Question 1

Studies reconstructing the phylogenetic history of all living organisms rely on comparisons of nucleotide sequences in

Accepted Answer

A)  rapidly evolving sections of DNA. 
B)  highly conserved regions of DNA. 
C)  non-coding regions of DNA. 
D)  mitochondrial DNA. 
E)  All of the answers are correct. 
A)  rapidly evolving sections of DNA. 
B)  highly conserved regions of DNA. 
C)  non-coding regions of DNA. 
D)  mitochondrial DNA. 
E)  All of the answers are correct.

Question 2

An evolutionary scientist wants to investigate the phylogenetic comparison between two different species of plants. What approach should the scientist NOT use to do this?

Accepted Answer

A)  cpDNA 
B)  mtDNA 
C)  gDNA 
D)  rRNA 
E)  cDNA 
A)  cpDNA 
B)  mtDNA 
C)  gDNA 
D)  rRNA 
E)  cDNA

Question 3

A newly discovered species of mammal is found to have a unique jaw structure and teeth formation. These are examples of what type of characters?

Accepted Answer

A)  Synapomorphies 
B)  Homapomorphies 
C)  Plesiomorphies 
D)  Autapomorphies 
E)  Cladiomorphies 
A)  Synapomorphies 
B)  Homapomorphies 
C)  Plesiomorphies 
D)  Autapomorphies 
E)  Cladiomorphies

Question 4

A phylogenetic tree contains three different species. Species one is found to have many plesiomorphic characters, species two has many apomorphic characters and species thee has a combination of both. The order of these species on a cladogram from bottom to top would be

Accepted Answer

A)  one, three, two. 
B)  one, two, three. 
C)  three, one, two. 
D)  two, three, one. 
E)  three, two, one. 
A)  one, three, two. 
B)  one, two, three. 
C)  three, one, two. 
D)  two, three, one. 
E)  three, two, one.

Question 5

Different parts of organisms that have the same evolutionary origin are referred to as

Accepted Answer

A)  analagous. 
B)  paralagous. 
C)  orthologous. 
D)  homologous. 
E)  endologous. 
A)  analagous. 
B)  paralagous. 
C)  orthologous. 
D)  homologous. 
E)  endologous.

Question 6

The following is a list of Australian frog species.
Scientific name Common name Family
Heleioporus inornatus Brown Burrowing Frog Leptodactylidae
Litoria caerulea Green Tree Frog Hylidae
Cophixalus ornatus Ornate Forest Frog Microhylidae
Microhylidae Ornate Burrowing Frog Leptodactylidae
Litoria peronii Peron's Tree Frog Hylidae
Neobatrachus pictus Spotted Burrowing Frog Leptodactylidae
Limnodynastes peronii Striped Marsh Frog Leptodactylidae
Which of the following pairs of species is most closely related?

Accepted Answer

A)  The Ornate Burrowing Frog and the Spotted Burrowing Frog. 
B)  The Striped Marsh Frog and Peron's Tree Frog. 
C)  The Ornate Burrowing Frog and the Striped Marsh Frog. 
D)  Peron's Tree Frog and the Ornate Forest Frog. 
E)  The Ornate Burrow Frog and Peron's Tree Frog. 
A)  The Ornate Burrowing Frog and the Spotted Burrowing Frog. 
B)  The Striped Marsh Frog and Peron's Tree Frog. 
C)  The Ornate Burrowing Frog and the Striped Marsh Frog. 
D)  Peron's Tree Frog and the Ornate Forest Frog. 
E)  The Ornate Burrow Frog and Peron's Tree Frog.

Question 7

A paraphyletic taxon includes

Accepted Answer

A)  all of the descendants of a common ancestor. 
B)  organisms descended from several evolutionary lineages. 
C)  only some of the descendants of a common ancestor. 
D)  organisms that do not share a common ancestor. 
E)  species with similar morphology rather than a common ancestor. 
A)  all of the descendants of a common ancestor. 
B)  organisms descended from several evolutionary lineages. 
C)  only some of the descendants of a common ancestor. 
D)  organisms that do not share a common ancestor. 
E)  species with similar morphology rather than a common ancestor.

Question 8

Taxonomy refers to the

Accepted Answer

A)  study of related subgroups. 
B)  tracing of ancestral lineages. 
C)  construction of family trees. 
D)  the relatedness of organisms. 
E)  classification of organisms. 
A)  study of related subgroups. 
B)  tracing of ancestral lineages. 
C)  construction of family trees. 
D)  the relatedness of organisms. 
E)  classification of organisms.

Question 9

Early nucleotide sequencing analysis comparing humans with other organisms was done with mtDNA. The entire mtDNA genome of humans consists of how many genes?

Accepted Answer

A)  19,000 
B)  1,300 
C)  200 
D)  37 
E)  12 
A)  19,000 
B)  1,300 
C)  200 
D)  37 
E)  12

Question 10

In practice, the biological species concept cannot be used to reliably distinguish all species because

Accepted Answer

A)  some 'species' form fertile hybrids. 
B)  some 'species' do not reproduce sexually. 
C)  subgroups within a particular 'species' may interbreed with some, but not all, others. 
D)  All of these are correct. 
E)  None are correct as a species is well defined. 
A)  some 'species' form fertile hybrids. 
B)  some 'species' do not reproduce sexually. 
C)  subgroups within a particular 'species' may interbreed with some, but not all, others. 
D)  All of these are correct. 
E)  None are correct as a species is well defined.

Question 11

Synapomorphies are

Accepted Answer

A)  features of animals on a branch of a cladogram. 
B)  unique characteristics of an organism. 
C)  homologous genes of organisms on a branch of a phylogenetic tree. 
D)  shared advanced characteristics of organisms. 
E)  primitive characteristics which define a branch of a cladogram. 
A)  features of animals on a branch of a cladogram. 
B)  unique characteristics of an organism. 
C)  homologous genes of organisms on a branch of a phylogenetic tree. 
D)  shared advanced characteristics of organisms. 
E)  primitive characteristics which define a branch of a cladogram.

Question 12

According to the rules of scientific nomenclature, which of the following is the correctly written binomial for the surf barnacle?

Accepted Answer

A)  Catomerus Polymerus 
B)  catomerus Polymerus 
C)  catomerus polymerus 
D)  Catomerus polymerus 
E)  All of the answers are correct. 
A)  Catomerus Polymerus 
B)  catomerus Polymerus 
C)  catomerus polymerus 
D)  Catomerus polymerus 
E)  All of the answers are correct.

Question 13

Monophyletic taxa are groups of animals

Accepted Answer

A)  that arose from a common ancestor. 
B)  that arise from a common branch point on a phylogenetic tree. 
C)  with similar morphology. 
D)  which contain homologous genes. 
E)  that are in the same Family. 
A)  that arose from a common ancestor. 
B)  that arise from a common branch point on a phylogenetic tree. 
C)  with similar morphology. 
D)  which contain homologous genes. 
E)  that are in the same Family.

Question 14

Which of the following groups is the most abundant in the world?

Accepted Answer

A)  Vertebrates 
B)  Fungi 
C)  Protozoa 
D)  Insects 
E)  Plants 
A)  Vertebrates 
B)  Fungi 
C)  Protozoa 
D)  Insects 
E)  Plants

Question 15

A biological species

Accepted Answer

A)  consists of groups of interbreeding natural populations. 
B)  is reproductively isolated from other groups. 
C)  cannot form fertile hybrids. 
D)  undergo only sexual reproduction. 
E)  All of these are correct. 
A)  consists of groups of interbreeding natural populations. 
B)  is reproductively isolated from other groups. 
C)  cannot form fertile hybrids. 
D)  undergo only sexual reproduction. 
E)  All of these are correct.

Question 16

Cladistic analysis may involve the comparison of

Accepted Answer

A)  morphology. 
B)  DNA. 
C)  shared characteristics. 
D)  reproductive features. 
E)  None of the above is correct. 
A)  morphology. 
B)  DNA. 
C)  shared characteristics. 
D)  reproductive features. 
E)  None of the above is correct.

Question 17

Both cephalopod molluscs and vertebrates have remarkably similar eyes. This is an example of

Accepted Answer

A)  convergence. 
B)  divergence. 
C)  homology. 
D)  phylogeny. 
E)  heterology. 
A)  convergence. 
B)  divergence. 
C)  homology. 
D)  phylogeny. 
E)  heterology.

Question 18

A scientist is studying the relative age of divergence of two plants, using a gene encoding for an important sub-unit of photosystem II. He finds that the two plants have 20 nucleotide differences. He then comparatively studies the same gene from two more plants and finds they have only 2 nucleotide differences. The two earlier plants therefore have a common ancestor that is how many times older than the second two?

Accepted Answer

A)  Two times older 
B)  Five times older 
C)  Twenty times older 
D)  There is insufficient evidence to determine how much older the first pair of plants is 
E)  Ten times older 
A)  Two times older 
B)  Five times older 
C)  Twenty times older 
D)  There is insufficient evidence to determine how much older the first pair of plants is 
E)  Ten times older

Question 19

Which of the following rank orders of taxa is correct?

Accepted Answer

A)  Species, genus, order 
B)  Genus, family, order 
C)  Phylum, order, class 
D)  Family, class, order 
E)  Kingdom, family, phylum 
A)  Species, genus, order 
B)  Genus, family, order 
C)  Phylum, order, class 
D)  Family, class, order 
E)  Kingdom, family, phylum

Question 20

The most reliable information for constructing the phylogeny of a group of closely related species would come from sequencing

Accepted Answer

A)  rapidly evolving sections of DNA. 
B)  highly conserved regions of DNA. 
C)  non-coding regions of DNA. 
D)  mitochondrial DNA. 
E)  All of the answers are correct. 
A)  rapidly evolving sections of DNA. 
B)  highly conserved regions of DNA. 
C)  non-coding regions of DNA. 
D)  mitochondrial DNA. 
E)  All of the answers are correct.

Exam 32: Evolving Life

Studies reconstructing the phylogenetic history of all living organisms rely on comparisons of nucleotide sequences in

An evolutionary scientist wants to investigate the phylogenetic comparison between two different species of plants. What approach should the scientist NOT use to do this?

A newly discovered species of mammal is found to have a unique jaw structure and teeth formation. These are examples of what type of characters?

A phylogenetic tree contains three different species. Species one is found to have many plesiomorphic characters, species two has many apomorphic characters and species thee has a combination of both. The order of these species on a cladogram from bottom to top would be

Different parts of organisms that have the same evolutionary origin are referred to as

A paraphyletic taxon includes

Taxonomy refers to the

Early nucleotide sequencing analysis comparing humans with other organisms was done with mtDNA. The entire mtDNA genome of humans consists of how many genes?

In practice, the biological species concept cannot be used to reliably distinguish all species because

Synapomorphies are

According to the rules of scientific nomenclature, which of the following is the correctly written binomial for the surf barnacle?

Monophyletic taxa are groups of animals

Which of the following groups is the most abundant in the world?

A biological species

Cladistic analysis may involve the comparison of

Both cephalopod molluscs and vertebrates have remarkably similar eyes. This is an example of

Which of the following rank orders of taxa is correct?

The most reliable information for constructing the phylogeny of a group of closely related species would come from sequencing

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