Chapter 22: Darwin and Descent with Modification (MasteringBiology- Pearson)
Which term describes a trait that increases an individual's ability to survive in a particular environment?
Adaptation
Which of the following pieces of evidence most strongly supports the common origin of all life on Earth?
All organisms use essentially the same genetic code.
Which of these conditions should completely prevent the occurrence of evolution in a population over time?
All phenotypic variation between individuals is due only to environmental factors.
Identify the pair of homologous structures.
Maple leaf and oak leaf.
Analogous
Similarity of function and superficial resemblance of structures that have different origins. For example, the wings of a fly, a moth, and a bird are analogous because they developed independently as adaptations to a common function—flying.
If two modern organisms are distantly related in an evolutionary sense, then one should expect that _____.
they should share fewer homologous structures than two more closely related organisms
Which pair of chickens should a farmer breed to produce larger chickens?
Large hen, large rooster
Which of the following observations led to Darwin's major inferences?
- Members of a population vary in their heritable traits. - Although organisms can produce huge numbers of offspring, many of these offspring do not survive.
Ichthyosaurs were extinct aquatic reptiles distantly related to living lizards. Fossils show us that they had dorsal fins and tails, as do fish, even though their closest relatives were terrestrial reptiles that had neither dorsal fins nor aquatic tails. The dorsal fins and tails of ichthyosaurs and fish are _____.
-adaptations to a common environment -examples of convergent evolution
Varieties of Staphylococcus aureus that are resistant to the drug methicillin _____.
-already existed in the population before methicillin was developed -were strongly selected for as methicillin became widely used to treat bacterial infections
The theory of evolution through natural selection is considered a scientific theory because _____.
-it is broad enough in scope to explain many observations -it is supported by a massive body of evidence from many disciplines -it is general enough to provide many testable hypotheses
Examples of Direct Observation of Evolutionary Change.
1. Development of drug resistance in bacteria.
Examples of Fossil Records.
1. Discovery of shells of extinct species. 2. Discovery of shells of extinct species
Examples of Homology.
1. Similarities in mammalian forelimbs. 2. Same genetic code in fireflies and tobacco plants. 3. Vestigial pelvis in right whales.
Examples of Biogeography.
1. Similarity of endemic island species to nearby mainland species. 2. The high concentration of marsupial species in Australia.
Identify the four postulates of natural selection.
1.Individuals in a population vary in the traits they possess. 2.Some trait differences are heritable. 3.Survival and reproductive success are variable among individuals in a population. 4.Individuals with certain traits are more likely to survive and reproduce.
Given a population that contains genetic variation, what is the correct sequence of the following events, under the influence of natural selection? 1. Well-adapted individuals leave more offspring than do poorly adapted individuals. 2. A change occurs in the environment. 3. Genetic frequencies within the population change. 4. Poorly adapted individuals have decreased survivorship.
2 → 4 → 1 → 3
Which of the following organisms could be produced by artificial selection?
A cow that produces a large quantity of milk.
What happened in the soapberry bug population in central Florida when the bugs began to feed on smaller goldenrain tree fruits?
Bugs with shorter beaks had more access to food, allowing them to produce more offspring.
During a study session about evolution, one of your fellow students remarks, "The giraffe stretched its neck while reaching for higher leaves; its offspring inherited longer necks as a result." Which statement is most likely to be helpful in correcting this student's misconception?
Characteristics acquired during an organism's life are generally not passed on through genes.
When Darwin wrote On the Origin of Species, he knew very little about the subject of _____, an essential component of evolutionary theory today.
Genetics.
Homologous
Having similar structure and anatomical position (but not necessarily the same function) in different organisms suggesting a common ancestry or evolutionary origin.
Which term describes the ability of a trait to be passed on to offspring?
Heritability
Which of the following statements is an accurate combination of postulates 1 and 2 of natural selection?
Heritable variation exists for traits among individuals in a population.
Both ancestral birds and ancestral mammals shared a common ancestor that was terrestrial. Today, penguins (which are birds) and seals (which are mammals) have forelimbs adapted for swimming. What term best describes the relationship of the bones in the forelimbs of penguins and seals, and what term best describes the flippers of penguins and seals?
Homologous; analogous
If Darwin had been aware of genes, and of their typical mode of transmission to subsequent generations, with which statement would he most likely have been in agreement?
If natural selection can change one gene's frequency in a population over the course of generations then, given enough time and enough genes, natural selection can cause sufficient genetic change to produce new species from old ones.
Which of the following crosses would produce the highest corn yield with the highest resistance to drought?
Individual A: Yield: 179 bushels/acre; drought resistance: high Individual E: Yield: 200 bushels/acre; drought resistance: medium
Which of the following statements is an accurate combination of postulates 3 and 4 of natural selection?
Individuals experience differential success in their ability to survive or reproduce due to differences in certain traits.
Why did the biologists consider a frog that they found to be a new species?
Its call was unique.
Which of the following statements about natural selection is true?
Natural selection favors individuals that reproduce more than others.
Does the ability of a Mycobacterium tuberculosis cell to infect a new host depend on its drug-resistant phenotype?
No, drug-susceptible cells and drug-resistant cells are equally likely to infect a new host.
DDT was once considered a "silver bullet" that would permanently eradicate insect pests. Today, instead, DDT is largely useless against many insects. Which of these would have been required for this pest eradication effort to be successful in the long run?
None of the individual insects should have possessed genomes that made them resistant to DDT.
Based on the video, what can you infer about speciation--the process by which one species splits into two or more species?
Physical separation of populations is often part of the speciation process.
Which of the following is not an observation or inference on which natural selection is based?
Poorly adapted individuals never produce offspring.
From a study of soapberry bugs (Jadera haematoloma), a similar theme emerges that reflects the process of natural selection that Charles Darwin observed in the Galapagos finches. In order for soapberry bugs to feed, their "beak" length must match the depth of seeds in the balloon vine fruit. In central Florida, the native balloon vine has become rare and the Goldenrain tree, an introduced species from Asia, has become the main food source for soapberry bugs. Carroll and Boyd (1992) compared beak lengths of soapberry bug populations that fed on the native balloon vine in southern Florida with central Florida populations that fed on the Goldenrain tree, whose seeds are much closer to the fruit surface than the seeds of the plump balloon vine fruit. The researchers compared these data with the average beak length in museum specimens collected from the two areas before the Goldenrain tree was introduced (indicated by the red arrows). Which of the following suggestions is most likely true regarding the results of this study?
Soapberry bugs with shorter beaks had a selective advantage in Central Florida because they were better able to feed on Goldenrain fruits.
Which of the following observations helped Darwin shape his concept of descent with modification?
South American temperate plants are more similar to the tropical plants of South America than to the temperate plants of Europe.
In 1959, doctors began using the powerful antibiotic methicillin to treat infections of Staphylococcus aureus, but within two years, methicillin-resistant strains of S. aureus (MRSA) appeared. How did the resistant strains of S. aureus emerge?
Staphylococcus aureus bacteria that were able to synthesize cell walls using a protein that was not affected by methicillin survived the methicillin treatments and reproduced at higher rates than did other individuals. Over time, these resistant individuals became increasingly common.
Soapberry bugs use needlelike "beaks" to feed on seeds within the fruits of various plants. Bugs feed most successfully when their beak length matches the size of the fruit on which they are feeding. For 25 years, populations of soapberry bugs in central Florida have been feeding on small goldenrain tree fruits that were introduced to the area, rather than on the larger native balloon vine fruits that serve as food for other soapberry bug populations. Beak lengths of soapberry bugs are variable, but the average beak length is shorter in soapberry bug populations that feed on goldenrain tree fruits than in populations that feed on balloon vine fruits. How does natural selection act on beak length in soapberry bug populations?
The action of natural selection on beak length in soapberry bug populations varies with the environment.
Which of the following statements most detracts from the claim that the human appendix is a completely vestigial organ?
The appendix has a substantial amount of defensive lymphatic tissue.
In the United States today, about half of the corn crop is genetically engineered with a protein that is toxic to corn borers, an insect pest of corn. Which of the following conditions would be necessary for evolution of resistance to the toxic protein to occur in the corn borer?
The corn borer must have or generate (by mutation) heritable variation in resistance to the toxic protein. The resistant corn borers must survive better or reproduce more than nonresistant corn borers.
Which of the following statements describes the evolution by natural selection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria in their new environment?
The drug-resistance trait is an adaptation to the environment in which human hosts are medicated with the antibiotic rifampin.
A group of small fish live in a lake with a uniformly light-brown sandy bottom. Most of the fish are light brown, but about 10% are mottled. This fish species is often prey for large birds that live on the shore. A construction company dumps a load of gravel in the bottom of the lake, giving it a mottled appearance. Which of these statements presents the most accurate prediction of what will happen to this fish population?
The proportion of mottled fish will increase over time.
Modern cetaceans, the taxonomic group that includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises, evolved from land mammals. However, it has only been within the past few decades that transitional fossils have been found that have shed light on cetacean hindlimb reduction. DNA data suggest that cetaceans are most closely related to Hippos, which are even-toed ungulates. Other even-toed ungulates include deer, pigs, camels, and cows. Which statement describes most accurately how the early cetacean,Pakicetus, fossil ankle bones shown in the figure supports the hypothesis that cetaceans are closely related to even-toed ungulates?
The two humps on the bottom end of the Pakicetus ankle bone is a distinguishing feature shared with other even-toed ungulates.
About 13 different species of finches inhabit the Galápagos Islands today, all descendants of a common ancestor from the South American mainland that arrived a few million years ago. Genetically, there are four distinct lineages, but the 13 species are currently classified among three genera. The first lineage to diverge from the ancestral lineage was the warbler finch (genus Certhidea). Next to diverge was the vegetarian finch (genus Camarhynchus), followed by five tree finch species (also in genus Camarhynchus) and six ground finch species (genus Geospiza). If the six ground finch species have evolved most recently, then which of these is the most logical prediction?
Their genomes should be more similar to each other than are the genomes of the five tree finch species.
If the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus experiences a cost for maintaining one or more antibiotic-resistance genes, then what should happen in environments from which antibiotics are missing?
These bacteria should be outcompeted and replaced by bacteria that have lost these genes.
True or false? It would be difficult to assess whether the drug-susceptible or drug-resistant phenotype in a population of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was more fit in an environment without antibiotics.
True
Over evolutionary time, many cave-dwelling organisms have lost their eyes. Tapeworms have lost their digestive systems. Whales have lost their hind limbs. How can natural selection account for these losses?
Under particular circumstances that persisted for long periods, each of these structures presented greater costs than benefits.
A challenge to traditional (pre-1860) ideas about species came from embryology, when it was discovered that _____.
embryos of dissimilar organisms, such as sharks and humans, resemble each other
The wing of a bat is homologous to the _____ of a whale.
flipper
The rise of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) can be considered to be an example of artificial selection because _____.
humans synthesize methicillin and create environments in which bacteria frequently come into contact with methicillin
Natural selection is based on all of the following except _____.
individuals adapt to their environments and, thereby, evolve.
About 13 different species of finches inhabit the Galápagos Islands today, all descendants of a common ancestor from the South American mainland that arrived a few million years ago. Genetically, there are four distinct lineages, but the 13 species are currently classified among three genera. The first lineage to diverge from the ancestral lineage was the warbler finch (genus Certhidea). Next to diverge was the vegetarian finch (genus Camarhynchus), followed by five tree finch species (also in genus Camarhynchus) and six ground finch species (genus Geospiza). According to a 1999 study, the vegetarian finch is genetically no more similar to the tree finches than it is to the ground finches, despite the fact that it is placed in the same genus as the tree finches. Based on this finding, it is reasonable to conclude that the vegetarian finch _____.
is no more closely related to the tree finches than it is to the ground finches, despite its classification
A high degree of endemism is most likely in environments that are _____.
isolated and heterogeneous.
Catastrophism, meaning the regular occurrence of geological or meteorological disturbances (catastrophes), was Cuvier's attempt to explain the existence of ______.
the fossil record