Chapter 14 Study Guide | Exam #3

Which of the following is an important characteristic of the Galápagos Islands in the context of Darwin's theory of evolution? 1. The islands were too far from mainland South America for most terrestrial plants and animals to colonize. 2. The organisms on the islands were different from those observed in South America. 3. The organisms on the islands were similar to those observed in South America. 4. The organisms on the islands varied from island to island. 5. All of the above answers are important characteristics.

5. All of the above answers are important characteristics.

T or F: Analogous structures are evidence of common ancestry.

False

A finch population with heritable variation in beak size arrives on an island where only large seeds are available as a food source. Describe the process of natural selection that would follow.

Finches with larger beaks will more easily eat the large seeds and are thus more likely to survive and produce offspring with similarly large beaks. The frequency of large beaks within the population will increase.

What influence did the writings of Thomas Malthus have on Darwin's ideas of natural selection?

Malthus proposed that the human population grows faster than the food supply, meaning that death and famine are inevitable.

Which of the following is a step specific to the process of artificial selection?

People select which individuals breed and which ones do not.

T or F: The theory of evolution is supported by multiple sources of evidence described by many different people, and by a variety of fields of study.

True

The wing of a penguin and the wing of an eagle are

homologous structures

Although Lamarck hypothesized that adaptations to the environment did occur, he also believed that

offspring inherited characteristics that were acquired by their parents during their lifetime.

Natural selection results in

offspring that are better adapted to their current environment.

In the context of natural selection, fitness refers to

reproductive success

Which of the following concepts would have been supported by Charles Lyell? 1. that the Earth was only a few thousand years old 2. that the Earth and its organisms were divinely created 3. that the Earth and its organisms slowly changed through time 4. local catastrophes caused the extinction of many species 5. that species were "fixed"

that the Earth and its organisms slowly changed through time

When hiking high in the mountains, you find fossil marine shells lying about. This provides evidence that

the mountain top was once under the ocean and has been uplifted.

The presence of vestigial organs supports evidence of evolution because

the vestigial organ is similar to a functional organ in a related species, having been passed down from a common ancestor.

Tortoises in the Galápagos possessed neck lengths unique to each island. Neck lengths appear to be an adaptation to which selective agent?

type of vegetation available to eat