HISTORICAL GEOLOGY LECTURE TEST # 2 - 2011
TRUE-FALSE (T-F):
1. Charles Darwin was a racist whose purpose in writing The Origin of Species was to promote the concept of a
superior "aryan" race.
2. Both Thomas Malthus and Charles Darwin noted that populations increase exponentially.
3. In plate tectonic theory, it is believed that the continental crust floats on top of the mantle material.
4. "Polar Wandering Curves" are primarily due to the movement of the Earth's continents.
5. Extinction is most likely to occur in species with large populations and that live in limited geographic areas.
6. Social Darwinism and the eugenics movement influenced Hitler's Mein Kampf.
7. There was strong evidence for continental drift theory, as it has been proven that the continents "plowed
through" the ancient ocean basins.
8. Plate tectonic theory states that the Earth is divided into a series of large lithospheric plates.
9. The concept of "Stochastic Processes" says that origin and extinction events are predictable, and are due to
environmental circumstances.
10. The early stages of vertebrate embryos tend to be very similar. This has been utilized as evidence for
evolution.
11. The Hawaiian Islands are an example of a hotspot trace.
12. Microcontinents are composed of basaltic material.
13. Blended inheritance is the concept that hereditary factors retain their identity while being passed on from
parent to offspring.
14. Mutations are chemical changes in genetic features, and provide most of the variability on which natural
history operates.
15. Palynology is the study of how organisms adjust to their environment.
16. Isolated environments, especially islands, often have similar animals that have many diverse forms and
habits.
17. Most molecular paleontology studies have utilized mitochondrial DNA.
18. Much of western North America was built due to the suturing of allochthonous, or exotic, terranes.
19. The study of fossil animals is paleozoology.
20. In both continental drift and plate tectonic theory, it has been noted that ancient tillites, evaporites and reefs
are aligned along certain ancient latitudes.
21. The concept of Background Extinction states that the probability of extinction is approximately constant
through the life of a particular group but that rates of extinction vary from group to group.
22. Although reproductive rates are often high, the number of individuals within a species tends to remain
constant.
23. Rift valleys produce primarily andesitic magmas.
24. Most petrified wood and fossil bone have been preserved through the processes of recrystallization and
replacement.
25. A natural population is considered to be a group of interbreeding individuals.
26. Suture belts are typically due to the rifting of oceanic plates.
27. Triple rift systems are found along convergent plate boundaries.
28. The concept of monism states that all things can be understood, and there is an underlying principle
controlling everything.
29. Artificial selection is not similar to natural selection, and indicates that evolution is not a valid scientific
theory.
30. In obduction, the oceanic plate "dives" beneath the continental plate.
31. Oceanic plates have a basaltic composition, and this density affects the characteristic of the plates.
32. In evolution, old organs are typically remodeled rather than new organs created.
33. Unaltered soft parts are rare as fossils, as the organic compounds of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen are
unstable.
34. An ophiolite suite exposes oceanic crust and upper mantle material at the Earth's surface.
35. Due to the presence of the carbonate compensation depth, most deep marine sediments are calcareous oozes.
MULTIPLE CHOICE:
36. The lebensborn movement A.was first developed by Francis Galton in order to limit the immigration of
peoples into England and Germany B.was influential in development of welfare systems in England and
Germany C.was introduced as a selective breeding program in Nazi Germany D.all of the above are true
E.none of the above is true
37. Fossilization typically requires A.quick burial of the potential fossil B.the presence of hard parts C.that the
potential fossil escapes chemical and physical destruction D.all of the above are true concerning
fossilization E.none of the above is true concerning fossilization
38. ? , who was Darwin's cousin, introduced the concept of eugenics. A.Thomas Huxley B.Herbert Spencer
C.Francis Galton D.Samuel Wilberforce E.William Smith
39. The fossilization process by which percolating groundwater introduces minerals into the pore spaces of the
hard parts is A.carbonization B.recrystallization C.replacement D.cellular permineralization E.mold
40. The study of trace fossils is termed A.ichthyology B.paleobotany C.ichnology D.phylogeny E.ontogeny
41. A fossilization process by which volatile components decrease and the outline of the animals is preserved as
a black film is A.carbonization B.recrystallization C.replacement D.cellular permineralization E.mold
42. Which of the following has been proposed as a reason for mass extinctions? A.bolide impacts B.violent
volcanism C.oxygen-depleted water rises onto continental shelves D.regressions E.all of the above have
been proposed as reasons for mass extinction
43. Eugenics stated that A."inferior" races should be exterminated B.human breeding should be controlled
C.marxian philosophy should be adopted D.all of the above are true E.none of the above is true
44. A fossilization process by which percolating ground water dissolves bone and replaces it with minerals is
A.carbonization B.mold C.replacement D.cellular permineralization E.cast
45. An adaptive radiation A.is the rapid origin of many species from an ancestral group B.often follows a mass
extinction event C.often follows the evolution of useful features, termed adaptive breakthroughs D.all of
the above are true E.none of the above is true
46. A fossilization process by which the form and size of the original crystal structure changes is
A.carbonization B.recrystallization C.cast D.cellular permineralization E.mold
47. The Himalaya Mountains are a good example of a A.spreading center B.ophiolite suite C.suture belt
D.subduction zone E.melange
48. The direction of dip of a subduction zone is termed the polarity. In the Pacific, we know which way the
subduction zone is pointed due to the location of deep earthquakes created during the subduction process.
We have established subduction zone polarity here by means of A.ophiolites B.melanges C.hot spots
D.microcontinents E.benioff zones
49. Which of the following was especially influential in development of the monist philosophy? A.Himmler
B.Haeckel C.Spencer D.Darwin E.Galton
50. Which of the following is true concerning sexual reproduction? A.the egg and sperm are termed zygotes,
which unite to form gametes B.yields new combinations of chromosomes and genes C.is most important
for producing many numbers of individuals, whereas asexual reproduction is important for yielding greater
variation D.all of the above are true concerning sexual reproduction E.none of the above is true concerning
sexual reproduction
51. ? wrote The Origin of Continents and Oceans. A.Wegener B.Hess C.Walther D.Deitz E.Bullard
52. Evidence for plate tectonics that was not available to continental drift theorists was A.distribution of
Glossopteris B.distribution of tillites C.continental fit D.paleomagnetism E.petrographic evidence
53. Phyletic Gradualism A.says that evolutionary change is slow and constant B.is the theory first proposed by
Charles Darwin in 1859 C.all of the above are true D.none of the above is true
54. The Franciscan Formation of California contains huge blocks of rock that were "scraped off" during plate
subduction. These rocks are referred to as A.melanges B.ophiolite suites C.evaporites D.rhyolites
E.peridotites
55. ? was the co-founder of evolutionary theory. A.Wegener B.Hess C.Haeckel D.Wallace E.Huxley
56. Which of the following implemented the lebensborn within Nazi Germany? A.Heinrich Himmler B.Ernst
Haeckel C.Herbert Spencer D.Adolf Seilacher E.Adolf Hitler
57. A ? is the impression of skeletal remains in an adjoining rock A.mold B.cast C.coprolite D.ichnofossil
E.molasse
58. The "founder" of Social Darwinism in England was A.William Huxley B.Samuel Wilberforce C.William
Smith D.Ernst Haeckel E.Herbert Spencer
59. Divergent boundaries experience primarily ? forces. A.tensional B.compressional C.shear D.all of the
above forces are equally important along divergent boundaries E.none of the above forces are important
along divergent boundaries
60. This test number is B. Please answer "B" for question # 60.