Origin of Life on Earth
Pre-Test
Next Generation Sunshine State Standards:
SC.912.L.15.1: Explain how the scientific theory of evolution is supported by the
fossil record, comparative anatomy, comparative embryology, biogeography,
molecular biology, and observed evolutionary change.
SC.912.L.15.8: Describe the scientific explanations of the origin of life on Earth.
_____ 1. When did the different kinds of vertebrates (animals with backbones - like
fishes and mammals) first appear?
A) all within 10,000- 50,000 years of each other
B) all within 50,000 - 500,000 years of each other
C) all within 1-2 million years of each other
D) all within 2-4 million years of each other
_____ 2. We have found many fossils of pre-mammals that lived long before the earliest
true mammals (for 100 million years). They became more and more mammal-like over
those many millions of years. Which origin-of-mammals idea best fits that observation?
A) mammals just popped into existence - no connection to previous animals
B) mammals formed directly from certain fishes
C) mammals formed directly from certain amphibians
D) mammals formed directly from certain pre-mammals
______ 3. What is the most widely accepted hypothesis of Earth's origins?
A) A condensing cloud of gas and dust formed the Sun and its planets.
B) The Sun formed from condensing dust; the planets formed from condensing gas.
C) Earth formed from an exploding nebula.
D) Earth formed from violent eruptions from the Sun.
_____ 4. Geologically speaking, with reference to the entire history of the earth, the
dinosaurs went extinct…
A) Shortly after the formation of Earth
B) In the first billion years of Earth’s history
C) In the most recent 2% of the history of Earth
D) Before the first fish formed
_____ 5. Relative to the percent of time dominating the surface of Earth which
organisms have the longest reign?
A)
B)
C)
D)
Dinosaurs
Plants
Prokaryotes
Eukaryotes
_____6. The Earth is ________ years old.
A) 6,000
B) 46,000,000
C) 4,600,000,000
D) There is no way to know
_____ 7. Which organism first dominated Earth?
A) Dinosaurs
B) Insects
C) Plants
D) Bacteria
_____ 8. Put the following organisms in order of when they first appeared.
a. PreMammals b. Mammals c. Reptiles d. Jawed Fishes e. Amphibians
A) c, d, a, e, b
B) d, e, a, c, b
C) a, b, d, c, e
D) d, e, a, c, b
______ 9. What characteristics distinguish pre-mammals from amphibians?
A) 5-fingers and toes, and walking legs
B) temperature regulation and amniotic embryos
C) pelvic girdles
D) jaws and teeth
______ 10. What characteristics do all vertebrates share?
A) head and tail ends, vertebrae, dorsal nerve cord, and gill arches in their embryos
B) four limbs, lungs, + fur, eggs with special membranes, different teeth types,
lower jaw with only one bone, 3 ear bones, and mammary glands
C) four limbs, lungs, eggs with special membranes, different teeth types,
lower jaw with decreasing number of bones, and increasing number of ear bones
D) four limbs, + lungs, and smooth moist skin, all teeth the same type, lower jaw
with 3 bones, 1 ear bone
_____ 11. When did humans emerge as a unique family?
A) 1 mya (millions of years ago)
B) 3 mya
C) 5 mya
D) 7 mya
Answers:
1. d
2. c
3. a
4. c
5. c
6. c
7. d
8. d
9. b
10. a
11. d