Test 1 - Chapter 22

C

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? A) homologous; homologous B) analogous; homologous C) homologous; analogous D) analogous; analogous

B

Catastrophism, meaning the regular occurrence of geological or meteorological disturbances (catastrophes), was Cuvier's attempt to explain the existence of _____. A) evolution. B) the fossil record. C) uniformitarianism. D) the origin of new species. E) natural selection.

A

DNA sequences in many human genes are very similar to the sequences of corresponding genes in chimpanzees. The most likely explanation for this result is that A) humans and chimpanzees share a relatively recent common ancestor. B) humans evolved from chimpanzees. C) chimpanzees evolved from humans. D) convergent evolution led to the DNA similarities. E) humans and chimpanzees are not closely related.

A

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? A) Characteristics acquired during an organism's life are generally not passed on through genes. B) Spontaneous mutations can result in the appearance of new traits. C) Only favorable adaptations have survival value. D) Disuse of an organ may lead to its eventual disappearance. E) If the giraffes did not have to compete with each other, longer necks would not have been passed on to the next generation.

2, 4, 1, 3

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.

E

Ichthyosaurs were aquatic dinosaurs. 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.... A) homologous. B) examples of convergent evolution. C) adaptations to a common environment. D) Three of the responses above are correct. E) Two of the responses above are correct.

A

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? A) 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. B) If an individual's somatic cell genes change during its lifetime, making it more fit, then it will be able to pass these genes on to its offspring. C) If an individual acquires new genes by engulfing, or being infected by, another organism, then a new genetic species will be the result. D) A single mutation in a single gene in a single gamete will, if perpetuated, produce a new species within just two generations.

A

If one wanted to find the largest number of endemic species, one should visit which of the following geological features (assuming each has existed for several millions of years)? A) an isolated ocean island in the tropics B) an extensive mountain range C) a midcontinental grassland with extreme climatic conditions D) a shallow estuary on a warm-water coast

B

If two modern organisms are distantly related in an evolutionary sense, then one should expect that A) they live in very different habitats. B) they should share fewer homologous structures than two more closely related organisms. C) their chromosomes should be very similar. D) they shared a common ancestor relatively recently. E) they should be members of the same genus.

A

It has been observed that organisms on islands are different from, but closely related to, similar forms found on the nearest continent. This is taken as evidence that A) island forms and mainland forms descended from common ancestors. B) common environments are inhabited by the same organisms. C) the islands were originally part of the continent. D) the island forms and mainland forms are converging. E) island forms and mainland forms have identical gene pools.

E

Natural selection is based on all of the following except.... A) genetic variation exists within populations. B) the best-adapted individuals tend to leave the most offspring. C) individuals who survive longer tend to leave more offspring than those who die young. D) populations tend to produce more individuals than the environment can support. E) individuals adapt to their environments and, thereby, evolve.

C

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? A) Natural selection cannot account for losses, only for innovations. B) Natural selection accounts for these losses by the principle of use and disuse. C) Under particular circumstances that persisted for long periods, each of these structures presented greater costs than benefits. D) The ancestors of these organisms experienced harmful mutations that forced them to find new habitats that these species had not previously used.

E

Structures as different as human arms, bat wings, and dolphin flippers contain many of the same bones, these bones having developed from very similar embryonic tissues. How do biologists interpret these similarities? A) by identifying the bones as being homologous structures B) by the principle of convergent evolution C) by proposing that humans, bats, and dolphins share a common ancestor D) Three of the statements above are correct. E) Two of the statements above are correct.

C

The upper forelimbs of humans and bats have fairly similar skeletal structures, whereas the corresponding bones in whales have very different shapes and proportions. However, genetic data suggest that all three kinds of organisms diverged from a common ancestor at about the same time. Which of the following is the most likely explanation for these data? A) Humans and bats evolved by natural selection, and whales evolved by Lamarckian mechanisms. B) Forelimb evolution was adaptive in people and bats, but not in whales. C) Natural selection in an aquatic environment resulted in significant changes to whale forelimb anatomy. D) Genes mutate faster in whales than in humans or bats. E) Whales are not properly classified as mammals.

They are vestigial genes.

What is true of pseudogenes?

It must be homologous to some feature in an ancestor.

What must be true of any organ that is described as vestigial?

A

What was the prevailing belief prior to the time of Lyell and Darwin? A) Earth is a few thousand years old, and populations are unchanging. B) Earth is a few thousand years old, and populations gradually change. C) Earth is millions of years old, and populations rapidly change. D) Earth is millions of years old, and populations are unchanging. E) Earth is millions of years old, and populations gradually change.

C

Which of the following is the most accurate summary of Cuvier's consideration of fossils found in the vicinity of Paris? A) extinction of species yes; evolution of new species yes B) extinction of species no; evolution of new species yes C) extinction of species yes; evolution of new species no D) extinction of species no; evolution of new species yes

A

Which of the following must exist in a population before natural selection can act upon that population? A) genetic variation among individuals B) variation among individuals caused by environmental factors C) sexual reproduction D) Three of the responses are correct. E) Two of the responses are correct.

B

Which of the following pieces of evidence most strongly supports the common origin of all life on Earth? A) All organisms require energy. B) All organisms use essentially the same genetic code. C) All organisms reproduce. D) All organisms show heritable variation. E) All organisms have undergone evolution.

C

Which of the following statements most detracts from the claim that the human appendix is a completely vestigial organ? A) The appendix can be surgically removed with no immediate ill effects. B) The appendix might have been larger in fossil hominids. C) The appendix has a substantial amount of defensive lymphatic tissue. D) Individuals with a larger-than-average appendix leave fewer offspring than those with a below-average-sized appendix.

A

Which of these conditions should completely prevent the occurrence of natural selection in a population over time? A) All variation between individuals is due only to environmental factors. B) The environment is changing at a relatively slow rate. C) The population size is large. D) The population lives in a habitat where there are no competing species present.

D

With what other idea of his time was Cuvier's theory of catastrophism most in conflict? A) gradualism B) the fixity of species C) island biogeography D) uniformitarianism E) the scala naturae