NAME ________________________________________________ PALEONTOLOGY LECTURE TEST # 1
PART I - MULTIPLE CHOICE (0.5 points each):
___ 1. Viruses A.can only reproduce in the cells of other organisms B.can reproduce outside the cells of other
organisms
___ 2. The first appearance of a fossil group may be due to A.evolutionary first occurrence B.emigration C.all
of the above D.none of the above
___ 3. The chronostratigraphic equivalent of a period is the A.system B.stage C.series D.erathem
E.eonathem
___ 4. Adolf Seilacher formulated the theory that animals of the Ediacara Fauna A.could mostly be referred to
modern phyla B.could not be referred to modern phyla
___ 5. ? have flagellate-lined dermal pores that lead into a cloaca. Water then exits through the osculum.
A.Porifera B.Protozoa C.Cnidaria D.Archaeocyatha E.Pyrrhophyta
___ 6. The characteristics of a taxon define the A.genotype B.phenotype C.all of the above D.none of the
above
___ 7. Some adult amphibians retain larval-like forms. This illustrates the concept of A.adaptation
B.phylogeny C.peramorphosis D.allometry E.paedomorphosis
___ 8. Theodosius Dobzhansky, Ernst Mayr, George Simpson and Julian Huxley were the major scientists that
formulated the ? Theory. A.Lamarckian B.Neutral C.Synthetic D.Mosaic E.all of the above
___ 9. Well-preserved fossil plants are often fossilized within ? environments. A.acidic and reducing B.alkaline
and oxidizing C.all of the above would preserve fossil plants equally well D.none of the above preserve
fossil plants well
___ 10. ? have a frustule that is divided into an epitheca and hypotheca. A.Pyrrhophyta B.Bacillariophyta
C.Haptophyta D.Actinopoda E.Chlorophyta
___ 11. All of the known freshwater sponges, and 95% of the modern marine forms, are A.hexactinellids
B.sclerosponges C.polyplacophorans D.demosponges E.calcisponges
___ 12. An "unnatural" grouping of organisms, in which the "group" evolved from two or more distinct
ancestors is a ? group. A.monophyletic B.polyphyletic C.paraphyletic D.all of the above E.none of
the above
___ 13. ? are especially useful for correlating Cenozoic terrestrial faunas. A.birds B.amphibians C.reptiles
D.mammals E.all of the above are equally useful for correlating Cenozoic terrrestrial faunas
___ 14. The ? zone is in the upper water layers. A.aphotic B.euphotic
___ 15. ? are built from amino acids and are the "building materials" of life. A.organic phosphorous compounds
B.nucleic acids C.proteins D.all of the above are built from amino acids and are the "building blocks"
of life
___ 16. Stromatoporoids are now typically placed within the A.Porifera B.Protozoa C.Bryozoa D.Cnidaria
E.Echinodermata
___ 17. Sponges and radiolarians have hard parts made of A.chitin B.scleroprotein C.calcium carbonate
D.lignin E.opaline silica
___ 18. Shared derived characters are termed A.symplesiomorphic B.autapomorphic C.synapomorphic D.all
of the above E.none of the above
___ 19. Thomas Malthus first proposed the theory that A.food production exhibits exponential growth
B.population exhibits linear growth C.population expands to the limits that are set by famine, war and
disease D.all of the above are true concerning Malthusian Theory E.none of the above is true
concerning Malthusian Theory
___ 20. Exoskeletons are utilized for A.guides for feeding currents B.protection C.reserves of calcium and
phosphate nutrients D.support above the substrate E.exoskeletons are used for all of the above
___ 21. Micromorph faunas are most often due to A.evolutionary factors B.ontogeny C.phylogeny
D.environmental factors E.all of the above
___ 22. Species selection involves differential survival among a number of species that A.are closely related
B.there is no correlation between species selection and the relationships among organisms
___ 23. Polarity is determined by A.position in the stratigraphic sequence B.ontogeny C.character analysis
D.all of the above E.none of the above
___ 24. A ? has between 50 and 75 percent endemic species. A.faunal province B.faunal subprovince C.faunal
region D.faunal realm
___ 25. Uraninite is ? in the presence of free oxygen. A.unstable B.stable
___ 26. The Kingdom Protista are A.eucaryotes B.procaryotes C.some protists are procaryotes, others are
eucaryotes
___ 27. The conversion of fine-grained calcium carbonate to coarser-grained crystals during fossilization
primarily involves A.recrystallization B.replacement C.cellular permineralization D.carbonization
E.steinkern
___ 28. In their early stages of development animal embryos tend to be A.similar B.very different
___ 29. ? is a collagen that is hardened by mineral salts, primarily calcium phosphate. A.cartilage B.cellulose
C.lignin D.chitin E.bone
___ 30. A "death assemblage" is termed a A.biocoenosis B.thanatocoenosis C.all of the above are "death
assemblages" D.none of the above is a "death assemblage"
___ 31. Sister groups are united by the presence of one or more ? characters. A.symplesiomorphic
B.autapomorphic C.synapomorphic D.all of the above E.none of the above
___ 32. Which of the following belongs to the Eucarya? A.Fungi B.Protista C.Metaphyta D.Metazoa E.all of
the above belong to the Eucarya
___ 33. Warm-blooded organisms are ? affected by changes in water temperature than cold-blooded organisms.
A.less B.more
___ 34. A typical concentration of free oxygen in saltwater would be ? parts per million. A.7 B.20 C.50
D.100 E.500
___ 35. Collagen and conchiolin are forms of A.chitin B.scleroprotein C.cellulose D.lignin E.opaline silica
___ 36. A "darwin" measures A.the degree of extinction B.ontogenetic development C.the rate of evolutionary
change D.the rate of extinction E.species diversity
___ 37. Prebiotic evolution may have first occurred within A.hot springs B.heated wind-mixed ocean layers
C.submarine hydrothermal systems D.all of the above enviroments have been suggested as possible
environments where prebiotic evolution may have occurred
___ 38. The Ediacara Fauna consists of fossils of A.soft-bodied animals B.animals with hard parts C.both
soft-bodied animals and animals with hard parts constituted the Ediacara Fauna
___ 39. Natural and sexual selection A.always work with one another to yield the most "fit" organism B.may
work against one another
___ 40. The patterns of small-, medium- and large-scale sea level cycles that produce unconformities was first
defined by A.Charles Lyell B.James Hutton C.Peter Vail D.Edward Drinker Cope E.Niles Eldridge
___ 41. Extinction events are most likely A.where there are large populations of a species B.among species at
higher trophic levels C.in large geographic areas D.all of the above are true concerning extinction
E.none of the above is true concerning extinction
___ 42. ? manufacture their own food. A.herbivores B.predators C.carnivores D.parasites E.autotrophs
___ 43. The endosymbiotic theory describes the origin of the A.Archaea B.Bacteria C.Eucarya D.all of the
above E.none of the above
___ 44. Atmospheric oxygen levels increased dramatically for the first time at about ? billion years ago. A.5
B.4 C.3 D.2 E.1
___ 45. Unconformities are often due to marine A.transgressions B.regressions C.unconformities may be
equally due to transgressions or regressions
___ 46. Which environment would probably be best for preservation of fossils? A.deep marine B.river
C.desert dune D.glacier E.shallow marine
___ 47. ? are defined by overlapping ranges of specified taxa. A.Oppel Zones B.Acrozones C.Acme Zones
D.Assemblage Zones E.Concurrent Range Zones
___ 48. Salinity tolerant organisms are termed A.euryhaline B.stenohaline
___ 49. ? are radiolarians with a tripod shape or are ring-like, or have elongate latticed shells. A.receptaculitids
B.hystricospheres C.nasellarians D.spumellarians E.asteroliths
___ 50. Which of the following does not belong to the Domain Eucarya? A.Protoctista B.Fungi C.Eubacteria
D.Animalia E.Metaphyta
___ 51. Vicariance biogeography is based upon ? the distributions of organisms. A.coalescing B.fragmenting
C.all of the above are true D.none of the above is true
___ 52. Which of the following radiometric dating techniques is least used in paleontologic studies? A.Carbon
14 B.potassium-argon C.rubidium-strontium
___ 53. The ? are often referred to as "sunflower fossils", but were probably chlorophytes. A.pyrrhophytes
B.bacillariophytes C.haptophytes D.receptaculitids E.actinopods
___ 54. The "Vendian Period" includes primarily the Late A.Archean B.Proterozoic C.Paleozoic D.Mesozoic
E.Cenozoic
___ 55. The binomen includes the genus and A.species B.phylum C.order D.family E.the binomen includes
all of the above
___ 56. A key, or marker, bed A.should have the same age everywhere B.does not have to have the same age
everywhere
___ 57. During the ? stage of succession there is the most diversity of organisms. A.climax B.mature
C.pioneer
___ 58. A regression is a relative ? in sea level. A.rise B.fall C.regressions may represent a relative rise or fall
in sea level
___ 59. Average seawater salinity is ? parts per thousand. A.10 B.15 C.25 D.35 E.50
___ 60. Several specimens which serve to characterize a species are termed the A.synonyms B.homonyms
C.holotypes D.paratypes E.all of the above are specimens that characterize species
___ 61. ? had calcareous skeletons that were double-walled with an intervallum between the walls.
A.receptacultids B.demosponges C.calcisponges D.chaetitids E.archaeocyathans
___ 62. Stromatolites are believed to have been created by A.Chlorophyta B.Rhodophyta C.Phaeophyta
D.Archaea E.Cyanobacteria
___ 63. Which of the following fossil types would not be studied by a palynologist? A.acritarch B.pollens
C.ammonite D.dinoflagellate E.coccolith
___ 64. Organisms are not "completely" adapted to their environments because A.there are multiple uses of
organs B.organisms are constrained by their ancestry C.all of the above are true D.none of the above
is true
___ 65. The notation "Ga" refers to ? of years on the radioisotopic time scale. A.thousands B.millions
C.billions
___ 66. Index fossils should A.have a relatively long time span B.narrow geographic range C.exhibit relatively
slow morphologic change D.be abundant E.all of the above are true concerning index fossils
___ 67. ? was the codiscoverer of modern evolutionary theory and has been considered the "father of
zoogeography". A.Charles Darwin B.Alfred Russell Wallace C.Thomas Huxley D.George Gaylord
Simpson E.Leigh van Valen
___ 68. Evolution is A.historical changes in structure, function and adaptation B.genetic changes and processes
of selection and population dynamics C.both definitions describe evolution
___ 69. Which of the following may preserve unaltered soft parts of organisms? A.peat deposits B.amber
C.dry caves D.permafrost E.all of the above may preserve unaltered soft parts of organisms
___ 70. The ? are primitive foraminiferans that are only found in the Paleozoic. They have calcareous
microgranular tests and are often relatively large forms. A.Fusulinina B.Textulariina C.Miliolina
D.Rotaliina E.Allogromiina
___ 71. ? are characterized by the presence of a ligula and helens. A.archaeocyathids B.demosponges
C.hyolithids D.conularids E.polyplacophorans
___ 72. Rapid evolutionary change is termed A.tachytely B.horotely C.bradytely D.all of the above E.none of
the above
___ 73. The most abundant dissolved gas in seawater is A.oxygen B.carbon dioxide C.nitrogen D.argon
E.hydrogen
___ 74. ? is most similar to evolutionary change rates as envisioned by Charles Darwin. A.phyletic gradualism
B.punctuated equilibrium C.Darwin proposed both of the above theories of evolutionary change rates
___ 75. ? have siliceous or calcareous megascleres and microscleres that reinforce the skeleton.
A.Bacillariophyta B.Porifera C.Archaeocyatha D.Phaeophyta E.Hyolitha
___ 76. It is believed that the most important element that must be synthesized before life can originate is
A.oxygen B.nitrogen C.sulfur D.hydrogen E.carbon
___ 77. The Red Queen Hypothesis was formulated by A.Charles Darwin B.Alfred Russell Wallace
C.Thomas Huxley D.George Gaylord Simpson E.Leigh van Valen
___ 78. Which of the following would be classified as a trace fossil? A.dinosaur track B.ancient beaver burrow
C.trilobite trail D.all of the above would be considered trace fossils E.none of the above is a trace
fossil
___ 79. The ? the values of the similary coefficients calculated from two faunas, the closer in age they are
considered to be. A.smaller B.greater
___ 80. The fundamental rock-stratigraphic unit is the A.member B.group C.bed D.formation E.supergroup
___ 81. Probably the oldest life forms belonged to the A.Archaea B.Bacteria C.Eucarya
___ 82. Ozone is a form of A.nitrogen B.carbon dioxide C.argon D.hydrogen E.oxygen
___ 83. The process of evolution between groups involves A.microevolution B.macroevolution C.all of the
above D.none of the above
___ 84. ? first formulated the theory that a horizontal succession of environments may be reflected in a vertical
rock sequence. A.Charles Darwin B.Georges Cuvier C.Charles Lyell D.William Smith E.Johann
Walther
___ 85. Oxygen content within the Proterozoic probably did not exceed ? percent of total atmospheric gases.
A.2 B.10 C.15 D.20 E.25
___ 86. Coccoliths and asteroliths belong to the A.Pyrrhophyta B.Bacillariophyta C.Haptophyta
D.Actinopoda E.Chlorophyta
___ 87. Trace fossils are especially used for studies of A.paleosalinity B.paleogeography C.paleobathymetry
D.evolution E.ontogeny
___ 88. The scientist that first noticed that there seems to be a size increase among warm-blooded animals
during their evolutionary history was A.Charles Darwin B.Thomas Malthus C.Edward Drinker Cope
D.Othniel Marsh E.Stephen Jay Gould
___ 89. The way in which a species relates to its environment is termed the A.habitat B.ecologic community
C.ecological niche D.diversity E.trophic level
___ 90. Within ?, meiosis is absent and there is no nuclear membrane. A.prokaryotes B.eukaryotes C.in both
prokaryotes and eukaryotes meiosis is absent and there is no nuclear membrane
___ 91. ? are phosphatic sclerites that are common in the earliest Cambrian. A.archaeocyathans
B.receptaculitids C.hyolithids D.criconarids E.tommotiids
___ 92. Many fossil plants are fossilized, as well as fossil fishes and marine reptiles in anaerobic marine basins,
through A.recrystallization B.replacement C.cellular permineralization D.carbonization E.steinkern
___ 93. The concept of peramorphosis was first formulated to great extent by A.Charles Darwin B.Thomas
Malthus C.Edward Drinker Cope D.Ernst Haeckel E.Stephen Jay Gould
___ 94. The ancestors of birds are believed to be theropod dinosaurs. Paleontologists have proposed the
"Dinosauria" to include both birds and dinosaurs. This is because the current bird (Aves) and dinosaur
(Reptilia) groupings are A.monophyletic B.polyphyletic C.paraphyletic
___ 95. Centric and pennate morphologies are found within A.radiolarians B.foraminiferans C.dinoflagellates
D.calcareous nannoplankton E.diatoms
___ 96. The oldest eukaryotes are dated at about ? billion years before the present. A.4 B.3 C.2 D.1 E.0.5
___ 97. Names of genera ? be duplicated. A.can B.cannot
___ 98. ? are biostratigraphic intervals of the common occurrences of all or a specified portion of taxa. A.acme
zones B.oppel zones C.concurrent range zones D.acrozones E.teilzones
___ 99. ? radiolarians are marine planktonic. A.all B.most C.some
___ 100. Hyolithids are found in the A.Paleozoic B.Mesozoic C.Cenozoic D.hyolithids are found in all of the
above eras
___ 101. Phylogenetic systematics, or cladistic taxonomy, was formulated by A.Charles Darwin B.Carolus
Linnaeus C.Gavin de Beer D.Thomas Malthus E.Willi Hennig
___ 102. In which environment would you expect to find the greatest species diversity? A.arctic B.temperate
C.subtropical D.tropical
___ 103. Closing oceans tends to cause A.greater similarity of organisms between continents B.more
extinction C.all of the above are true D.none of the above is true
___ 104. ? often end in "idae". A.orders B.genera C.species D.phyla E.families
___ 105. Flattened morphology, quilting and high surface/volume ratio is characteristic of the A.Tommotian
Fauna B.Burgess Shale Fauna C.Ediacara Fauna D.all of the above E.none of the above
___ 106. ? wrote The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection in 1859. A.Charles Darwin B.Alfred
Russell Wallace C.Thomas Huxley D.George Gaylord Simpson E.Leigh van Valen
___ 107. In order for fossilization to occur, the "potential" fossil typically has to A.have hard parts B.escape
chemical and physical destruction C.be abundant D.all of the above are true E.none of the above is
true
___ 108. Species variation may be due to A.tandem multiplication of nucleotides B.gene duplication C.gene
mutation D.all of the above E.none of the above
___ 109. The sexual phase of foraminiferan reproduction is termed A.gamogony B.schizogony C.all of the
above phases involve sexual reproduction among foraminiferans
___ 110. ? were shallow marine, sessile benthonic filter-feeders that are only found in Cambrian-age rocks.
A.receptacultids B.demosponges C.calcisponges D.chaetitids E.archaeocyathans
___ 111. Biostratigraphy and lithostratigraphy involve ? dating techniques. A.relative B.absolute C.all of the
above D.none of the above
___ 112. In systematics, if the author's name has been placed in parentheses the species ? been transferred to
another genus. A.has B.has not
___ 113. In ? shells, the majority of the previous coils are hidden. A.trochospiral B.streptospiral C.rectilinear
D.evolute E.involute
___ 114. Hystricospheres are typically referred to the A.Pyrrhophyta B.Bacillariophyta C.Haptophyta
D.Actinopoda E.Chlorophyta
___ 115. The process by which a single lineage changes over time is A.cladogenesis B.anagenesis C.all of the
above D.none of the above
___ 116. Which of the following groups have exoskeletons made of chitin? A.echinoderms B.radiolarians
C.graptolites D.molluscs E.arthropods
___ 117. Most "higher", or more complex, organisms exhibit ? growth. A.isometric B.allometric C.both
growth types are distributed equally among "lower" and "higher" organisms
___ 118. ? are organisms that live on the substrate. A.epifauna B.infauna C.all of the above live on the
substrate
___ 119. Amino acids can only be synthesized within an ? environment. A.aerobic B.anaerobic C.amino acids
can by synthesized in either aerobic or anaerobic environments
___ 120. ? foraminiferan wall structure evolved during the Paleozoic. It gives the shell a "sugary" appearance.
A.agglutinated B.granular hyaline C.calcareous porcelaneous D.radial hyaline E.microgranular
___ 121. ? is the fossilization process by which percolating groundwater introduces minerals into the pore
spaces of organism hard parts. A.recrystallization B.replacement C.cellular permineralization
D.carbonization E.steinkern
___ 122. In initial stages of evolution there are typically A.a high number of lineages, or clades B.a lot of
differences between species C.all of the above are true D.none of the above is true
___ 123. Giant planispirally-coiled foraminiferans such as Nummulites are most characteristic of the
A.Paleozoic B.Mesozoic C.Cenozoic D.these forams are found in all of the above eras
___ 124. The Archean oceans and atmosphere are believed to have been ? than today. A.colder B.warmer C.it
is believed that average temperatures have changed little in Earth history
___ 125. Coal balls are created where uncompacted peat is permineralized by A.calcium carbonate B.silica
C.pyrite D.calcium phosphate E.carbon
___ 126. Populations of several species living together in a habitat defines a A.clade B.ecologic community
C.ecological niche D.diversity E.trophic level
___ 127. The impression of the outer side of skeletal remains forms a A.cast B.mold C.ichnofossil
___ 128. Evolutionary changes are most likely to occur in ? populations. A.small B.large C.it makes no
difference whether populations are large or small
___ 129. ? are the cause of "red tides". A.radiolarians B.diatoms C.dinoflagellates D.foraminiferans
E.chlorophytes
___ 130. The Domain ? includes the methanogens, sulfur-metabolizing and sulfate-reducing bacteria.
A.Archaea B.Bacteria C.Eucarya
___ 131. ? is a fibrous polysaccharide forming the cell walls of plants. A.chitin B.scleroprotein C.cellulose
D.lignin E.opaline silica
___ 132. Which of the following is a taxon? A.class B.kingdom C.phylum D.species E.all of the above are
taxa
___ 133. ? Theory states that most genetic differences neither foster nor hinder an organisms survival and their
persistance or elimination in a population is a matter of chance. A.Lamarckian B.Neutral
C.Synthetic D.Mosaic E.all of the above
___ 134. The pressure at 4000 meters water depth would be about ? atmospheres. A.4 B.40 C.400 D.4000
E.you cannot determine water pressure from this data
___ 135. ? species are based on the discontinuity in the range of variation in the form of organisms.
A.biogeographic-genetic B.Linnean C.all of the above D.none of the above
___ 136. Wood and bone are most often fossilized by means of A.recrystallization B.replacement C.cellular
permineralization D.carbonization E.steinkern
___ 137. A ?-type body structure is the most advanced sponge structure, in which flagellated cells are confined
to spherical chambers that are deeply buried within the body wall. A.leucon B.sycon C.ascon
D.rhagon
PART III - Embryology is a useful indicator of eucaryote relationships. Construct a diagram showing how
morphology of the internal body cavities and development of the embryonic mouth and ciliated organs can be
used for determining the relationships of the eucaryotic groups (7 POINTS).
PART IV - Discuss the major chemical cycles in Earth history, including their geologic and biologic causes and
results (8 POINTS).