Quiz

QUIZ

1. Which term does not describe the mass extinction event that may be occurring in today’s time?

a. Anthropogenic extinction b. Holocene extinction c. Paleogene extinction d. Anthropocene extinction

Answer: c. Each of these is considered the same term, except for Paleogene extinction, which is linked to the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction that occurred 66 million years ago.

2. What habitat makes up the majority of the land in today’s time?

a. Population centers b. Pastures c. Forests d. Crop fields

Answer: b. About a quarter of the earth is consumed by pastures that do not carry wildlife to the same degree as do land areas that contain forests or other natural spaces.

3. Which type of species has been most affected by the habitation of humans on islands like New Zealand?

a. Fish b. Birds c. Small mammals d. Apex predators

Answer: b. Birds species have suffered the most in places like New Zealand, where humans have taken over and have introduced invasive species.

4. What factor led to the greatest decline in the woolly mammoth population?

a. Human predation b. Mass extinction events c. Climate change d. Disease

Answer: c. Climate change and the loss of habitat for the woolly mammoth has likely led to the extinction of these animals, even though humans have had a smaller effect on these populations.

5. Which area of the world is least affected by the reduction in megafauna?

a. Arctic and Antarctic areas b. Africa c. New Zealand d. Americas

Answer: b. Because African species coevolved with humans, they have been affected the least by human intervention, although this may change due to overhunting of many species of larger animals.

6. Which vertebrate species type is most endangered today because of habitat loss and diseases?

a. Fish b. Big cats c. Amphibians d. Birds

Answer: c. Amphibians are the most affected species type because of large losses of habitat and by fungal infections that have killed off many of their numbers.

7. While human extinction is theoretical, what is the least likely cause of human extinction in the future?

a. Biological warfare b. Nuclear war c. Natural disasters d. Pandemics

Answer: c. Natural disasters, such as volcanism or meteorite impacts, have the least likely possible impact on human extinction.

8. What extraterrestrial event is more likely to destroy the population the soonest?

a. Meteor impact b. Ocean evaporation c. Carbon dioxide rise d. Sun growth and earth sterilization

Answer: a. Each of these things is on target to happen but not for about a billion years or more. A meteorite impact is much more likely to occur before these other events can happen.

9. What parameter will increase rather than decrease with a rise in global warming?

a. Ocean heat levels b. Glacier size c. Snow cover size d. Ocean ice levels

Answer: a. Each of these parameters will decrease except for ocean heat levels, which are predicted to increase rather than decrease.

10. What is not a greenhouse gas?

a. Nitrous oxide b. Carbon dioxide c. Ozone d. Methane

Answer: c. These represent the major greenhouse gases, except for ozone, which is not a greenhouse gas.