1. Which of the following is NOT a major cause of extinction?
a) Climate change
b) Habitat destruction
c) Increased genetic diversity
d) Overhunting
Answer: c) Increased genetic diversity
2. The mass extinction event that wiped out the dinosaurs occurred during which period?
a) Cretaceous
b) Jurassic
c) Triassic
d) Permian
Answer: a) Cretaceous
3. Which of the following gases is believed to have contributed to the mass extinction event at the end of the Permian period?
a) Carbon dioxide
b) Oxygen
c) Methane
d) Nitrogen
Answer: a) Carbon dioxide
4. What is the primary cause of the ongoing sixth mass extinction?
a) Natural climatic shifts
b) Meteorite impacts
c) Human activity
d) Volcanic eruptions
Answer: c) Human activity
5. The “Great Dying” refers to the mass extinction event that occurred at the end of which period?
a) Triassic
b) Jurassic
c) Permian
d) Cretaceous
Answer: c) Permian
6. Which of the following species went extinct due to the impact of a massive asteroid or meteorite?
a) Mammoths
b) Dodo
c) Dinosaurs
d) Passenger pigeon
Answer: c) Dinosaurs
7. The passenger pigeon became extinct due to which primary factor?
a) Predation by humans
b) Disease
c) Habitat destruction and overhunting
d) Competition with other species
Answer: c) Habitat destruction and overhunting
8. Which of the following is a characteristic of the Holocene extinction event?
a) It was caused by a massive volcanic eruption
b) It primarily affected marine life
c) It is ongoing and largely driven by human activity
d) It wiped out most of Earth’s mammals
Answer: c) It is ongoing and largely driven by human activity
9. What is the main cause of biodiversity loss during extinction events?
a) Genetic drift
b) Loss of habitats and food sources
c) Increased population size
d) Overabundance of species
Answer: b) Loss of habitats and food sources
10. Which of the following extinction events was triggered by an asteroid impact?
a) The Cretaceous–Paleogene (K-Pg) extinction event
b) The Permian extinction
c) The Holocene extinction
d) The Triassic extinction
Answer: a) The Cretaceous–Paleogene (K-Pg) extinction event
11. Which of the following organisms survived the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event?
a) Dinosaurs
b) Large marine reptiles
c) Mammals
d) Plants
Answer: c) Mammals
12. Which of these is an example of a current human-induced extinction threat?
a) Global warming
b) The Ice Age
c) Meteor impact
d) Continental drift
Answer: a) Global warming
13. What was a major consequence of the Permian-Triassic extinction event?
a) The loss of terrestrial plants
b) The formation of new continents
c) Massive reduction in marine species diversity
d) Increased oxygen levels
Answer: c) Massive reduction in marine species diversity
14. Which ecosystem is most vulnerable to extinction events caused by climate change?
a) Tropical rainforests
b) Deserts
c) Tundras
d) Oceans
Answer: a) Tropical rainforests
15. What percentage of species were wiped out during the Permian-Triassic extinction?
a) 10%
b) 25%
c) 50%
d) 90%
Answer: d) 90%
16. Which of the following factors contributes to the likelihood of species surviving extinction events?
a) Large population sizes
b) Specialized diets
c) Limited geographic distribution
d) High genetic diversity
Answer: d) High genetic diversity
17. Which group of animals was most affected by the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction?
a) Mammals
b) Birds
c) Reptiles
d) Amphibians
Answer: c) Reptiles (specifically dinosaurs)
18. Which of the following is an example of an indirect consequence of extinction events on biodiversity?
a) Direct competition between species
b) Genetic bottlenecking
c) Disruption of ecosystem functions
d) Evolution of new species
Answer: c) Disruption of ecosystem functions
19. How do volcanic eruptions contribute to extinction events?
a) By providing abundant nutrients for plants
b) By blocking sunlight and lowering temperatures
c) By releasing oxygen into the atmosphere
d) By creating new habitats
Answer: b) By blocking sunlight and lowering temperatures
20. Which of the following is NOT a likely impact of extinction events on ecosystems?
a) Loss of species diversity
b) Altered food chains
c) Increased genetic variation
d) Disruption of ecological interactions
Answer: c) Increased genetic variation
21. Which type of species are most likely to survive mass extinction events?
a) Highly specialized species
b) Generalist species with adaptable characteristics
c) Species with small population sizes
d) Species with limited habitats
Answer: b) Generalist species with adaptable characteristics
22. Which of these is a direct consequence of extinction events on biodiversity?
a) Creation of new ecological niches
b) Increase in genetic diversity
c) Loss of ecosystem services
d) Stabilization of the environment
Answer: c) Loss of ecosystem services
23. Which of the following is considered a major human activity contributing to current extinction events?
a) Fossil fuel combustion
b) Asteroid impacts
c) Natural volcanic eruptions
d) Continental drift
Answer: a) Fossil fuel combustion
24. What is the role of “keystone species” during extinction events?
a) Their loss causes a collapse of the ecosystem
b) They provide food for all other species
c) They evolve into new species
d) They drive evolutionary change
Answer: a) Their loss causes a collapse of the ecosystem
25. What is a key feature of the biodiversity in areas that survived the Permian-Triassic extinction event?
a) Decreased genetic variation
b) Rapid evolution of new species
c) Stable ecosystems with no change
d) Small population sizes
Answer: b) Rapid evolution of new species
26. Which of these events is likely to cause “adaptive radiation” after a mass extinction?
a) A meteorite impact
b) A stable climate
c) The disappearance of a keystone species
d) Overpopulation of a single species
Answer: a) A meteorite impact
27. What kind of species tends to flourish following mass extinction events?
a) Specialized, slow-evolving species
b) Generalist, fast-evolving species
c) Species with limited reproductive cycles
d) Non-adaptive species
Answer: b) Generalist, fast-evolving species
28. What factor determines the long-term impact of extinction events on biodiversity?
a) The rate of species loss
b) The age of the species involved
c) The speed of evolutionary adaptation
d) The diversity of the species involved
Answer: a) The rate of species loss
29. Which of the following would NOT be an immediate impact of a mass extinction event?
a) Disruption in food chains
b) Change in climate patterns
c) Evolution of entirely new species
d) Loss of habitat for numerous species
Answer: c) Evolution of entirely new species
30. How do mass extinction events contribute to the future evolution of species?
a) They create new ecosystems where life can flourish
b) They decrease the population of all species
c) They eliminate all competitors for surviving species
d) They remove all predators from ecosystems
Answer: a) They create new ecosystems where life can flourish
