Question 1

Which of the following pieces of evidence most strongly supports the common origin of all life on Earth?

Accepted Answer

A) All organisms require energy. 
B) All organisms use essentially the same genetic code. 
C) All organisms reproduce. 
D) All organisms show heritable variation. 
A) All organisms require energy. 
B) All organisms use essentially the same genetic code. 
C) All organisms reproduce. 
D) All organisms show heritable variation. B

Question 2

An article in the New York Times noted that the human population has shown a significant increase in height.When the relationship of height to reproductive success in humans was examined across three decades (1935-1967),height had a positive correlation to the number of children born and the number of surviving children.These observations suggest that

Accepted Answer

A) individuals vary in heritable characteristics. 
B) humans produce more offspring than the environment can support. 
C) individuals who are taller are better suited to their environment. 
D) over time,favorable traits will accumulate in the population. 
A) individuals vary in heritable characteristics. 
B) humans produce more offspring than the environment can support. 
C) individuals who are taller are better suited to their environment. 
D) over time,favorable traits will accumulate in the population. D

Question 3

Both ancestral birds and ancestral mammals shared a common ancestor that was terrestrial.Today,penguins (which are birds)and seals (which are mammals)have forelimbs adapted for swimming.What term best describes the relationship of the bones in the forelimbs of penguins and seals,and what term best describes the flippers of penguins and seals?

Accepted Answer

A) homologous;homologous 
B) analogous;homologous 
C) homologous;analogous 
D) analogous;analogous 
A) homologous;homologous 
B) analogous;homologous 
C) homologous;analogous 
D) analogous;analogous C

Question 4

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 live 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. 
A) Species diversity declines farther from the equator. 
B) Fewer species live on islands than on the nearest continents. 
C) Birds live 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.

Question 5

Convergent evolution uses analogous features to describe

Accepted Answer

A) distantly related organisms that have structures for different functions. 
B) the independent evolution of similar features in different lineages. 
C) two mammals that have adapted to similar environments in a similar way. 
D) features that share common ancestry but not necessarily similar functions. 
A) distantly related organisms that have structures for different functions. 
B) the independent evolution of similar features in different lineages. 
C) two mammals that have adapted to similar environments in a similar way. 
D) features that share common ancestry but not necessarily similar functions.

Question 6

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) Forelimb evolution was adaptive in people and bats but not in whales. 
B) Natural selection in an aquatic environment resulted in significant changes to whale forelimb anatomy. 
C) Genes mutate faster in whales than in humans or bats. 
D) Whales are not properly classified as mammals. 
A) Forelimb evolution was adaptive in people and bats but not in whales. 
B) Natural selection in an aquatic environment resulted in significant changes to whale forelimb anatomy. 
C) Genes mutate faster in whales than in humans or bats. 
D) Whales are not properly classified as mammals.

Question 7

Fossils are found in

Accepted Answer

A) sedimentary rocks. 
B) igneous rocks. 
C) metamorphic rocks. 
D) glass. 
A) sedimentary rocks. 
B) igneous rocks. 
C) metamorphic rocks. 
D) glass.

Question 8

A food-engineering company is interested in producing a new species of strawberry that has fruit that weigh a half a kilogram each.Which of the following is most likely correct regarding how this could hypothetically be accomplished?

Accepted Answer

A) Adaptation of the plant to support the weight of the strawberries will have to occur over many generations for evolution of the new species to happen. 
B) Natural stressors from the environment will select for plants that can support the weight of larger strawberries in order to increase their survival. 
C) Only strawberry plants that can support the weight of larger strawberries will reproduce. 
D) Gene editing techniques could potentially modify those genes related to fruit size. 
A) Adaptation of the plant to support the weight of the strawberries will have to occur over many generations for evolution of the new species to happen. 
B) Natural stressors from the environment will select for plants that can support the weight of larger strawberries in order to increase their survival. 
C) Only strawberry plants that can support the weight of larger strawberries will reproduce. 
D) Gene editing techniques could potentially modify those genes related to fruit size.

Question 9

The rise of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)can be considered to be an example of artificial selection because

Accepted Answer

A) humans purposefully culture MRSA in large fermenters in an attempt to make the bacteria ever-more resistant. 
B) soil is cultivated with S.aureus to replenish the nutrients. 
C) humans synthesize methicillin and create environments in which bacteria frequently come into contact with methicillin. 
D) humans are becoming resistant to bacteria by taking methicillin. 
A) humans purposefully culture MRSA in large fermenters in an attempt to make the bacteria ever-more resistant. 
B) soil is cultivated with S.aureus to replenish the nutrients. 
C) humans synthesize methicillin and create environments in which bacteria frequently come into contact with methicillin. 
D) humans are becoming resistant to bacteria by taking methicillin.

Question 10

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 
A) 2 → 4 → 1 → 3 
B) 4 → 2 → 1 → 3 
C) 4 → 1 → 2 → 3 
D) 4 → 2 → 3 → 1

Question 11

What must be true of any organ that is described as vestigial?

Accepted Answer

A) It must be analogous to some feature in an ancestor. 
B) It must be homologous to some feature in an ancestor. 
C) It must be both homologous and analogous to some feature in an ancestor. 
D) It need be neither homologous nor analogous to some feature in an ancestor. 
A) It must be analogous to some feature in an ancestor. 
B) It must be homologous to some feature in an ancestor. 
C) It must be both homologous and analogous to some feature in an ancestor. 
D) It need be neither homologous nor analogous to some feature in an ancestor.

Question 12

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 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 number of predators that prey upon squirrels may have decreased. 
D) There may have been an increase in available food or a decrease in squirrel predation. 
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 number of predators that prey upon squirrels may have decreased. 
D) There may have been an increase in available food or a decrease in squirrel predation.

Question 13

DNA sequences in many human genes are very similar to the sequences of corresponding genes in chimpanzees.The most likely explanation for this result is that

Accepted Answer

A) humans and chimpanzees share a relatively recent common ancestor. 
B) humans evolved from chimpanzees. 
C) chimpanzees evolved from humans. 
D) convergent evolution led to the DNA similarities. 
A) humans and chimpanzees share a relatively recent common ancestor. 
B) humans evolved from chimpanzees. 
C) chimpanzees evolved from humans. 
D) convergent evolution led to the DNA similarities.

Question 14

Lamarck's contribution to evolutionary theory was the

Accepted Answer

A) use and disuse principle. 
B) idea of the inheritance of acquired characteristics. 
C) idea that evolutionary change explains patterns in fossils. 
D) idea that Earth's features could be explained by gradual mechanisms. 
A) use and disuse principle. 
B) idea of the inheritance of acquired characteristics. 
C) idea that evolutionary change explains patterns in fossils. 
D) idea that Earth's features could be explained by gradual mechanisms.

Question 15

Which of the five common ancestors,labeled V-Z,has been most successful in terms of the percent of its derived species that are extant?

Accepted Answer

A) V 
B) W 
C) X 
D) Z 
A) V 
B) W 
C) X 
D) Z

Question 16

Evolution is best defined as which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A) a change in living conditions for an organism 
B) a change in genetic composition of a population from one day to the next day 
C) a change in genetic composition of a population from generation to generation 
A) a change in living conditions for an organism 
B) a change in genetic composition of a population from one day to the next day 
C) a change in genetic composition of a population from generation to generation

Question 17

What are adaptations?

Accepted Answer

A) inherited characteristics of organisms that enhance their survival and reproduction in specific environments 
B) acquired characteristics of organisms that enhance their survival and reproduction in specific environments 
C) processes that allow individuals with certain inherited traits to survive and reproduce 
D) patterns seen in fossils documenting the origins of other new groups of organisms 
A) inherited characteristics of organisms that enhance their survival and reproduction in specific environments 
B) acquired characteristics of organisms that enhance their survival and reproduction in specific environments 
C) processes that allow individuals with certain inherited traits to survive and reproduce 
D) patterns seen in fossils documenting the origins of other new groups of organisms

Question 18

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) individuals adapt to their environments and thereby evolve. 
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) individuals adapt to their environments and thereby evolve.

Question 19

Please 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).
-If the six ground finch species have evolved most recently,then which of these is the most logical prediction?

Accepted Answer

A) They should be limited to the six islands that most recently emerged from the sea. 
B) Their genomes should be more similar to each other than are the genomes of the five tree finch species. 
C) They should share fewer anatomical homologies with each other than they share with the tree finches. 
D) The chances of hybridization between two ground finch species should be less than the chances of hybridization between two tree finch species. 
A) They should be limited to the six islands that most recently emerged from the sea. 
B) Their genomes should be more similar to each other than are the genomes of the five tree finch species. 
C) They should share fewer anatomical homologies with each other than they share with the tree finches. 
D) The chances of hybridization between two ground finch species should be less than the chances of hybridization between two tree finch species.

Question 20

If you wanted to find the largest number of endemic species,you 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 coast 
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 coast

Exam 19: Descent With Modification

Which of the following pieces of evidence most strongly supports the common origin of all life on Earth?

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

Convergent evolution uses analogous features to describe

Fossils are found in

A food-engineering company is interested in producing a new species of strawberry that has fruit that weigh a half a kilogram each.Which of the following is most likely correct regarding how this could hypothetically be accomplished?

The rise of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)can be considered to be an example of artificial selection because

What must be true of any organ that is described as vestigial?

DNA sequences in many human genes are very similar to the sequences of corresponding genes in chimpanzees.The most likely explanation for this result is that

Lamarck's contribution to evolutionary theory was the

Which of the five common ancestors,labeled V-Z,has been most successful in terms of the percent of its derived species that are extant?

Evolution is best defined as which of the following?

What are adaptations?

Natural selection is based on all of the following except

If you wanted to find the largest number of endemic species,you should visit which of the following geological features (assuming each has existed for several millions of years)?

Introduction: Evolution and the Foundations of Biology

The Chemical Context of Life

Carbon and the Molecular Diversity of Life

A Tour of the Cell

Membrane Transport and Cell Signaling

An Introduction to Metabolism

Cellular Respiration and Fermentation

Photosynthesis

The Cell Cycle

Meiosis and Sexual Life Cycles

Mendel and the Gene Idea

The Chromosomal Basis of Inheritance

The Molecular Basis of Inheritance

Gene Expression: From Gene to Protein

Regulation of Gene Expression

Development,stem Cells,and Cancer

Viruses

Genomes and Their Evolution

Phylogeny

The Evolution of Populations

The Origin of Species

Broad Patterns of Evolution

Early Life and the Diversification of Prokaryotes

The Origin and Diversification of Eukaryotes

The Colonization of Land by Plants and Fungi

The Rise of Animal Diversity

Plant Structure and Growth

Resource Acquisition,nutrition,and Transport in Vascular Plants

Reproduction and Domestication of Flowering Plants

Plant Responses to Internal and External Signals

Homeostasis and Endocrine Signaling

Animal Nutrition

Circulation and Gas Exchange

The Immune System

Reproduction and Development

Neurons,synapses,and Signaling

Nervous and Sensory Systems

Motor Mechanisms and Behavior

Population Ecology and the Distribution of Organisms

Ecological Communities

Ecosystems and Energy

Conservation Biology and Global Change

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