Cambrian Explosion and Early Animal Colonization Quiz

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Which core in the figure above has the most accurate arrangement of fossils based on the information provided?

core C

core D

core A (correct)

core B

What factor most likely caused animals and plants in India to differ greatly from species in nearby southeast Asia?

The climates of the two regions are similar.

India is in the process of separating from the rest of Asia.

Life in India was wiped out by ancient volcanic eruptions.

India was a separate continent until 45 million years ago. (correct)

What concept explains the evolution of complex eyes according to the text?

Through evolutionary history, eyes lose function of vision.

Complex eyes evolved through a series of steps that benefited the eyes. (correct)

Mollusc eye's evolution was dependent on vertebrate eye evolution.

Mollusc eyes evolved from a different ancestor than vertebrate eyes.

How does continental drift explain the uniqueness of Australian fauna?

The subsequent separation of southern continents formed an island of marsupials. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What does the fossil record primarily show about the organisms that lived on earth?

Bias towards organisms with hard shells and skeletons (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which method is considered the most accurate for measuring the age of a fossil?

Radiometric dating (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which type of organism would be most likely to form a fossil?

A common squirrel (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which species would be least likely to appear in the fossil record?

Desert-dwelling species (D) Signup and view all the answers

If a fossil has 1/16 of the normal proportion of carbon-14 to carbon-12, approximately how old is it?

22,900 years old (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which event does the Cambrian explosion mark in the fossil record?

The appearance of filter-feeding animals (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is not a characteristic expected in the first animals to have colonized land?

Animals had lobe-finned fishes as ancestors (D) Signup and view all the answers

What does a sediment core from an inland sea aim to study?

Terrestrial organisms fossilized in the core (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which taxonomy level does the question about the first animals to have colonized land primarily test?

Application (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of mitochondria in the evolution of eukaryotes according to the text?

To convert oxygen into energy for heterotrophic cells (B) Signup and view all the answers

What does the top of a sediment core from an inland sea represent?

The most recent strata (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which process was favored by natural selection according to the text?

Converting carbon dioxide into sugars (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the main evidence presented against the claim that only microorganisms are found in geological strata older than the Cambrian explosion?

The presence of filter-feeding animals (C) Signup and view all the answers

What feature distinguishes eukaryotic cells from prokaryotic cells based on the text?

Advantage of acquiring a nuclear command center (C) Signup and view all the answers

In what way did ancestral photosynthetic eukaryotes provide an advantage to host cells based on the text?

By acquiring mitochondria-like prokaryotes (B) Signup and view all the answers

What was the probable origin of the eukaryotic nucleus according to the text?

Consuming a nucleus-like prokaryote (A) Signup and view all the answers

What evolutionary event led to the acquisition of mitochondria-like prokaryotes according to the text?

Becoming more aerobic environment on Earth (D) Signup and view all the answers

What does a fossil encased in sedimentary rock without nearby volcanic rock strata indicate?

Difficulty in determining the absolute age because radiometric dating of sedimentary rock is less accurate than igneous rock (D) Signup and view all the answers

What does a sediment core removed from the floor of an inland sea allow researchers to locate and study?

Terrestrial organisms (A) Signup and view all the answers

What does the presence of transitional forms with specialized teeth indicate in the context of fossils?

Progressive specialization in tooth structure (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the absence of igneous rocks near a fossil encased in sedimentary rock for absolute age determination?

Decreased accuracy due to lack of reference points from igneous rocks (C) Signup and view all the answers

Why is radiometric dating of sedimentary rocks considered less accurate than that of igneous rocks?

Inherent inaccuracies in sedimentary rock dating methods (A) Signup and view all the answers

What challenge arises when trying to determine the absolute age of a fossil lacking nearby volcanic rock strata?

'Resetting' of radioisotopes by heat from volcanic rocks (D) Signup and view all the answers