BIOL 1100- Exam 3
How is nuclear DNA inherited?
50% of Nuclear DNA is inherited from the mother's ancestral line and 50% is inherited from the father's
How is nuclear DNA inherited?
50% of nuclear DNA is inherited from the father and 50% is inherited from the mother
Which of the following statements about evolution is true?
Evolution can result in the addition or loss of traits in existing organisms
Which of the following is the strongest evidence that suggested Homo sapiens may have intermingled with other species such as H heidelbergensis and H neanderthalensis?
Fossils from all or some of the Homo species dating to the same time period and found in overlapping geographic areas, showing phenotypes intermediate to at least two of the other species as well as evidence of DNA shared between the species would suggest that they may have intermingled with each other
Scientists use existing fossils to predict what the transitional forms between organisms might look like. Why might it be so hard for scientists to find fossils of these transitional forms?
Fossils of transitional species may have never formed due to environment conditions, or if they did form, natural processes like erosion may have destroyed them
Some freshwater snail eggs are accidentally introduced into a new habitat that is geographically isolated from the original population. Which of the following must occur before these snails are described as two separate species?
Genetic divergence
Is it possible that modern humans may have comingled with which of these other ancestors?
Homo neanderthalensis, Homo heidelbergensis, and Homo floresiensis
It is possible that modern humans may have comingled with which of these other ancestors?
Homo neanderthalensis, Homo heidelbergensis, and Homo floresiensis
The correct two-word Latin, scientific name for modern humans is
Homo sapiens
The correct two-word Latin, scientific name, for modern humans is
Homo sapiens
In light of the "Out-of-Africa" hypothesis, which of the following is a likely reason why species like Homo neanderthalensis, Homo floresinensis, and Homo erectus exist today?
Modern Homo sapiens out-competed and replaced other hominin species as they migrated around the world
In light of the "Out-of-Africa" hypothesis, which of the following is a parsimonious reason why species like Homo neanderthalensis, Homo floresinensis, and Homo erectus do not exist today?
Modern Homo sapiens out-competed and replaced other hominin species as they migrated around the world
Which of the following is true with regard to mutations?
Mutations appear without regard of environmental pressures
Which of the following correctly indicates a relationship between the morphological species concepts and the biological species concept?
Organisms capable of interbreeding might have different physical paths
Which of the following categories of the Linaean hierarchy would include the broadest range of related organisms?
Phylum
Which of the following categories of the Linnaean hierarchy would include the broadest range of related organisms?
Phylum
Resolving the relationship between various kingdoms has been challenging because species often resemble one another. For example, the kingdom __________ contains some organisms that are animal-like and others that are plantlike.
Protista
You are a marine biologist who has isolated a microorganism from the Gulf of Mexico. This organism is unicellular, photosynthetic, uses a flagellum to swim, and you have observed it ingesting smaller microorganisms in its vicinity. To what kingdom does this organism most likely belong?
Protista
Which of the following is NOT an advantage of bipedalism in hominins?
Standing on two feet makes it easier to climb trees
Two populations of lizards live in the same area. Which of the following evidence would convince you that they are two distinct species?
The two populations are not capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring
Two populations of lizards live int he same area. Which of the following evidence would convince you that they are two distinct species?
The two populations are not capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring
Which of the following is an example of a postzygotic barrier?
The zygote fails to develop
Whales and Indohyus share a more recent common ancestor than whales and fish. Which of the following is true?
Whales and Indohyus will have more similarities in their DNA than whales and fish
Is it possible for Homo sapiens and Neanderthals to be related even if humans are not the direct descendants of Neanderthals?
Yes, because humans and Neanderthals share a common ancestor.
Breeding programs for farm-raised chickens results in a variety and unusual colors and feathers. Is this an example of evolution?
Yes, the change in chicken coloration is a genetic change in the population over time
Evolution can be described as
a change in the genetic characteristics of a population of organisms over time
Whales have tiny thighbones embedded in the skin next to their pelvis. This is an example of
a vestigial structure
Adaptive evolution allows species to
adjust to environmental changes
How is mitochondiral DNA inherited?
all mitochondrial DNA is inherited from the mother
The development of upright posture in hominins is likely
an adaptation for living on the ground instead of in the trees
the development of upright posture in hominins is likely
an adaptation for living on the ground instead of in the trees
How does coevolution lead to speciation?
an adaptation in one organism drives adaptation in another
Which of the following statements concerning evolution is FALSE?
an individual that is better adapted than others in a population will always be more reproductively successful
Which of the following is NOT likely to be a cause of rapid evolution in a population?
an organism that reproduces very slowly
The hands of a human and the hands of a chimpanzee are similar in structure because humans
and chimpanzees share a recent common ancestor
Neanderthal fossils
are likely to be found in layers below human fossils
Humans simulate the process of natural selection when they use __________ to develop new varieties of crop plants that better meet the needs of farmers
artificial selection
Humans simulate the process of natural selection when they use __________to develop new varieties of crop plants that better meet the needs of farmers.
artificial selection
All primates have opposable thumbs. This means that thumbs
can be touched to each of the other fingers on the same hand
All primates have opposable thumbs. This means the thumbs
can be touched to each of the other fingers on the same hand
Speciation
can result from geographic isolation
Why might new species form in the aftermath of a mass extinction?
changed environments and reduced competition would provide opportunities for new adaptations
In many predator-prey relationships, evolutionary change in the prey will result in evolutionary change in the predator, a phenomenon known as
coevolution
The fossil record
contains strong evidence that major new groups of organisms arose from previously existing organisms
Two different species may have similar features because of
descent from a common ancestor
Which of the following is NOT a mode of natural selection?
dormant selection
Convergent Evolution occurs when natural selection causes distantly related organisms to
evolve similar structures in response to similar environmental challenges
Convergent evolution occurs when natural selection causes distantly related organisms to
evolve similar structures in response to similar environmental challenges
The fact that small, nonfunctioning hind legs are found in the skeletons of many snakes suggests that snakes
evolved from organisms with legs
How is mitochondrial DNA inherited?
from the mother
Geographic isolation limits the __________ between populations of a species
gene flow
Which of the following categories of he Linaean hierarchy would include the most closely related organisms?
genus
Which of the following categories of the Linnaean hierarchy would include the most closely related organisms?
genus
Both humans and whales evolve from a common ancestor. Although out forelimbs are quite different, they are made of the same bones. This is an example of a(n)
homologous structure
Both humans and whales evolved from a common ancestor. ALthough our forelimbs are quite different, they are made of the same bones. This is an example of a(n)
homologous structure
Human and fish embryos share a number of features. Why is this?
humans and fish share a common ancestor
Natural selection tends to
increase the commonality of characteristics that enhance survival and reproduction
The Cambrian explosion
increased diversity of animal life on Earth
The Cambrian explosion
increased the diversity of animal life on Earth
Natural selection
is the principal cause of evolutionary change
Which of the following groupings of animals are most closely related to each other?
lemurs, chimps, humans
Neanderthal fossils are
likely to be found layers below human fossils
Gene flow between two populations
makes the genetic composition of the two populations more similar
The fossils of organisms that existed when the continents were connected are distributed across __________ continents than the fossils of organisms that evolved after the continents separated
more
The proteins and DNA of organisms that share a recent common ancestor are __________ the proteins and DNA of organisms that do not share a recent ancestor
more similar than
The proteins and DNA of organisms that share a recent common ancestor are __________ the proteins and DNA of organisms that do not share a recent common ancestor
more similar than
New alleles arise by
mutation
Sympatric speciation
occurs when a new species emerges from a population in the absence of a geographical barrier
Fossils found in deeper layers are __________ than fossils found in more shallow layers
older
Using reproductive isolation as a method of defining a species is NOT useful for
organisms knows only from fossils
The appearance of eukaryotes may have been delayed until more __________ accumulated in Earth's atmosphere
oxygen
In natural selection, __________ that increase survival and reproductive success become more common in a population
phenotypes
Which of the following is NOT an advantage of bipedalism in hominins?
standing on two feet makes it easier to climb
Evolution is
strongly supported by scientific evidence
What is genetic drift?
the chance evolutionary change occurring in small populations
Bacteria reproduce asexually, so scientists classify them based on
the morphological species concept
Which of the following is an example of a postzygotic barrier?
the zygote fails to develop
At the base of the evolutionary tree, all life is the
universal ancestor
The phylum Chordata includes several subgroups of organisms. To which of these subgroups would humans belong?
vertebrates
A species of cave beetle that lies in total darkness is blind but has remnants of what looks like eyes. These "eyes" are
vestigial
Gene flow occurs
when an individual migrates between two otherwise isolated populations of a species