cambrian, Ordovician, and Silurian.

 

28.

The Mesozoic era lasted from about 
 

A. 

250 million years ago to 65 million years ago.

B. 

500 million years ago to 250 million years ago.

C. 

1 billion years ago to 500 million years ago.

D. 

65 million years ago to 2 million years ago.

E. 

540 million years ago to 250 million years ago.

 

29.

The first flowering plants, true mammals, and true frogs appeared during the _____ period. 
 

A. 

Cambrian

B. 

Jurassic

C. 

Cretaceous

D. 

Triassic

E. 

Permian

 

30.

A mass extinction, perhaps caused by a large asteroid hitting Earth near the Yucatan peninsula in the Cretaceous period, produced_____________, which created uninhabitable conditions. 
 

A. 

active tectonic plate movements that rapidly repositioned continental plates

B. 

All of the answer choices are correct.

C. 

massive volumes of soot, and triggered major climate changes

D. 

forest and range fires over hundreds of years

E. 

a large numbers of volcanic eruptions for millions of years

 

31.

The "age of dinosaurs" lasted about 120 million years and included the _____ periods. 
 

A. 

Jurassic and Cretaceous

B. 

Triassic and Jurassic

C. 

Carboniferous and Permian

D. 

Cretaceous and Tertiary

E. 

Cambrian and Ordovician

 

32.

The period in which modern continents were separated from an original Pangaea supercontinent, was the 
 

A. 

Permian.

B. 

Jurassic.

C. 

Quaternary.

D. 

Carboniferous.

E. 

Cretaceous.

 

33.

The Cenozoic era consists of the _____ periods. 
 

A. 

Jurassic and Cretaceous

B. 

Cretaceous and Tertiary

C. 

Permian and Triassic

D. 

Triassic and Jurassic

E. 

Tertiary and Quaternary

 

34.

Placental mammals appeared during the _____ period. 
 

A. 

Jurassic

B. 

Triassic

C. 

Tertiary

D. 

Cretaceous

E. 

Permian

 

35.

The Precambrian supereon, in which life first appeared and diversified to multicellular eukaryotes, lasted approximately ___ of the geologic timescale. 
 

A. 

50%

B. 

30%

C. 

15%

D. 

85%

E. 

None of the answer choices is correct.

 

36.

For a span of some 300 million years, the Paleozoic era, in which vascular plants, fishes, and other diverse life appeared, lasted approximately ___ of the geologic timescale. 
 

A. 

7%

B. 

15%

C. 

None of the answer choices is correct.

D. 

50%

E. 

85%

 

37.

For a span of  248 mya to 65 mya, the Mesozoic era, in which dinosaurs appeared, dominated, and became extinct, lasted approximately ___ of the geologic timescale. 
 

A. 

4%

B. 

50%

C. 

7%

D. 

20%

E. 

15%

 

38.

The Cenozoic era, during which the diversity of animals living today arose, has extended from 65 mya to the present. This is approximately ___ of the geologic timescale.

 
 

A. 

4%

B. 

15%

C. 

1.5%

D. 

None of the answer choices is correct.

E. 

7%

 

39.

The Carboniferous period included 
 

A. 

the development of large coal beds.

B. 

flying insects with wing spans up to 75 centimeters.

C. 

ferns and early plants that grew up to 40 meters in height.

D. 

All of the answer choices are correct.

E. 

sediment-dwelling invertebrates.

 

40.

Homo sapiens first appeared during the 
 

A. 

Tertiary period.

B. 

Cretaceous period.

C. 

Mesozoic era.

D. 

Quaternary period.

E. 

Permian period.

 

41.

The Primate order arose about ____ years ago, in the ___ period. 
 

A. 

60 million; Tertiary

B. 

150 million; Jurassic

C. 

100 million; Cretaceous

D. 

10 million; Tertiary

E. 

1 million; Quaternary

 

42.

Characteristics shared by primates include 
 

A. 

large brain size in comparison to body size.

B. 

grasping hands with opposable thumbs.

C. 

All of the answer choices are correct.

D. 

flat nails instead of claws.

E. 

binocular vision and excellent depth perception.

 

43.

A buried skeletal find of a specimen has the foramen magnum tucked beneath the skull; this indicates that the skeletal remains are of a 
 

A. 

All of the answer choices are correct.

B. 

gorilla.

C. 

human.

D. 

chimpanzee.

E. 

lesser ape.

 

44.

Hominids include 
 

A. 

humans.

B. 

orangutans.

C. 

gorillas.

D. 

chimpanzees.

E. 

All of the answer choices are correct.

 

45.

Hominines include 
 

A. 

humans, chimpanzees, and gorillas.

B. 

humans, gorillas, and orangutans.

C. 

orangutans, chimpanzees, and gorillas.

D. 

humans, gibbons, and orangutans.

E. 

gorillas, gibbons, and orangutans.

 

46.

The three groups in the primate lineage are 
 

A. 

gorillas, bonobos, and chimpanzees.

B. 

prosimians, monkeys, and hominoids.

C. 

monkeys, gibbons, and orangutans.

D. 

hominines, hominids, and hominoids.

E. 

chimpanzees, gorillas, and humans.

 

47.

The swinging from one arm to the other with the body dangling below is 
 

A. 

"knuckle walking."

B. 

bipedalism.

C. 

All of the answer choices are correct.

D. 

brachiation.

E. 

quatrapedalism.

 

48.

Our closest-living relatives on the evolutionary tree are 
 

A. 

bonobos and common chimpanzees.

B. 

Homo erectus.

C. 

orangutans and gibbons.

D. 

gorillas.

E. 

Homo neanderthalensis.

 

49.

During the first 5600 million years on Earth, temperatures ranged from 5001000°C, atmospheric pressure was 10 times current levels, and the planet was bombarded with meteorites. How would these conditions favor the formation of biological molecules? 
 

A. 

Many chemical reactions are inhibited by high temperature and pressure.

B. 

High temperature and pressure are the best conditions for enzyme function, needed to support life.

C. 

Oxygen will break down many organic molecules by reduction.

D. 

Oxygen in this high temperature and pressure atmosphere would have been chemically less reactive.

E. 

Water and meteorite dust would have provided the chemical reactions necessary for formation of biological molecules.

 

50.

Clays often have charged surfaces. How may this have been important in the formation of organic macromolecules? 
 

A. 

They are a source of ATP to run chemical reactions.

B. 

They are a source of oxygen to break down organic building blocks.

C. 

They can form templates by binding organic building blocks.

D. 

They form covalent bonds with organic building blocks.

E. 

They are formed from meteorites that carried organic molecules to Earth.

 

51.

Why do scientists hypothesize that RNA was the first form of genetic material? 
 

A. 

RNA can store genetic information and form membranes.

B. 

RNA can store genetic information.

C. 

RNA can catalyze reactions.

D. 

RNA can catalyze reactions and store genetic information.

E. 

RNA can catalyze reactions and form membranes.

 

52.

Phospholipids have the ability to spontaneously form membranes when placed in water. Why was this important in the origin of life on Earth? 
 

A. 

Membranes are used by cells to store genetic information.

B. 

Membranes are used by cells to catalyze reactions.

C. 

Membranes protect a cell from gases in the atmosphere.

D. 

Membranes are used by cells to isolate their contents from the environment.

E. 

Membranes protect a cell from high temperatures and pressures in the environment.

 

53.

Mitochondria are proposed to have evolved before chloroplasts based on which observation? 
 

A. 

All organisms have mitochondria and conduct cell respiration.

B. 

Mitochondria are larger, with more complex structures than chloroplasts.

C. 

Mitochondria produced the oxygen found in the atmosphere.

D. 

All eukaryotes have mitochondria, but not all eukaryotes have chloroplasts.

E. 

All prokaryotes have mitochondria, but not all prokaryotes have chloroplasts.

 

54.

According to the endosymbiont theory, host archaea engulfed ___, which then allowed both populations to survive together. 
 

A. 

photosynthetic archaea

B. 

photosynthetic bacteria

C. 

anaerobic bacteria

D. 

aerobic bacteria

E. 

aerobic archaea

 

55.

Chloroplasts are proposed to have arisen after archaea cells engulfed ___, in endosymbiosis, allowing the engulfed cell to remain, with specialized function. 
 

A. 

anaerobic bacteria

B. 

aerobic bacteria

C. 

photosynthetic bacteria

D. 

photosynthetic archaea

E. 

aerobic archaea

 

56.

Fuels used in cars, and the carbon dioxide cars emit, were originally carbon dioxide 
 

A. 

fixed by vascular and nonvascular plants during photosynthesis about 300 mya.

B. 

fixed in the tissues, decayed from dinosaurs after the Cretaceous mass extinction.

C. 

released from volcanoes, and accumulated over centuries.

D. 

trapped in rocks and compressed into oil and coal, during the Precambrian.

E. 

trapped in the ocean and secreted into large coral reef structures, during the Mesozoic.

 

57.

A buried skeletal find has the foramen magnum near but not at the rear of the skull; this indicates the skeletal remains may be those of a 
 

A. 

human.

B. 

dog or a gorilla.

C. 

gorilla.

D. 

a lesser ape, like a gibbon.

E. 

gorilla or a human.

 

58.

The advantage of bipedalism is 
 

A. 

having the ability to move through the treetops and clinging to vines.

B. 

increased brain size.

C. 

freeing of hands to carry objects and use tools.

D. 

All of the answer choices are correct.

E. 

having the ability to run faster.

 

59.

Humans, chimpanzees, and bonobos are both 
 

A. 

primates and Homo sapiens.

B. 

Homo sapiens.

C. 

primates.

D. 

hominids.

E. 

primates and hominids.

 

60.

Humans and chimps are both able to 
 

A. 

walk upright.

B. 

walk upright and use tools.

C. 

use tools and communicate.

D. 

use tools.

E. 

communicate.

 

 


True / False Questions
 

61.

The theory that organisms could arise suddenly from the nonliving component chemicals was called the theory of spontaneous generation. 
 
True    False

 

62.

The early report that Stanley Miller had created "life in a test tube" in his prebiotic simulations was correct. 
 
True    False

 

63.

The enzyme that copies RNA into complementary DNA is RNA polymerase. 
 
True    False

 

64.

Natural selection would have favored progenotes that could use more diverse food sources. 
 
True    False

 

65.

The geologic timescale is divided into eons, eras, periods, and epochs defined by major geological or biological events. 
 
True    False

 

66.

The earliest cells probably originated about 3.5 billion years ago. 
 
True    False

 

67.

The endosymbiont theory states that eukaryotic cells work together to form a multicellular organism. 
 
True    False

 

68.

The endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, and other membranous organelles of cells might have formed by numerous infoldings of the cell's outer membrane. 
 
True    False

 

69.

The three periods of the Mesozoic era are the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous. 
 
True    False

 

70.

The two major extinctions of living species occurred during the Mesozoic era. 
 
True    False

 

71.

A time of great adaptive radiation for mammals occurred during the Tertiary period. 
 
True    False

 

72.

The coding region of chimpanzee genes and human genes are 99% identical. 
 
True    False

 

73.

According to the evolutionary tree, humans share a common ancestor with other groups of apes. 
 
True    False

 


Document Information

Document Type:
DOCX
Chapter Number:
15
Created Date:
Aug 21, 2025
Chapter Name:
Chapter 15 The Origin And History Of Life
Author:
Marielle Hoefnagels

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