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Biology & Life Science
Q:
A population is:
A) a group of organisms that can successfully interbreed in nature but do not interbreed with other such groups.
B) all the members of a species that live in a defined geographic region at the same time.
C) all the different species that live in a defined geographic area at the same time.
D) a group of different species that share common features.
Q:
Which of the following statements about evolution is true?
A) Evolution involves maintaining a constant frequency of alleles in the gene pool.
B) Populations evolve.
C) Individuals evolve.
D) Evolution can proceed to a limited extent without the occurrence of mutation.
Q:
Organisms that can interbreed with each other in nature but are genetically isolated from all other organisms are a:
A) genus.
B) clone.
C) species.
D) family.
Q:
Refer to the figure below, and then answer the question that follows. The changes in cranial capacity over the course of human evolution are an example of:A) disruptive selection.B) stabilizing selection.C) directional selection.D) sexual selection.
Q:
Refer to the figure below, and then answer the question that follows. Human birth weights are an example of:A) disruptive selection.B) stabilizing selection.C) directional selection.D) sexual selection.
Q:
The concept of evolution has always been connected with some notion of progressnatural selection pushing populations toward better and better adaptations to create "perfect organisms." How would you argue that evolution does not craft perfect organisms?
Q:
Male long-tailed widowbirds have unusually long tails, about 20 inches in length, whereas the females have short tails. In an experiment with long-tailed widowbirds, one group of males had their tails clipped to 5 inches, a second group were left with normal 20-inch tails, and a third group had their tails lengthened to 30 inches by gluing on feathers clipped from the tails of other birds. If sexual selection is responsible for the males having such long tails, predict what will happen when similar numbers of females are placed in the territories of each group of males.
Q:
List five mechanisms by which gene frequencies in a population can be altered. Describe each briefly.
Q:
One solution to the problem of species extinction is captive breeding in zoos and gardens. What are some of the problems associated with this solution?
Q:
Cheetahs are not a healthy species. Several million years ago they were widespread in Africa and Asia, but their numbers fell drastically during the last ice age and again when they were hunted to near extinction in the nineteenth century. Now, they suffer from low survivorship (a large number of animals dying), poor sperm quality, and greater susceptibility to disease. Normally, an animal will reject tissue transplanted from another animal, but cheetahs will not reject tissue grafted on to them from another cheetah. What happened to the cheetah? How did their genetic variation change? Where does genetic variation ultimately come from? What mechanism can maintain and increase genetic variation in natural populations?
Q:
________ characters are continuously variable.
Q:
In ________ selection, individuals with an intermediate phenotype are favored over other individuals in the population.
Q:
When a population decreases in number until a small remnant of the original population remains, a ________ has occurred.
Q:
The original source of variation within a population comes from ________.
Q:
The smallest unit that can participate in evolution is a ________.
Q:
Match the following.A) sexual selectionB) stabilizing selectionC) founder effectD) genetic driftE) gene flowIndividuals with average phenotypes are favored over those with extreme phenotypes.
Q:
Match the following.A) sexual selectionB) stabilizing selectionC) founder effectD) genetic driftE) gene flowChance events change allele frequencies in populations.
Q:
Match the following.A) sexual selectionB) stabilizing selectionC) founder effectD) genetic driftE) gene flowAlleles migrate into or out of a population from neighboring populations.
Q:
Match the following.A) sexual selectionB) stabilizing selectionC) founder effectD) genetic driftE) gene flowFemales tend to mate with brightly colored males.
Q:
Match the following.A) sexual selectionB) stabilizing selectionC) founder effectD) genetic driftE) gene flowA small number of individuals from one area establish a new isolated population in another area. The gene frequencies of the new population differ from those of the original population.
Q:
If a species of bird with an intermediate beak size evolves into two varieties, one with large beaks and one with small beaks, this could result from disruptive selection.
Q:
A population of salamanders migrates from a sand beach to a pebble beach and evolves over many generations from a solid color to speckled coloration. This process is called stabilizing selection.
Q:
Without mutation, evolution would eventually cease, because mutations create the variation that evolution acts upon.
Q:
Genetic drift has a much more significant effect on small populations than on large populations.
Q:
A small minority of mutations is adaptive, providing an improvement to the gene pool of the population.
Q:
There can be more than two varieties of alleles for a particular gene in a population.
Q:
The basic units that evolve are species.
Q:
Male guppies are known for their bright colors. Having bright colors attracts mates, but it also attracts predators. So in an environment with a lot of predators, male guppies have more dull colors. In an experiment, guppies were removed from an area with predators to an area without predators. Over a period of 12 months the population became much more colorful. This is an example of a response to:
A) directional selection.
B) stabilizing selection.
C) disruptive selection.
D) mutation.
Q:
African black-bellied seedcracker finches have beaks that are either large or small. Only large-beaked birds can crack open hard seeds, and small-beaked birds are more adept at handling small seeds. Both have an advantage over intermediate-sized beaks. This is an example of a response to:
A) directional selection.
B) stabilizing selection.
C) disruptive selection.
D) sexual selection.
Q:
For a particular character, natural selection can favor an average phenotype or extreme phenotypes. In order to do this, a character must be:
A) under the control of many genes.
B) under the control of only two alleles for a gene.
C) not under the control of any genes.
D) controlled by a dominant allele for a gene.
Q:
How have Caesarean sections and intensive neonatal (near-birth) medical care likely affected the average birth weight of American babies?
A) Birth weight is now subject to disruptive selection instead of stabilizing selection.
B) Average birth weights have significantly decreased.
C) Gene flow will occur in the direction of larger and smaller infants.
D) Stabilizing selection for birth weight no longer has as much of an influence.
Q:
Disruptive selection operates whenever:
A) a phenotype is more successful because it is rare.
B) natural selection is disrupted by genetic drift.
C) the extremes in a distribution of phenotypes are more fit than the average.
D) only the largest individuals survive.
Q:
The most important kind of selection acting on a well-adapted population in a relatively constant environment is:
A) disruptive.
B) stabilizing.
C) directional.
D) catastrophic.
Q:
You are studying leaf size in a natural population of plants. The second season is particularly dry, and the following year the average leaf size in the population is smaller than the year before. But the amount of overall variation is the same, and the population size hasn't changed. Also, you've done experiments that show that small leaves are better adapted to dry conditions than are large leaves. Which of the following has occurred?
A) stabilizing selection
B) directional selection
C) genetic drift
D) disruptive selection
Q:
Phenotypes that show a wide range of almost continuous variation, such as height or skin color in humans, are probably:
A) due to several sets of alleles working together.
B) due to both alleles of one gene working together.
C) acquired characteristics.
D) dominant.
Q:
If after several generations all males have 12-point antlers, this development will have been due to:
A) directional selection.
B) disruptive selection.
C) founder effect.
D) stabilizing selection.
Q:
If after several generations 30 percent of the males have antlers with 9 to 11 points, 40 percent have antlers with 15 to 17 points, and 20 percent have antlers with 12 to 14 points, this development will have been the result of:
A) directional selection.
B) disruptive selection.
C) founder effect.
D) stabilizing selection.
Q:
Read the statement below, and then answer the following question(s).A small population of deer is introduced to an island. All the males have 11 to 13 points on their antlers.If after several generations most males have antlers with 20 points, this development will have been the result of:A) directional selection.B) disruptive selection.C) founder effect.D) bottleneck effect.
Q:
How successful an individual is at passing on its genes to the next generation is known as:
A) microevolution.
B) adaptation.
C) fitness.
D) sexual selection.
Q:
Which of these humans is the "fittest" as far as natural selection is concerned?
A) a person with seven children who is killed in an automobile accident at age 40
B) a person who lives to the age of 105 and has two children
C) a person who lives to the age of 110 and has no children
D) a very popular film star who is still alive, is very rich, and has three children from three spouses
Q:
For the Galapagos Islands finch species Geospiza fortis, drought conditions produced a change in the population in which the next generation had larger beaks than the previous one. What produced this change in the population?
A) Birds with larger beaks had higher fitness, so they could produce more offspring that inherited the same trait.
B) Birds with smaller beaks flew to nearby islands where food was more plentiful.
C) Birds with smaller beaks had higher fitness, but they were outcompeted by birds with larger beaks.
D) Birds with smaller beaks had higher fitness, but they waited to reproduce until wet weather returned.
Q:
Which of the following possibilities is the best indicator of an organism's evolutionary fitness?
A) the number of eggs it produces over its lifetime
B) the number of gametes it produces during the years when it is likely to be reproducing
C) the number of offspring it produces over its lifetime that survive to breed.
D) the number of offspring it produces over its lifetime
Q:
Which of the following males in a given population would be considered the most fit in an evolutionary sense?
A) one that produced 1,000 offspring, of which 100 survived but 99 did not reproduce
B) one that produced 100 offspring, of which 10 survived but 9 did not reproduce
C) one that produced 1,000 offspring, all of which died before reaching reproductive age
D) one that produced two offspring, both of which survived and produced offspring of their own
Q:
Which of the following statements is true?
A) The advantage a trait conveys depends on its environmental context.
B) A population will always evolve to fit current conditions.
C) All traits are simultaneously maximized in a population.
D) All traits currently in a population must have provided a reproductive advantage at some point in time.
Q:
The greater prairie chicken once flourished on the prairies of Illinois. The conversion of prairie to farmland reduced their numbers from millions to only 50 birds by 1993. Poor genetic diversity resulted in only 50 percent of eggs hatching. Bringing in birds from neighboring states increased their genetic diversity, which improved the egg-hatching rate to 90 percent. These changes in genetic diversity were the result of:
A) loss of genetic diversity through natural selection and restoration of genetic diversity by genetic drift.
B) loss of genetic diversity through mutation and restoration of genetic diversity by gene flow.
C) loss of genetic diversity through genetic drift and restoration of genetic diversity by natural selection.
D) loss of genetic diversity through genetic drift and restoration of genetic diversity by gene flow.
Q:
Which of the following is incorrectly paired?
A) gene flow: genes move from one population to another
B) bottleneck effect: changes in allele frequencies due to chance events
C) founder effect: only a small portion of an original population's gene pool are represented
D) sexual selection: mating based on phenotype
Q:
Extreme hunting pressure has caused northern elephant seals to become less genetically diverse because of:
A) genetic drift.
B) population bottleneck.
C) natural selection.
D) founder effect.
Q:
Even though in a similar habitat, a founder population that breaks away from the parent population may become very different because of:
A) mutation.
B) genetic drift.
C) natural selection.
D) the bottleneck effect.
Q:
Habitats set aside for endangered species are often sectioned into areas by roads, producing separate small populations. This causes problems in conservation because it reduces:
A) gene flow between populations.
B) the number of potential leaders.
C) sharing of resources.
D) interaction among generations.
Q:
The term "natural selection" is not interchangeable with the term "evolution" because:
A) natural selection is just a theory, whereas evolution has been proven.
B) a population may evolve in ways other than through natural selection.
C) Darwin coined the term "natural selection," but not "evolution."
D) natural selection does not always lead to evolution.
Q:
Which of the following is most likely to cause genetic changes in a population that make it better adapted to its environment?
A) nonrandom mating
B) natural selection
C) gene flow
D) genetic drift
Q:
A bottleneck may be dangerous to a population because:
A) the potential for natural selection is greatly increased.
B) mutation rate is increased.
C) genetic variability is diminished.
D) mutation rate is decreased.
Q:
Two nearby populations in which there is some movement of individuals between the populations are an example of:
A) disruptive selection.
B) bottleneck effect.
C) genetic drift.
D) gene flow.
Q:
In order for migration to alter allele frequencies in another population:
A) a large portion of the population must die off.
B) a large portion of the population must leave as new individuals arrive.
C) the gene pool of the migrating population must be different from the population it is joining.
D) the gene pools of the populations involved must be very similar.
Q:
________ is necessary for a population to survive over successive generations in response to environmental changes.
A) Adaptation
B) Sexual selection
C) Speciation
D) Gene flow
Q:
Which of the following processes is not an agent of microevolution?
A) gene flow
B) natural selection
C) mutation
D) polygenic inheritance
E) genetic drift
Q:
Mutations:
A) are always detrimental.
B) account for most of the change in allele frequency in a population.
C) may do nothing, may be harmful, or may be beneficial.
D) are always beneficial.
Q:
Evolution by genetic drift is most obvious in:
A) invertebrate species.
B) migratory species.
C) aquatic populations.
D) small populations.
Q:
The mate-attracting elaborate plumage of the male peacock is a result of:
A) genetic drift.
B) adaptation to the environment.
C) sexual selection.
D) gene flow.
Q:
Genetic drift occurs when:
A) chance occurrences alter gene frequencies.
B) reproduction is nonrandom within the population.
C) gene flow within the population is less than gene flow between populations.
D) the population has not yet stabilized.
Q:
Darwin was influenced by an essay on human population and food supply written by:A) Charles Lyell.B) Alfred Russel Wallace.C) Joshua Beagle.D) Thomas Malthus.
Q:
Refer to the figure below, and then answer the question that follows. There are fewer differences in the base sequence of the cytochrome c oxidase gene between humans and chimpanzees than there are between humans and pigs. What evolutionary relationship can you hypothesize from this?
Q:
Refer to the figure below, and then answer the question that follows.The forelimb of the common ancestor of whales, cats, bats, and gorillas would have had how many digits?A) oneB) threeC) fiveD) The number of digits cannot be determined from the information given.
Q:
A well-known example of natural selection in action is the change in the peppered moth population in England in the nineteenth century. The moths blended in with their light-colored natural surroundings, but with increasing industrialization in England, smoke began to pollute the foliage and darken the trees and rocks. Eventually, populations that were once mostly light colored became mostly dark colored. Using natural selection, propose a hypothesis that would explain why the moth population changed over time from mostly light colored to mostly dark colored.
Q:
Male guppies that have colorful spots on them are chosen more often by female guppies for mating. Males can have from one to six spots. The more spots they have the more females are attracted to them. However, bright spots also make the males more vulnerable to predators. In a pond with predators, male guppies have an average of 3.2 spots. Predict what would happen to the average spot number on the males over the generations if you removed all predators from the pond. Using natural selection, explain your answer.
Q:
A population of grasshoppers in the Kansas prairie has two color phenotypes, green and brown. Typically the prairie receives adequate water to maintain healthy green grass. Assume a bird that eats grasshoppers moves into the prairie. How will this affect the natural selection of grasshoppers? How might this change in a drought year?
Q:
The scientist in Darwin's time who championed the idea of the inheritance of acquired characteristics was ________.
Q:
The length of time that Darwin's round-the-world voyage took was about ________.
Q:
Instead of being trained as a biologist, Charles Darwin actually received a ________ degree.
Q:
Darwin studied a small group of finches on the ________ during his round-the-world trip.
Q:
The use of radioactive elements to date geological specimens is called ________.
Q:
Match the following.A) evidence for evolution from the existence of vestigial charactersB) experimental evidence for evolutionC) evidence for evolution from homologous structuresD) supportive evidence for evolution from radiometric datingE) evidence for evolution from gene modificationWhales, cats, bats, and gorillas all have similar sets of forelimb bones despite the fact that these forelimbs are used for extremely different functions.
Q:
Match the following.A) evidence for evolution from the existence of vestigial charactersB) experimental evidence for evolutionC) evidence for evolution from homologous structuresD) supportive evidence for evolution from radiometric datingE) evidence for evolution from gene modificationMale guppies evolve brighter coloration when they are placed in a predator-free environment and less-brilliant colors when they are placed in an environment with predators.
Q:
Match the following.A) evidence for evolution from the existence of vestigial charactersB) experimental evidence for evolutionC) evidence for evolution from homologous structuresD) supportive evidence for evolution from radiometric datingE) evidence for evolution from gene modificationThe number of nucleotide differences between cytochrome c oxidase genes in different species is related to how recently the two species shared a common ancestor.
Q:
Match the following.A) evidence for evolution from the existence of vestigial charactersB) experimental evidence for evolutionC) evidence for evolution from homologous structuresD) supportive evidence for evolution from radiometric datingE) evidence for evolution from gene modificationOstriches have wings but do not fly, and humans have auricular muscles even though we cannot swivel our ears.
Q:
Match the following.A) evidence for evolution from the existence of vestigial charactersB) experimental evidence for evolutionC) evidence for evolution from homologous structuresD) supportive evidence for evolution from radiometric datingE) evidence for evolution from gene modificationMeasuring the decay of radioactive elements suggests that the Earth is about 4.6 billion years old.
Q:
There are fossils of dinosaurs and humans that lived at the same time in the past.
Q:
In science, theories are well established and thus are not "theoretical" in the everyday usage of the word.
Q:
The so-called modern synthesis of evolution brought together the evidence for evolution and the ideas of genetics.
Q:
The human embryo goes through a period of time with gill slits, an inheritance from an ancient ancestor.