Practice Questions on Chapter 6

  1. Which world condition characterized the Triassic Period?
    Continents clustered near the poles
    High world-wide sea level
    Intense worldwide mountain building
    The breakup of Pangea
    The formation of Pangea

  2. Why is the Triassic record so good in the northeastern United States?
    A huge delta was accumulating thick sediments.
    Animals were killed by a volcanic ash fall.
    Animals were killed in a massive flood.
    Rift valleys were filling with sediment.
    There were endless tidal flats.

  3. What late Triassic formation in the western United States is famous for its extensive petrified wood and uranium deposits, as well as some early dinosaur fossils?
    Chinle Formation
    Kayenta Formation
    Moenkopi Formation
    Navajo Sandstone
    Wingate Sandstone

  4. Which group of amphibians was prominent during the Triassic?
    Anthracosaurs
    Frogs
    Lepospondyls
    Salamanders
    Temnospondyls

  5. Which of the following groups did not originate during the Triassic?
    Dinosaurs
    Ichthyosaurs
    Mammals
    Pterosaurs
    Therapsids

  6. Which of the following animals are lepidosaurs rather than archosaurs?
    Crocodilians
    Dinosaurs
    Lizards
    Phytosaurs
    Pterosaurs

  7. What is the Thecodontia?
    A monophyletic group that includes all archosaurs
    A monophyletic group that includes all diapsids
    A monophyletic group that includes all lepidosaurs
    A paraphyletic group of early archosaurs
    A paraphyletic group of early lepidosaurs

  8. What is the current status of the reptilian Suborder Euryapsida?
    It is a monophyletic group with its origin in the Permian.
    It is a paraphyletic group of basal archosaurs.
    It is a paraphyletic group of basal crocodylomorphs.
    It is a paraphyletic group of basal marine reptiles.
    It is a polyphyletic group of modified diapsids.

  9. Match each synapomorphy with the reptile group it defines.
    Synapomorphy Reptile Group
    Ankle joint with rotation between astragalus and calcaneum
    Antorbital fenestra and lateral mandibular fenestra
    Astragalus much larger than calcaneum
    Deltopectoral crest on femur
    Digitigrade hindlimbs with unique ankle joint
    Elongate carpals and posterior spine on coracoid
    Expanded ilium with 3 or more sacral vertebrae
    Laterally-flattened teeth
    Ossified laterosphenoid at front of braincase
    Tibia longer than femur     		Archosauria
    Crocodylomorpha
    Crurotarsi
    Dinosauria
    Lepidosauria
    Ornithodira

  10. Match the crurotarsians with their characteristics.
    Crocodile-like but posterior nasal openings
    Elongate carpals (radiale and ulnare)
    Giant quadrupedal predators
    Heavily armored
    Herbivorous
    Large bipedal predators
    Long slender limbs
    Open acetabulum     		Aetosaurs
    Crocodylomorphs
    Ornithosuchids
    Phytosaurs
    Rauisuchians

  11. Match these miscellaneous archosauromorphs with their characteristics.
    Broad, flat teeth for eating plants
    Lost the lower temporal opening
    Some had extremely long necks
    Very abundant Triassic herbivores
    Wide skull and long premaxillary beak     		Prolacertiforms
    Rynchosaurs
    Trilophosaurids

  12. Match these marine reptiles with their characteristics.
    Feet and tail not very modified for swimming
    Fully aquatic with live birth
    Had broad flat crushing teeth
    Had dorsal armor
    Have no post-Triassic descendants or close relatives
    Large swimmers with long necks
    Large swimmers with short necks
    Temporal fenestra above postfrontal and supratemporal
    Tiny swimmers with long necks     		Ichthyosaurs
    Nothosaurs
    Pachypleurosaurs
    Placodonts

  13. Match these reptiles with the group they belong to.
    Aetosaurs
    Crocodylomorphs
    Dinosaurs
    Ichthyosaurs
    Nothosaurs
    Ornithosuchids
    Pachypleurosaurs
    Phytosaurs
    Placodonts
    Prolacertiforms
    Pterosaurs
    Rauisuchians
    Rynchosaurs
    Trilophosaurids     		Archosauromorpha (non-archosaur)
    Crurotarsi
    Ichthyosauria
    Ornithodira
    Sauropterygia