UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL

Winter 2013 Examination Period

School of Earth Sciences

Level M Examination

EXAM PAPER CODE EASCM0036J

VERTEBRATE PALAEOBIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION

TIME ALLOWED:

2 hours.

This paper contains 4 questions.

All students must answer TWO questions, Question 1 (compulsory) and either Question 2,
Question 3 or Question 4.

Each question carries equal weight, and the sub-division of marks within
each question is indicated

Refer to recent literature where appropriate, and use illustrations where possible.

ANSWER EACH QUESTION IN A NEW BLUE ANSWER BOOK

CLEARLY INDICATE THE QUESTION ANSWERED AND REMEMBER TO PUT
YOUR CANDIDATE NUMBER ON EACH BOOKLET.

Other instructions

NON-PROGRAMMABLE AND NON-GRAPHING CALCULATORS ARE

PERMITTED IN THIS EXAMINATION.

TURN OVER ONLY WHEN TOLD TO START WRITING

 UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL
QUESTION 1

All parts of this question are compulsory, and each part is worth 12.5 % of the whole question
(allow 1 hour, 50% total marks in all).

A. Why have teleosts adopted a wider range of modes of life than basal actinopterygians? (15
minutes)

B. Write down the names of bones 1-10 in the diagrams of Deinonychus below. Describe the
locomotion of this dinosaur (15 minutes).

C. How have the new discoveries of birds and dinosaurs from China affected our
understanding of the apomorphies of Aves? (15 minutes)

D. Describe the gorgonopsian adaptations for a highly predaceous mode of life. (15 minutes)

QUESTIONS 2, 3 and 4

Choose ONE question from the following, worth 50% of total marks (allow 1 hour). Illustrate
your answer as appropriate.

2. Critically evaluate different hypotheses for the pattern and underlying processes of
vertebrate evolution and the evolution of complexity.

3. How can the study of modern animals allow palaeobiologists to reconstruct the
biology of dinosaurs? Consider locomotion, feeding, and reproductive behaviour.

4. A new paradigm of Mesozoic mammal evolution is that successive episodes

of diversification made it possible for many extinct lineages to exploit diverse niches
(Luo, 2007). Expand on this statement, giving examples, and with particular reference
to developmental homoplasies.