Appendix A
Modified Tree Thinking Concept Inventory (TTCI)
1. Choose all of the sequences from
diagram that are in order from oldest
youngest.
a. Flat, Spot, Cap, Morel
b. Morel, H, B, M, Spot
c. Spot, M, B, H, T
d. T, B, M, Cap
e. The diagram does not
time component
the
to
have a
2. What does the diagram show?
Choose
all of the statements that are true.
a. How closely organisms resemble (e.g. look like) each other
b. How different organisms are related through common ancestors
c. Which species evolved first, second, third, etc.
d. Which species have changed the most over time
e. Which species at the top are most closely related to the species at point T
3. What kinds of evidence do biologists commonly use to determine relationships among
organisms? Choose all of the statements that are true.
a. Fossils, Inherited morphological (e.g. physical) characteristics, and
DNA/genetic material
b. Inherited morphological (e.g. physical) characteristics
c. Environment, species that inhabit similar environments will be more closely
related
d. Only DNA or genetic material
e. None of the above
4. In what order, from first to last, did the
evolve?
a. Curl – Band – Stripe – Dot
b. Dot – Curl – Band & Stripe
c. Band & Stripe – Curl – Dot
d. Dot – Stripe – Band – Curl
e. The diagram does not show which
species evolved 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or last.
5. What is/are the closest relative(s) to Curl?
a. Dot, because Dot and Curl were the
species to evolve
b. Stripe, because Stripe and Curl look the most similar to each other
c. Band and Stripe, because they all share point U
d. Dot, because Dot and Curl have changed the least since Q
species
beetle
first
e. All three species, because Curl is 2 points away from Band and Stripe (U & S)
and 2 points away from Dot (U & Q)
6. Choose all of the following
that are TRUE.
a. Dot & Band are NOT
because their lines do not
b. Dot & Band are related
they are descendents of
c. Curl evolved from Dot
d. Dot is probably extinct
stopped evolving
e. Dot is the original or main species
statements
7. Choose the item that is not
present day.
a. E
b. Ferns
c. Angiosperms & Conifers
d. Mosses
e. The diagram does not have a time axis
represent in
8. What are the closest relatives to fish?
a. Lizards, because evolution
from simple to more complex
b. Mammals, because there are
branching points (O & D)
fish and mammals
c. Fish are equally related to
birds & lizards because they
point O
d. Mammals, because they are the
fish on the diagram
e. Fish are not related to mammals,
lizards
related
touch
because
V
because it
progresses
organisms
only 2
between
mammals,
all share
closest to
birds or
9. In considering the diagram to the right, choose all of the diagrams below that
represent the same evolutionary relationships among the four beetle species.
a. 1
b. 2
c. 3
d. 4
e. All of the Above
10. Which if any of the beetle species have changed the most over time?
a. Solid
b. Zebra
c. Wave
d. Racer
e. Cannot be determined from the diagram
11. Choose all of the statements that are true about Racer.
a. Racer is the original species
b. Racer and Wave are not related because their lines do not connect
c. Racer’s environment has changed the least
d. Racer is probably extinct
e. None of the above statements is true
12. Is the following statement true or false?
a. Racer is most closely related to Solid.
b. True, because Racer looks most similar to Solid
c. True, because their lines split first and they have changed the least
d. False, because Racer is equally related to Solid & Zebra because Solid &
Zebra both came from Racer
e. False, because Racer is most closely related to Zebra because Zebra came
from Racer most recently
f. False, and none of the above statements is correct
13. Which of the flower species at the top
to the species at point S?
a. F because evolution progresses
on the diagram
b. F M B & G are equally similar to
point S
c. M because it has the most
appearance
d. More information is needed to
question
looks most similar
from left to right
the species at
primitive
answer the
14. Which of the following statements is/are true about the relationship between R & W
in the two diagrams?
a. R & W have the same relationship to each other in both diagrams
b. R & W evolved in a different order in the two diagrams
c. In Diagram 2, R & W are not related because their lines do not intersect
d. Species W is more evolved than species R in Diagram 2
e. R is the original species in Diagram 2
15. In Diagram 1, which species is/are most closely related to K?
a. W, because W came from K
b. R & W, because K is equally spaced between R and W
c. R, because K came from R
d. B, because K came from B
e. None of the above is true.
16. In Diagram 2, what is the order of evolution from the oldest to the youngest species?
a. K, W, B, R
b. R, K, W, B
c. R, K, B, W
d. W, B, K, R
e. The diagram does not show which species evolved 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th
17. Choose all of the statements that are true concerning Diagram 2.
a. The environment of W has changed the most compared to K, B and R
b. W & B have the most similar environments
c. The environment for B changed more often in Diagram 2 than Diagram 1
d. The diagram does not show information about the environment
Appendix B
Nature of Acceptance (NOA) questions
1. How would you summarize your views of evolution?
a. I think that all organisms evolve and this is how we get variation among
species and how new species arise.
b. I think that all organisms evolved and this is how we get variation among
species, but evolution does not create new species.
c. I think that some organisms evolve (e.g. plants and most animals), but no
Humans.
d. I do not think that organisms evolve in any way.
2. How would you summarize your views of evolution (as contrasted with, for example,
creationism)?
a. I believe that evolution happens as scientists say.
b. I suspect that evolution happens, but I need to know more to be sure.
c. I suspect that evolution does not happen, but I am open to being convinced
otherwise.
d. I believe that evolution does not happen as scientists claim and do not expect
to have my mind changed.
e. I believe that evolution happens, but I also believe that God created all life on
Earth.
3. Which of the following explanations do you think best explains the evolution of
humans?
a. Humans evolved from chimpanzees.
b. Humans and chimpanzees share a recent common ancestor.
c. The human species evolved because they could out-compete chimpanzees.
d. Humans have accumulated superior features, which other primates have not
yet acquired.
e. Humans evolved due to an intrinsic tendency for advanced features to
accumulate.
4. Imagine you could travel backwards through time and examine the last common
ancestor of a human and a chimpanzee. What would it be?
a. A chimpanzee
b. A human
c. A gorilla
d. A monkey
e. A species that cannot be classified as any of the above
f. There is no common ancestor between a human and a chimpanzee.
5. Which of the following would an evolutionary biologist be most likely to say about
the evolution of humans?
a. Humans evolved from chimpanzees.
b. Humans and chimpanzees share a recent common ancestor.
c. The human species evolved because they could out-compete chimpanzees
d. Humans have accumulated superior features, which other primates have not
yet acquired.
e. Humans evolved due to an intrinsic tendency for advanced features to
accumulate.
6. Have you seen diagrams like these previously?
a. Yes
b. No
c. I’m not sure
7. Have you learned how to read diagrams like these previously?
a. Yes
b. No
8. How confident are you in your ability to correctly interpret these diagrams?
a. Not at all, I guessed on most of the questions
b. Quite confident, I probably answered at least half of the questions correctly
c. Very confident, I probably answered most of the questions correctly