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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What is the problem with the Burgess Shale in relation to many of the similarities and distinctions?
(a) Only two are known and there are no classifications to put them in.
(b) Few are unknown and there are so many different classifications.
(c) The classification system needs a complete overview.
(d) Many are unknown and this makes classification difficult.

2. What stage of contingency does the book focus on most?
(a) The sixth stage.
(b) The fourth stage.
(c) The first stage.
(d) The fifth stage.

3. Which are the names of three rare arthropods in the Shale?
(a) Acteria, Malaraia, Bulgara.
(b) Molaria, Sartrocercus, Asheais.
(c) Sartrocercus, Asheais, Actaeus.
(d) Molaria, Actaeus, Sartrocercus.

4. What was Whittington the world expert on at the time?
(a) Fossils.
(b) Paleontologists.
(c) Yohoias.
(d) Trilobites.

5. When did prokaryotic cells exist?
(a) At 6.7 billion years.
(b) At 3.5 million years.
(c) At 3.5 billion years.
(d) At 3.7 billion years.

6. What complex creature did Morris decide to focus on?
(a) Wiwaxia.
(b) Phylomari.
(c) Trixolo.
(d) Normaia.

7. Why is the Burgess Shale such an amazing find?
(a) It contains soft-bodied creatures.
(b) It contains hard-bodied creatures.
(c) It contains five thousand creatures.
(d) It contains no creatures.

8. What example helped round out the Burgess revision?
(a) Wiwaxia.
(b) Aysehaia.
(c) Naraoia.
(d) Marella.

9. What five new species did Morris find?
(a) Fologenia, Maskinal, Odontogriphus, Dinomischus, and Hallucigenia.
(b) Hallucigenia, Odontogriphus, Dinomischus, Maskinal, and Frutogenia.
(c) Hallucigenia, Odontogriphus, Dinomischus, Amiskwia, and Malaria.
(d) Nectocaris, Odontogriphus, Dinomischus, Amiskwia, and Hallucigenia.

10. How many major contingencies along the path toward human development does Gould guide the reader through?
(a) Seven.
(b) Four.
(c) Eight.
(d) Nine.

11. What did Whittington next begin work on?
(a) Wiwaxia.
(b) Naraoia.
(c) Marella.
(d) Yohoia.

12. What kind of category was it?
(a) The catch-all category.
(b) The satisfactory category.
(c) The memorable category.
(d) The classifying category.

13. What must evolutionary biologists specify concerning similarities and differences?
(a) Types and sub-types.
(b) Vertebrate types.
(c) Invertebrate types.
(d) Six types.

14. What happened after Whittington published his monograph on Naraoia?
(a) He becomes famous.
(b) He takes a break.
(c) He begins work on Aysheaia.
(d) He is promoted to Chief Curator of the Smithsonian.

15. How can Odaraia be described?
(a) The largest trivalve arthropod in the shale.
(b) The largest vertebrate in the shale.
(c) The largest bivalve arthropod in the shale.
(d) The smallest trivalve arthropod in the shale.

Short Answer Questions

1. What did Gould say the next generation must do with the Burgess Shale?

2. What do we not know about mass extinction?

3. What large crab with an enormous number of spines did Collins publish a monograph on in 1985?

4. What is the name of the class of Burgess arthropods?

5. What is Canadaspis?

(see the answer keys)

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