1. Ch. 15 Exam Review
____ 1. Earth’s age is estimated to be more than 4 billion years. ____ 2. The term half-life is used to indicate when an organism’s life span is half over. ____ 3. Mass extinctions are long periods during which few species disappeared. ____ 4. The theory of evolution states that species change over time. ____ 5. Evidence for evolution occurs only in the fossil record.
What are the key words?

2. Ch. 15 Exam Review
__T_ 1. Earth’s age is estimated to be more than 4 billion years. __F_ 2. The term half-life is used to indicate when an organism’s life span is half over. __F_ 3. Mass extinctions are long periods during which few species disappeared. __T_ 4. The theory of evolution states that species change over time. __F_ 5. Evidence for evolution occurs only in the fossil record.
What are the key words?

3. one-half of the original amount c. one-quarter of the original amount
Ch. 15 Exam Review
____ 6. If the half-life of a radioactive isotope is 5,000 years, how much of the radioactive isotope in a specimen will be left after 10,000 years?
all of it
one-half of the original amount
c. one-quarter of the original amount
d. none of it
How many half-lifes have passed?
Work the problem with some easy numbers.

4. one-half of the original amount c. one-quarter of the original amount
Ch. 15 Exam Review
_C__ 6. If the half-life of a radioactive isotope is 5,000 years, how much of the radioactive isotope in a specimen will be left after 10,000 years?
all of it
one-half of the original amount
c. one-quarter of the original amount
d. none of it
How many half-lifes have passed? 2
Work the problem with some easy numbers.
Start: 100
1st half-life: 50
2nd half-life: 25

5. Ch. 15 Exam Review
____ 7. Refer to the illustration above. Miller and Urey’s apparatus was designed to demonstrate that life on Earth might have originated from
radioactive decay.
simple organic molecules.
c. extraterrestrial life.
d. None of the above
____ 8. Animal fossils may form when
an animal is buried by sediment.
burial takes place on the ocean floor, in swamps, in mud, or in tar pits.
c. the tissue is replaced by harder minerals.
d. All of the above

6. Ch. 15 Exam Review
__B_ 7. Refer to the illustration above. Miller and Urey’s apparatus was designed to demonstrate that life on Earth might have originated from
radioactive decay.
simple organic molecules.
c. extraterrestrial life.
d. None of the above
__D_ 8. Animal fossils may form when
an animal is buried by sediment.
burial takes place on the ocean floor, in swamps, in mud, or in tar pits.
c. the tissue is replaced by harder minerals.
d. All of the above

7. Ch. 15 Exam Review ____ 9. Darwin conducted much of his research on
the Samoan Islands.
b. Manhattan Island.
c. the Hawaiian Islands.
d. the Galapagos Islands.
____ 10. The finches that Darwin studied differed in the shape of their beaks. According to Darwin, the finches probably
a. all had a common ancestor.
b. had been created by design that way.
c. were descended from similar birds in Africa.
d. ate the same diet.
Where?
What?

8. Ch. 15 Exam Review __D_ 9. Darwin conducted much of his research on
the Samoan Islands.
b. Manhattan Island.
c. the Hawaiian Islands.
d. the Galapagos Islands.
__A_ 10. The finches that Darwin studied differed in the shape of their beaks. According to Darwin, the finches probably
a. all had a common ancestor.
b. had been created by design that way.
c. were descended from similar birds in Africa.
d. ate the same diet.
Where?
What?

9. Ch. 15 Exam Review Key words:
____ 11. In order to fit into their habitat, the Galapagos finches had
not changed.
been created as superior birds.
c evolved.
d. All of the above
____ 12. According to Darwin, evolution occurs
a. by chance.
b. during half-life periods of 5,715 years.
c. because of natural selection.
d. rapidly.
____ 13. Organisms well suited to their environment
a. reproduce more successfully than those less suited to the same environment.
b. are always larger than organisms less suited to that environment.
c. always live longer than organisms less suited to that environment.
d. need less food than organisms less suited to that environment.
Key words:

10. Ch. 15 Exam Review fit to their habitat evolution
_C__ 11. In order to fit into their habitat, the Galapagos finches had
not changed.
been created as superior birds.
c evolved.
d. All of the above
_C__ 12. According to Darwin, evolution occurs
a. by chance.
b. during half-life periods of 5,715 years.
c. because of natural selection.
d. rapidly.
_A__ 13. Organisms well suited to their environment
a. reproduce more successfully than those less suited to the same environment.
b. are always larger than organisms less suited to that environment.
c. always live longer than organisms less suited to that environment.
d. need less food than organisms less suited to that environment.
fit to their habitat
evolution
well suited to environment

11. Ch. 15 Exam Review
____ 14. Refer to the illustration above. An analysis of DNA from these organisms would indicate that
a. they have identical DNA.
b. they all have gill pouches.
c. their nucleotide sequences show many similarities.
d. they all have the same number of chromosomes.
____ 15. Refer to the illustration above. The bones labeled “A” are known as
vestigial structures.
sequential structures.
c. homologous structures.
d. fossil structures.
What would be the same?
What is similar about A?

12. Ch. 15 Exam Review
__C_ 14. Refer to the illustration above. An analysis of DNA from these organisms would indicate that
a. they have identical DNA.
b. they all have gill pouches.
c. their nucleotide sequences show many similarities.
d. they all have the same number of chromosomes.
__C_ 15. Refer to the illustration above. The bones labeled “A” are known as
vestigial structures.
sequential structures.
c. homologous structures.
d. fossil structures.
What would be the same?
What is similar about A?

13. Ch. 15 Exam Review
____ 16. Homologous structures in organisms suggest that the organisms
share a common ancestor.
b. must have lived at different
times.
c. have a skeletal structure.
d. are now extinct.
____ 17. The beak of a bird and the beak of a giant squid evolved independently and serve the same function. The beaks are
convergent structures.
homologous structures.
analogous structures.
hybrid structures.
Key words:

14. Ch. 15 Exam Review
__A_ 16. Homologous structures in organisms suggest that the organisms
share a common ancestor.
b. must have lived at different
times.
c. have a skeletal structure.
d. are now extinct.
__C_ 17. The beak of a bird and the beak of a giant squid evolved independently and serve the same function. The beaks are
convergent structures.
homologous structures.
analogous structures.
hybrid structures.
Key words:
Homologous structure
Evolved independently, same function (job)

15. Ch. 15 Exam Review
____ 18. The accumulation of differences between species or populations is called
gradualism.
adaptation.
divergent evolution.
cumulative differentiation.
____ 19. The process by which two or more species change in response to each other is called
compromise.
parasitism.
coevolution.
ecology.
Key words:

16. Ch. 15 Exam Review
__C_ 18. The accumulation of differences between species or populations is called
gradualism.
adaptation.
divergent evolution.
cumulative differentiation.
__C_ 19. The process by which two or more species change in response to each other is called
compromise.
parasitism.
coevolution.
ecology.
Key words:
Differences…
…each other…

17. Ch. 15 Exam Review
___ 20. Refer to the illustration above. While the shark and dolphin are similar in appearance, they evolved independently. This is an example of
cladistics.
phenetics.
convergent evolution.
divergent evolution.
…similar, evolved independently…

18. Ch. 15 Exam Review
__C_ 20. Refer to the illustration above. While the shark and dolphin are similar in appearance, they evolved independently. This is an example of
cladistics.
phenetics.
convergent evolution.
divergent evolution.
…similar, evolved independently…

19. Ch. 15 Exam Review
The concept of spontaneous generation states that living things could arise from ____________________.
22. When an organism becomes ____________________, the tissues are replaced by harder minerals.
23. A species that has disappeared permanently is said to be ____________________.
24. A(n)____________________ consists of all the individuals of a particular species in a particular place.
FOSSILIZED
NON-LIVING THINGS
POPULATION
EXTINCT

20. Ch. 15 Exam Review
The concept of spontaneous generation states that living things could arise from _nonliving things______.
22. When an organism becomes ___fossilized____, the tissues are replaced by harder minerals.
23. A species that has disappeared permanently is said to be ___extinct___.
24. A(n)__population_ consists of all the individuals of a particular species in a particular place.
FOSSILIZED
NON-LIVING THINGS
POPULATION
EXTINCT

21. Ch. 15 Exam Review
25. The diagram above illustrates the radioactive decay of potassium-40. The half-life of potassium-40 is about ______ billion years.
How long until half has decayed away?

22. Ch. 15 Exam Review
25. The diagram above illustrates the radioactive decay of potassium-40. The half-life of potassium-40 is about ___1.3__ billion years.
How long until half has decayed away?

23. A: homologous structure B: analogous structure
Unique to A
Common to both
Unique to B

24. A: population B: individual
Unique to A
Common to both
Unique to B