BIO 171 MODULE 3 EXAM 2026 COURSE
ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS FULL REVIEW
◉ Which of the following organisms is most likely to be fossilized?
a) earthworm
b) clam
c) jellyfish
d) house flies. Answer: answer: b
◉ If cyanobacteria never evolved during Earth's history, how would
their absence affect the composition of Earth's atmosphere?
a) There would be less methane (CH4) in the atmosphere.
b) There would be less oxygen gas (O2) in the atmosphere.
c) There would be less carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere.
d) There would be less hydrogen gas (H2) in the atmosphere
e) There would be less nitrogen gas (N2) in the atmosphere..
Answer: answer: b
◉ What is a trace fossil?
,a) a fossil which is part of a series of fossils that trace the evolution
of a group of species
b) a fossil that allows scientists to trace the movement of the
fossilized organism
c) a small fossil
d) fossil evidence of organisms other than conventional fossils of
hard body parts. Answer: answer: d
◉ Which of the following applies to human skin color? Choose all
that apply.
a) Heritable
b) Has been in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium since the Tribe
Hominini first evolved
c) Has evolved due to evolutionary processes such as natural
selection
d) Only affected by the MC1R gene if the person carries a mutated
version of the gene
e) Production of pheomelanin is the dominant trait
f) Polygenic trait
g) Discrete trait
h) Affected by the MC1R gene
,I) Only people with the MC1R gene can make eumelanin, because
people whose skin has little eumelanin do not have the MC1R gene.
Answer: Answers: a, c, f, h
◉ The MC1R gene________________. Choose all that apply.
a) is a gene that humans have in common, but is not present in other
mammals
b) has some polymorphisms that have evolved since the origin of
modern humans (Homo sapiens)
c) does not show much variation among populations of humans
around the globe
d) does not show much variation in most African populations
e) shows the most variation in African populations, as humans
evolved in Africa
f) affects the type of melanin produced by human skin cells
g) shows the most variation among populations that live outside of
Africa. Answer: answers: b, d, f, g
◉ Which of the following is accurate, given modern data regarding
the evolution of modern humans (Homo sapiens)? (choose all
accurate)
a) The modern human species originated in Asia.
, b) The modern human species originated ~1.2 million years before
present.
c) The modern human species originated in Africa.
d) Modern humans dispersed across the world from Africa,
beginning ~60,000 years before present.
e) The modern human species originated in Europe.. Answer:
answers: c, d
◉ Which of the following is accurate, given modern data regarding
the evolution of modern humans (Homo sapiens)? (choose all
accurate)
a) Populations in Africa are more genetically diverse than non-
African populations.
b) As modern humans dispersed across the globe, populations
gained more diversity in the MC1R gene; one allele of the MC1R gene
is almost fixed in most African populations.
c) If we add together all of the genetic diversity of non-African
populations, this sum is far more genetic diversity than we find in
African populations.
d) The populations of humans in non-African populations have lost
some of the genetic diversity found at most genes of African
populations.
ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS FULL REVIEW
◉ Which of the following organisms is most likely to be fossilized?
a) earthworm
b) clam
c) jellyfish
d) house flies. Answer: answer: b
◉ If cyanobacteria never evolved during Earth's history, how would
their absence affect the composition of Earth's atmosphere?
a) There would be less methane (CH4) in the atmosphere.
b) There would be less oxygen gas (O2) in the atmosphere.
c) There would be less carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere.
d) There would be less hydrogen gas (H2) in the atmosphere
e) There would be less nitrogen gas (N2) in the atmosphere..
Answer: answer: b
◉ What is a trace fossil?
,a) a fossil which is part of a series of fossils that trace the evolution
of a group of species
b) a fossil that allows scientists to trace the movement of the
fossilized organism
c) a small fossil
d) fossil evidence of organisms other than conventional fossils of
hard body parts. Answer: answer: d
◉ Which of the following applies to human skin color? Choose all
that apply.
a) Heritable
b) Has been in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium since the Tribe
Hominini first evolved
c) Has evolved due to evolutionary processes such as natural
selection
d) Only affected by the MC1R gene if the person carries a mutated
version of the gene
e) Production of pheomelanin is the dominant trait
f) Polygenic trait
g) Discrete trait
h) Affected by the MC1R gene
,I) Only people with the MC1R gene can make eumelanin, because
people whose skin has little eumelanin do not have the MC1R gene.
Answer: Answers: a, c, f, h
◉ The MC1R gene________________. Choose all that apply.
a) is a gene that humans have in common, but is not present in other
mammals
b) has some polymorphisms that have evolved since the origin of
modern humans (Homo sapiens)
c) does not show much variation among populations of humans
around the globe
d) does not show much variation in most African populations
e) shows the most variation in African populations, as humans
evolved in Africa
f) affects the type of melanin produced by human skin cells
g) shows the most variation among populations that live outside of
Africa. Answer: answers: b, d, f, g
◉ Which of the following is accurate, given modern data regarding
the evolution of modern humans (Homo sapiens)? (choose all
accurate)
a) The modern human species originated in Asia.
, b) The modern human species originated ~1.2 million years before
present.
c) The modern human species originated in Africa.
d) Modern humans dispersed across the world from Africa,
beginning ~60,000 years before present.
e) The modern human species originated in Europe.. Answer:
answers: c, d
◉ Which of the following is accurate, given modern data regarding
the evolution of modern humans (Homo sapiens)? (choose all
accurate)
a) Populations in Africa are more genetically diverse than non-
African populations.
b) As modern humans dispersed across the globe, populations
gained more diversity in the MC1R gene; one allele of the MC1R gene
is almost fixed in most African populations.
c) If we add together all of the genetic diversity of non-African
populations, this sum is far more genetic diversity than we find in
African populations.
d) The populations of humans in non-African populations have lost
some of the genetic diversity found at most genes of African
populations.
