What is the element iridium found in rock layers by Luiz Alvarez in Italy evidence of?

Asteroid impact and the 5th major extinction

What is being revealed by the work of Miles Silman in the Peruvian rainforest?

Global warming is driving species to move up the mountain.

Which group of marine (ocean) organisms will be particularly affected by ocean acidification?

Calcifiers including coral reefs

What distinguishes a "mass extinction"?

There is a huge loss (~70%) of life on Earth

What is the general theory to explain all of the major extinctions?

There is no single theory but all involve climate change

What does the "madness gene" refer to?

The restlessness of modern humans so that we go everywhere

What does "Pangaea" refer to?

a large super-continent from millions of years ago

When did extinction emerge as a concept?

1700’s during the time of the French Revolution

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The Sixth Extinction

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A review of the main topics of the book

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Questions 25

Answers

1
Which species was hunted to extinction in Iceland by humans in the 1800's?
American mastodon
Panamanian golden frog
Great Auk
Sumatran rhinoceros
2
Which of the major extinctions killed off the dinosaurs?
3rd
1st
5th
6th
3
What is the likely reason Neanderthals went extinct?
an ice age occurred
humans
global warming
asteroid impact
4
What class of animal is now considered “the world’s most endangered class”?
Coral reefs
Birds (i.e. the Great Auk)
Amphibians (i.e. frogs)
Mammals (i.e. Rhinoceros)
5
In the modern era, what is likely the first major ecosystem to become ecologically extinct?
grasslands and savannahs
tundra
coral reefs
deserts
6
What type of animal is the Cincinnati Zoo attempting to save from extinction?
Little brown bat
The Great Auk
Sumatran rhinoceros
Hawaiian crows
7
What is a main conclusion from the BDFFP in the Brazilian Amazon area?
All of the above
Isolation of life on “islands” causes lower biodiversity
Fragmentation works with global warming to alter life
Species inter-dependency can lead to extinction
8
What is responsible for movement of chytrid (Bd) fungus around the world?
aliens
atmospheric and wind currents
volcanic eruptions
human movements
9
What is the most likely cause of the current sixth extinction?
solar and lunar eclipses
ocean acidification
changes in the sun cycle
asteroid impact
10
Which of the following is TRUE about the new geological epoch called the Anthropocene?
Humans are rapidly changing the Earth's atmosphere & geology
All of the above
Humans have hunted the world's megafauna to extinction
Evidence will be found in fossils & sedimentary rock layers
11
What is the one "weedy species" that is "singularly resourceful" that the author refers to?
ammonites
humans
coral reefs
chytrid (Bd) fungus
12
Georges Cuvier believed extinction occurred in large single events. What is this idea called?
climate change
ocean acidification
uniformitarianism
catastrophism
13
What is the element iridium found in rock layers by Luiz Alvarez in Italy evidence of?
Glaciation and 1st major extinction
Asteroid impact and the 5th major extinction
Global warming and 3rd major extinction
Ocean acidification and 6th major extinction
14
What is being revealed by the work of Miles Silman in the Peruvian rainforest?
Trees are dying off due to acid rain.
Global warming is driving species to move up the mountain.
Chytrid (Bd) fungus cannot survive in the rainforest.
World temperatures are decreasing.
15
Which group of marine (ocean) organisms will be particularly affected by ocean acidification?
Dolphins and sharks
Mastodons and great auks
Calcifiers including coral reefs
Ammonites and graptolites
16
What distinguishes a "mass extinction"?
They won't be found in the fossil record
They are caused by non-human events like asterioids
There is a huge loss (~70%) of life on Earth
They are the same as "background extinction"
17
When approximately did Neanderthals vanish from existence in Europe?
200,000 years ago
2,000 years ago
30,000 years ago
1 million years ago
18
What is the general theory to explain all of the major extinctions?
Asteroid impact that decreased the sun’s energy
Ocean acidification due to increased carbon dioxide levels
There is no single theory but all involve climate change
Glaciation that cooled the earth’s atmosphere
19
What does the "madness gene" refer to?
Human children outscoring apes when social cues are needed
The restlessness of modern humans so that we go everywhere
Neanderthals killing humans in paleolithic times
Humans sharing up to 4% of DNA with Neanderthals
20
What does "Pangaea" refer to?
a type of frog in Panama studied at EVAAC
the name of the coral reef rescue organization
a large super-continent from millions of years ago
a type of brown bat being killed off in North America
21
When did extinction emerge as a concept?
1900’s with the age of the atomic bomb
1200’s during the time of alchemy
1700’s during the time of the French Revolution
1800’s with the ideas of Charles Darwin
22
What naturalist was responsible for the idea of extinction including the American mastodon?
Charles Darwin
Georges Cuvier
Luis Alvarez
Charles Lyell
23
What atmospheric gas is the main one causing ocean acidification?
carbon dioxide
methan
oxygen
nitrogen
24
How often does California acquire a new invasive species according to UC Riverside?
every 5 days
every year
every 60 days
every two years
25
What organism was mysteriously and rapidly killed off during winters in New York state?
brown bats
golden frogs
white rhinos
honey bees

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