Question 1

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) ?

Accepted Answer

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 coastE) A) and D)
F) None of the above

Question 2

In a hypothetical environment, fish called pike-cichlids are visual predators of algae-eating fish (in other words, they locate their prey by sight) . If a population of algae-eaters experiences predation pressure from pike-cichlids, which of the following is least likely to be observed in the algae-eater population over the course of many generations?

Accepted Answer

A)  selection for drab colouration of the algae-eaters
B)  selection for nocturnal algae-eaters (active only at night) 
C)  selection for larger female algae-eaters, bearing broods composed of more, and larger, young
D)  selection for algae-eaters that become sexually mature at smaller overall body sizes
E)  selection for algae-eaters that are faster swimmersF) C) and E)
G) A) and E)

Question 3

Which of the following must exist in a population before natural selection can act upon that population?

Accepted Answer

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.F) A) and B)
G) B) and E)

Question 4

Currently, two extant elephant species (X and Y) are placed in the genus Loxodonta and a third species (Z) is placed in the genus Elephas. Assuming this classification reflects evolutionary relatedness, which of the following is the most accurate phylogenetic tree?

Accepted Answer

A)   
B)   
C)   
D)   
E)   F) B) and C)
G) A) and E)

Question 5

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.

Accepted Answer

A)  2 → 4 → 1 → 3
B)  4 → 2 → 1 → 3
C)  4 → 1 → 2 → 3
D)  4 → 2 → 3 → 1
E)  2 → 4 → 3 → 1F) B) and D)
G) A) and D)

Question 6

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?

Accepted Answer

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) B) and D)
F) B) and C)

Question 7

Natural selection is based on all of the following except

Accepted Answer

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.F) A) and B)
G) A) and C)

Question 8

The following questions refer to the figure below, which shows an outcrop of sedimentary rock whose strata are labelled A-D.
 
-If x indicates the location of fossils of two closely related species, then fossils of their most recent common ancestor are most likely to occur in which stratum?

Accepted Answer

A)  A
B)  B
C)  C
D)  DE) None of the above
F) All of the above

Question 9

The following questions refer to the evolutionary tree shown below.
The horizontal axis of the cladogram depicted below is a timeline that extends from? 100 000 years ago to the present; the vertical axis represents nothing in particular. The labelled branch points on the tree (V-Z)  represent various common ancestors. Let's say that only since? 50 000 years ago has there been enough variation between the lineages depicted here to separate them into distinct species, and only the tips of the lineages on this tree represent distinct species.
 
-Evolutionary trees such as this are properly understood by scientists to be

Accepted Answer

A)  theories.
B)  hypotheses.
C)  guesses.
D)  dogmas.
E)  facts.F) A) and D)
G) A) and C)

Question 10

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?

Accepted Answer

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.E) A) and C)
F) B) and C)

Question 11

Use the following information to answer the questions below.
About 13 different species of finches inhabit the Galápagos Islands today, all descendants of a common ancestor from the South American mainland that arrived a few million years ago. Genetically, there are four distinct lineages, but the 13 species are currently classified among three genera. The first lineage to diverge from the ancestral lineage was the warbler finch (genus Certhidea) . Next to diverge was the vegetarian finch (genus Camarhynchus) , followed by five tree finch species (also in genus Camarhynchus)  and six ground finch species (genus Geospiza) .
-A 14th species that descended from the original ancestral finch, the Cocos Island finch, is endemic to its namesake island, located 550 km off Costa Rica. The Cocos Island finch is genetically much more similar to the tree finches than is the vegetarian finch, yet it is classified in its own genus Pinarolaxias. Moreover, the Cocos Island finch and the vegetarian finch are the two finch species that are most genetically different from the ancestral Galápagos finch. Thus, if classification is to reflect evolutionary relationships, the vegetarian finch should

Accepted Answer

A)  remain in the genus Camarhynchus.
B)  be switched from Camarhynchus to Certhidea.
C)  be switched from Camarhynchus to Pinarolaxias.
D)  be switched from Camarhynchus to Geospiza.
E)  be placed in its own genus.F) A) and B)
G) A) and C)

Question 12

Use the following information to answer the questions below.
About 13 different species of finches inhabit the Galápagos Islands today, all descendants of a common ancestor from the South American mainland that arrived a few million years ago. Genetically, there are four distinct lineages, but the 13 species are currently classified among three genera. The first lineage to diverge from the ancestral lineage was the warbler finch (genus Certhidea) . Next to diverge was the vegetarian finch (genus Camarhynchus) , followed by five tree finch species (also in genus Camarhynchus)  and six ground finch species (genus Geospiza) .
-According to a 1999 study, the vegetarian finch is genetically no more similar to the tree finches than it is to the ground finches, despite the fact that it is placed in the same genus as the tree finches. Based on this finding, it is reasonable to conclude that the vegetarian finch

Accepted Answer

A)  is no more closely related to the tree finches than it is to the ground finches, despite its classification.
B)  should be re-classified as a warbler finch.
C)  is not truly a descendent of the original ancestral finch.
D)  is a hybrid species, resulting from a cross between a ground finch and a tree finch.E) A) and B)
F) A) and D)

Question 13

Which of the following statements about natural selection is a misconception?

Accepted Answer

A)  Natural selection involves differential reproductive success.
B)  Natural selection occurs when individuals evolve.
C)  In natural selection, traits that are favoured depend on current environmental conditions.
D)  Natural selection occurs as a result of competition among individuals in a population.
E)  Natural selection acts on heritable variations in a population.F) B) and D)
G) C) and D)

Question 14

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?

Accepted Answer

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.F) A) and C)
G) B) and D)

Question 15

What was the prevailing belief prior to the time of Lyell and Darwin?

Accepted Answer

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.F) A) and E)
G) A) and C)

Question 16

Which of the following is the most accurate summary of Cuvier's consideration of fossils found in the vicinity of Paris?

Accepted Answer

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 noE) A) and B)
F) None of the above

Question 17

The following questions refer to the evolutionary tree shown below.
The horizontal axis of the cladogram depicted below is a timeline that extends from? 100 000 years ago to the present; the vertical axis represents nothing in particular. The labelled branch points on the tree (V-Z)  represent various common ancestors. Let's say that only since? 50 000 years ago has there been enough variation between the lineages depicted here to separate them into distinct species, and only the tips of the lineages on this tree represent distinct species.
 
-Which of the five common ancestors, labelled V-Z, has been most successful in terms of the percentage of its derived species that are extant?

Accepted Answer

A)  V
B)  W
C)  X
D)  Y
E)  ZF) C) and D)
G) D) and E)

Question 18

Which of the following observations helped Darwin shape his concept of descent with modification?

Accepted Answer

A)  Species diversity declines farther from the equator.
B)  Fewer species live on islands than on the nearest continents.
C)  Birds can be found on islands located farther from the mainland than the birds' maximum nonstop flight distance.
D)  South American temperate plants are more similar to the tropical plants of South America than to the temperate plants of Europe.
E)  Earthquakes reshape life by causing mass extinctions.F) C) and E)
G) C) and D)

Question 19

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?

Accepted Answer

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.F) C) and E)
G) A) and E)

Question 20

A biologist studied a population of squirrels for 15 years. During that time, the population was never fewer than 30 squirrels and never more than 45. Her data showed that over half of the squirrels born did not survive to reproduce because of both competition for food and predation. In a single generation, 90% of the squirrels that were born lived to reproduce, and the population increased to 80. Which inference(s) about this population might be true?

Accepted Answer

A)  The amount of available food may have increased.
B)  The parental generation of squirrels developed better eyesight due to improved diet; the subsequent squirrel generation inherited better eyesight.
C)  The squirrels of subsequent generations should show greater levels of genetic variation than previous generations, because squirrels that would not have survived in the past will now survive.
D)  Three of the statements above are correct.
E)  Two of the statements above are correct.F) A) and C)
G) All of the above

Exam 22: Descent With Modification: a Darwinian View of Life

Currently, two extant elephant species (X and Y) are placed in the genus Loxodonta and a third species (Z) is placed in the genus Elephas. Assuming this classification reflects evolutionary relatedness, which of the following is the most accurate phylogenetic tree?

Correct Answer
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Correct Answer
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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?

Correct Answer
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Correct Answer
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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?

Correct Answer
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The following questions refer to the figure below, which shows an outcrop of sedimentary rock whose strata are labelled A-D. -If x indicates the location of fossils of two closely related species, then fossils of their most recent common ancestor are most likely to occur in which stratum?

Correct Answer
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Correct Answer
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Correct Answer
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Which of the following statements about natural selection is a misconception?

Correct Answer
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Correct Answer
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Which of the following is the most accurate summary of Cuvier's consideration of fossils found in the vicinity of Paris?

Correct Answer
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Correct Answer
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Correct Answer
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Which of the following must exist in a population before natural selection can act upon that population?

Correct Answer
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Correct Answer
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What was the prevailing belief prior to the time of Lyell and Darwin?

Correct Answer
verified

Natural selection is based on all of the following except

Correct Answer
verified

Which of the following observations helped Darwin shape his concept of descent with modification?

Correct Answer
verified

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) ?

Correct Answer
verified

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?

Correct Answer
verified

Exam 22: Descent With Modification: a Darwinian View of Life

Currently, two extant elephant species (X and Y) are placed in the genus Loxodonta and a third species (Z) is placed in the genus Elephas. Assuming this classification reflects evolutionary relatedness, which of the following is the most accurate phylogenetic tree?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The following questions refer to the figure below, which shows an outcrop of sedimentary rock whose strata are labelled A-D. -If x indicates the location of fossils of two closely related species, then fossils of their most recent common ancestor are most likely to occur in which stratum?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following statements about natural selection is a misconception?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following is the most accurate summary of Cuvier's consideration of fossils found in the vicinity of Paris?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following must exist in a population before natural selection can act upon that population?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What was the prevailing belief prior to the time of Lyell and Darwin?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Natural selection is based on all of the following except

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following observations helped Darwin shape his concept of descent with modification?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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) ?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Correct Answer
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Correct Answer
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