Bio II Exam #3

Male elks compete for access to females. How is this advantageous for the winner?

the survivor has the opportunity to mate with more females, increasing his fitness.

Select all of the following ways that we can prevent the spread of antibiotic resistance.

Avoid antibiotics Avoid anti-bacterial soaps Avoid eating meat from sickly animals

Which of the following is a true statement about growth rate?

The growth rate has to be zero before a population can be the same size year after year.

An example of territoriality is

a red-winged blackbird singing to ward off other males and attract a female to his nest.

The role a species plays in the community is called its

ecological niche.

Which of the following statements accurately describes the less developed countries?

high birthrate, large pre-reproductive portion of the population

When the number of births exceeds the number of deaths, this results in

population growth.

Kin selection is a form of

altruism

Which body system plays an important role in influencing behavior?

endocrine

A(n) age-structure diagram like the first image divides the population into three age groups: prereproductive, reproductive, and postreproductive. Populations vary as to the proportion of each age group alive at the same time. If a population continuously grows because more women are entering reproductive years than are older women leaving them, and individuals live many years after reproduction, the resulting population growth produces a(n) unstable age structure. A(n) survirorship curve like the second image can also be plotted based on the number of survivors versus the percent of their species' lifespan they live. In the example above, mammals (like the human) typically survive well past the midpoint of the lifespan. Oysters, however, typically die very young, while small animals like birds tend to decrease survivorship at a constant rate.

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An organism's behavior is its observable reactions or responses to stimuli or situations. The concept of nature versus nurture explores the influence of genes, the "nature" part, and environment, the "nurture" part, on these reactions and responses. Prior to the past few decades, it was generally accepted that behavior is due to one or the other; now, the idea that behavior is mutlifactorial is the widely accepted perspective. Studies to determine the influence of genes and environment on behavior (in humans) often involve twins.

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Bacteria have DNA in the form of chromosomes, located centrally in a nucleoid region. This DNA carries the bulk of the genes necessary for bacterial growth and division. Bacteria also have DNA in the form of plasmids, small circular loops of DNA that contain additional genes. These plasmids can be transmitted from bacteria to bacteria allowing them to spread throughout the population . During binary fission, both forms of DNA are replicated and a copy ends up in each new cell. This is called vertical gene transfer and describes how genes are passed from parent cell to daughter cells.

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Changes in the DNA sequence of an organism are called mutations. Sometimes these mutations are silent, meaning they do not change the protein synthesized by the affected gene. However, sometimes they can cause a change in the structure of the protein by coding for a different amino acid population. These may be rare events that seldom occur, however the rapid life cycle of bacteria enhances their accumulation. If one of these mutations resulted in a change in protein that caused a bacteria to become resistant to antibiotics, that would confer a selective advantage and would be beneficial.

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Chemicals called herbicides can be applied to agricultural operations to prevent the growth of unwanted weeds. These chemicals work by inhibiting biochemical pathways, making the amino acids needed for plant growth unavailable causing the weeds to die. Sometimes weeds contain genetic differences that allow them to resist these chemicals, allowing these weeds to live. Offspring from these weeds also contain these genetic differences that allow them to withstand exposure to these chemical herbicides. As a result, greater proportions of the weed population are now considered herbicide resistant and greater concentrations of the chemicals are needed to eliminate the weeds. This is an example of microevolution, as these changes occur at the population level and result in a population adapting to its changing environment.

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Compounds that prevent the growth or division of bacteria are called antibiotics. The genetic makeup of all bacteria within a population is slightly different due to acquired mutations. Some of these mutations confer with them advantages. These advantages may include the resistance to certain antibiotics that may be found in a bacteria's environment. The presence of these antibiotics causes a selection pressure, where cells that contain genes for resistance are selected for and cells that do not contain the genes for resistance are removed from the population. The cells that remain are more likely to have those genes that make them resistant to the antibiotics. This is how antibiotic resistance is created.

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Ecology is the study of the interactions among all organisms and the interaction of organisms with their physical environment. A habitat is the place where an organism lives . A population is defined as all of the organisms belonging to the same species within an area at the same time. A community consists of all the various populations of multiple species interacting at a locale. An ecosystem contains a community of populations and also the nonliving environment. The biosphere encompasses all of the zones of the Earth's soil, water, and air where living organisms are found.

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Herbicide resistance is an example of evolution by natural selection. In natural populations, genetic diversity exists, so that some pigweed plants may be resistant to the actions of herbicides. Only the pigweed plants that are resistant to herbicides survive to produce seeds. This means the next generation of pigweed will be more likely to be resistant to the actions of that herbicide. Over several generations, that herbicide may no longer be effective at killing pigweed and others may be needed instead. This is an example of directional selection.

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Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is a way for bacteria to acquire resistance to antibiotics. During a process called conjugation, two cells in close distance from each other are connected through a structure called a pilus. DNA in the form of a plasmid is transferred through that pilus from one cell to the other. Now both cells have resistance to the antibiotic.

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Many animals have a specific territory or home range they will actively defend in order to maintain control of certain food sources or mating rights. An example of an animal with a very small territory is the hummingbird, which defends a very small patch of flowers as their food source. Territorial behavior is typically enhanced during periods of reproduction. This behavior is most often seen in males who will show evidence of fighting to defend their territory. Because this behavior has associated risks, the costs of territoriality must be worth the value; it has developed as a result of its adaptive benefit. The benefits of defending a territory, which is usually done by males, include access to exclusive food sources and a safe area to rear offspring.

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Tactile communication occurs when one animal touches another. This form of communication can be used to indicate the need for food, to show willingness to mate, or to communicate a location. For example, grooming in primates helps build social bonds. Also, honeybees will perform a dance to communicate the location of food to other bees. The bees must touch inside the dark hive to interpret the dance.

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Visual signals are most often used by species that are active during the day. Visual communication allows animals to signal others without use of other communication styles. This can prove useful when a warning, such as presence of a predator, needs to be given without attracting attention. These signals most often include body language. They can also include courtship dances like those of the Bird of Paradise, or threatening postures like mouth opening displays by male baboons when establishing dominance.

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Which of the following is correct when describing a predator-prey cycle?

A decline in the number of prey causes a decline in the number of predators.

Which of the following human populations would be expected to have the greatest increase in growth rate?

A population with most of its population under the age of 18 years.

The harmless orange-and-black viceroy butterfly closely resembling the toxic orange-and-black monarch butterfly is an example of

Batesian mimicry.

Select all of the following ways that herbicide resistance can impact agriculture.

Because herbicide resistance has increased, new and different ones have been developed The use of herbicide-resistant crops has increased the use of herbicides Crops, including soybeans, corn, etc. Streamlined

In gibbon society, which parent invests more energy into the success of the young?

Both parents are equally involved in the success of the young.

Why is it an advantage for a female cardinal to choose a brightly colored male as her mate?

Brightly colored males are healthier and more likely to produce healthy offspring.

Classify each description according to the type of learned behavior it describes.

Classical: Pavlov, association of response to stimulus, pairing two kinds of stimuli Operant: Positive reinforcement, BF Skinner, stimulus connection strengthened Imprinting: Birds, sensitive period

When training a dog to perform in a movie, the trainer first chooses a natural behavior that approximates what the director wants. The trainer then begins rewarding the dog every time he performs this natural behavior. Gradually, the trainer alters the behavior until the animal is ready to perform. This is an example of classical conditioning.

False

Complete the following statements about sexual selection and male and female mate choice.

Females generally choose their mates while males compete for theirs. This dynamic is adaptively beneficial since females will primarily care for offspring and have limited eggs. Factors involved in choice are those that will increase fitness.

The climax-pattern model states that the same area will always lead to a specific type of community if it is given a sufficient amount of time. Which of the following statements is true of this model?

In recent times, this has been modified to recognize that while the area may return to the same community it may not have exactly the same species diversity.

The human growth curve is best described as being

J-shaped.

Place the steps of natural selection in sequential order.

Members of a population have variation in their traits Favorable traits are passed onto offspring Members produce more offspring than can survive Those with more favorable variations survive and reproduce Over time, larger populations have favorable traits

Categorize the following based on the type of the succession described.

Primary: Follows major disturbance, no soil, new growth following volcanic eruption Secondary: Return of a community, cultivated corn field

Which statement about parasitism is true?

There are examples of parasites in every kingdom of life.

Territory size is primarily dependent on the animals' food source.

True

A number of populations of different species interacting with one another is called

a community.

A population of 1,000 mice living in a barn loses one-half of its members when a sudden virus spreads through the population. This population has undergone a reduction in population size due to

a density-dependent factor.

A population of 100 butterflies living on an acre of land loses three-quarters of its members when a sudden freeze in the spring occurs just after they emerge as caterpillars. This population has undergone a reduction in population size due to

a density-independent factor.

Animals that live in social groups, generally arrange themselves in such a way that one animal takes precedence over others. This is known as

a dominance hierarchy.

Imprinting is

an innate behavior accompanied by simple learning.

What is a change in behavior that involves relating two separate events with each other?

associative learning

The maximum per capita rate of increase for a population that can occur under ideal conditions is the

biotic potential.

When an ant finds a source of food, such as an open sugar bin in a kitchen, it returns to the nest, leaving a scent trail that other ants can follow. This is a case of

chemical communication.

A male and female crane perform a courtship dance before mating. This is a form of

communication.

The transmission of a signal from one animal that influences the behavior of a receiving animal is known as

communication.

Population growth rate would be negative when

death rate is greater than birthrate.

The demographic transition, where population growth slows in developed countries, is due to a(n)

decreased death rate followed by a decreased birthrate.

Which of the following is a negative consequence of having a territory?

energy expended to defend the territory

Learned behavior that causes a family of baby ducks to follow their mother is called

imprinting.

The sensitive period is most closely associated with

imprinting.

All graylag geese exhibit a behavioral pattern known as "egg rolling." If an egg is displaced, they will use their neck and beak to roll the egg back into the nest. In all members of the species, this behavior is performed perfectly the first time without any prior experience. Additionally, if an egg is removed while a goose is egg rolling, the goose will still complete the behavioral pattern. Based on this information, egg rolling

is a fixed-action pattern.

The climax community in a biome that receives a large amount of rainfall would include

large plants such as shrubs and trees.

A form of symbiosis in which both participants benefit is

mutualism.

Several species of grain beetles can live on dry meal, obtaining water from their metabolic reactions. Many of these beetle species are grain pests that do considerable damage to stored grain. You set up an experiment with a dozen jars of dry meal. In each jar you introduce 50 individuals from each of two species. The food supply is sufficient to last for a year, and the size of the jar is adequate to prevent toxic waste buildup. In 6 months, when you reexamine the jars, you will most likely find

only one species per jar, similar to the classic competitive exclusion principle experiment with paramecia.

Strengthening a stimulus-response connection by using rewards is known as

operant conditioning.

Imprinting helps animals

recognize a member of their own species.

You are on vacation in the Canadian Rocky Mountains and you observe that a massive forest fire has burned all the trees off the side of the mountain. The type of succession that occurs following the fire is

secondary succession.

A form of natural selection that favors features that increase an animal's chances of mating is known as

sexual selection.

Which type of communication occurs when a mother tiger licks and nuzzles their baby?

tactile communication

An example of two similar species occupying slightly different niches in the same community would be

the competition between two species of barnacles in Scotland, resulting in one living in the high areas of the intertidal zone and the other species living in the low areas of the intertidal zone.

In a pine forest, very few other species of plants can grow underneath the pine trees because pine needles make the soil very acidic. This is an example of

the inhibition model.

The carrying capacity of the environment for a species is determined by

the limited productivity of the environment and the environmental resistance to the biotic potential of the organism.

Age structure diagrams with a broad base suggest that

the population will continue to grow for some time.

Which of the following would allow optimal population growth?

unlimited resources

You are lying on your favorite beach in Florida and notice periodic white flashes in the sand. Upon closer inspection, you observe the flashes are actually fiddler crabs waving their enlarged claw in the air. This behavior is an example of

visual communication.