Biology 105 - Evolution

Andersson (1982) detected female preference for longer tails in male Widowbirds by: A) Artificially lengthening tail feathers B) Comparing tail feather length and territory size C) Examining the clutch size of females with longer-tailed mates D) Comparing success during combat between male Widowbirds

A) Artificially lengthening tail feathers

It is important to replicate lines of selection in a selection experiment because (check all that apply): A) Differences in the trait under selection could be caused by founder effects B) Differences in correlated traits could be caused by pleiotropy C) One line of selection compared with control is similar to a 2-species comparison D) Selection might not work on only one line E) Replication proves the existence of trade-offs in response to selection

A) Differences in the trait under selection could be caused by founder effects B) Differences in correlated traits could be caused by pleiotropy C) One line of selection compared with control is similar to a 2-species comparison

VD is variance caused by: A) Dominance deviations - non-additive interactions between alleles at a given locus B) Deletion deviations deletion of genes along chromosomes C) Duration deviations differences in duration of response D) Dependence deviations gene linkage across loci

A) Dominance deviations - non-additive interactions between alleles at a given locus

Replacement methods of experimental field studies (check all that apply): A) Involve using replicas of organisms B) Can be used to measure predation C) Are unplanned natural experiments D) Can examine evolutionary change E) All of the above

A) Involve using replicas of organisms B) Can be used to measure predation

Which of these examples are likely to cause evolutionary constraints for arthropods? A) Molting B) Habitat occupancy C) Respiration D) Species number E) Clade longevity

A) Molting C) Respiration

Why do we underestimate the rate of lethal mutations?A) Most lethal mutations occur at very early stages of development B) Mutations are unlikely to have negative effects C) We do not underestimate the rate of lethal mutations D) Lethal mutations are extremely rare

A) Most lethal mutations occur at very early stages of development

Why do so many mutations have no effect on function? (check all which apply) A) Multiple DNA triplets code for the same amino acid B) DNA repair mechanisms replace mutations with correct sequences C) Mutation may change a triplet to a STOP codon D) Mutation may occur in a non-transcribed region E) Gene mutations do not impact which genes are expressed

A) Multiple DNA triplets code for the same amino acid B) DNA repair mechanisms replace mutations with correct sequences E) Gene mutations do not impact which genes are expressed

Sexual selection can lead to: (Check all that apply) A) Sexual size dimorphism B) Correct Traits that may handicap organisms C) Correct "Strange" behaviors D) Correct "Strange" morphology E) Adaptive physiological changes

A) Sexual size dimorphism B) Correct Traits that may handicap organisms C) Correct "Strange" behaviors D) Correct "Strange" morphology

How do we calculate a directional selection differential? A) Subtract the mean value of the phenotype in breeding individuals from the mean value for the whole population B) Subtract the mean value of a phenotype in the F1 generation from the F0 generation in a population C) Subtract the narrow-sense heritability from the broad-sense heritability D) Subtract the additive genetic variance from the total phenotypic variance

A) Subtract the mean value of the phenotype in breeding individuals from the mean value for the whole population

Why do trade-offs sometimes not exist? (Check all that apply) A) Trade-offs may only appear at the extremes of distribution. B) "Grade Shifts" can change mean values, thus causing differences in apparent trade-offs at various phylogenetic levels. C) Nature has fewer "degrees of freedom" (ways of doing things) than we think.

A) Trade-offs may only appear at the extremes of distribution. B) "Grade Shifts" can change mean values, thus causing differences in apparent trade-offs at various phylogenetic levels.

Darwin explained the existence of many male secondary sexual characters as features that enable individuals to father more offspring, by conferring superiority in competition for mates or being picked during mate choice. Possible examples include: A) deer antlers B) peacock tail feathers C) widowbird tail feathers D) giraffe necks E) eyestalks in stalk-eyed flies

A) deer antlers B) peacock tail feathers C) widowbird tail feathers D) giraffe necks E) eyestalks in stalk-eyed flies

Which are the two main random forces in evolution? (check two) A) drift B) mutation C) natural selection D) speciation E) DNA repair

A) drift B) mutation

What are examples of Markovian processes? (Check all that apply) A) flipping a coin B) braiding rope C) genes moving to extinction/fixation due to random drift D) zipping a zipper E) the sex of offspring in a family

A) flipping a coin C) genes moving to extinction/fixation due to random drift E) the sex of offspring in a family

What is r, the response to selection? A) measured evolution across one generation B) the change in genotype of a population C) long-term phenotypic changes in a population D) the change in heritability of a trait across a single generation

A) measured evolution across one generation

Why did the coat color of mice selected for high open-field behavior change? A) pleiotropic effects B) sexual selection C) fitness trade-off D) phenotypic plasticity

A) pleiotropic effects

Which is an example of stabilizing selection? A) spawning of the Palolo worms B) smelt response to overfishing C) anisogamy of gametes D) beak depth of finches in response to drought

A) spawning of the Palolo worms

Hamilton's Rule regarding kin selection includes the benefits of an action to the recipient because: A) the recipient may be a relative carrying a portion of the donor's genes B) the recipient may remember the benefit and return the favor C) the recipient may avoid predation by the donor D) the recipient may develop a mutualist relationship with the donor

A) the recipient may be a relative carrying a portion of the donor's genes

The smaller the population: A) the stronger the effect of genetic drift B) genetic drift is second to evolution C) the weaker the effect of genetic drift D) genetic drift is not affected

A) the stronger the effect of genetic drift

What can uneven branch lengths represent (check all that apply)? A) time B) geographic distance C) number of animals D) physical differences E) evolutionary change

A) time E) evolutionary change

Why do we want to minimize natural selection in a mutation accumulation experiment? A) A mutation accumulation experiment focuses on lethal mutations B) Natural selection can eliminate non-neutral mutations we want to measure C) Natural selection will not allow any mutations to accumulate D) Mutations will mask the selection of existing phenotypes

B) Natural selection can eliminate non-neutral mutations we want to measure

Why would the evolutionary trajectory of coevolution lead to stabilization of traits? A) One of the species evolved in the coevolution goes extinct B) The costs of extreme traits begin to outweigh the benefits C) The coevolutionary relationship changes and is no longer present D) One of the species in the coevolution changes to avoid costs (changes hosts, prey, etc.)

B) The costs of extreme traits begin to outweigh the benefits

Which of the following is an example of a life history allocation trade-off? A) A kangaroo rat can choose to crawl or hop B) Turtles in ponds with fewer predators reach sexual maturity at a later age C) Some animals have evolved elaborate ornamentation in order to facilitate male combat D) Galapagos finches have beaks specialized for specific food items

B) Turtles in ponds with fewer predators reach sexual maturity at a later age

Mutation rate can be affected by: A) genome location B) environmental factors C) natural selection D) necessity

B) environmental factors

An equal ratio of non-synonymous to synonymous mutations within a gene implies that the locus is affected by natural selection A) true B) false

B) false

Broad-sense heritability will generally tend to be smaller than narrow-sense heritability. A) true B) false

B) false

Increased safety in a herd is an example of reciprocity. A) true B) false

B) false

Truncation selection involves exposing a population to a natural environmental selection regime. A) true B) false

B) false

Cave animals represent one of the best examples of: A) phenotypic plasticity B) regressive evolution C) trade-offs D) clade selection

B) regressive evolution

Why does it matter whether a mutation occurs in a germ cell or in a somatic cell? A) A mutation in a somatic cell can be passed on to offspring B) A mutation in a somatic cell always occurs in junk DNA C) A mutation in a germ cell can be passed on to offspring D) A mutation in a germ cell is most likely cancerous

C) A mutation in a germ cell can be passed on to offspring

Why are males more likely to abandon their offspring? (check all that apply) A) Cost of additional foraging B) Rejection of males by the female C) Opportunities for further breeding D) Lack of certainty about parentage

C) Opportunities for further breeding D) Lack of certainty about parentage

Why does genetic drift lead to reduced variation at a locus? A) Genetic drift causes founder effects B) Genetic drift leads to epistasis within a locus C) Random "sampling error" leads to fixations of alleles D) Larger populations naturally have lower variation

C) Random "sampling error" leads to fixations of alleles

Sexual selection usually acts ___________ natural selection because secondary sexual characteristics are costly in some way (e.g., long feathers of a peacock). A) in parallel with B) completely dependent on C) in opposition to D) in harmony with

C) in opposition to

A larger beetle will need to dig a burrow in more stable soil is an example of: A) Genotypic variation B) Environmental variation C) Environment-genotype interaction D) Genotype-environment correlation

D) Genotype-environment correlation

Alternative hypotheses about the cause of (tight) allometric relationships include (check all that apply): A Lack of genetic correlation between the traits B) Red Queen hypothesis C) Phenotypic plasticity D) Natural selection keeps organisms close to the general allometric trend E) Genetic, developmental, physiological, and/or biomechanical "constraints" F) Beneficial acclimation G) High narrow-sense heritability of body size

D) Natural selection keeps organisms close to the general allometric trend E) Genetic, developmental, physiological, and/or biomechanical "constraints"

When examining evolutionary change, genetic drift is usually: A) Almost never the cause B) The alternative hypothesis C) The only force we can prove D) Part of the null hypothesis

D) Part of the null hypothesis

What evidence suggests that faster flying in fruit flies does not reduce Darwinian fitness in a lab setting? A) Flies that flew faster had more offspring B) Faster flying did not result in decreased lifespan C) Researchers were able to select for faster flying for many generations D) When selection was stopped, flying speed did not decrease

D) When selection was stopped, flying speed did not decrease

When are repeated reproductive periods favored? A) When environmental conditions are unpredictable B) When the growing season is short C) When body size is small D) When survival rates are high

D) When survival rates are high

A reaction norm describes the range of: A) phenotypic variation within a given environment B) evolutionary change from one environment to another C) genomic response to selection when a population changfes environments D) phenotypic plasticity across a range of environments

D) phenotypic plasticity across a range of environments

What was Darwin's favorite domesticated animal? A) cat B) dog C) horse D) pidgeon

D) pidgeon

The duplication of whole chromosomes is called: A) point mutation B) synonymous mutation C) indel D) polyploidy

D) polyploidy

What is the difference between a phenetic classification and a phylogenetic classification?A) the scientist forming the classification B) the conformation of the tree C) the difference in difficulty D) the belief in homology

D) the belief in homology

Which of these is a vestigial trait? A) a duck's webbed feet B) the ears of a bat C) a cat's whiskers D) the human tailbone

D) the human tailbone

When examining evolutionary change, genetic drift is: A) almost never the cause B) the only force we can prove C) the alternate hypothesis D) the null hypothesis

D) the null hypothesis

Example of trade-offs include: A) No snakes are herbivorous B) Gloves vs. mittens C) The Y-model of resource allocation D) No birds are viviparous E) More than one of the above

E) More than one of the above

Cave animals represent one of the best examples of A) Clade selection B) Trade-offs C) Species selection D) Phenotypic plasticity E) Regressive evolution

E) Regressive evolution