Question 1

Which of the following is a benefit of reconstructing evolutionary history from living organisms?
A)A range of features can be used to generate phylogenetic hypotheses.
B)The time dimension of speciation events can be calculated with greater certainty.
C)Evolutionary links running through extinct species can be inferred easily.
D)The environmental context is more easily observable.
E)None of the other answer options is correct.

Accepted Answer

Using living organisms to reconstruct evolutionary history allows for a wide range of features to be considered when generating phylogenetic hypotheses, including morphology, genetics, behavior, physiological mechanisms, and more. This provides a more comprehensive and accurate picture of the relationships between different species and their evolutionary history. While reconstructing evolutionary history from living organisms may provide some insights into the timing of speciation events, it is not typically used to infer the evolutionary links of extinct species, and the environmental context may also be difficult to observe.

Question 2

The fact that two independent methodologies for investigating the history of life on Earth (phylogenies and the fossil record) agree is powerful evidence of evolution.

Accepted Answer

When two independent sources of evidence point towards the same conclusion, it makes the conclusion more robust and reliable. In this case, the fact that both phylogenies and the fossil record show patterns of evolutionary change and support the same evolutionary relationships between organisms is compelling evidence in favor of evolution.

Question 3

According to the fossil record, when did the earliest animals appear on Earth?
A)580 million years ago
B)3 billion years ago
C)3500 million years ago
D)520 million years ago
E)55 million years ago

Accepted Answer

The earliest animals appeared around 580 million years ago, during the late Precambrian period, as indicated by the fossil record.

Question 4

Even if the geologic record extended back only 5000 years, evidence provided by living organisms alone would support the hypothesis that mammals only diverged following the extinction of dinosaurs.

Accepted Answer

This statement is not accurate. The presence of mammal fossils in rocks dated to the Mesozoic era (when dinosaurs existed) provides evidence that mammals did in fact exist during that time period and diverged before the extinction of dinosaurs.

Question 5

Which of the following statements is TRUE regarding the ancestors of early humans and chimpanzees (those present 6 million years ago)?
A)The ancestors of chimpanzees likely appeared very similar (if not identical)to present-day chimpanzees.
B)The ancestors of humans likely appeared very similar (if not identical)to present-day humans.
C)The ancestors of humans and chimpanzees likely resembled one another, but would not appear identical to either present-day chimpanzees or humans.
D)The ancestors of chimpanzees likely resembled present-day humans.

Accepted Answer

The most accepted hypothesis is that the common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees lived about 6 million years ago. While they would have shared many characteristics, both species have evolved since then, meaning that their ancestor would not look identical to either present-day chimpanzees or humans. Therefore, option C is the correct answer. Option A is incorrect because chimpanzees have also undergone evolutionary changes since that time, and their ancestors would not look identical to present-day chimpanzees either. Option B is incorrect because early humans would not have been identical to present-day humans. Option D is also incorrect as the ancestors of chimpanzees would not have resembled present-day humans.

Question 6

Based on the phylogenetic tree in Fig. 23.22, what character did the last common ancestor of both reptiles and mammals NOT possess? 
A)lungs
B)four limbs
C)amniote embryos
D)mammary glands
E)The last common ancestor of reptiles and mammals possessed all of these traits.

Accepted Answer

Mammary glands are a specialized feature found only in mammals and not in reptiles. Therefore, the last common ancestor of reptiles and mammals did not possess mammary glands.

Question 7

Data from both phylogenies and the fossil record show all of the following EXCEPT:
A)the earliest animals appeared more recently than the earliest land plants.
B)microorganisms diverged early in evolutionary history.
C)flowering plants diverged more recently than algae.
D)primates diverged more recently than tetrapod vertebrates.
E)diversity has accumulated over time.

Accepted Answer

Both phylogenies and the fossil record show that the earliest animals appeared before the earliest land plants, contradicting option A.

Question 8

Data from phylogenies based on living organisms and data from the fossil record are in agreement when the tree of life is examined as a whole, but are often contradictory when individual branches are examined.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Data from phylogenies based on living organisms...

Question 9

Phylogenetic methods based on DNA sequences and data from the fossil record both show that the evolutionary link between birds and crocodiles runs through dinosaurs.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Phylogenetic methods based on DNA sequences and...

Question 10

Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
A)The fossil record and comparative biology agree at all scales of observation.
B)The fossil record and comparative biology agree only when individual branches of the tree of life are observed.
C)The fossil record and comparative biology agree only when the tree of life as a whole is observed.
D)The fossil record and comparative biology agree only when larger branches of the tree of life are observed.
E)The fossil record and comparative biology do not agree at any scale of observation.

Accepted Answer

The fossil record and comparative biology generally agree at all scales of observation, supporting the theory of evolution and the interconnectedness of life through common ancestry. This agreement provides evidence for the evolutionary relationships among different species.

Question 11

Evolution's patterns manifest as nested similarities-nesting occurs between molecular sequences of evolutionarily related organisms, and between the different taxa arranged in a phylogenetic tree.

Accepted Answer

Evolutionary patterns do manifest as nested similarities between molecular sequences of evolutionarily related organisms and between different taxa arranged in a phylogenetic tree.

Question 12

Why is agreement between the fossil record and phylogenies constructed from living organisms considered to be strong evidence of evolution?
A)It is unlikely that two independent methods of investigation would result in the same pattern by chance alone.
B)All living organisms will eventually become fossils; therefore, evidence of their evolution will be recorded in the fossil record.
C)Phylogenetic methods based on DNA sequences can suggest that two species are closely related, but only fossils can show direct evidence of an evolutionary relationship between species.
D)Evolutionary processes cannot be studied directly in the laboratory alone, so it is necessary to compare living and extinct species to see evidence of evolutionary change.
E)All of these choices are correct.

Accepted Answer

The agreement between the fossil record and phylogenies constructed from living organisms is considered strong evidence of evolution because it is unlikely that two independent methods of investigation would result in the same pattern by chance alone. This suggests that the similarities observed between living and extinct organisms are due to a common ancestry rather than random chance.

Question 13

The vast diversity observed in present-day plants and animals was likely also present in the ancestors of these organisms; diversity tends to remain constant, and does not accumulate over time or in subsequent generations.

Accepted Answer

This statement is incorrect. Diversity can accumulate over time and in subsequent generations due to various factors such as genetic mutations, natural selection, genetic drift, and gene flow, among others. This is evident in the ongoing process of speciation, which is the evolution of new species from a common ancestor, resulting in the accumulation of diversity over time.

Question 14

Which of the following statements is TRUE regarding the fossil record?
A)Humans appear relatively recently in the fossil record.
B)Tetrapods appear before mammals in the fossil record.
C)Vertebrates appear after microorganisms in the fossil record.
D)Compared to other types of plants (i.e., seed plants), grasses appear relatively recently in the fossil record.
E)All of these choices are correct.

Accepted Answer

All the statements provided are accurate descriptions of the fossil record. Humans are a recent development in the vast timeline of life on Earth. Tetrapods, which are four-limbed animals including those that evolved into today's amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals, appeared before mammals in the fossil record. Vertebrates, animals with backbones, indeed appear after the first microorganisms, which are some of the earliest forms of life on Earth. Grasses, which are a subgroup of seed plants, also appear relatively recently when compared to the overall history of plant evolution.

Quiz 23: Evolutionary Patterns: Phylogeny and Fossils

Which of the following is a benefit of reconstructing evolutionary history from living organisms?

The fact that two independent methodologies for investigating the history of life on Earth (phylogenies and the fossil record) agree is powerful evidence of evolution.

According to the fossil record, when did the earliest animals appear on Earth?

Even if the geologic record extended back only 5000 years, evidence provided by living organisms alone would support the hypothesis that mammals only diverged following the extinction of dinosaurs.

Which of the following statements is TRUE regarding the ancestors of early humans and chimpanzees (those present 6 million years ago) ?

Based on the phylogenetic tree in Fig. 23.22, what character did the last common ancestor of both reptiles and mammals NOT possess?

Data from both phylogenies and the fossil record show all of the following EXCEPT:

Data from phylogenies based on living organisms and data from the fossil record are in agreement when the tree of life is examined as a whole, but are often contradictory when individual branches are examined.

Phylogenetic methods based on DNA sequences and data from the fossil record both show that the evolutionary link between birds and crocodiles runs through dinosaurs.

Which of the following statements is CORRECT?

Evolution's patterns manifest as nested similarities-nesting occurs between molecular sequences of evolutionarily related organisms, and between the different taxa arranged in a phylogenetic tree.

Why is agreement between the fossil record and phylogenies constructed from living organisms considered to be strong evidence of evolution?

The vast diversity observed in present-day plants and animals was likely also present in the ancestors of these organisms; diversity tends to remain constant, and does not accumulate over time or in subsequent generations.

Which of the following statements is TRUE regarding the fossil record?