Practice Exam 1

A theory can be defined as: 1. An explanation of processes that is consistent with a large number of observations. 2. An observation of the physical world. 3. An idea that can be tested with experiments. 4. The process of obtaining corroborative evidence. 5. A process that includes a null hypothesis and an experiment with adequate controls. 6. The most parsimonious explanation for an hypothesis. 7. None of the above

1. An explanation of processes that is consistent with a large number of observations.

Homology refers to 1. Different traits in two species derived from the same ancestral state. 2. Traits that have converged in appearance from different ancestral states 3. Traits that have reversed to the ancestral state 4. Traits that are independently derived. 5. Branching order of the phylogeny. 6. None of the above.

1. Different traits in two species derived from the same ancestral state.

For the same gene you find multiple copies in each bird species. These copies are referred to as 1. Paralogous genes. 2. Orthologous genes. 3. Homoplasies. 4. Purifying selection. 5. Unequal mutation rates.

1. Paralogous genes.

The frequency of sequence differences (substitutions) for comparisons among species is lower for codon position 1 and 2 because.... 1. Purifying selection. 2. Mutation rates are lower for these positions. 3. There is less genetic drift at these positions. 4. Only 1 and 2 are true 5. Only 1 and 3 are true 6. Only 2 and 3 are true 7. All 1, 2, and 3 are true

1. Purifying selection.

Observed numbers of base substitutions are higher for introns and intergenic regions because.... 1. They are unlikely to be affected by selection. 2. Mutation rates are higher in these regions. 3. Recombination is higher in these regions. 4. Only 1 and 2 are true 5. Only 1 and 3 are true 6. Only 2 and 3 are true 7. All 1, 2, and 3 are true

1. They are unlikely to be affected by selection.

1. Many species of snakes have small bones that do not articulate (connect) with the skeleton at the end of the spine where the tail starts. This is an example of: 1. Vestigual trait. 2. Convergent evolution 3. Homoplaisy. 4. Both 1 and 2 are true 5. Both 1 and 3 are true. 6. Both 2 and 3 are true 7. All 1, 2, and 3 are true

1. Vestigual trait.

The dark and white morph in the pepper moth is controlled by a single locus. This is an example of: 1.Polymorphic trait 2. Quantitative trait 3. Phenotypic plasticity 4. Mutation 5. Threshold trait. 6. None of the above.

1.Polymorphic trait

A phylogeny represents: 1. A method to put organisms into groups. 2. An hypothesis of the historical relationships among organisms. 3. An accurate representation of evolutionary history. 4. Only 1 and 2 are true 5. Only 1 and 3 are true 6. Only 2 and 3 are true 7. All 1, 2, and 3 are true

2. An hypothesis of the historical relationships among organisms.

To demonstrate natural selection on a trait, it would need to: 1. Be a quantitative trait. 2. Be associated with a measure of fitness 3. Change in average value between generations 4. Both 1 and 2 are true 5. Both 1 and 3 are true. 6 Both 2 and 3 are true. 7. All, 1, 2, and 3 are true

2. Be associated with a measure of fitness

You use a single gene to estimate a phylogeny for plants in the mustard family. You resample subsets of the data thousands of times to determine the support for each branch. This is referred to as 1. A consensus tree. 2. Bootstrapping. 3. Polytomies. 4. Only 1 and 2 are true

2. Bootstrapping.

Which of the following is most accurate? 1.Darwin's original ideas about evolution have largely been replaced by a new integrative theory that takes modern genetics and molecular biology into account. 2. Darwin's basic ideas about evolution are still true today, but our understanding of the importance of different processes have changed as we gather new information. 3. Darwin's writings are largely considered to be dogma and have not been changed much. 4. Darwin had nearly all aspects of evolution figured out, and new information has only filled in small gaps in his original ideas. 5. Darwin's ideas on evolution are somewhat flawed and are now being replaced by ideas from the neutral theory.

2. Darwin's basic ideas about evolution are still true today, but our understanding of the importance of different processes have changed as we gather new information.

You sample a population of spotted towhees in Forest Park in the spring and find they are variable for beak width. Over the summer there is mortality of birds, so by the end of the summer you find the population is smaller. Mean beak width is the same, but the range of variation in beak width is much lower than it was in the spring. What have you demonstrated? 1. Directional selection 2. Stabilizing selection 3. Disruptive selection 4. Evolution by natural selection 5. Evolution by genetic drift. 6. Phenotypic plasticity. 7. None of the above.

2. Stabilizing selection

In a phylogeny the branch lengths depend on 1. The strength of selection. 2. Population size. 3. The number of nucleotide base substitutions that differ between species 4. Only 1 and 2 5. Only 1 and 3 6. Only 2 and 3 7. 1, 2, and 3 ae correct

3. The number of nucleotide base substitutions that differ between species

The controversy between the Biometricians and Mendelians: 1. Continues to be a controversy. 2. Was resolved when the Mendelians were proven to be correct by Fisher in 1918. 3. Was resolved when both the Mendelians and Biometricians were proven correct by Fisher (1918). 4. Both 1 and 2 are true 5. Both 1 and 3 are true. 6 Both 2 and 3 are true. 7. All, 1, 2, and 3 are true

3. Was resolved when both the Mendelians and Biometricians were proven correct by Fisher (1918).

A good example of evolution would be: 1. Tadpoles become frogs. 2. Red blood cell counts increase for individuals that move to higher elevation. 3. A plant changes its leaf size during vegetative growth. 4. An invasive species establishes a new population after introduction 5. All of the above are good examples. 6. None of these are evolution

4. An invasive species establishes a new population after introduction

. On a phylogenetic tree, a "node" refers to: 1. A point where a branch splits 2. A hypothetical ancestor 3. An ancestor known to have existed based on the fossil record 4. Both 1 and 2 are true 5. Both 1 and 3 are true. 6 Both 2 and 3 are true. 7. All, 1, 2, and 3 are true.

4. Both 1 and 2 are true

Homoplasy results from: 1. Trait reversal. 2. Convergent evolution. 3. Polytomies. 4. Both 1 and 2. 5. Both 1 and 3. 6. Both 2 and 3. 7. All 1, 2 and 3.

4. Both 1 and 2.

You return to Forest Park the following year and find that the range of variation in beak width is narrower than it was the previous spring, but not as narrow as it had been at end of the previous summer. What have you demonstrated? 1. Directional selection 2. Stabilizing selection 3. Disruptive selection 4. Evolution by natural selection 5. Evolution by genetic drift. 6. Phenotypic plasticity. 7. None of the above.

4. Evolution by natural selection

3. The person(s) responsible for the Neutral Theory of Evolution was (were): 1. Sir Ronald Fisher 2. Sewell Wright 3. J.B.S. Haldane 4. Motoo Kimura 5. 1, 2, and 3 all contributed. 6. 1, 3, and 4 all contributed. 7. 2, 3, and 4 all contributed.

4. Motoo Kimura

You select on "tameness" in foxes to try to produce a domestic fox. The response to selection in the next generation will depend on: 1. The strength of selection 2. The heritability of the trait 3. The mutation rate 4. Only 1 and 2 are true 5. Only 1 and 3 are true 6. Only 2 and 3 are true 7. All 1, 2, and 3 are true

4. Only 1 and 2 are true

You compare sequence data for two closely related species of warbler. For one gene you find higher substitution rates for the third codon position compared to the first and second positions. You have demonstrated: 1. Paralogous genes. 2. Orthologous genes. 3. Homoplasies. 4. Purifying selection 5. Unequal mutation rates.

4. Purifying selection.

The following is true of Macroevolution: 1. Refers to diversification of new species and lineages. 2. Is a separate process from microevolution. 3. Differs from microevolution only by occurring over a longer time scale. 4. Both 1 and 2 are true 5. Both 1 and 3 are true. 6 Both 2 and 3 are true. 7. All, 1, 2, and 3 are true

5. Both 1 and 3 are true.

Phylogenies constructed from DNA sequences 1. Must use orthologous genomic regions. 2. The fossils are needed to age nodes. 3. Nucleotide substitutions are used as traits. 4. Only 1 and 2 are true 5. Only 1 and 3 are true 6. Only 2 and 3 are true 7. All 1, 2, and 3 are true

5. Only 1 and 3 are true

Which is a mutation? 1. Indel. 2. Base substitution. 3. Translocation 4. Anueploidy. 5. Inversion. 6. All of the above.

6. All of the above.

Why was the revelation of the Hardy-Weinberg principle important for evolutionary biology? 1. It provided prediction and testable hypotheses. 2. It was consistent with the view of Mendelians. 3. It provided a starting point of the development of a mathematical foundation for evolution. 4. Both 1 and 2 are true. 5. Both 2 and 3 are true. 6. Both 1 and 3 are true. 7. All, 1, 2, and 3 are true.

6. Both 1 and 3 are true.

The rhinoceros has horns derived from hair follicles while horns in antelope are derived from bone. This is an example of: 1. Vestigual trait. 2. Convergent evolution 3. Homoplaisy. 4. Both 1 and 2 are true 5. Both 1 and 3 are true. 6. Both 2 and 3 are true 7. All 1, 2, and 3 are true

6. Both 2 and 3 are true

Concerning indels we can say: 1. They always result in a frame-shift mutation 2. They may evolve by selection or genetic drift 3. They are the deletion or insertion of one or more base in the DNA sequence. 4. Only 1 and 2 are true 5. Only 1 and 3 are true 6. Only 2 and 3 are true 7. All 1, 2, and 3 are true

6. Only 2 and 3 are true

You measure coat color in rabbits over one year and find that the same individuals become lighter in color in the fall. You have demonstrated: 1. Directional selection 2. Stabilizing selection 3. Disruptive selection 4. Evolution by natural selection 5. Evolution by genetic drift. 6. Phenotypic plasticity. 7. None of the above

6. Phenotypic plasticity.

1. The first person to propose a theory based on the idea that species can change over generations was: 1. Charles Lyell 2. Alfred Russell Wallace 3. Erasmus Darwin 4. Charles Darwin 5. Sir Ronald Fisher. 6.Jean-Baptiste Lamarck 7. Thomas Huxle

6.Jean-Baptiste Lamarck

Changes in DNA methylation patterns can: 1. Change the phenotype of an organism in one generation. 2. In plants, can be inherited by offspring so they display the same phenotype as the parent. 3. Can be reversed within one generation or in subsequent generations. 4. Only 1 and 2 are true 5. Only 1 and 3 are true 6. Only 2 and 3 are true 7. All 1, 2, and 3 are true

7. All 1, 2, and 3 are true

Mutation rates are generally... 1. Similar for plant and animal nuclear genomes. 2. Lower for plant chloroplast genomes. 3. Higher for animal mitochondrial genomes. 4. Only 1 and 2 are true 5. Only 1 and 3 are true 6. Only 2 and 3 are true 7. All 1, 2, and 3 are true

7. All 1, 2, and 3 are true

If we predict that allele frequencies do not change from one generation to the next. What do we have to assume to make this true? 1. Population size is very large. 2. There is no selection. 3. There is no migration. 4. Both 1 and 2 are true. 5. Both 2 and 3 are true. 6. Both 1 and 3 are true. 7. All, 1, 2, and 3 are true

7. All, 1, 2, and 3 are true

7. The factors primarily responsible for rapid evolution of HIV are: 1. Strong selection 2. High mutation rates 3. Large numbers are produced each generation 4. Both 1 and 2 are true 5. Both 1 and 3 are true. 6 Both 2 and 3 are true. 7. All, 1, 2, and 3 are true.

7. All, 1, 2, and 3 are true.

Evolution in a population may occur due to... 1. Mutation. 2. Migration (gene flow). 3. Selection. 4. Both 1 and 2 are true. 5. Both 2 and 3 are true. 6. Both 1 and 3 are true. 7. All, 1, 2, and 3 are true.

7. All, 1, 2, and 3 are true.

What can we say about deleterious mutations? 1. They contribute to the genetic load. 2. The equilibrium frequency ( ) increases with higher mutation rate (µ). 3. The equilibrium frequency ( ) decreases when selection (s) and dominance (h) increase. 4 . Both 1 and 2 are true. 5. Both 1 and 3 are true. 6. Both 2 and 3 are true. 7. All, 1, 2, and 3 are true.

7. All, 1, 2, and 3 are true.

Is it possible to estimate q? 1. Yes, if there is no selection. 2. Yes, if there is no migration. 3. Yes, if the population size if very large. 4. If both 1 and 2 are true. 5. If both 2 and 3 are true. 6. If both 1 and 3 are true. 7. If all, 1, 2, and 3 are true. 8. No, sorry - not possible.

7. If all, 1, 2, and 3 are true.

The process of adaptive evolution is due to: 1. Variation in fitness 2. Selection 3. Fitness differences are heritable 4. Both 1 and 2 are true 5. Both 1 and 3 are true. 6 Both 2 and 3 are true. 7.All, 1, 2, and 3 are true

7.All, 1, 2, and 3 are true