AP classroom progress check unit 7

Whales, bony fishes, and cartilaginous fishes all have similar adaptations that enable them to live in the ocean. Figure 1 shows the phylogenetic relationships of selected vertebrates. Based on the phylogenetic relationships shown in Figure 1, which of the following best explains the similarities exhibited by whales, bony fishes, and cartilaginous fishes? Answer A: Convergent evolution, because these organisms do not share a recent common ancestor. Answer B: Adaptive radiation, because all three groups evolved from a unique, shared common ancestor from the cartilaginous fishes group. Answer C: Mutation, because the shared traits can be traced back to a shared recent common ancestor. Answer D: Founder effect, because all three groups formerly existed together as one population that then was disrupted, causing speciation.

A

Because cheetahs, Acinonyx jubatus, experienced a bottleneck event about ten thousand years ago, living cheetahs exhibit very little genetic variation compared to other living species of large cats. Which of the following principles best justifies a claim that cheetahs, compared to other large cats, have a relatively low resilience to environmental perturbations? Answer A: A captive population of cheetahs kept in a confined area will have a greater risk of contracting and passing on a virus. Answer B: When a population is reduced, new niches become available in the environment, which can trigger adaptive radiation. Answer C: Populations with little genetic diversity are less likely to contain individuals that can withstand different selective pressures. Answer D: Populations with low genetic diversity are more likely to contain individuals that can withstand different selective pressures.

C

The researchers determined that the East lava flow population is not in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Which of the following best explains why the population is not in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium? Answer A: The presence of heterozygotes for the M C l R gene in the East lava flow population indicates that mating is occurring randomly between mice with different coat colors. Answer B: The selective pressures on the East lava flow population are not strong enough to maintain Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Answer C: The East lava flow population does not experience migration, which is a required condition for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Answer D: The presence of MC1RdMC1Rd alleles in the East lava flow population is an indication of gene flow from mice populations living on light granite rocks.

D

Which of the following best describes the processes occurring between the mouse populations and their environments? Natural selection favors the mice with the dark coat color, causing the mice in all of the populations to be better adapted. Answer A: Natural selection favors the mice with the dark coat color, causing the mice in all of the populations to be better adapted. Answer B: Natural selection favors the mice with the light coat color, causing the mice in all of the populations to be better adapted. Answer C: Dark color is selected for in mice from the West, Mid, and East populations. Answer D: Light color is selected for in mice from the West, Mid, and East populations.

c

Geologic events such as mountain building can directly affect biodiversity. The Sino‑Himalayan fern, Lepisorus clathratus is widely distributed on the Qinghai‑Tibetan plateau. If geologic events lead to a series of new mountain ranges that divide the plateau into several discrete valleys, which of the following best describes how the L. clathratus population would be affected? Answer A: Geographic isolation will create separate gene pools, leading to speciation over time. Answer B: Gene flow will be reduced by sexual selection and polyploidy. Answer C: Chance events will cause allele frequencies to fluctuate unpredictably from one generation to the next. Answer D: Ferns reproduce asexually, so there will be no impact on the gene pool of the species.

A

In a particular region, a species of lizard lives in the lowlands. Even though there are numerous mountains in the region, the climate on the mountains is too cold for the lizards to survive. Scientists are concerned that the lowlands will become much warmer by the end of the twenty-first century and will become unsuitable for this lowland lizard species. Which of the following best predicts the impact on the lizard species if there is a gradual increase in the average temperatures found in both the lowlands and mountains in this region? Answer A: Some lizards will migrate to new habitats in the mountains and become isolated, leading to allopatric speciation. Answer B: The species will undergo artificial selection, as the genes will adapt to warmer temperatures. Answer C: The species will experience a genetic bottleneck, and sympatric speciation will result in the development of several new species. Answer D: The lizards will hybridize with a different lizard species that is adapted to a warmer environment, leading to increased genetic variation in the species.

A

Owls (primary predators of rock pocket mice) are nocturnal visual predators that are able to distinguish effectively between dark and light colors in low-light conditions. Which of the following best explains the relationship between coat color and predation rate in the rock pocket mouse population on the lava flow rocks with respect to the different coat color phenotypes? A dark coat color provides camouflage to mice on the lava flow rocks; therefore, mice with dark coats have a lower predation rate in that habitat. Answer A: A dark coat color provides camouflage to mice on the lava flow rocks; therefore, mice with dark coats have a lower predation rate in that habitat. Answer B: At night, predators have reduced vision, so there is no relationship between coat color and predation rate on rock pocket mice. Answer C: A dark coat color reflects less light and therefore mice with dark coats have a lower predation rate. Answer d: A light coat color reflects more light and therefore mice with light coats have a lower predation rate.

A

Researchers have undertaken a long-term study of populations of rock pocket mice, Chaetodipus intermedius, in Arizona and New Mexico. Rock pocket mouse fur is either dark or light in color. Most of the populations studied live in areas with light-colored granite rocks; however, some areas are dominated by dark-colored rocks from ancient lava flows. Researchers collected mice from six sites in Arizona and recorded their coat colors. Figure 1 shows the study sites, the rock colors, and the distribution of coat colors. Figure 1. Rock color and coat color at three sites on a lava flow (West, Mid, and East), and three nearby sites: O'Neill Hills (O'Neill), the Tule Mountains (Tule), and Christmas Pass (Xmas) In the Arizona populations, the melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R)(MC1R) gene is responsible for coat color phenotype (light or dark). The MC1RDMC1R⁢D allele, which results in a dark coat, is dominant to the dd allele. Researchers collected samples of mice from all six study sites and sequenced the MC1RMC1R gene. They also collected mice with dark coats from a location in New Mexico, the Carrizozo lava flow, to determine if the MC1RMC1Rgene was also responsible for the dark coat colors observed in that population. The rock pocket mouse population in Carrizozo is isolated from the populations in Arizona. Table 1 presents the genotypic data from sampled mice from all seven locations. Which of the following is closest to the frequency of the MC1RDMC1RD allele in the Tule Mountain population? Answer A: 0.03 Answer B: 0.06 Answer C: 0.94 Answer D: 0.97

A

Based on the data in Table 1, which of the following best describes the relationship between the MC1RMC1R gene and coat color in the Carrizozo, New Mexico, rock pocket mouse population? The MC1RDMC1RD allele is responsible for dark coat color in the Carrizozo population and likely spread from the Arizona population through migration. Answer A: The M C l R D allele is responsible for dark coat color in the Carrizozo population and likely spread from the Arizona population through migration. Answer B: The M C l R D allele is not responsible for dark coat color in the Carrizozo population, so the dark coat color is likely a result of convergent evolution. Answer C: The M C l R D allele is absent from the Carrizozo population, so all the mice in this population must have coats that are light in color. Answer D: The MC1RDMC1RD allele is absent from the Carrizozo population because of different environmental pressures in the Carrizozo population.

B

In addition to the ABOABO blood groups, humans have an MNMN blood type system in which the MM and NN alleles are codominant to one another. A group of scientists found that in one population the frequency of the MM allele was 0.82, and the frequency of the NN allele was 0.18. Assuming that the population is in Hardy‑Weinberg equilibrium, which of the following is the expected frequency of individuals with the genotype MNMN? Answer A: 0.148 Answer B: 0.295 Answer C: 0.640 Answer D: 0.672

B

The island was surveyed again in 2015, and scientists determined that the giant kangaroo rats originally in population A are now to be considered as a new species. Which of the following best explains the mechanism that caused this speciation event in the giant kangaroo rats of population A? Answer A: The animals in population A were exposed to different predators and had to modify their fur color to be better camouflaged. Answer B: The animals in population A were reproductively isolated from those in populations B, C, and D. Answer C: The animals in population A accumulated fewer genetic mutations, adapting to their microclimate. Answer D: The animals in population A mate at different times of year, causing their gametes to be incompatible with those from animals in populations B, C, and D.

B

Mollusk fossils were excavated and collected from a coastal cliff. Scientists studying the fossils observed patterns of changing shell shape in the mollusks. The scientists identified a period of stability or stasis, followed by rapid change, and then stasis again with regard to shell shape. Which of the following statements best predicts the result of a comparison between the fossils found before and after the period of rapid change? Answer A: The same species will be found in both static periods, but they will have different shell shapes. Answer B: The same species will be found in both static periods, but the species in the second static period will have smaller shells due to the stress of undergoing rapid change. Answer C: Most of the species found in the first static period will be absent in the second static period. Answer D: Most of the species found in the second static period will resemble each other more than the species found in the first static period.

C

Some plant species flower in response to increasing daily temperatures in the spring. Many of these species rely on pollinators that migrate based on changes in day length and the position of the Sun. The current global warming trend is placing new selective pressures on the species involved in these relationships. Which of the following best explains the impact of these new selective pressures on the organisms involved? Answer A: If the environment for the plant species becomes too warm, the pollinators will no longer migrate to that area in the spring, continuing on to a more northern environment instead. Answer B: The warmer temperatures will lead to a drier environment, so the plants will no longer produce enough nectar to attract the pollinators. Answer C: The plant species will flower earlier in the spring in response to rising temperatures before the arrival of the pollinators, so seeds will not be produced. Answer D: Migrating pollinators will start migrating later in the year, switching from spring-flowering plants to summer-flowering plants.

C

The researchers built an enclosure to prevent migration into and out of the O'Neill rock pocket mouse population for a period of two years. Which of the following best predicts the effect of the enclosure on the O'Neill population? Answer A: The O'Neill population will rapidly evolve into a separate species. Answer B: The O'Neill population will become less diverse due to the bottleneck effect. Answer C: The frequency of the M C l R D allele will decline due to natural selection. Answer D: One of the alleles for the MC1RMC1R gene will become fixed due to genetic drift.

C

100 acre woodlot was observed for the last forty years. Five plant species (1 through 5) were surveyed, with the results shown in Table 1. Table 1. Data from Forty-Year Survey of Five Plant Species in a Some researchers claim that the decrease in plant species richness of this woodlot is unrelated to human activities over the last forty years. Which of the following would be an appropriate alternative hypothesis? Answer A: Interspecific competition caused the extinction of species 4 and 5. Answer B: The woodlot environment is arid and species 1 and 2 are well-adapted to conserve water. Answer C: The woodlot is shaded, with little direct sunlight, and species 3, 4, and 5 are shade-intolerant canopy trees. Answer D: During the last few decades, tall buildings have been built around the woodlot, and species 3, 4, and 5 are shade‑intolerant plants

D

Based on the information provided in the figure, which of the following best describes how membrane-bound organelles provided unique evolutionary advantages to the last eukaryotic common ancestor? Answer A: Cells with nuclear membranes were better able to protect their genetic material against damage. Answer B: Cells with flagella were better able to find food and escape predators. Answer C: Cells with ribosomes were better able to produce proteins needed for a variety of metabolic functions. Answer D: Cells with mitochondria were able to utilize metabolic energy more efficiently.

D

Catalase is a protein enzyme that catalyzes the breakdown of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) into water and oxygen gas in the cells of many living organisms. Students used an online database, which used the structure of catalase from different species, to generate the phylogenetic tree shown in Figure 1. Which of the following student claims is best supported by the data provided? Answer A: Mushrooms and potatoes are most closely related, since the node they share gave rise to all of the other organisms. Answer B: Cattle are equally related to pigs and sheep, because the phylogeny places cattle between pigs and sheep. Answer C: Yeast and mushrooms are the most closely related, because they are both fungi. Answer D: Cattle and sheep are separated by only one node, and they are separated from the other organisms by more than one node.

D

One facet of the study of the origin of life focuses on the nature of the first genetic material. Figure 1 describes a possible scenario, known as the RNARNA World Hypothesis, that could have led to the evolution of our modern-day genetic material. This hypothesis states that the first genetic material was RNARNA, not DNADNA, and a transitional period led to the emergence of DNADNA as the storage molecule for genetic material. A scientist wishes to provide experimental evidence to support the model shown in Figure 1 by demonstrating the ability to synthesize an RNARNA molecule. Which of the following is an alternative hypothesis that can be tested to support the RNARNA World Hypothesis? Answer A: A protein template that matches proteins found on the primitive Earth added to a mixture of deoxyribonucleotides will produce double-stranded D N A molecules. Answer B: Double strands of D N A placed in a harsh environment will unwind and form R N A molecules for long term information storage. Answer C: A pool of amino acids can spontaneously form into single‑stranded R N A , which would then code for proteins. Answer D: A mixture of ribonucleotides such as adenine and uracil will spontaneously form single-stranded chains of RNARNA.

D

Scientists want to determine the age of four fossil specimens. They have analyzed the fossils and gathered the data shown in Table 1. Which of the specimens indicated in the table is the oldest? Answer A: Specimen 1 Answer B: Specimen 2 Answer C: Specimen 3 Answer D: Specimen 4

D

The degrees of relatedness in several native populations of prairie chickens in Marion and Jasper Counties in Illinois were determined. The degree of relatedness is inversely proportional to genetic diversity; that is, populations with a high degree of relatedness have less genetic diversity. Table 1 shows the collected data. Populations J1J1 through J5J5 are located in Jasper County. Populations M1M1 through M5M5 are located in Marion County. Numbers above 0.125 indicate a high degree of relatedness. Scientists claim that some of the populations in Marion County are at an increased risk of decline or extinction. Based on the data in table 1, which of the following best provides evidence to support this claim? Answer A: The Marion County populations have a higher rate of mutation than the Jasper County populations, as evidenced by the higher degrees of relatedness. Answer B: The Marion County populations are less stable because they are smaller than the Jasper County populations. Answer C: The M 2 population has a higher degree of relatedness than the M 1 population, meaning that it has more genetic diversity. Answer D: The M4M4 and M5M5 populations have the lowest genetic diversity of all populations.

D