Question 1

Cladograms (a type of phylogenetic tree)constructed from evidence from molecular systematics are based on similarities in

Accepted Answer

A)  morphology. 
B)  the pattern of embryological development. 
C)  biochemical pathways. 
D)  habitat and lifestyle choices. 
E)  mutations to homologous genes. 
A)  morphology. 
B)  the pattern of embryological development. 
C)  biochemical pathways. 
D)  habitat and lifestyle choices. 
E)  mutations to homologous genes. E

Question 2

A) that these organisms are phenotypically more similar to each other than to any others shown on the trees in Figure 26.2.

Accepted Answer

B)  that their morphological similarities are probably homoplasies. 
C)  that they had a common ancestor. 
D)  that all three of the responses are correct. 
E)  that two of the responses are correct.
Answer: C
-If cetaceans are determined to have diverged from the lineage leading to the artiodactyls before the divergence of lineages leading to the modern artiodactyls (including hippos), then the cetaceans can be considered
1)a sister order to the order Artiodactyla.
2)an ingroup of the order Artiodactyla.
3)the common ancestor of the order Artiodactyla. 
A)  1 only 
B)  3 only 
C)  1 and 2 
D)  1 and 3 
E)  2 and 3 
B)  that their morphological similarities are probably homoplasies. 
C)  that they had a common ancestor. 
D)  that all three of the responses are correct. 
E)  that two of the responses are correct.
Answer: C
-If cetaceans are determined to have diverged from the lineage leading to the artiodactyls before the divergence of lineages leading to the modern artiodactyls (including hippos), then the cetaceans can be considered
1)a sister order to the order Artiodactyla.
2)an ingroup of the order Artiodactyla.
3)the common ancestor of the order Artiodactyla. 
A)  1 only 
B)  3 only 
C)  1 and 2 
D)  1 and 3 
E)  2 and 3 A

Question 3

A) that these organisms are phenotypically more similar to each other than to any others shown on the trees in Figure 26.2.

Accepted Answer

B)  that their morphological similarities are probably homoplasies. 
C)  that they had a common ancestor. 
D)  that all three of the responses are correct. 
E)  that two of the responses are correct.
Answer: C
-If it turns out that the whale lineage diverged from the lineage leading to hippos after the divergence of the lineage leading to the pigs and other artiodactyls, and if the whales continue to be classified in the order Cetacea, then what becomes true of the taxon Cetartiodactyla? 
A)  It should be considered as one monophyletic order. 
B)  It should be considered a superorder that consists of two monophyletic orders. 
C)  It should be established as a paraphyletic order. 
D)  It should be thrown out or modified by taxonomists if classification is to reflect evolutionary history. 
B)  that their morphological similarities are probably homoplasies. 
C)  that they had a common ancestor. 
D)  that all three of the responses are correct. 
E)  that two of the responses are correct.
Answer: C
-If it turns out that the whale lineage diverged from the lineage leading to hippos after the divergence of the lineage leading to the pigs and other artiodactyls, and if the whales continue to be classified in the order Cetacea, then what becomes true of the taxon Cetartiodactyla? 
A)  It should be considered as one monophyletic order. 
B)  It should be considered a superorder that consists of two monophyletic orders. 
C)  It should be established as a paraphyletic order. 
D)  It should be thrown out or modified by taxonomists if classification is to reflect evolutionary history. A

Question 4

What can be properly inferred from Figure 26.2?

Accepted Answer

A)  In the "Without" tree, pigs are more distantly related to hippos than is depicted in the "Within" tree. 
B)  In the "Without" tree, pigs are more closely related to hippos than are whales. 
C)  In the "Within" tree, pigs are more closely related to whales than they are to hippos. 
D)  The "Without" tree is more consistent with molecular evidence than is the "Within" tree. 
E)  In the "Within" tree, all artiodactyls, including hippos, are more closely related to each other than any are to the whales. 
A)  In the "Without" tree, pigs are more distantly related to hippos than is depicted in the "Within" tree. 
B)  In the "Without" tree, pigs are more closely related to hippos than are whales. 
C)  In the "Within" tree, pigs are more closely related to whales than they are to hippos. 
D)  The "Without" tree is more consistent with molecular evidence than is the "Within" tree. 
E)  In the "Within" tree, all artiodactyls, including hippos, are more closely related to each other than any are to the whales.

Question 5

The legless condition that is observed in several groups of extant reptiles is the result of

Accepted Answer

A)  their common ancestor having been legless. 
B)  a shared adaptation to an arboreal (living in trees) lifestyle. 
C)  several instances of the legless condition arising independently of each other. 
D)  individual lizards adapting to a fossorial (living in burrows) lifestyle during their lifetimes. 
A)  their common ancestor having been legless. 
B)  a shared adaptation to an arboreal (living in trees) lifestyle. 
C)  several instances of the legless condition arising independently of each other. 
D)  individual lizards adapting to a fossorial (living in burrows) lifestyle during their lifetimes.

Question 6

Which of the following pairs are the best examples of homologous structures?

Accepted Answer

A)  bones in the bat wing and bones in the human forelimb 
B)  owl wing and hornet wing 
C)  bat wing and bird wing 
D)  eyelessness in the Australian mole and eyelessness in the North American mole 
A)  bones in the bat wing and bones in the human forelimb 
B)  owl wing and hornet wing 
C)  bat wing and bird wing 
D)  eyelessness in the Australian mole and eyelessness in the North American mole

Question 7

Paralogous genes that have lost the function of coding for any functional gene product are known as "pseudogenes." Which of these is a valid prediction regarding the fate of pseudogenes over evolutionary time?

Accepted Answer

A)  They will be preserved by natural selection. 
B)  They will be highly conserved. 
C)  They will ultimately regain their original function. 
D)  They will be transformed into orthologous genes. 
E)  They will have relatively high mutation rates. 
A)  They will be preserved by natural selection. 
B)  They will be highly conserved. 
C)  They will ultimately regain their original function. 
D)  They will be transformed into orthologous genes. 
E)  They will have relatively high mutation rates.

Question 8

From Figure 26.5, to which of the extant apes are orangutans most closely related?

Accepted Answer

A)  gibbons and siamangs 
B)  Dryopithecus and Ouranopithecus 
C)  gorillas 
D)  chimps 
E)  chimps, gorillas, and humans 
A)  gibbons and siamangs 
B)  Dryopithecus and Ouranopithecus 
C)  gorillas 
D)  chimps 
E)  chimps, gorillas, and humans

Question 9

Based on this tree, which statement is not correct?

Accepted Answer

A)  The salamander lineage is a basal taxon. 
B)  Salamanders are a sister group to the group containing lizards, goats, and humans. 
C)  Salamanders are as closely related to goats as to humans. 
D)  Lizards are more closely related to salamanders than to humans. 
A)  The salamander lineage is a basal taxon. 
B)  Salamanders are a sister group to the group containing lizards, goats, and humans. 
C)  Salamanders are as closely related to goats as to humans. 
D)  Lizards are more closely related to salamanders than to humans.

Question 10

The next questions refer to the following table, which compares the % sequence homology of four different parts (two introns and two exons) of a gene that is found in five different eukaryotic species. Each part is numbered to indicate its distance from the promoter (e.g., Intron I is the one closest to the promoter). The data reported for species A were obtained by comparing DNA from one member of species A to another member of species A.
% Sequence Homology
  
-Regarding these sequence homology data, the principle of maximum parsimony would be applicable in

Accepted Answer

A)  distinguishing introns from exons. 
B)  determining degree of sequence homology. 
C)  selecting appropriate genes for comparison among species. 
D)  inferring evolutionary relatedness from the number of sequence differences. 
A)  distinguishing introns from exons. 
B)  determining degree of sequence homology. 
C)  selecting appropriate genes for comparison among species. 
D)  inferring evolutionary relatedness from the number of sequence differences.

Question 11

A phylogenetic tree constructed using sequence differences in mitochondrial DNA would be most valid for discerning the evolutionary relatedness of

Accepted Answer

A)  archaeans and bacteria. 
B)  fungi and animals. 
C)  chimpanzees and humans. 
D)  sharks and dolphins. 
E)  mosses and ferns. 
A)  archaeans and bacteria. 
B)  fungi and animals. 
C)  chimpanzees and humans. 
D)  sharks and dolphins. 
E)  mosses and ferns.

Question 12

Which kingdom has been replaced with two domains?

Accepted Answer

A)  Plantae 
B)  Fungi 
C)  Animalia 
D)  Protista 
E)  Monera 
A)  Plantae 
B)  Fungi 
C)  Animalia 
D)  Protista 
E)  Monera

Question 13

The lakes of northern Minnesota are home to many similar species of damselflies of the genus Enallagma that have apparently undergone speciation from ancestral stock since the last glacial retreat about 10,000 years ago. Sequencing which of the following would probably be most useful in sorting out evolutionary relationships among these closely related species?

Accepted Answer

A)  nuclear DNA 
B)  mitochondrial DNA 
C)  small nuclear RNA 
D)  ribosomal RNA 
E)  amino acids in proteins 
A)  nuclear DNA 
B)  mitochondrial DNA 
C)  small nuclear RNA 
D)  ribosomal RNA 
E)  amino acids in proteins

Question 14

From Figure 26.5, what is true of Dryopithecus and Ouranopithecus?
1)They were great apes.
2)They shared a common ancestor more recently with the orangutans than with the other great apes.
3)They appear to be part of a polytomy.
4)Their closest common ancestor with all of the extant great apes is the one they share with the orangutans.
5)They were about as different from each other genetically as humans are different from chimps.

Accepted Answer

A)  1, 2, and 4 
B)  1, 3, and 4 
C)  2, 4, and 5 
D)  1, 2, 3, and 4 
E)  2, 3, 4, and 5 
A)  1, 2, and 4 
B)  1, 3, and 4 
C)  2, 4, and 5 
D)  1, 2, 3, and 4 
E)  2, 3, 4, and 5

Question 15

Concerning growth in genome size over evolutionary time, which of these is least associated with the others?

Accepted Answer

A)  orthologous genes 
B)  gene duplications 
C)  paralogous genes 
D)  gene families 
A)  orthologous genes 
B)  gene duplications 
C)  paralogous genes 
D)  gene families

Question 16

When using a cladistic approach to systematics, which of the following is considered most important for classification?

Accepted Answer

A)  shared primitive characters 
B)  analogous primitive characters 
C)  shared derived characters 
D)  the number of homoplasies 
E)  overall phenotypic similarity 
A)  shared primitive characters 
B)  analogous primitive characters 
C)  shared derived characters 
D)  the number of homoplasies 
E)  overall phenotypic similarity

Question 17

There is some evidence that reptiles called cynodonts may have had whisker-like hairs around their mouths. If true, then what can be properly said of hair?

Accepted Answer

A)  It is a shared derived character of mammals, even if cynodonts continue to be classified as reptiles. 
B)  It is a shared derived character of the amniote clade, and not of the mammal clade. 
C)  It is a shared ancestral character of the amniote clade, but only if cynodonts are reclassified as mammals. 
D)  It is a shared derived character of the mammals, but only if cynodonts are reclassified as mammals. 
A)  It is a shared derived character of mammals, even if cynodonts continue to be classified as reptiles. 
B)  It is a shared derived character of the amniote clade, and not of the mammal clade. 
C)  It is a shared ancestral character of the amniote clade, but only if cynodonts are reclassified as mammals. 
D)  It is a shared derived character of the mammals, but only if cynodonts are reclassified as mammals.

Question 18

Neutral theory proposes that

Accepted Answer

A)  molecular clocks are more reliable when the surrounding pH is close to 7.0. 
B)  most mutations of highly conserved DNA sequences should have no functional effect. 
C)  DNA is less susceptible to mutation when it codes for amino acid sequences whose side groups (or R groups) have a neutral pH. 
D)  DNA is less susceptible to mutation when it codes for amino acid sequences whose side groups (or R groups) have a neutral electrical charge. 
E)  a significant proportion of mutations are not acted upon by natural selection. 
A)  molecular clocks are more reliable when the surrounding pH is close to 7.0. 
B)  most mutations of highly conserved DNA sequences should have no functional effect. 
C)  DNA is less susceptible to mutation when it codes for amino acid sequences whose side groups (or R groups) have a neutral pH. 
D)  DNA is less susceptible to mutation when it codes for amino acid sequences whose side groups (or R groups) have a neutral electrical charge. 
E)  a significant proportion of mutations are not acted upon by natural selection.

Question 19

The next questions refer to the following table, which compares the % sequence homology of four different parts (two introns and two exons) of a gene that is found in five different eukaryotic species. Each part is numbered to indicate its distance from the promoter (e.g., Intron I is the one closest to the promoter). The data reported for species A were obtained by comparing DNA from one member of species A to another member of species A.
% Sequence Homology
  
-Which of these four gene parts should allow the construction of the most accurate phylogenetic tree, assuming that this is the only part of the gene that has acted as a reliable molecular clock?

Accepted Answer

A)  Intron I 
B)  Exon I 
C)  Intron VI 
D)  Exon V 
A)  Intron I 
B)  Exon I 
C)  Intron VI 
D)  Exon V

Question 20

The reason that paralogous genes can diverge from each other within the same gene pool, whereas orthologous genes diverge only after gene pools are isolated from each other, is that

Accepted Answer

A)  having multiple copies of genes is essential for the occurrence of sympatric speciation in the wild. 
B)  paralogous genes can occur only in diploid species; thus, they are absent from most prokaryotes. 
C)  polyploidy is a necessary precondition for the occurrence of sympatric speciation in the wild. 
D)  having an extra copy of a gene permits modifications to the copy without loss of the original gene product. 
A)  having multiple copies of genes is essential for the occurrence of sympatric speciation in the wild. 
B)  paralogous genes can occur only in diploid species; thus, they are absent from most prokaryotes. 
C)  polyploidy is a necessary precondition for the occurrence of sympatric speciation in the wild. 
D)  having an extra copy of a gene permits modifications to the copy without loss of the original gene product.

Exam 26: Phylogeny and the Tree of Life

Cladograms (a type of phylogenetic tree)constructed from evidence from molecular systematics are based on similarities in

What can be properly inferred from Figure 26.2?

The legless condition that is observed in several groups of extant reptiles is the result of

Which of the following pairs are the best examples of homologous structures?

Paralogous genes that have lost the function of coding for any functional gene product are known as "pseudogenes." Which of these is a valid prediction regarding the fate of pseudogenes over evolutionary time?

From Figure 26.5, to which of the extant apes are orangutans most closely related?

Based on this tree, which statement is not correct?

A phylogenetic tree constructed using sequence differences in mitochondrial DNA would be most valid for discerning the evolutionary relatedness of

Which kingdom has been replaced with two domains?

Concerning growth in genome size over evolutionary time, which of these is least associated with the others?

When using a cladistic approach to systematics, which of the following is considered most important for classification?

There is some evidence that reptiles called cynodonts may have had whisker-like hairs around their mouths. If true, then what can be properly said of hair?

Neutral theory proposes that

The reason that paralogous genes can diverge from each other within the same gene pool, whereas orthologous genes diverge only after gene pools are isolated from each other, is that

Introduction: Themes in the Study of Life

The Chemical Context of Life

Water and Life

Carbon and the Molecular Diversity of Life

The Structure and Function of Large Biological Molecules

A Tour of the Cell

Membrane Structure and Function

An Introduction to Metabolism

Cellular Respiration and Fermentation

Photosynthesis

Cell Communication

The Cell Cycle

Meiosis and Sexual Life Cycles

Mendel and the Gene Idea

The Chromosomal Basis of Inheritance

The Molecular Basis of Inheritance

From Gene to Protein

Regulation of Gene Expression

Viruses

Biotechnology

Genomes and Their Evolution

Descent with Modification: A Darwinian View of Life

The Evolution of Populations

The Origin of Species

The History of Life on Earth

Bacteria and Archaea

Protists

Plant Diversity I: How Plants Colonized Land

Plant Diversity II: The Evolution of Seed Plants

Fungi

An Overview of Animal Diversity

An Introduction to Invertebrates

The Origin and Evolution of Vertebrates

Plant Structure, Growth, and Development

Resource Acquisition and Transport in Vascular Plants

Soil and Plant Nutrition

Angiosperm Reproduction and Biotechnology

Plant Responses to Internal and External Signals

Basic Principles of Animal Form and Function

Animal Nutrition

Circulation and Gas Exchange

The Immune System

Osmoregulation and Excretion

Hormones and the Endocrine System

Animal Reproduction

Animal Development

Neurons, Synapses, and Signaling

Nervous Systems

Sensory and Motor Mechanisms

Animal Behavior

An Introduction to Ecology and the Biosphere

Population Ecology

Community Ecology

Ecosystems and Restoration Ecology

Conservation Biology and Global Change

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