Campbell’s Biology, 9e (Reece et al.)
Chapter 34 The Origin and Evolution of Vertebrates
A little more than 40% of the questions in Chapter 34 are scenario- or art-based or a combination
thereof. There are two new sets of scenario questions, one pertaining to the air sacs of birds and the
other to a devastating disease of bats in the eastern United States and Canada, thought to be caused by a
fungus new to science. The new set of art questions pertains to swim bladders.
Multiple-Choice Questions
1) Chordate pharyngeal slits appear to have functioned first as
A) the digestive system’s opening.
B) suspension-feeding devices.
C) components of the jaw.
D) gill slits for respiration.
E) portions of the inner ear.
2) Which of the following statements would be least acceptable to most zoologists?
A) The extant lancelets are contemporaries, not ancestors, of vertebrates.
B) The first fossils resembling lancelets appeared in the fossil record around 530 million years ago.
C) Recent work in molecular systematics supports the hypothesis that lancelets are the most recent
common ancestor of all vertebrates.
D) The extant lancelets are the immediate ancestors of the fishes.
E) Lancelets display the same method of swimming as do fishes.
3) Which extant chordates are postulated to be most like the earliest chordates in appearance?
A) lancelets
B) adult tunicates
C) amphibians
D) reptiles
E) chondrichthyans
4) A new species of aquatic chordate is discovered that closely resembles an ancient form. It has the
following characteristics: external armor of bony plates, no paired lateral fins, and a suspension-feeding
mode of nutrition. In addition to these, it will probably have which of the following characteristics?
A) legs
B) no jaws
C) an amniotic egg
D) endothermy
5) How many of the following statements about craniates is (are) correct?
1. Craniates are more highly cephalized than are noncraniates.
2. Craniates’ genomic evolution includes duplication of clusters of genes that code for transcription
factors.
3. The craniate clade is synonymous with the vertebrate clade.
4. Pharyngeal slits that play important roles in gas exchange originated in craniates.
5. The two-chambered heart originated with the early craniates.
A) one of these
B) two of these
C) three of these
D) four of these
E) five of these
6) What do all craniates have that earlier chordates did not have?
A) brain
B) vertebrae
C) cartilaginous pipe surrounding notochord
D) partial or complete skull
E) bone
7) Lampreys differ from hagfishes in
A) lacking jaws.
B) having a cranium.
C) having pharyngeal clefts that develop into pharyngeal slits.
D) having a notochord throughout life.
E) having a notochord that is surrounded by a tube of cartilage.
8) The feeding mode of the extinct conodonts was
A) herbivory.
B) suspension feeding.
C) predation.
D) filter feeding.
E) absorptive feeding.
9) The earliest known mineralized structures in vertebrates are associated with which function?
A) reproduction
B) feeding
C) locomotion
D) defense
E) respiration
10) A team of researchers has developed a poison that has proven effective against lamprey larvae in
freshwater cultures. The poison is ingested and causes paralysis by detaching segmental muscles from
the skeletal elements. The team wants to test the poison’s effectiveness in streams feeding Lake
Michigan, but one critic worries about potential effects on lancelets, which are similar to lampreys in
many ways. Why is this concern misplaced?
A) A chemical poisonous to lampreys could not also be toxic to organisms as ancestral as lancelets.
B) Lamprey larvae and lancelets have very different feeding mechanisms.
C) Lancelets do not have segmental muscles.
D) Lancelets live only in saltwater environments.
E) Lancelets and lamprey larvae eat different kinds of food.
11) The lamprey species whose larvae live in freshwater streams, but whose adults live most of their
lives in seawater, are similar in this respect to certain species of
A) chondrichthyans.
B) actinopterygians.
C) lungfishes.
D) coelacanths.
E) hagfishes.
12) Jaws first occurred in which extant group of fishes?
A) lampreys
B) chondrichthyans
C) ray-finned fishes
D) lungfishes
E) placoderms
13) Which of these might have been observed in the common ancestor of chondrichthyans and
osteichthyans?
A) a mineralized, bony skeleton
B) opercula
C) bony fin rays
D) a spiral valve intestine
E) a swim bladder
14) To which of the following are the scales of chondrichthyans most closely related in a structural
sense?
A) osteichthyan scales
B) reptilian scales
C) mammalian scales
D) bird scales
E) chondrichthyan teeth
15) Which of these statements accurately describes a similarity between sharks and ray-finned fishes?
A) The skin is typically covered by flattened bony scales.
B) They are equally able to exchange gases with the environment while stationary.
C) They are highly maneuverable due to their flexibility.
D) They have a lateral line that is sensitive to changes in water pressure.
E) A swim bladder helps control buoyancy.
16) Which group’s members have had both lungs and gills during their adult lives?
A) sharks, skates, and rays
B) lungfishes
C) lancelets
D) amphibians
E) ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs
17) There is evidence that ray-finned fishes evolved
A) in response to a crisis that wiped out the chondrichthyans.
B) directly from lampreys and hagfish.
C) early in the Cambrian period.
D) directly from lancelets.
E) the swim bladder from a lung.
18) The swim bladder of ray-finned fishes
A) was probably modified from simple lungs of chondrichthyans.
B) developed into lungs in saltwater fishes.
C) first appeared in sharks.
D) provides for regulation of buoyancy.
E) Two of the options listed are correct.
19) Which of the following belongs to the lobe-fin clade?
A) chondrichthyans
B) ray-finned fishes
C) lampreys
D) hagfishes
E) tetrapods
20) Arrange these taxonomic terms from most inclusive (most general) to least inclusive (most specific).
1. lobe-fins
2. amphibians
3. gnathostomes
4. osteichthyans
5. tetrapods
A) 4, 3, 1, 5, 2
B) 4, 3, 2, 5, 1
C) 4, 2, 3, 5, 1
D) 3, 4, 1, 5, 2
E) 3, 4, 5, 1, 2
21) A trend first observed in the evolution of the earliest tetrapods was
A) the appearance of jaws.
B) the appearance of bony vertebrae.
C) feet with digits.
D) the mineralization of the endoskeleton.
E) the amniotic egg.
22) What should be true of fossils of the earliest tetrapods?
A) They should show evidence of internal fertilization.
B) They should show evidence of having produced shelled eggs.
C) They should indicate limited adaptation to life on land.
D) They should be transitional forms with the fossils of chondrichthyans that lived at the same time.
E) They should feature the earliest indications of the appearance of jaws.
23) Which of these are amniotes?
A) amphibians
B) fishes
C) egg-laying mammals
D) placental mammals
E) More than one of these is correct.
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24) Why is the amniotic egg considered an important evolutionary breakthrough?
A) It has a shell that increases gas exchange.
B) It allows deposition of eggs in a terrestrial environment.
C) It prolongs embryonic development.
D) It provides insulation to conserve heat.
E) It permits internal fertilization to be replaced by external fertilization.
25) Which era is known as the “age of reptiles”?
A) Cenozoic
B) Mesozoic
C) Paleozoic
D) Devonian
E) Cambrian
26) Which of these characteristics added most to vertebrate success in relatively dry environments?
A) the shelled, amniotic egg
B) the ability to maintain a constant body temperature
C) two pairs of appendages
D) bony scales
E) a four-chambered heart
27) Which of the following is characteristic of most extant reptiles and most extant mammals?
A) ectothermy
B) diaphragm
C) shelled eggs
D) keratinized skin
E) conical teeth that are relatively uniform in size
28) At the end of which era did most dinosaurs and pterosaurs become extinct?
A) Cretaceous
B) Permian
C) Devonian
D) Ordovician
E) Triassic
29) Which of the following are the only extant animals that descended directly from dinosaurs?
A) lizards
B) crocodiles
C) snakes
D) birds
E) tuataras
30) Examination of the fossils of Archaeopteryx reveals that, in common with extant birds, it had
A) a long tail containing vertebrae.
B) feathers.
C) teeth.
D) Three of the options listed are correct.
E) Two of the options listed are correct.
31) Why is the discovery of the fossil Archaeopteryx significant? It supports the
A) phylogenetic relatedness of birds and reptiles.
B) contention that birds are much older than we originally thought.
C) claim that some dinosaurs had feathers well before birds had evolved.
D) idea that the first birds were ratites.
E) hypothesis that the earliest birds were ectothermic.
32) During chordate evolution, what is the sequence (from earliest to most recent) in which the
following structures arose?
1. amniotic egg
2. paired fins
3. jaws
4. swim bladder
5. four-chambered heart
A) 2, 3, 4, 1, 5
B) 3, 2, 4, 1, 5
C) 3, 2, 1, 4, 5
D) 2, 1, 4, 3, 5
E) 2, 4, 3, 1, 5
33) Among extant vertebrates, a sheet of muscle called the diaphragm is found in
A) birds.
B) monotremes.
C) marsupials.
D) placentals.
E) Three of the options listed are correct.
34) Which of these would a paleontologist be most likely to do in order to determine whether a fossil
represents a reptile or a mammal?
A) Look for the presence of milk-producing glands.
B) Look for the mammalian characteristics of a four-chambered heart and a diaphragm.
C) Because mammals are eutherians, look for evidence of a placenta.
D) Use molecular analysis to look for the protein keratin.
E) Examine the teeth.
35) Which of the following represents the strongest evidence that two of the three middle ear bones of
mammals are homologous to certain reptilian jawbones?
A) They are similar in size to the reptilian jawbones.
B) They are similar in shape to the reptilian jawbones.
C) The mammalian jaw has fewer bones than does the reptilian jaw.
D) These bones can be observed to move from the developing jaw to the developing middle ear in
mammalian embryos.
E) Mammals can hear better than reptiles.
36) Female birds lay their eggs, thereby facilitating flight by reducing weight. Which “strategy” seems
most likely for female bats to use to achieve the same goal?
A) lay shelled eggs
B) limit litters to a single embryo
C) refrain from flying throughout pregnancy (about 6 weeks long)
D) give birth to underdeveloped young, and subsequently carry them in a pouch that has teats
E) feed multiple embryos internally using placentas
37) In which vertebrates is fertilization exclusively internal?
A) chondrichthyans, osteichthyans, and mammals
B) amphibians, mammals, and reptiles
C) chondrichthyans, osteichthyans, and reptiles
D) reptiles and mammals
E) reptiles and amphibians
For the following items, match the extant vertebrate groups with the descriptions.
38) Their scales most closely resemble teeth in both structure and origin.
A) amphibians
B) nonbird reptiles
C) chondrichthyans
D) mammals
E) osteichthyans
39) Internal fertilization, leathery amniotic egg, and skin that resists drying are characteristics of
A) amphibians.
B) nonbird reptiles.
C) chondrichthyans.
D) mammals.
E) birds.
40) Which of the following are the most abundant and diverse of the extant vertebrates?
A) ray-finned fishes
B) birds
C) amphibians
D) nonbird reptiles
E) mammals
41) What is the single unique characteristic that distinguishes extant birds from other extant vertebrates?
A) endothermy
B) feathers
C) an amniotic egg
D) flight
E) a four-chambered heart
42) Arrange the following taxonomic terms from most inclusive (most general) to least inclusive (most
specific).
1. apes
2. hominins
3. Homo
4 anthropoids
5. primates
A) 5, 1, 4, 2, 3
B) 5, 4, 1, 2, 3
C) 5, 4, 2, 1, 3
D) 5, 2, 1, 4, 3
E) 5, 2, 4, 1, 3
43) Which of these traits is most strongly associated with the adoption of bipedalism?
A) fingerprints
B) enhanced depth perception
C) shortened hind limbs
D) opposable big toe
E) repositioning of foramen magnum
44) Which of the following statements about human evolution is correct?
A) Modern humans are the only human species to have evolved on Earth.
B) Human ancestors were virtually identical to extant chimpanzees.
C) Human evolution has occurred within an unbranched lineage.
D) The upright posture and enlarged brain of humans evolved simultaneously.
E) Fossil evidence indicates that early anthropoids were arboreal and cat-sized.
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45) Which of the following are considered apes?
A) lorises
B) New World monkeys
C) Old World monkeys
D) orangutans
E) tarsiers
46) Which of these species was the first to have been adapted for long-distance bipedalism?
A) Australopithecus garhi
B) H. erectus
C) H. ergaster
D) H. habilis
E) H. sapiens
47) Which of these species was apparently the first to craft stone tools?
A) Australopithecus garhi
B) H. erectus
C) H. ergaster
D) H. habilis
E) H. sapiens
48) Which of these species was the first to have some members migrate out of Africa?
A) Australopithecus garhi
B) H. erectus
C) H. ergaster
D) H. habilis
E) H. sapiens
49) Which of these species is currently thought to have coexisted (at the same time and places) with H.
neanderthalensis?
A) H. erectus
B) H. ergaster
C) H. habilis
D) H. sapiens
50) Which of these species had members who moved out of Africa?
A) H. erectus
B) H. ergaster
C) H. habilis
D) H. sapiens
E) both H. sapiens and H. erectus
51) With which of the following statements would a biologist be most inclined to agree?
A) Humans and apes represent divergent lines of evolution from a common ancestor.
B) Humans evolved directly from Old World monkeys.
C) Humans represent the pinnacle of evolution and have escaped from being affected by natural
selection.
D) Humans evolved from chimpanzees.
E) Humans and apes are the result of disruptive selection in a species of chimpanzee.
52) Which of these statements about human evolution is correct?
A) The ancestors of Homo sapiens were chimpanzees.
B) Human evolution has proceeded in an orderly fashion from an ancestral anthropoid to Homo sapiens.
C) The evolution of upright posture and enlarged brain occurred simultaneously.
D) Different species of the genus Homo have coexisted at various times throughout hominin evolution.
E) Mitochondrial DNA analysis indicates that modern humans are genetically very similar to
Neanderthals.
53) The oldest fossil remains of Homo sapiens found so far date from about
A) 6 million years ago.
B) 1.6 million years ago.
C) 195,000 years ago.
D) 60,000 years ago.
E) 16,000 years ago.
54) Which of the following statements is correct in regard to Homo erectus?
A) Their fossils are not limited to Africa.
B) On average, H. erectus had a smaller brain than H. habilis.
C) H. erectus had a level of sexual dimorphism less than that of modern humans.
D) H. erectus was not known to use tools.
E) H. erectus evolved before H. habilis.
55) Which of the following is the most inclusive (most general) group, all of whose members have
foramina magna centrally positioned in the base of the cranium?
A) hominoids
B) Homo
C) anthropoids
D) hominins
E) primates
56) Which of the following is the most inclusive (most general) group, all of whose members have fully
opposable thumbs?
A) apes
B) Homo
C) anthropoids
D) hominins
E) primates
57) Which of the following is the most specific group that includes both the Old World monkeys and the
New World monkeys?
A) apes
B) Homo
C) anthropoids
D) hominins
E) primates
58) At least one of these has been found in all species of eumetazoan animals studied thus far.
A) Hox
B) Dlx
C) Otx
D) FOXP2
E) more than one of these
59) Which of the following is a cluster of genes coding for transcription factors involved in the
evolution of innovations in early vertebrate nervous systems and vertebrae?
A) Hox
B) Dlx
C) Otx
D) FOXP2
E) more than one of these
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Art Questions
Figure 34.1
Fishes that have swim bladders can regulate their density and, thus, their buoyancy. There are two types
of swim bladder: physostomus and physoclistus. The ancestral version is the physostomus version, in
which the swim bladder is connected to the esophagus via a short tube (Figure 34.1). The fish fills this
version by swimming to the surface, taking gulps of air, and directing them into the swim bladder. Air is
removed from this version by “belching.” The physoclistus version is more derived, and has lost its
connection to the esophagus. Instead, gas enters and leaves the swim bladder via special circulatory
mechanisms within the wall of the swim bladder.
60) The presence of a swim bladder allows the typical ray-finned fish to stop swimming and still
A) effectively circulate its blood.
B) be highly maneuverable.
C) use its lateral line system.
D) use its swim bladder as a respiratory organ.
E) not sink.
61) Rank the following fish, from most to least, in terms of the amount of energy it must use to maintain
its position (depth) in the water column over the long term.
1. physoclistus fish
2. physostomus fish
3. chondrichthyan fish
A) 1, 2, 3
B) 2, 3, 1
C) 2, 1, 3
D) 3, 1, 2
E) 3, 2, 1
62) If a physoclistus fish removes gas from its swim bladder, this fish’s density cannot actually change