Question 1

The most precise method of obtaining estimates of the absolute ages of geological deposits is

Accepted Answer

A) measure rates of sedimentary rock formation. 
B) measure the ratios of various radioactive isotopes in the deposits. 
C) apply the principle of superposition (younger deposits above older deposits). 
D) make salinity measurements in ocean sediment deposits. 
A) measure rates of sedimentary rock formation. 
B) measure the ratios of various radioactive isotopes in the deposits. 
C) apply the principle of superposition (younger deposits above older deposits). 
D) make salinity measurements in ocean sediment deposits. B

Question 2

Radioactive isotopes are used in dating materials from the distant past.Which of the following statements about radioactive dating techniques is true?

Accepted Answer

A) It gives the general ages of rock strata.($\pm$1 million years). 
B) It gives exact ages of rock strata.($\pm$ 1 year). 
C) It uses a technique in which the degree of radioactive decay is measured, the younger the rock the more radioactive decay. 
D) It uses a technique in which the degree of radioactive decay is measured, the older the rock the more radioactive decay. 
A) It gives the general ages of rock strata.($\pm$1 million years). 
B) It gives exact ages of rock strata.($\pm$ 1 year). 
C) It uses a technique in which the degree of radioactive decay is measured, the younger the rock the more radioactive decay. 
D) It uses a technique in which the degree of radioactive decay is measured, the older the rock the more radioactive decay. D

Question 3

Today, the fossil record

Accepted Answer

A) can be dated only with one layer in relation to older layers below and younger layers above, no actual dates can be estimated. 
B) can be dated reasonably well only with uranium-238. 
C) can be dated reasonably well using a variety of radioactive isotopes with known half-lives. 
D) can be dated precisely, to within a single year, using radioactive isotopes. 
A) can be dated only with one layer in relation to older layers below and younger layers above, no actual dates can be estimated. 
B) can be dated reasonably well only with uranium-238. 
C) can be dated reasonably well using a variety of radioactive isotopes with known half-lives. 
D) can be dated precisely, to within a single year, using radioactive isotopes. C

Question 4

The evidence for industrial melanism being caused by an increase in the dark allele was provided from field tests carried out by

Accepted Answer

A) Kettlewell. 
B) Lamarck. 
C) Darwin. 
D) Tutt. 
A) Kettlewell. 
B) Lamarck. 
C) Darwin. 
D) Tutt.

Question 5

In order for the scientists to artificially select Drosophila for their number of bristles,

Accepted Answer

A) they had to induce mutations into their populations of Drosophila. 
B) they had to study the population for millions of years. 
C) genetic variation had to be present in the population. 
D) dramatic mutations had to be produced by the selection. 
A) they had to induce mutations into their populations of Drosophila. 
B) they had to study the population for millions of years. 
C) genetic variation had to be present in the population. 
D) dramatic mutations had to be produced by the selection.

Question 6

The most likely explanation for why toothed whales have a blowhole is

Accepted Answer

A) they evolved from an animal with gills. 
B) they evolved from an animal with nostrils. 
C) blowholes are better for large animals. 
D) blowholes are better for breathing underwater than gills are. 
A) they evolved from an animal with gills. 
B) they evolved from an animal with nostrils. 
C) blowholes are better for large animals. 
D) blowholes are better for breathing underwater than gills are.

Question 7

In studying the medium ground finch on Daphne Major, the Grants noted that each generation of finches had beaks

Accepted Answer

A) best suited for their parents' environment. 
B) best suited for their current environment. 
C) smaller than those of the previous generation. 
D) larger than those of the previous generation. Each generation of finches inherited beak size from the previous (parental) generation; it was the parental generation on which selection had acted to produce the offspring generation's distribution of beak size. 
A) best suited for their parents' environment. 
B) best suited for their current environment. 
C) smaller than those of the previous generation. 
D) larger than those of the previous generation. Each generation of finches inherited beak size from the previous (parental) generation; it was the parental generation on which selection had acted to produce the offspring generation's distribution of beak size.

Question 8

The figure below shows the relationship between beak depth in the medium ground finch on Daphne Major and relative fitness.Assuming that beak depth is heritable, what do you predict about beak depth in the next generation?

Accepted Answer

A) Mean beak depth will decrease. 
B) Mean beak depth will increase. 
C) Mean beak depth will stay about the same. 
D) Mean beak depth in the next generation cannot be predicted using this data. 
A) Mean beak depth will decrease. 
B) Mean beak depth will increase. 
C) Mean beak depth will stay about the same. 
D) Mean beak depth in the next generation cannot be predicted using this data.

Question 9

The streamlined bodies seen in sharks, tuna, and dolphins best relate to

Accepted Answer

A) a recent shared common ancestor. 
B) dissimilar selection pressures. 
C) the physical properties of water. 
D) the need to escape fast-moving predators. 
A) a recent shared common ancestor. 
B) dissimilar selection pressures. 
C) the physical properties of water. 
D) the need to escape fast-moving predators.

Question 10

A scientist studying evolution of peppered moths (Biston betularia) in Michigan observed that the percentage of melanic moths increased by around 2% from 1960-1961.Has evolution occurred in this population?

Accepted Answer

A) No, because melanism wasn't adaptive at that time. 
B) No, because the frequency of the melanic moths did not change enough to be considered evolution. 
C) Yes, because the frequency of the melanic moths in the population changed over time. 
D) Yes, because the frequency of melanic moths decreased. 
A) No, because melanism wasn't adaptive at that time. 
B) No, because the frequency of the melanic moths did not change enough to be considered evolution. 
C) Yes, because the frequency of the melanic moths in the population changed over time. 
D) Yes, because the frequency of melanic moths decreased.

Question 11

During development in the mother's uterus, human embryos have pharyngeal pouches (sometimes called gill slits) that later develop into various glands.Fish also have pharyngeal pouches as embryos, but these develop into gills.The best explanation for why human and fish embryos develop pharyngeal pouches is

Accepted Answer

A) humans and fish share a common ancestor that had gills. 
B) human embryos need gill slits to breathe in the uterus. 
C) humans and fish both develop pharyngeal pouches by random chance. 
D) fish evolved from humans. Many developmental features reflect the common ancestry of vertebrates.Many vertebrate embryos are nearly indistinguishable in the early stages to all but developmental biologists; the different species begin to differentiate as development progresses. 
A) humans and fish share a common ancestor that had gills. 
B) human embryos need gill slits to breathe in the uterus. 
C) humans and fish both develop pharyngeal pouches by random chance. 
D) fish evolved from humans. Many developmental features reflect the common ancestry of vertebrates.Many vertebrate embryos are nearly indistinguishable in the early stages to all but developmental biologists; the different species begin to differentiate as development progresses.

Question 12

Evolution does not violate the second law of thermodynamics because

Accepted Answer

A) evolution is a random process; it does not require an input of energy. 
B) Earth is not a closed system; it constantly receives an input of energy from the sun. 
C) living organisms are not subject to the second law. 
D) the disorder generated by extinction balances the order created by evolution. 
A) evolution is a random process; it does not require an input of energy. 
B) Earth is not a closed system; it constantly receives an input of energy from the sun. 
C) living organisms are not subject to the second law. 
D) the disorder generated by extinction balances the order created by evolution.

Question 13

The marsupials in Australia closely resemble the placental animals of the rest of the world.This is an example of

Accepted Answer

A) the fossil record. 
B) homology. 
C) convergent evolution. 
D) biogeography. 
A) the fossil record. 
B) homology. 
C) convergent evolution. 
D) biogeography.

Question 14

The pair of traits that best illustrates convergent evolution is

Accepted Answer

A) an elephant's tusks and a beaver's teeth. 
B) a lizard's arm and a bird's wing. 
C) a dragonfly's wing and a butterfly's wing. 
D) a cartilage skeleton in a shark and a bone skeleton in a dolphin. 
A) an elephant's tusks and a beaver's teeth. 
B) a lizard's arm and a bird's wing. 
C) a dragonfly's wing and a butterfly's wing. 
D) a cartilage skeleton in a shark and a bone skeleton in a dolphin.

Question 15

The half-life of carbon-14 is 5,600 years.A fossil that has one-eighth the normal proportion of carbon-14 to carbon-12 is probably

Accepted Answer

A) 2,800 years old. 
B) 5,600 years old. 
C) 11,200 years old. 
D) 16,800 years old. 
A) 2,800 years old. 
B) 5,600 years old. 
C) 11,200 years old. 
D) 16,800 years old.

Question 16

Which statement best describes the correlation between beak depths of Geospiza fortis on the Galápagos island Daphne major and the dryness of the environment?

Accepted Answer

A) Birds with large beaks are favored during wet years. 
B) Birds with small beaks are favored in dry years. 
C) Birds with large beaks are favored during dry years. 
D) Birds with either size beak (large or small) are favored equally. 
A) Birds with large beaks are favored during wet years. 
B) Birds with small beaks are favored in dry years. 
C) Birds with large beaks are favored during dry years. 
D) Birds with either size beak (large or small) are favored equally.

Question 17

The evolution of similar forms in different lineages when exposed to the same selective pressures is

Accepted Answer

A) called divergence. 
B) called convergence. 
C) referred to as successive homologies. 
D) referred to as descent. 
A) called divergence. 
B) called convergence. 
C) referred to as successive homologies. 
D) referred to as descent.

Question 18

When you compare Australian marsupials to placental mammals today

Accepted Answer

A) the marsupials are all very primitive, having changed very little during the last 70 million years. 
B) the marsupials are very similar to placental mammals in the ways they have adapted to similar ecological niches. 
C) the marsupials have evolved much more rapidly than placental mammals and are more highly adapted. 
D) the marsupial fossils look remarkably similar to the placental mammals of today. 
A) the marsupials are all very primitive, having changed very little during the last 70 million years. 
B) the marsupials are very similar to placental mammals in the ways they have adapted to similar ecological niches. 
C) the marsupials have evolved much more rapidly than placental mammals and are more highly adapted. 
D) the marsupial fossils look remarkably similar to the placental mammals of today.

Question 19

Progressive changes in the fossil record are evidence for evolution because

Accepted Answer

A) they show descent with modification. 
B) they show inheritance of acquired characteristics. 
C) they show evolutionary change at the level of the individual. 
D) they show gaps in the fossil record. 
A) they show descent with modification. 
B) they show inheritance of acquired characteristics. 
C) they show evolutionary change at the level of the individual. 
D) they show gaps in the fossil record.

Question 20

Domestication of dogs has led to

Accepted Answer

A) a variety of homologous structures. 
B) a variety of phenotypes. 
C) a variety of mutations. 
D) a variety of reproductively isolated breeds. 
A) a variety of homologous structures. 
B) a variety of phenotypes. 
C) a variety of mutations. 
D) a variety of reproductively isolated breeds.

Exam 21: The Evidence for Evolution

The most precise method of obtaining estimates of the absolute ages of geological deposits is

Radioactive isotopes are used in dating materials from the distant past.Which of the following statements about radioactive dating techniques is true?

Today, the fossil record

The evidence for industrial melanism being caused by an increase in the dark allele was provided from field tests carried out by

In order for the scientists to artificially select Drosophila for their number of bristles,

The most likely explanation for why toothed whales have a blowhole is

In studying the medium ground finch on Daphne Major, the Grants noted that each generation of finches had beaks

The figure below shows the relationship between beak depth in the medium ground finch on Daphne Major and relative fitness.Assuming that beak depth is heritable, what do you predict about beak depth in the next generation?

The streamlined bodies seen in sharks, tuna, and dolphins best relate to

A scientist studying evolution of peppered moths (Biston betularia) in Michigan observed that the percentage of melanic moths increased by around 2% from 1960-1961.Has evolution occurred in this population?

Evolution does not violate the second law of thermodynamics because

The marsupials in Australia closely resemble the placental animals of the rest of the world.This is an example of

The pair of traits that best illustrates convergent evolution is

The half-life of carbon-14 is 5,600 years.A fossil that has one-eighth the normal proportion of carbon-14 to carbon-12 is probably

Which statement best describes the correlation between beak depths of Geospiza fortis on the Galápagos island Daphne major and the dryness of the environment?

The evolution of similar forms in different lineages when exposed to the same selective pressures is

When you compare Australian marsupials to placental mammals today

Progressive changes in the fossil record are evidence for evolution because

Domestication of dogs has led to

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The Chemical Building Blocks of Life

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