Amphibian Study Guides

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Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.

The word amphibian is derived from Greek words meaning

a.	“fishlike.”	c.	“double life.”
b.	“froglike.”	d.	“first lunged.”

Which of the following is not evidence that amphibians evolved from a lobe-finned fish?

a.	The limb bones of amphibians are similar in shape and position to those of lobe-finned fishes.
b.	Amphibians’ limb bones are used to support the body.
c.	Amphibians are still alive, while lobe-finned fishes are extinct.
d.	Both amphibians and lobe-finned fishes have a skull and a vertebral column.

The earliest known land vertebrates

a.	were salamanders.
b.	were amphibians.
c.	lacked bones in their legs.
d.	were now-extinct reptiles.

In amphibians, gases are exchanged through the gills, lungs, and

a.	heart.	c.	lateral line system.
b.	air bladder.	d.	skin.

Toads, like frogs,

a.	cannot live in moist areas.
b.	generally return to the water to reproduce.
c.	have long tails as adults.
d.	belong to the order Caudata.

Amphibians without tails are classified in the order

a.	Apoda.	c.	Caudata.
b.	Anura.	d.	Hydrodela.

Newts and salamanders are amphibians of the order

a.	Apoda.	c.	Caudata.
b.	Anura.	d.	Gymnophiona.

Amphibians have thin, moist skin

a.	to allow easier gas exchange.
b.	because thin, moist skin cannot be eaten by a predator.
c.	so that they can slip easily into tight places.
d.	to resist water loss.

Some type of strong skeletal support

a.	exists in all animals, whether they are aquatic or terrestrial.
b.	is necessary for animals to live outside aquatic environments.
c.	is present primarily in aquatic vertebrates.
d.	evolved first in reptiles.

Which of the following characteristics of the skeletons of frogs are adaptations for jumping?

a.	forelimbs attached to a pectoral girdle and hind limbs attached to a pelvic girdle
b.	fusion of bones of the lower limbs and of part of the vertebral column
c.	cervical vertebrae
d.	many separate, distinct vertebrae

All terrestrial vertebrates

a.	must stay near water in order to reproduce.
b.	have thin, moist skin for gas exchange.
c.	have tracheal systems for delivering oxygen to cells.
d.	have a double-loop circulatory system.

Which of the following is not a preadaptation in the transition from aquatic to terrestrial life?

a.	bone structure in the fins that worked like legs
b.	modified pouches in the digestive tract, which evolved into swim bladders
c.	internal nostrils
d.	a lateral line system

The amount of oxygen a lung can absorb depends primarily on

a.	its thickness.
b.	its position in the body of an animal.
c.	its internal surface area.
d.	the diameter of the bronchioles in the lung.

Adult frogs, like other amphibians, are

a.	herbivores.	c.	parasites.
b.	omnivores.	d.	carnivores.

Male frogs attract females by means of

a.	vocalizations.	c.	pheromones.
b.	the amplexus.	d.	metamorphosis.

Which of the following senses is not more developed in amphibians than in bony fishes?

a.	lateral line system	c.	smell
b.	vision	d.	hearing

Frogs reproduce in water or moist places because their eggs

a.	are fertilized externally.
b.	have a jelly-like coating that is permeable to water.
c.	will dry out if removed from moisture.
d.	All of the above

The series of changes in the life cycle of a frog is called

a.	amniocentesis.	c.	evolution.
b.	metamorphosis.	d.	synapsis.

During metamorphosis in frogs,

a.	lungs replace gills.
b.	limbs develop.
c.	the tail disappears.
d.	All of the above

Which of the following is not a method used by at least some frogs for caring for fertilized eggs as they develop?

a.	gastric brooding
b.	keeping eggs in vocal sacs
c.	sitting on eggs
d.	laying eggs on land

Completion
Complete each statement.

Amphibians differ from lobe-finned fishes and most other fishes in that they take in oxygen through their ____________________ and skin.

Salamanders and ____________________ are amphibians with a distinct head, tail, and limbs.

Frogs and toads are amphibians of the order ____________________.

Amphibians supplement the use of their lungs by respiring directly through their skin. This “skin breathing” is called ____________________ respiration.

Amphibians achieve more efficient circulation than fishes because of their ____________________ circulatory system.

In amphibians, the blood vessels that go from the lungs to the heart are called the ____________________ veins.

Young frogs respire using ____________________, while adult frogs respire using ____________________ and skin.

The tympanic membrane is another word for the ____________________.

The process of change that transforms a tadpole into an adult frog is called ____________________.

The male Darwin’s frog (Rhinoderma darwinii) protects maturing eggs by enclosing them in its ____________________ sacs, while a female gastric-brooding frog protects its eggs by keeping them in its ____________________.