Question 1

When did life first appear on the planet?

Accepted Answer

A) 3.5 billion years ago 
B) 2.1 billion years ago 
C) 3.5 million years ago 
D) 2.1 million years ago 
A) 3.5 billion years ago 
B) 2.1 billion years ago 
C) 3.5 million years ago 
D) 2.1 million years ago A

Question 2

All prokaryotes are in the domain ________.

Accepted Answer

A) Bacteria 
B) Prokarya 
C) Archaea 
D) Prokaryotes are in different domains. 
A) Bacteria 
B) Prokarya 
C) Archaea 
D) Prokaryotes are in different domains. D

Question 3

Human embryos have a developmental stage during which they have a tail and pharyngeal pouches (those pouches develop into gills in fish).How can we explain these characteristics of human embryos?

Accepted Answer

A) Human embryos need a tail and gills to breathe during development in the placenta. 
B) Human embryos spend time in the water where tails and gills are useful. 
C) Human embryos share a common ancestor who had gills. 
D) Both A and B are correct. 
A) Human embryos need a tail and gills to breathe during development in the placenta. 
B) Human embryos spend time in the water where tails and gills are useful. 
C) Human embryos share a common ancestor who had gills. 
D) Both A and B are correct. C

Question 4

What does fitness mean when speaking in terms of evolution?

Accepted Answer

A) Level of overall health of the individual 
B) How many offspring an individual produces 
C) Physical strength of a given individual in a population 
D) The size and diversity of the gene pool 
A) Level of overall health of the individual 
B) How many offspring an individual produces 
C) Physical strength of a given individual in a population 
D) The size and diversity of the gene pool

Question 5

If a changing environment increases rates of evolution, why do we see an increase in extinction rates following rapid global catastrophes?

Accepted Answer

Either the change is too swift

Question 6

Which two observations led Darwin to conclude that there is competition for survival?

Accepted Answer

A) Overproduction of organisms and limited food resources 
B) Fossils and mutations 
C) Gene and allele differences in organisms 
D) Natural selection and descent with modification 
A) Overproduction of organisms and limited food resources 
B) Fossils and mutations 
C) Gene and allele differences in organisms 
D) Natural selection and descent with modification

Question 7

Certain traits will have been lost from the gene pool forever.This loss of diversity in a reduced population is called ________.

Accepted Answer

A) gene flow 
B) genetic drift 
C) bottleneck effect 
D) founder effect 
A) gene flow 
B) genetic drift 
C) bottleneck effect 
D) founder effect

Question 8

If two organisms of different species share more similar DNA sequences with each other than with other species, we can conclude that ________.

Accepted Answer

A) these two species are not closely related 
B) these two species are very closely related 
C) these two species happen to share similar DNA by chance 
D) there is no relationship between similar DNA and how closely related organisms are 
A) these two species are not closely related 
B) these two species are very closely related 
C) these two species happen to share similar DNA by chance 
D) there is no relationship between similar DNA and how closely related organisms are

Question 9

Individuals with variations that make them best suited to their environment are, on average, more likely to ________.

Accepted Answer

A) evolve 
B) change over time 
C) survive and reproduce 
D) become larger 
A) evolve 
B) change over time 
C) survive and reproduce 
D) become larger

Question 10

Which of the following are lines of evidence that support the theory of evolution by natural selection?

Accepted Answer

A) The study of the geographic distribution of species on Earth 
B) The comparison of DNA sequences in different organisms 
C) The comparison of body structures in modern organisms 
D) All of the above are lines of evidence that support the theory of evolution 
A) The study of the geographic distribution of species on Earth 
B) The comparison of DNA sequences in different organisms 
C) The comparison of body structures in modern organisms 
D) All of the above are lines of evidence that support the theory of evolution

Question 11

What is an exception to the standard biological species concept used to define a species?

Accepted Answer

A) Species that coevolved cannot be distinguished using this concept. 
B) Natural interbreeding populations cannot be distinguished using this concept. 
C) Asexual species cannot be distinguished using this concept. 
D) Species that do not resemble one another cannot be distinguished using this concept. 
A) Species that coevolved cannot be distinguished using this concept. 
B) Natural interbreeding populations cannot be distinguished using this concept. 
C) Asexual species cannot be distinguished using this concept. 
D) Species that do not resemble one another cannot be distinguished using this concept.

Question 12

A requirement of cladistics is that a grouping must include ________.

Accepted Answer

A) species that can interbreed 
B) only living species 
C) species with shared traits 
D) a common ancestor and all its descendants 
A) species that can interbreed 
B) only living species 
C) species with shared traits 
D) a common ancestor and all its descendants

Question 13

Which of the following most often leads to allopatric speciation?

Accepted Answer

A) Habitat isolation 
B) Behavioral isolation 
C) Gametic incompatibility 
D) Mating time differences 
A) Habitat isolation 
B) Behavioral isolation 
C) Gametic incompatibility 
D) Mating time differences

Question 14

Before the publication of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species, what was the prevailing public consensus regarding species evolution?

Accepted Answer

A) That species were permanent and unchanging 
B) That species evolved through physical changes that led to success 
C) That species evolved by means of natural selection 
D) That species were modified over time but did not change into new species 
A) That species were permanent and unchanging 
B) That species evolved through physical changes that led to success 
C) That species evolved by means of natural selection 
D) That species were modified over time but did not change into new species

Question 15

The approach that consists in comparing DNA sequences to find evidence of a shared evolutionary history is called ________.

Accepted Answer

A) genomics 
B) proteomics 
C) comparative anatomy 
D) bioinformatics 
A) genomics 
B) proteomics 
C) comparative anatomy 
D) bioinformatics

Question 16

Which of the following was a scientist around the time of Charles Darwin?

Accepted Answer

A) Lamark was a French naturalist that first explored the idea of evolution. 
B) Lyell was a geologist that was examining the age of Earth. 
C) Wallace was an evolutionary biologist developing hypotheses about evolution. 
D) All of the above were scientists around the time of Charles Darwin. 
A) Lamark was a French naturalist that first explored the idea of evolution. 
B) Lyell was a geologist that was examining the age of Earth. 
C) Wallace was an evolutionary biologist developing hypotheses about evolution. 
D) All of the above were scientists around the time of Charles Darwin.

Question 17

The rapid diversification of species seen in the fossil record followed by long periods of stasis is part of the ________ model of evolution.

Accepted Answer

A) punctuated equilibrium 
B) symmetric 
C) spatial 
D) graduated 
A) punctuated equilibrium 
B) symmetric 
C) spatial 
D) graduated

Question 18

Which classification grouping includes the greatest number of species?

Accepted Answer

A) Domain 
B) Order 
C) Phylum 
D) Kingdom 
A) Domain 
B) Order 
C) Phylum 
D) Kingdom

Question 19

What is the fundamental difference between the processes of microevolution and macroevolution?

Accepted Answer

They are fundamentally identical process

Question 20

Use the phylogenetic tree below to answer the following question(s).  
-According to this phylogenetic tree, which bear is most closely related to the American black bear?

Accepted Answer

A) The sun bear 
B) The Asiatic black bear 
C) The polar bear 
D) The brown bear 
A) The sun bear 
B) The Asiatic black bear 
C) The polar bear 
D) The brown bear

When did life first appear on the planet?

All prokaryotes are in the domain ________.

Human embryos have a developmental stage during which they have a tail and pharyngeal pouches (those pouches develop into gills in fish).How can we explain these characteristics of human embryos?

What does fitness mean when speaking in terms of evolution?

If a changing environment increases rates of evolution, why do we see an increase in extinction rates following rapid global catastrophes?

Which two observations led Darwin to conclude that there is competition for survival?

Certain traits will have been lost from the gene pool forever.This loss of diversity in a reduced population is called ________.

If two organisms of different species share more similar DNA sequences with each other than with other species, we can conclude that ________.

Individuals with variations that make them best suited to their environment are, on average, more likely to ________.

Which of the following are lines of evidence that support the theory of evolution by natural selection?

What is an exception to the standard biological species concept used to define a species?

A requirement of cladistics is that a grouping must include ________.

Which of the following most often leads to allopatric speciation?

Before the publication of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species, what was the prevailing public consensus regarding species evolution?

The approach that consists in comparing DNA sequences to find evidence of a shared evolutionary history is called ________.

Which of the following was a scientist around the time of Charles Darwin?

The rapid diversification of species seen in the fossil record followed by long periods of stasis is part of the ________ model of evolution.

Which classification grouping includes the greatest number of species?

What is the fundamental difference between the processes of microevolution and macroevolution?

Use the phylogenetic tree below to answer the following question(s). -According to this phylogenetic tree, which bear is most closely related to the American black bear?

An Introduction to the Science of Life

The Chemistry of Life

The Cell: The Fundamental Unit of Life

Energy and Life

Chromosomes and Inheritance

DNA: The Molecule of Life

Biodiversity 1: Microscopic Organisms

Biodiversity 2: Fungi and Plants

Biodiversity 3: Animals

Human Body Systems

Ecology

Biology The Core: Appendix

Filters

Exam 7: Darwinian Evolution

When did life first appear on the planet?

All prokaryotes are in the domain ________.

Human embryos have a developmental stage during which they have a tail and pharyngeal pouches (those pouches develop into gills in fish).How can we explain these characteristics of human embryos?

What does fitness mean when speaking in terms of evolution?

If a changing environment increases rates of evolution, why do we see an increase in extinction rates following rapid global catastrophes?

Which two observations led Darwin to conclude that there is competition for survival?

Certain traits will have been lost from the gene pool forever.This loss of diversity in a reduced population is called ________.

If two organisms of different species share more similar DNA sequences with each other than with other species, we can conclude that ________.

Individuals with variations that make them best suited to their environment are, on average, more likely to ________.

Which of the following are lines of evidence that support the theory of evolution by natural selection?

What is an exception to the standard biological species concept used to define a species?

A requirement of cladistics is that a grouping must include ________.

Which of the following most often leads to allopatric speciation?

Before the publication of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species, what was the prevailing public consensus regarding species evolution?

The approach that consists in comparing DNA sequences to find evidence of a shared evolutionary history is called ________.

Which of the following was a scientist around the time of Charles Darwin?

The rapid diversification of species seen in the fossil record followed by long periods of stasis is part of the ________ model of evolution.

Which classification grouping includes the greatest number of species?

What is the fundamental difference between the processes of microevolution and macroevolution?

Use the phylogenetic tree below to answer the following question(s). -According to this phylogenetic tree, which bear is most closely related to the American black bear?

An Introduction to the Science of Life

The Chemistry of Life

The Cell: The Fundamental Unit of Life

Energy and Life

Chromosomes and Inheritance

DNA: The Molecule of Life

Biodiversity 1: Microscopic Organisms

Biodiversity 2: Fungi and Plants

Biodiversity 3: Animals

Human Body Systems

Ecology

Biology The Core: Appendix

Filters