MCQs on Origin of Life Evidences of evolution Human evolution By: Dr. M.J.Sundar Ram (Rtd. professor of Zoology, Vijaya College, Bangalore)

1. Which of the following was not contained in the Miller-Urey original mixture of gases:

a. Water b. nitrogen c. phosphorus d. hydrogen

2. Which of the following gases is least likely to have existed in the early atmosphere of the earth? a. Oxygen b. hydrogen c. Ammonia d. carbon dioxide

3. How long did the earth exist before life appeared on it? a. 4.5 billion years b. 2.7 billion years c. 1 billion years d. 1 million years

4. Which of the following was not a source of energy on the early earth? a. Lightning b. ozone c. UV radiation d. volcanic eruptions

5. Which of the following traits evolved last (i.e., most recently)? a. Prokaryotic cells b. eukaryotic cells c. Photosynthesis d. multicellularity

6. What gas in today's atmosphere shields us from ultraviolet radiation? a. Ozone b. Nitrogen c. Oxygen d. carbon monoxide

7. The thermal model theory of the origin of life was proposed by: a. Oparin b. Sydney Fox c. Miller d. J.B.S.Haldane

8. Urey and Miller introduced the following gases in the spark discharge apparatus to test the origin of life: a. Ammonia, hydrogen and methane b. ammonia, oxygen and hydrogen c. Oxygen, hydrogen and carbon dioxide d. methane, oxygen and ammonia

9. Animals which possess homologous organs:

•a. are born to the same parents and hence are brothers and sisters •b. have different ancestors and are not related •c. have common ancestors but are distantly related. •d. have a common ancestor and hence are closely related.

10. Soft parts of insects etc. are preserved as fossils in: a. Rocks

b. water c. plant resin d. earth

11. Which of the following is considered as direct evidence for evolution: a. biogeography. b. comparative anatomy. c. developmental biology. d. the fossil record.

12. Select the flora which dominated the earth 3.5 billion years ago: a. Blue-green algae b. Archibacteria c. Mosses d. Lichens

13. Life arose on this earth for the first time as a result of: •a. spontaneous generation •b. chemical reaction •c. special creation •d. biogenesis.

14. Which of the following periods is considered as the Golden Age of Reptiles: a. Proterozoic era b. Mesozoic era c. Coenozoic era d. Paleozoic era.

15. The chemical origin of life was proved experimentally by: a.Watson and Crick b. Warren and Marshall c. Hardy and Weinberg d. Urey and Miller

16. Who advocated the theory of abiogenesis:

a. Louis Pasteur b. Pouchet c. Redi d. Spallanani

17. Choose the non-vestigial organ of man from the following: a. Nail and claw b. nictitating membrane c. wisdom tooth d. vermiform appendix

18. Louis Pasteur disproved the theory of abiogenesis with his famous experiment: a. wide mouthed bottles b. Spark discharge apparatus c. Swan-necked flasks d. glucometer.

19. Spontaneous generation means: a. non-living things give rise to living beings

b. living beings arise from living beings

c. one type of living being gives rise to another type of living being

d. vertebrates have arisen from invertebrate beings.

20. One of the following gases is present in abundance today but was absent at the time of the origin of primordial life: a. oxygen b. Methane c. hydrogen d. nitrogen

21. Colloidal droplets containing nucleoproteins are known as: a. protenoids b. coacervates c. thermal proteins d. infusions

22. Evolutionary history of an organism is known as: a. schizogony b. ontogeny c. phylogeny d. sporogony.

23. At the time of origin of life it was a ‘reducing atmosphere’. It means:

a. that the gases present in the atmosphere were shrinking in volume b. that the atmosphere started shrinking in size c. that free oxygen was not available in the atmosphere d. that hydrogen did not allow oxygen to increase in volume.

24. The thermal model for the origin of life was proposed by:

a. Oparin b. J.B.S.Haldane c. Miller d. Sydney Fox

25. Which of the following are not evidence of evolution: a) vestigial organs b) fossils c) connecting links d) metamorphosis

26. Analogous organs are: A) different in structure but similar in function B) common in structure and function C) different origin and different function D) similar in structure but different in function

27. Which of these organs are homologous: A) wing of bird and wing of butterfly B) limb of bird and limb of cockroach C) fin of fish and flipper of whale D) wing of bat and flipper of whale

28. Homologous organs are those that show similarity in:

A) origin B) size C) appearance D) function

29. Animals which possess homologous organs: A) are born to the same parents but are unrelated B) have different ancestors but related C) have common ancestors but distantly related D) have common ancestors and closely related

30. Homo sapiens arose in: A) Africa B) America C) India D) Australia

31. The book ‘Origin of Life On Earth’ was written by: A) Charles Darwin B) Sydney Fox C) Alexander Oparin D) J.B.S. Haldane

32. It is believed that: A) RNA and DNA appeared simultaneously B) DNA appeared first followed by RNA C) DNA first formed but RNA never formed naturally D) RNA appeared first and later DNA appeared

33. Column A contains theories of origin of life & column B their meanings. Match them: Column A: theory Column B: meaning

1. Setady state theory p. Life came from non-living things

2. Special creation theory q. Life was seeded from other planets

3. Cosmozoic theory r. Life always existed on earth

4. Theory of abiogenesis s. Life was created by God

a) 1-p, 2-q, 3-r, 4-s b) 1-r, 2-s, 3-q, 4-p c) 1-s, 2-r, 3-q, 4-p d) 1-q, 2-p, 3-s, 4-r

34. The primordial soup model was developed independently by: A) Urey and Miller B) Oparin and Sydney Fox C) Haldane and Oparin D) Sydney Fox and Miller

35. In the thermal model of origin of life, peptide-like polymer products were formed. They were called as: A) Coacervates B) Pre-cells C) Primitive soup D) proteinoids

• 36. The Big Bang theory states that at the time of formation of universe there was:

1) a single loud, deafening explosion • 2) an intense, scorching lightning • 3) heavy continuous rains for many years • 4) a clash between different planets

• 37. The first gases that were formed during the formation of the earth were:

• • 1) carbon dioxide and oxygen • 2) hydrogen and ammonia • 3) hydrogen and helium • 4) carbon monoxide and methane.

• 38. Universe is made of clusters of galaxies. A galaxy means: • 1) a cluster of continents which together form the earth • 2) primordial earth surrounded by the atmosphere • 3) millions of stars with gas and dust held together by

gravitational attraction • 4) dust & gases that surround the earth.

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• 39. As a result of big bang:

• 1) the universe expanded and its temperature came down • 2) the universe expanded but its temperature increased • 3) the universe shrunk and its temperature increased • 4) the universe shrunk and its temperature came down.

• 40. In Pasteur’s swan-necked flask experiments, life did not arise from killed yeast in a sterilized flask; but life arose when flasks with killed yeast were exposed to air. This shows that:

• 1) life arises from non-living things • 2) life arises by complex chemical reactions. • 3) life comes only from pre-existing life. • 4) life comes only from killed yeast .

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• 41. According to scientists the first life forms appeared: • 1) in the atmosphere • 2) in the water • 3) on the land • 4) in the air.

42. What was the most significant trend in the evolution of modern man (Homo sapiens) from his ancestors?

a) Increasing cranial capacity b) Upright posture c) Opposable thumb d) Binocular vision

• 43. Which of the following statements on the origin of life has no religious belief:

• a) life arose as a result of chemical reactions • b) all living organisms were created at the same time • c) the diversity of life remains the same since creation • d) life is just about 4000 years old.

44. The following conditions prevailed for the origin of life on primordial earth:

1) low temperature, earthquakes & rich oxygen 2) high temperature, continuous rains and rich carbon monoxide 3) high temperature, volcanic eruptions and reducing atmosphere 4) presence of ozone layer, moderate temperature and cloud burst

45. In the primitive atmosphere water was broken down into hydrogen and oxygen by:

• 1) heat and electricity • 2) rains and humidity • 3) ultraviolet radiation • 4) thunder and lightning