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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What did the "death of the dinosaurs" boundary make possible?

2. What does the evolution of life contain, according to Gould's explanations and illustrations?

3. What are the evidences for Opabinia that are considered undeniable?

4. When was the boundary between the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras?

5. What did Marrella and Yohoia still appear to be?

Short Essay Questions

1. What did Leif Størmer decide to do in contrast to Walcott?

2. What was the difference between Simon Conway Morris and Whittington in the way that they worked?

3. What did using these new methods allow Whittington's team to do?

4. What did Whittington find Opabinia to actually be?

5. How is the Marrella splendens described in relation to the other Burgess Shale fossils?

6. What did Leif Størmer's "Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology" describe?

7. What is the boundary between the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras famous?

8. What are Marrella and Yohoia in terms of evolution?

9. What evidence favors Opabinia's uniqueness?

10. Name four levels of the taxonomy of life.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In Act 1, Whittington begins to observe Yohoia. Answer the following question: Should Whittington's observations of Marrella have affected his approach to Yohoia? Use one of your own supporting ideas to back up your statement, and at least two examples from the book.

Essay Topic 2

In Chapter 1, Gould examines Walcott's inaccurate interpretation of the ladder and cone convention. Using this example, and others found in Chapter 1 or 2, agree or disagree with the following question: does Gould or Walcott present a more convincing argument concerning the ladder and cone interpretation? Present your paper with an arguable thesis that uses three solid examples from the book.

Essay Topic 3

Gould promotes the idea that evolution cannot hold up under intensive examination. First, examine evolution as a theory. Second, examine it as a theory in the context of the Burgess Shale. Support your agreement or disagreement with at least two logical reasons with solid examples. Can the conception of evolution hold up under intensive examination? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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