BIO 112 Quizzes

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

island forms are descended from mainland forms.

Which of the following statements best describes the evolution of MRSA?

By chance, some individual Staphylococcus aureus bacteria had genetic variations that conferred resistance to certain antibiotics. In the presence of these antibiotics, the resistant bacterial survived to reproduce and pass on their antibiotic-resistant genes.

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?

Characteristics acquired during an organism's life are generally not passed on through genes

Which of these conditions(s) is/are always true of populations evolving due to natural selection? Condition 1: The population must vary in traits that are heritable. Condition 2: Some heritable traits must increase reproductive success. Condition 3: Individuals pass on most traits that they acquire during their lifetime.

Conditions 1 and 2

The evolution of large brains in humans provides evidence that evolution drives towards greater complexity in organisms.

False

___________ is considered to be the father of paleontology.

Georges Cuvier

Which of the following represents an idea that Darwin learned from the writings of Thomas Malthus?

Populations tend to increase at a faster rate than their food supply normally allows.

Parasitic species tend to have simple morphologies. Which of the following statements best explains this observation?

Simple morphologies convey some advantage in most parasites.

The following question refers to the figure below (x is located just above a layer of rock C and is in B layer), which shows an outcrop of sedimentary rock whose strata are labeled A-D. Where is the fossils of closely related ancestors most likely found?

Strata layer C

Scientific theories:

are supported by, and make sense of, many observations

The cow Bos primigenius (which is bred for meat and milk) has a smaller brain and larger eyes than closely related wild species of ungulates. These traits most likely arose by:

artificial selection, because changes in these traits co-occured with human selection for high milk output and high muscle content.

Many organisms are __________ to island environments, meaning they are only found in those specific habitats and nowhere else. This can be explained by the fact that islands are geographically isolated.

endemic

The large occurrence of marsupials in Australia compared to the rest of the planet is best explained by:

continental drift.

Darwin and Wallace's theory of evolution by natural selection was revolutionary because it:

dismissed the idea that species are constant and emphasized the importance of variation and change in populations

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. These structural similarities are an example of:

homology.

Evolution is the change in allele frequency in a _________ over generations.

population

The Tiktaalik

provides evidence of a transitional form between purely aquatic organisms and terrestrial organisms