Exam 10: Where Did We Come From? The Evidence for Evolution

Humans who have mutations in the presenilin genes are at a higher risk for developing early-onset Alzheimer's disease. The human presenilin proteins that are made from these genes are responsible for altering other proteins by cleaving (cutting)them at specific positions. Presenilin proteins that are highly similar to the human ones have been identified in C. elegans, a microscopic nematode worm. These nematodes do not get Alzheimer's disease, as they do not have a brain. What would you expect the function of nematode presenilins to be?

Darwin observed that tortoises of the nearby islands, although slightly different, belonged to the same species. How might he have known they were the same species?

How did the geologist Charles Lyell influence Darwin?

Of the four hypotheses that explain the origin of modern organisms, which is the one with the least scientific support?

Which of the following observations was most influential to Charles Darwin?

Almost as much evidence exists to support the hypothesis of transformation as the theory of common descent.

What is the role of fossils in supporting the theory of common descent?

-In the figure, the branching points of the tree represent

Which of the following groupings are in order from broadest to most narrow?

A fossil whose age is determined by radiometric dating would be considered very old if only the smallest amount of radioactivity remained.

Which of these species is most likely to share the greatest percentage of DNA with humans?

Which of the following lists events in the proper order to reflect how natural selection works in a population of lice that could originally be controlled by permethrin?

Which of the following is an example of a nonevolutionary change in a population?

What was the contribution of Wallace to the history of ideas about evolution?

Which statement best describes the now-discredited theories of Lamarck?

Which of the following is true about predictions made from the theory of common descent?

DNA evidence, fossil evidence, homology, and vestigial structures all provide evidence that humans and chimpanzees share a(n)________ (two words).

Which of the following observations of species distribution across Earth support the theory of common descent?

-You're examining fossils from a variety of hominin species. Which ones would you expect to show the greatest amount of radioactive material in relation to daughter products?

The hypothesis of one common ancestor for all life is best supported by the fact that