biol 1200 c21

Why is it that some organisms do not appear to be perfectly adapted to their environment?

Because natural selection can only work on the variation present in a population.

Finches on the Galapagos islands exhibit remarkable variation in the shape of their beaks. What best explains this variation?

Differences in their feeding habits

What type of evidence for evolution is provided by fossils?

Direct

T or F Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection violates the Second Law of Thermodynamics

F (Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection does not violate the Second Law of Thermodynamics because Earth is not a closed system.)

T or F Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection is a random process.

F (Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection is not a random process; favoring variations with higher fitness is not random.)

T or F the failure to discover fossil intermediates refutes Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection.

F (Many fossil intermediates have been found and supports Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection.)

Select all of the following evolutionary transitions that are documented by the fossil record. Fish and tetrapods Dinosaurs and birds Peppered moths and finches Hoofed mammals and whales

Fish and tetrapods Dinosaurs and birds Hoofed mammals and whales

Which of the following statements about marsupials in Australia is true?

For many types of placental mammals found throughout the world, there is a strikingly similar marsupial mammal in Australia.

Select all of the following that are documented by the fossil record. Major mass extinctions in the past Reproductive rates of different species How the first molecules formed Successive evolutionary change Levels of biodiversity through time

Major mass extinctions in the past Successive evolutionary change Levels of biodiversity through time

Review the following list of processes that can alter the genetic make up of a population. Which one is considered by scientists to be primarily responsible for evolution? Genetic drift Immigration of new individuals in a population Natural selection Mutation

Natural selection

Which statement accurately describes the adaptations that result from natural selection.

Natural selection does not always produce perfectly working adaptations, because it can only work on the genetic variation present in a population.

T or F Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection can explain small changes within species and major differences among species

T (Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection can explain small changes within species and major differences among species. The only issue is time.)

T or F Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection has been solidly demonstrated.

T (Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection is a scientific theory and as such, has been solidly demonstrated.)

The primary difference between natural and artificial selection is Blank______.

how the parents are chosen (by humans or because of their reproductive success)

In certain polluted areas of the world, populations of moths have been shown to change over the years with dark forms becoming more abundant than light forms; this phenomenon is called Blank______.

industrial melanism

Scientists studying the blind cave-dwelling fish Astyanax mexicanus hypothesized that this fish evolved from a surface-dwelling fish. If this is true, which part of A. mexicanus anatomy is most likely to be a vestigial structure?

eyes

Organisms that are transitional between hoofed mammals and whales, between reptiles and mammals, between apes and humans, and between fish and tetrapods are all examples of Blank______ that have been discovered.

fossil intermediates

When two species from different lineages independently evolve similar characteristics because they occupy similar environments, we observe Blank______.

convergent evolution

The similar shapes of fast swimming marine predators are an example of (blank) evolution

convergent/ parallel

Regarding the peppered moth, many studies have shown that in polluted areas, the Blank______ form of the moth is favored by natural selection, and in unpolluted areas, the Blank______ form of the moth is favored.

dark (melanic); light (peppered)

One of the most successful studies in showing evolution by natural selection is the one done by Peter and Rosemary Grant on the Galápagos islands; these scientists studied a bird that was referred to by the common name of

medium ground finch

Most evolutionary biologists would agree that the primary process responsible for evolution is

natural selection

The observation that the relative frequencies of melanic to light peppered moths changes with the color of tree bark provides support for Blank______.

natural selection

As a result of convergent evolution, many marsupial mammals of Australia look similar to (blank) mammals found elsewhere and occupy a similar ecological niche.

placental

Molecular analysis of lactase DNA (blank) in humans shows that genes for that enzyme have (blank) evolved in Africa and Europe to produce the same result.

sequences, independently

In 1896, J. W. Tutt proposed that light colored peppered moths were more visible to predators on

sooty trees that have lost their lichens due to pollution

Island species are usually most closely related to Blank______

species on nearby continents

Select the graphs showing that beak depth is inherited from parents to offspring.

upward, downward slope

Which of the following is the most direct evidence for evolution? Marsupials in Australia Darwin's finches Fossils Homologous organs

Fossils

Which of the following statements about the horse family is true? It originated when humans domesticated horses and most of its member species still exist. It originated 55 million years ago but only a few species evolved and most are still existing today. It originated 55 million years ago and over that time many of its members have become extinct.

It originated 55 million years ago and over that time many of its members have become extinct.

Typically, how are species on islands related to species on a nearby continent?

More closely

How has rock and fossil dating changed since Darwin's times?

Relative dating was used in the past; today we use absolute dating.

Which of the following is true about transitional fossils? They illustrate how major transitions in life occurred. They help to fill in the gap in the fossil record between two separate groups. They are the most common type of fossil found in the fossil record. They contain all characteristics of two separate groups.

They illustrate how major transitions in life occurred. They help to fill in the gap in the fossil record between two separate groups.

Most of the species that we use as food do not look like their ancestral species anymore. How have humans achieved that?

Through artificial selection

Where has industrial melanism been observed?

Throughout Eurasia and North America

Which of the following are reasons why island trees belong to plant families that typically do not have tree members (for example the sunflower family)? Tree seeds rarely make it to isolated islands. Tree seeds reach isolated islands but it has been shown that they cannot germinate and grow. The tree niche is empty and so a flower can evolve through natural selection to be tree-like. Only trees from some plant families (like the sunflower family) can survive strong island wind storms.

Tree seeds rarely make it to isolated islands. The tree niche is empty and so a flower can evolve through natural selection to be tree-like.

Which of the following are anatomical features that provide evidence for evolution?

Vestigial structures Early embryonic similarities Homologous structures

The odd proportions of dachshunds have resulted from Blank______.

artificial selection for dogs that could enter narrow badger holes

In (blank) selection, humans choose the parents of the next generation, while in (blank) selection, organisms that survive and reproduce are those that pass their genes on.

artificial, natural

Organisms that share a common ancestor often show similarities in their early (blank) development before diverging into varied forms.

embryonic

In the laboratory setting, selection for a trait in fruit flies Blank______.

has consistently lead to a strong, predictable evolutionary response

Structures with different appearances and functions that are all derived from the same body part in a common ancestor are called (blank) structures.

homologous

Structures with different appearances and functions that are all derived from the same body part in a common ancestor are called

homologous structures

Two types of structures in adult organisms that provide anatomical evidence for evolution are

homologous, vestigial

Relative dating v absolute dating (sort) Dating is more accurate. Rocks are dated based on their position. Rocks are dated based on changes in their isotopic composition. Dating is less accurate.

relative Dating is less accurate. Rocks are dated based on their position. absolute Dating is more accurate. Rocks are dated based on changes in their isotopic composition.

Even though there are gaps in the fossil record, some of the most direct evidence for evolution comes from (blank) fossils that illustrate how certain major transformations in life forms occurred.

transitional intermediate