Chapter 15 Review Questions
About how many new mutations will occur in each generation of the population of crickets?
2.4 million
If variation at a given locus has no effect on the phenotype of individuals, which of the following evolutionary processes will still occur at that locus?
A. Genetic drift
Which of the following statements about sexual selection is true?
A. Traits favored by sexual selection are often costly to males.
Which of the following statements is true?
A. Two different populations can have the same allele frequency but different genotype frequencies.
What is the maximum number of alleles that a given human adult (with 23 pairs of chromosomes) can have at any particular genetic locus?
B. 2
Which of the following would be considered an evolutionary phenomenon (in the biological sense)
B. Due to genetic drift, an allele that has little or no consequence to the function of the plants has increased in frequency in a population of skunk cabbage over a few generations
Which of the following statements is false?
B. Evolution and natural selection are interchangeable terms
A small population of sawflies that was once connected to a larger one but is now isolated is no longer experiencing
B. Gene flow
The artificial selection experiments with bristle numbers is Drosophila illustrate which of the following generalities?
B. Populations often contain considerable genetic variation upon which selection can operate
Darwin published the Origin of Species
Between 1841 and 1880
The period of time between Darwin's publication of The Origin it Species and Watson and Crick's discovery of the double helical structure of DNA was __________ years.
Between 80 and 120
Assuming that there are only two alleles at a given locus, if the frequency of one allele is 0.6, what is the frequency of the other allele?
C. 0.4
Which of the following represents the correct chronological order of events, from earliest to latest?
C. 2,1,3 2. The "modern synthesis" of genetics and evolution 1. Watson and Crick's discovery of the double helix 3. Kimora's neutral theory of molecular evolution
In a hypothetical population of sawflies, 20 percent of the population is homozygous for allele A and 45 percent is homozygous for allele a. Assuming that A and a are the only alleles at this locus, what percent of the population is heterozygous?
C. 35 percent
Which vegetable is most likely to be produced from wild mustard, Brassica oleracea, given continued selection for larger stems and flowers?
C. Broccoli
Which of the following evolutionary processes creates new genetic variation?
C. Mutation
What was Darwin's explanation for the evolution of bright colors and other apparently useless (and potentially deleterious) but conspicuous characters in males of many species?
C. Sexual selection
In a hypothetical population of tree swallows, 18 individuals are homozygous for the c4 allele, 22 individuals are heterozygous for the allele, and 10 individuals lack the allele. What is the frequency of the c4 allele?
D. 0.58
On average, how many new mutations will occur in an individual cricket?
D. 12
Which of the following is an example of adaptation?
D. Both a and b (a plant population that is very resistant to drought due to the action of natural selection; process by which a plant population became drought resistant)
Due to various causes, including DDT poisoning, the population size of whooping cranes was reduced to about a dozen during the 1970s. The population size has since rebounded, and there are now hundreds of whooping cranes. Which of the following would you not expect to see in the current populations of whooping cranes?
D. Considerable genetic polymorphism
Which of the following statements about mutations is false?
D. Only rarely does a human carry a new mutation in his or her genome
Which of the following statements about Darwin is true?
Darwin had a keen interest in geology
Which of the following presents the correct chronological order of events, from earliest to latest?
E. 2,3,1 2. Lyell's geological studies 3. Publication of Darwin's The Origin of Species 1. Mendel's work on pea genetics
Which of the following statements about evolutionary theory is false?
E. All of the above are true; none is false
Which of the following statements about the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic is false?
E. All of the above are true; none is false
Why do most scientists and historians give Darwin more credit than Wallace regarding their contributions to evolutionary theory?
E. Both b and c (Darwin provided more extensive evidence; Darwin developed his ideas before Wallace did)
Which vegetable is most likely to be produced from wild mustard, Brassica oleracea, given continued selection for larger flower clusters?
E. Cauliflower
Malte Anderson's study of widowbirds demonstrated that
E. Females prefer males with longer-than-average tails
Which of the following statements about allele frequencies is true?
E. None of the above
Which of the following statements about Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium is true?
It explains why dominant alleles do not necessarily replace recessive alleles in a population.
Which of the following statements about genetic drift as an evolutionary factor is true?
It is more significant in a population with small numbers than in a population with large numbers
Which of the following statements about mutations is true?
Mutations create and maintain genetic variability in populations
Although Darwin's voyage about the HMS beagle took him around the world, most of his observations on natural history were made on the continent of __________ and it's nearby islands
South America
Which of the following best describes natural selection?
The differential survival and reproduction of individuals
Which of the following is the most likely reason that a new flu vaccine has to be developed every year?
The flu virus evolves due to positive selection.
Three different alleles (b1, b2, and b3) at the b locus exist in a hypothetical population of juniper trees. If the frequency of b1 is 0.4, what can be said about the frequency of b3
e. Insufficient information is given to answer the question.