Evolution Chapters 1-3 exam study guide

a) True

Variation in reproductive success yields information on what works well, in the sense that it survives and reproduces. True or false? a) True b) False

d. Lamarckism was wrong in inheritance of acquired characters.

Weismann cut off tails of mice generation after generation but tails neither disappeared nor shortened showing that a. Darwin was correct b. tail is an essential organ c. mutation theory is wrong d. Lamarckism was wrong in inheritance of acquired characters. e. tails regenerated

It explains the unity and diversity of life.

. How does evolution unify the biological sciences? What other principles might do so? (5 points)

a. Knowledge of inheritance, as discovered by Gregor Mendel.

4. Which of these had the least influence on Darwin's work and writing? a. Knowledge of inheritance, as discovered by Gregor Mendel. b. His work as a naturalist aboard the h.m.s. Beagle. c. His experience with medicine as a student and as the son of a physician. d. The writings of Thomas Malthus on human populations and resources. e. Correspondence with Alfred Russel Wallace and other naturalists of his time.

d. All of the above

A feature that reduces the fitness of an individual but benefits the population or species a. cannot evolve by individual selection. b. can evolve by group selection. c. will decline in frequency among other nonaltruistic phenotypes. d. All of the above e. None of the above

d. the set of species derived from one common ancestor.

A monophyletic group (also called a clade) is defined as a. having shared ancestral character states. b. a branch point in a phylogenetic tree. c. having shared derived character states. d. the set of species derived from one common ancestor. e. having an ancestral characteristic

a. all individual variation is due only to environmental factors

A population of organisms will not evolve if _____. a. all individual variation 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 without competing species present

a) True

A random process cannot produce an extremely complicated state in a finite amount of time. True or false? a) True b) False

e. evolutionary radiation.

A situation in which lineages diverge too rapidly for a phylogeny to be constructed is called a. synaptomorphy. b. homoplasy. c. haplotype divergence. d. DNA sequence polymorphism. e. evolutionary radiation.

d. kin selection.

Alarm calls by ground squirrels alert other ground squirrels to danger, but they also draw attention to the caller and expose it to increased risk of predation. Such altruistic behavior is best explained by the phenomenon of a. selfish genes. b. group selection. c. individual selection. d. kin selection. e. exaptation.

d. Both b and c

An experiment shows (1) that the size of a population may decline as a result of natural selection, even as individual organisms become fitter, and (2) that selection for larger groups opposes the consequences of individual selection. These observations provide evidence for the a. influence of altruistic traits. b. process of group selection. c. effects of individual selection. d. Both b and c e. All of the above

a) change in the properties of groups of organisms over the course of generations.

Biological evolution is defined as: a) change in the properties of groups of organisms over the course of generations. b) random mutations and natural selection. c) changes in the properties of organisms over the course of development. d) the belief that each organism has an essence indicative of its design. e) directed change of organisms toward greater complexity.

a. orthologous genes

Concerning growth in genome size over evolutionary time, which of these is LEAST associated with the others? a. orthologous genes b. gene duplications c. paralogous genes d. gene families

a No, mutation is a random event. b Yes, this is a result of natural selection c No, this variation arose randomly d,e Each individual has a particular genotype that either confers resistance or not. The polymorphism in the population arises because individuals differ in fitness.

Consider the first copy of an allele for insecticide resistance that arises by mutation in a population of insects exposed to an insecticide. Is this mutation an adaptation? If, after some generations, we find that most of the population is resistant, is the resistance an adaptation? If we discover genetic variation for insecticide resistance in a population that has had no experience of insecticides, is the variation an adaptation? If an insect population is polymorphic for two alleles, each of which confers resistance against one of two pesticides that are alternately applied, is the variation an adaptation? Or is each of the two resistance traits an adaptation? (5 points)

b. Natural selection is measured by contribution to the next generation, not simply survival of an individual organism.

Creationists criticize the idea of natural selection as a circular argument, or tautology, claiming "The fittest are those that survive, and survival is how fitness is defined." Why is our definition of natural selection not tautological? a. Fitness also includes a reproduction component. b. Natural selection is measured by contribution to the next generation, not simply survival of an individual organism. c. Creationists use religious definitions of these terms, not scientific ones. d. Creationists do not realize that evolutionary biologists recognize other mechanisms of evolution, including genetic drift. e. This is a legitimate criticism of natural selection and even Darwin acknowledges it in On the Origin of Species.

b) False

Evolution through natural selection cannot be observed because it happens too slowly for humans to notice. True or false? a) True b) False

c) If (a) and (b) are true, but (c) is not, drift is operating.

Define conditions as follows: (a) There is variation among individuals in lifetime reproductive success. (b) There is heritable variation in a trait. (c) There is a significant correlation between variation among individuals in the trait and variation among individuals in lifetime reproductive success. Which of the following statements is true? a) If (a) and (b) are true, but (c) is not, natural selection is operating. b) If (a) is true but (b) is not, (c) cannot be true. c) If (a) and (b) are true, but (c) is not, drift is operating.

b) False

Evolution is based solely on a random process. True or false? a) True b) False

b. development of a common set of characteristics in groups of different ancestry

Evolutionary convergence is characterized by a. development of dissimilar characteristics in closely related groups b. development of a common set of characteristics in groups of different ancestry c. development of characteristics by random mating d. replacement of common characteristics in different groups.

Rapidly evolving DNA sequences (such as microsatellites) are useful for determining relationships between species that share a recent common ancestor. This is because multiple mutation and fixation events are likely to have occurred for these sequences (resulting in multiple synapomorphic characters). If, however, one wants to infer species relationships between taxa that have diverged long ago, rapidly evolving DNA sequences will not be that useful. This is because multiple mutations will have occurred at the loci in question (resulting in reversals and homoplasy).

Explain why rapidly evolving DNA sequences are useful for determining relationships only among taxa that evolved from quite recent common ancestors, and why slowly evolving sequences are useful only for resolving relationships among taxa that diverged much longer ago. (5 points)

a. 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. a. 2 → 4 → 1 → 3 b. 4 → 2 → 1 → 3 c. 4 → 2 → 3 → 1 d. 2 → 4 → 3 → 1 e. 3 → 1 → 4 → 2

a) True

Group selection has probably happened occasionally and may help to explain the existence of some important biological phenomena. True or false? a) True b) False

b) False

Group selection is impossible. True or false? a) True b) False

efforts to curb the improper use of antibiotics. There are natural remedies in place of antibiotics.

How might the evolution of antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacteria be slowed down or prevented? What might you need to know in order to achieve this aim? (5 points)

a) True

Inheritance of things associated with reproductive success preserves a "memory" in the population of what works well in the above sense. True or false? a) True b) False

a) This disproves the entire theory of evolution.

It has been experimentally demonstrated that some populations are very poorly adapted to a particular natural environment. Which of the following observations does this not support? a) This disproves the entire theory of evolution. b) This can be explained by gene flow from places where the organisms are well adapted to places where they are poorly adapted. c) This suggests that one must be careful to study what is going on in the entire geographical range of a species before drawing conclusions about important matters like the existence of adaptation or the lack thereof.

Some gene trees will reflect the true phylogeny, while others might not. If the common ancestor of two species was polymorphic for a character, it is possible for closely related species to inherit different haplotypes (see Figure 2.20 about incomplete sorting). To find the true history of a species it would be best to include as many characters as possible (molecular or otherwise). If there has been only one history of species divergence it is possible for multiple gene trees to be correct. This is because gene trees need not be the same as species trees. Different genetic lineages are subject to different selective pressures, and their genealogies can reflect this

It is possible for two different genes to imply different phylogenetic relationships among a group of species. What are the possible reasons for this? If there is only one true history of formation of these species, what might we do in order to determine which (if either) gene accurately portrays it? Is it possible for both phylogenetic trees to be accurate even if there has been only one history of species divergence? (5 points)

d. Bacteria have evolved resistance to antibiotics, driven by natural selection.

Many types of antibiotics that were highly effective a few decades ago are not nearly as effective in the present. Why might this be the case? a. The use of penicillin declined when populations of the bread mold that produce it declined. b. The initial successes were statistical anomalies and the result of random chance. c. Bacteria inherit higher levels of resistance when it is needed. d. Bacteria have evolved resistance to antibiotics, driven by natural selection. e. Cheaper generic drugs entered the marketplace.

a. gametic selection.

Meiotic drive, or segregation distortion, is an example of a. gametic selection. b. kin selection. c. group selection. d. sexual selection. e. inclusive fitness. e. exaptation.

b) False

Natural selection inevitably produces efficient adaptations. True or false? a) True b) False

c) genetic drift.

Natural selection is only one of several possible mechanisms of evolution. Another mechanism is: a) evolutionary stasis. b) the Scala Naturae (chain of being). c) genetic drift. d) intelligent design. e) translation of mRNA to a protein sequence.

True

Natural selection is the survival of the fittest. a. True b. False

b) False

Natural selection working on random variation could not possibly yield organisms that appeared to be well designed. True or false? a) True b) False

d. kin selection

The form of natural selection that leads to an increase in the frequency of alleles which promote the fitness of genetic relatives is called ________. a. direct selection b. indirect selection c. inclusive selection d. kin selection

e. All of the above

Not all traits are adaptations. Which statement may also explain the evolution of a particular trait? a. It may be a necessary consequence of physics or chemistry. b. It may have evolved by genetic drift, rather than by natural selection. c. It may have evolved because it was correlated with another trait that conferred an adaptive advantage. d. It may be a consequence of phylogenetic history. e. All of the above

d. construct gene trees (gene genealogies).

Once the historical relationships among different variant DNA sequences are inferred, it is possible to a. construct a morphological phylogeny. b. perform bootstrap analysis. c. determine the holotype of a species. d. construct gene trees (gene genealogies). e. determine the location of introns in a gene.

b. selfishness

Social behavior between animals where the actor benefits at the expense of the recipient is called ________. a. mutual benefit b. selfishness c. altruism d. spite

c. speciation; extinction

Species selection occurs when there is a correlation between some trait and the rates of two processes: _______ and _______. a. survival; reproduction b. geological duration; geographic range c. speciation; extinction d. fitness; heritability e. sexual reproduction; asexual reproduction

d. its average per capita rate of increase in numbers.

The fitness of a biological entity is a. the variation in the number of offspring produced as a consequence of competition for mates. b. any consistent difference in reproductive success among phenotypically different classes of organisms. c. its survival rate. d. its average per capita rate of increase in numbers. e. its physiological condition.

c. having a reliable average rate of mutation.

The most important feature that permits a gene to act as a molecular clock is a. having a large number of base pairs. b. having a larger proportion of exonic DNA than of intronic DNA. c. having a reliable average rate of mutation. d. its recent origin by a gene-duplication event. e. its being acted upon by natural selection.

c) both of the above.

The reason that natural selection on humans could not produce humans with a pair of wings originating between their shoulder blades is that: a) there is no genetic variation for such wings in human populations. b) the tetrapod lineage to which we belong does not contain developmental mechanisms that allow for the production of an entirely new pair of appendages in addition to the two pairs that already exist. c) both of the above.

c) both of the above.

The reason that natural selection on humans could not produce humans with a pair of wings originating between their shoulder blades is that: a) there is no genetic variation for such wings in human populations. b) the tetrapod lineage to which we belong does not contain developmental mechanisms that allow for the production of an entirely new pair of appendages in addition to the two pairs that already exist. c) both of the above.

d) descent with modification and a variational theory of change.

The two major themes of On the Origin of Species are: a) essentialism and variational theory of change. b) essentialism and a transformational theory of change. c) descent with modification and essentialism. d) descent with modification and a variational theory of change. e) descent with modification and a transformational theory of change.

a. in the ancestor, wings were used for flight, but they also function well in water.

The wings of auks (alcidae), used for swimming, are called an exaptation because a. in the ancestor, wings were used for flight, but they also function well in water. b. they are useful, but don't affect fitness. c. female auks are more attracted to swimming males than flying males. d. they have a de novo form that was not present in ancestors. e. individuals that do not use their wings for swimming have lower fitness.

b) Evolution is well-supported by evidence and has survived repeated testing.

What is meant by the "theory of evolution"? a) Non-evolutionary explanations for organic diversity are just as plausible as explanations provided by evolutionary biology. b) Evolution is well-supported by evidence and has survived repeated testing. c) Scientists guess that evolution has occurred, but that idea is not yet supported by evidence. d) There is not enough evidence of evolution to consider it a fact, but it is compelling. e) Evolution is a proven fact.

e) Darwin was promoted to make his own research on the subject public.

What was the most important immediate outcome of Wallace's 1858 letter to Darwin, which included Wallace's ideas of natural selection? a) Wallace was justly recognized as a scientist of great importance in England. b) Darwin was finally convinced that natural selection was the major force driving evolution. c) Darwin abandoned his work on his massive book, Natural Selection. d) Darwin was prompted to debate Wallace about the conflicts in their ideas. e) Darwin was prompted to make his own research on the subject public.

c. Future extinction of a population

Which condition cannot cause the evolution of an adaptation? a. Environmental change that does not threaten extinction b. The superiority of new mutations to any preexisting genetic variations in an unchanging environment c. Future extinction of a population d. Environmental change that reduces population size e. None of the above can cause the evolution of an adaptation.

e. The beneficiaries of the behavior are related to the individual performing it.

Which condition would most likely lead to an increase in the frequency of an altruistic behavior in a population? a. Groups that differ in terms of altruistic and selfish genotypes have differential reproduction or survival. b. The altruistic behavior benefits the population. c. The rate of extinction of the selfish genotype is high. d. There is a gene flow among populations. e. The beneficiaries of the behavior are related to the individual performing it.

b. Correlate body size with predation risk across a number of closely related species, taking into account phylogenetic relationships.

Which method would be the best way to test whether larger body size in amphipods is an adaptation to risk of predation? a. Correlate body size with predation risk across a number of closely related species, independent of phylogenetic relationships. b. Correlate body size with predation risk across a number of closely related species, taking into account phylogenetic relationships. c. Expose two species that differ in body size to predators, and compare their survivorship. d. Expose all of the closely related species to predators and compare their survivorship.

e. No two species of animals or plants can bear the same name.

Which of the following is an accepted rule of species nomenclature? a. Names do not need to have a particular meaning. b. The genus and species epithet do not need to agree in gender. c. The name of a species is always printed in boldface type. d. Taxonomic names cannot be revised. e. No two species of animals or plants can bear the same name.

d. The number of nucleotide substitutions observed is actually the number that has occurred.

Which of the following is an important assumption when estimating the time of divergence between two lineages using a molecular clock? a. The lineages are each other's closest living relatives. b. The rate of molecular change is exactly the same for all lineages. c. The same codon may code for different amino acids in different organisms. d. The number of nucleotide substitutions observed is actually the number that has occurred. e. Nucleotide substitutions are equally likely at all positions in the codon.

b. The sharing of antibiotic resistance among multiple bacteria species

Which of the following is most likely the result of horizontal gene transfer? a. The sharing of mitochondrial genes between Homo sapiens and the fungus Macrolepiota procera b. The sharing of antibiotic resistance among multiple bacteria species c. Self-incompatibility genes found in a single plant species d. β-globin genes shared by members of a taxonomic family e. Herbicide resistance that is unique to a single strain of weed

c. Change via saltations (extreme, sudden changes in an organism's traits)

Which of the following is not one of Darwin's theories? a. Evolution (change over time) b. Common descent c. Change via saltations (extreme, sudden changes in an organism's traits) d. Population change

c. Heritable variation can be maintained because of the particulate nature of genes.

Which of the following is one of the principles of evolution? a. Mutation alone is sufficient to cause large allele frequency changes. b. The genotype is the same as the phenotype. c. Heritable variation can be maintained because of the particulate nature of genes. d. Characteristics acquired during an organism's lifetime can be inherited. e. Natural selection needs to be strong in order for substantial evolutionary change to take place.

a. Non-random survival and reproduction favors finches with broader beaks, increasing the bill size in the next generation.

Which of the following is the best example of the evolution of an adaptation? a. Non-random survival and reproduction favors finches with broader beaks, increasing the bill size in the next generation. b. A predator eats snails with a striped shell at a higher rate than other snails. By chance the pink snails in the population have a low rate of striping. In the next generation, more pink-shelled snails are present. c. A population of sticklebacks in a lake have low levels of armor. Migrants from the ocean introduce genes for increased armor to the population. d. Female bowerbirds choose to mate with males that have the bowers most elaborately decorated with blue objects. Overtime the bowers become increasingly complex. e. All of the above are examples of adaptive evolution.

a. bones in the bat wing and bones in the human forelimb

Which of the following pairs are the best examples of homologous structures? a. bones in the bat wing and bones in the human forelimb b. owl wing and hornet wing c. bat wing and bird wing d. eyelessness in the Australian mole and eyelessness in the North American mole

c. Traits that promote survival and reproduction become more frequent in species from one generation to the next.

Which of the following statements best summarizes natural selection? a. Organisms evolve in order to become better adapted to the environment. b. Individuals who are most fit will survive. c. Traits that promote survival and reproduction become more frequent in species from one generation to the next. d. Organisms change in order to become adapted to new environments.

d. Many features of organisms suggest that they have been constrained by their history to operate with suboptimal solutions that no engineer would design.

Which of the following statements is true? a. Complicated organs like eyes could never have been produced by natural selection. b. If we were designing the vertebrate eye from scratch, we would design it just the way evolution did. c. All aspects of the body are so beautifully designed that only an intelligence could have produced them. d. Many features of organisms suggest that they have been constrained by their history to operate with suboptimal solutions that no engineer would design.

d) Many features of organisms suggest that they have been constrained by their history to operate with suboptimal solutions that no engineer would design.

Which of the following statements is true? a) Complicated organs like eyes could never have been produced by natural selection. b) If we were designing the vertebrate eye from scratch, we would design it just the way evolution did. c) All aspects of the body are so beautifully designed that only an intelligence could have produced them. d) Many features of organisms suggest that they have been constrained by their history to operate with suboptimal solutions that no engineer would design.

b. Presence of synapomorphies (shared derived characteristics)

Which of the following would not cause complications in inferring a phylogeny? a. Homoplasy b. Presence of synapomorphies (shared derived characteristics) c. Variation in rates of evolution for different taxa d. Convergent evolution e. Absence of DNA sequence information for many extinct taxa

b) Intraspecific competition increases variation among individuals in lifetime reproductive success.

Which of the followings statements about intraspecific competition is true? a) Intraspecific competition reduces variation among individuals in lifetime reproductive success. b) Intraspecific competition increases variation among individuals in lifetime reproductive success. c) Intraspecific competition has no impact on differences among individuals in lifetime reproductive success. d) Intraspecific competition is not what Reverend Malthus was thinking of at all.

a. An oak tree must make decisions about whether to invest energy in growth or reproduction.

Which of these is an example of an evolutionary trade-off? a. An oak tree must make decisions about whether to invest energy in growth or reproduction. b. A giraffe has seven neck vertebrae, just like almost all other tetrapods. c. Blue whales lack the genetic variation necessary to adapt to other food sources. d. Genetic correlations make it difficult for natural selection to disentangle development of anterior and posterior eyespots on butterfly wings. e. Changing ocean temperatures select for fish with expanded thermal tolerance, compared to their ancestors.

e. A trait evolves in anticipation of a future environmental change

Which scenario depicts adaptations incorrectly? a. A modified trait in an organism helps it leave behind more descendants. b. A trait in an organism increases in frequency because of non-random differences in survival and reproduction. c. A trait evolves that serves a valuable purpose in the environment of those that possess it. d. As a trait became modified, its function was also altered. e. A trait evolves in anticipation of a future environmental change. e. A trait evolves in anticipation of a future environmental change

a) Food is eaten to satiate one's appetite but also to provide energy for metabolism.

Which statement best characterizes the distinction between proximate and ultimate causes? a) Food is eaten to satiate one's appetite but also to provide energy for metabolism. b) Birds learn their songs from their parents, but need the correct singing apparatus to repeat them. c) A small organism needs less food and also is less obvious to predators. d) The reason for a behavior might change between the past and present. e) Fiddler crabs with large claws are better able to defeat rival males and are more attractive to females.

b. Mutations are the raw material for natural selection.

Which statement is true? a. Natural selection acts on populations, not on individuals. b. Mutations are the raw material for natural selection. c. Evolutionary change occurs at the level of the individual. d. Developmental change is a population-level process. e. Species are simply those organisms that share similar phenotypes.

c. Sexual selection

Which term is defined as any consistent difference in fitness among phenotypically different classes of biological entities as a consequence of competition for mates? a. Reproductive success b. Natural selection c. Sexual selection d. Individual selection e. Meiotic drive

b. Kea's beak → piercing skin

Which trait can be thought of as a preadaptation for the corresponding function? a. Snake skull bones → swallowing prey b. Kea's beak → piercing skin c. Orchid flower form → pollination d. Spider sexual suicide → fertilization success e. Ant cooperative behavior → queen reproductive success

e. A trait that does not change the probability of survival or reproduction, like the color of cave-dwelling fish

Which trait cannot describe an adaptation? a. A trait that appears to have been designed following engineering principles, like the extendable jaws of a snake b. A trait that promotes reproduction but does not affect survival, like floral scents c. A heritable behavioral trait that does not involve physical morphology, like cooperation d. A trait that results in death of the individual exhibiting it but increases that individual's total number of offspring, like the suicidal behavior of male redback spiders after mating e. A trait that does not change the probability of survival or reproduction, like the color of cave-dwelling fish

c. Evolutionary biologists work on understanding how populations (the viruses) adapt to new environments (the hosts).

Why is evolutionary biology one of the best paradigms in which to study the spread of viruses like Ebola into new populations and species? a. Only evolutionary biologists understand the way that viruses can bypass the immune system. b. Evolutionary biology does not concern itself with the ethics of medical research. c. Evolutionary biologists work on understanding how populations (the viruses) adapt to new environments (the hosts). d. Evolutionary biologists were already studying how diseases affect bats in central Africa. e. Viruses are rarely transmitted between species.