Multiple Choice Review– Classification

1. Which of the following accurately lists the levels of classification in our current
taxonomic system?
a. Phylum, kingdom, domain, class, order, family, genus, species
b. Class, domain, kingdom, phylum, order, family, genus, species
c. Domain, phylum, kingdom, class, order, family, genus, species
d. Domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species

2. Which of the following is the most limiting level of classification of an organism?

a. Class
b. Genus
c. Order
d. Species

3. Which of the following is the least limiting level of classification?

a. Class
b. Genus
c. Order
d. Species

4. Which grouping of organisms is considered to have the greatest amount of

diversity?
a. Kingdom
b. Species
c. Domain
d. Order

5. What does LUCA represent in classification?

a. The largest universal common ancestor
b. The last universal common ancestor
c. The last unknown convergent ancestor
d. The largest unknown convergent ancestor

6. Which of the following shows the correct scientific

name for a fruit fly?
a. Drosophila melanogaster
b. Drosophila Melanogaster
c. Drosophila Melanogaster
d. Drosophila melanogaster

7. What can we infer about bacteria based upon the illustration?

a. There is only one kingdom within the domain of bacteria
b. There are three kingdoms with the domain bacteria
c. There is one domain within the kingdom bacteria
d. There are three domains within the kingdom bacteria
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A table of characteristics of the three domains of life is shown below. Use this
information to complete the next three questions.

Characteristic Domain A Domain B Domain C

Single celled Some Yes Yes
Cell wall Yes Yes
Nuclear envelope No No
Ribosomes Yes ? Yes
Membrane bound No No
organelles
Membrane lipids Unbranched Branched, more Unbranched
phospholipids than one type phospholipids

8. Based upon the information included in the chart above, “Domain A” represents
which of the following domains?
a. Plantae
b. Eukarya
c. Bacteria
d. Archaea

9. Which of the following best completes the table, in the cell marked “?”?
a. Yes
b. No
c. Some
d. Unknown

10. Based upon the information included in the chart above, “Domain C” represents
which of the following domains?
a. Plantae
b. Eukarya
c. Bacteria
d. Archaea

11. Which of the Domains is most closely related to the LUCA?

a. Plantae
b. Eukarya
c. Bacteria
d. Archaea

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 Below is an illustration showing domains and kingdoms. Respond to the next
three questions based upon this illustration.

12. What do the letters D & C represent in the diagram?

a. Animals and Plants
b. Eukaryotes and Prokaryotes
c. Mammals and Reptiles
d. Phyla and Classes

13. Which of the following letters represents

bacteria within the illustration above?
a. A
b. B
c. C
d. D

14. Which of the following letters represents

kingdoms within the illustration above?
a. A and B
b. B and C
c. C and D
d. D and A

Below is a chart listing some of the traits of each kingdom within the eukaryotic
domain. Use this chart to respond to the next three questions:

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 15. One type of organism is multicellular and performs photosynthesis. Into which
kingdom does this organism most likely belong?
a. Protists
b. Fungi
c. Plantae
d. Animalia

16. One type of organism has some photosynthetic members but is primarily
unicellular. They do have a true nucleus and organelles. Into which kingdom does
this organism most likely belong?
a. Protists
b. Fungi
c. Plantae
d. Animalia

17. These organisms are eukaryotic, nearly all are multicellular; they are non-
photosynthetic. To which kingdom do they best fit?
a. Protists
b. Fungi
c. Plantae
d. Animalia

Three cladograms are shown in the images below. Respond to the next two
questions based upon these illustrations.

18. Which of the letters, shown in the illustrations above, represent the same position in
the cladogram as “1”?
a. 7 and 8
b. 4 and 8
c. 4 and 7
d. 6 and 8

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 19. Which of the following organisms are most closely related, based upon these
cladograms?
a. 1 and 2
b. 4 and 5
c. 7 and 8
d. 5 and 6

20. What is the primary purpose of a phylogenetic tree?

a. The primary purpose of a phylogenetic tree is to be able to develop species
and genus names of new discovered organisms.
b. The primary purpose of a phylogenetic tree is to be able to trace evolutionary
relationships amongst organisms.
c. The primary purpose of a phylogenetic tree is to be able to determine which
organisms are more advanced than others.
d. The primary purpose of a phylogenetic tree is to be able to determine into
which kingdom a living organism belongs.

21. Which of the following is NOT used to determine the phyla to which a plant belongs?
a. Absence of a vascular system
b. Presence of seeds
c. Presence of chloroplasts
d. Absence of flowers

22. Which of the following statements regarding plants is correct?

a. Conifers, such as cedar trees, do not possess a xylem.
b. Phloem is used to transport water absorbed through the leaves down to the
roots of the plant.
c. Flowering plants are separated into two phyla, the angiosperms and
gymnosperms.
d. The first plants were most likely aquatic.

23. Which of the following lists characteristics of a dicot?

a. Two cotyledons, branched leaf veins, complex arrangements of vascular
tissue.
b. Two cotyledons, a tap root, branched leaf veins.
c. Two cotyledons, a fibrous root system, parallel leaf veins.
d. One cotyledon, a tap root, branched leaf veins.

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 24. Which of the images depicts a
monocot?
a. 1
b. 2
c. 3
d. 4

25. The scientific name for the wild

rose is Rosa acicularis. What genus does
this species belong to?
a. Eukarya
b. Plantae
c. Rosa
d. Acicularis

26. Which two species of plant are

most closely related according to
the cladogram?
a. Zygogynum and Bubbia
b. Drimys and Pseudowintera
c. Takhtajania and Zygogynum
d. Pseudowintera and Bubbia

27. How many derived characteristics

separate Drimys from
Pseudowintera?
a. 1
b. 2
c. 3
d. 4

28. Drimys is a genus of plant. How

can it be determined using only this
cladogram that Drimys is not a
species?
a. It is italicized.
b. It is capitalized.
c. It is not binomial
nomenclature.
d. It cannot be determined
solely from this image.
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 29. During this event the diversity of multicellular animals increased extremely rapidly.
How do we refer to this event that occurred during the beginning of the Paleozoic
era?
a. The Paleozoic blast
b. The Big Bang
c. The Cambrian explosion
d. The diversity blast

30. The presence of absence of a vertebrae helps to distinguish phyla from each other,
within the animal kingdom. Which of the following statements accurately describes
the presence of a backbone within animal phyla?
a. The majority of animal phyla have a backbone
b. 35 out of 36 phyla are invertebrates
c. 35 out of 36 phyla are vertebrate
d. the ratio of vertebrate to invertebrate phyla is 50/50

Kingdom Animalia contains a number of different phyla, based upon particular

traits. Below is a tree based upon some of the traits that differentiate the animal
phyla. Respond to the next three questions based upon this illustration.

31. Consider #1 in the illustration above. Which characteristic is labeled here?

a. Bilateral symmetry
b. Radial symmetry
c. Heterotrophic
d. Vertebrae

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 32. Organisms in this phylum possess traits 1, 2, and 3.
a. Echinoderms
b. Round worms
c. Flatworms
d. Mollusks

33. Within the phylogenetic tree shown above, one group of animals has the following
characteristics: Dorsal Nerve Cord; Coelomate; Bilateral symmetry. Which group
contains the traits listed above?
a. Jellyfish
b. Mollusks
c. Chordates
d. Round worms

34. Which type of symmetry represented in the illustration?

a. Bilateral
b. Circular
c. Radial
d. Longitudinal

35. The animal kingdom is broken down into phyla based on symmetry and what other
trait?
a. Body size
b. Presence of mitochondria
c. Heterotrophic vs. autotrophic
d. Type of body cavity

36. Which of the following correctly pairs the type of body cavity with its definition?
a. Coelomate: possessing a partially lined body cavity
b. Acoelomate: possessing a body cavity with no lining
c. Pseudocoelomate: possessing a fully lined body cavity
d. Pseudocoelomate: possessing a body cavity with no lining

37. Which of the following describes the body plan of a domestic dog?
a. Radially symmetric coelomate
b. Radially symmetric psuedocoelomate
c. Bilaterally symmetric coelomate
d. Bilaterally symmetric pseudocoelomate

38. Which of the following traits do chimpanzees

and perch have in common?
a. Lungs, claws/nails, fur
b. Jaws, lungs
c. Jaws
d. Jaws, lungs, feathers, claws/nails
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 39. Which of the following traits do chimpanzees and pigeons have in common?
a. Lungs, claws, fur
b. Jaws, lungs
c. Fur, mammary glands
d. Jaws, lungs, claws/nails

40. Which of the following traits do lizards and salamanders have in common?
a. Lungs, claws, fur
b. Jaws, lungs
c. Jaws
d. Jaws, lungs, feathers, claws

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 Answer Key

Question # Correct response Question # Correct response

1 D 21 C

2 D 22 D

3 A 23 B

4 C 24 C

5 B 25 C

6 D 26 A

7 A 27 A

8 B 28 C

9 A 29 C

10 C 30 B

11 C 31 A

12 A 32 D

13 A 33 C

14 A 34 C

15 C 35 D

16 A 36 B

17 B 37 C

18 C 38 C

19 D 39 D

20 B 40 B

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