Question 1

The term "homoplasy" is most applicable to which of these features?

Accepted Answer

A) the legless condition found in various types of extant lizards 
B) the 5-digit condition of human hands and bat wings 
C) the beta-hemoglobin genes of mice and of humans 
D) the fur that covers Australian moles and North American moles 
E) the basic skeletal features of dog forelimbs and cat forelimbs 
A) the legless condition found in various types of extant lizards 
B) the 5-digit condition of human hands and bat wings 
C) the beta-hemoglobin genes of mice and of humans 
D) the fur that covers Australian moles and North American moles 
E) the basic skeletal features of dog forelimbs and cat forelimbs

Question 2

The following questions refer to the information below.
A researcher compared the nucleotide sequences of a homologous gene from five different species of mammals with the homologous human gene. The sequence homology between each species' version of the gene and the human gene is presented as a percentage of similarity.
 $$\begin{array} { l c } 
\text { Species } & \text { Percentage } \
\hline \text { Chimpanzee } & 99.7 \
\text { Orangutan } & 98.6 \
\text { Baboon } & 97.2 \
\text { Rhesus Monkey } & 96.9 \
\text { Rabbit } & 93.7
\end{array}$$

-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) Hawaiian silverswords. 
D) sharks and dolphins 
E) mosses and ferns. 
A) archaeans and bacteria. 
B) fungi and animals. 
C) Hawaiian silverswords. 
D) sharks and dolphins 
E) mosses and ferns.

Question 3

Three living species X, Y, and Z share a common ancestor T, as do extinct species U and V. A grouping that includes species T, X, Y, and Z makes up

Accepted Answer

A) a valid taxon. 
B) a monophyletic clade. 
C) an ingroup, with species U as the outgroup. 
D) a paraphyletic grouping. 
E) a polyphyletic grouping. 
A) a valid taxon. 
B) a monophyletic clade. 
C) an ingroup, with species U as the outgroup. 
D) a paraphyletic grouping. 
E) a polyphyletic grouping.

Question 4

Which of these would, if it had acted upon a gene, prevent this gene from acting as a reliable molecular clock?

Accepted Answer

A) neutral mutations 
B) genetic drift 
C) mutations within introns 
D) natural selection 
E) most substitution mutations involving an exonic codon's 3rd position 
A) neutral mutations 
B) genetic drift 
C) mutations within introns 
D) natural selection 
E) most substitution mutations involving an exonic codon's 3rd position

Question 5

The following questions refer to this phylogenetic tree, depicting the origins of life and of the three domains. Horizontal lines indicate instances of gene or genome transfer.
  
-Which portion of this tree may ultimately be better depicted as a "ring"?

Accepted Answer

A) the bacterial lineage 
B) the archaean lineage 
C) the eukaryotic lineage 
D) the weblike part near the base of the tree 
E) the part corresponding to the first living cell on Earth 
A) the bacterial lineage 
B) the archaean lineage 
C) the eukaryotic lineage 
D) the weblike part near the base of the tree 
E) the part corresponding to the first living cell on Earth

Question 6

The following questions refer to the information below.
A researcher compared the nucleotide sequences of a homologous gene from five different species of mammals with the homologous human gene. The sequence homology between each species' version of the gene and the human gene is presented as a percentage of similarity.
 $$\begin{array} { l c } 
\text { Species } & \text { Percentage } \
\hline \text { Chimpanzee } & 99.7 \
\text { Orangutan } & 98.6 \
\text { Baboon } & 97.2 \
\text { Rhesus Monkey } & 96.9 \
\text { Rabbit } & 93.7
\end{array}$$

-Which statement represents the best explanation for the observation that the nuclear DNA of wolves and domestic dogs has a very high degree of homology?

Accepted Answer

A) Dogs and wolves have very similar morphologies. 
B) Dogs and wolves belong to the same order. 
C) Dogs and wolves are both members of the order Carnivora. 
D) Dogs and wolves shared a common ancestor very recently. 
E) Convergent evolution has occurred. 
A) Dogs and wolves have very similar morphologies. 
B) Dogs and wolves belong to the same order. 
C) Dogs and wolves are both members of the order Carnivora. 
D) Dogs and wolves shared a common ancestor very recently. 
E) Convergent evolution has occurred.

Question 7

Use Figure 26.1 to answer the following questions.
   
Figure 26.1
-If this evolutionary tree is an accurate depiction of relatedness, then which of the following should be correct?
1) The entire tree is based on maximum parsimony.
2) If all species depicted here make up a taxon, this taxon is monophyletic.
3) The last common ancestor of species B and C occurred more recently than the last common ancestor of species D and E.
4) Species A is the direct ancestor of both species B and species C.
5) The species present at position 3 is ancestral to C, D, and E.

Accepted Answer

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

Question 8

Dozens of potato varieties exist, differing from each other in potato-tuber size, skin color, flesh color, and shape. One might construct a classification of potatoes based on these morphological traits. Which of these criticisms of such a classification scheme is most likely to come from an adherent of the phylocode method of classification?

Accepted Answer

A) Flesh color, rather than skin color, is a valid trait to use for classification because it is less susceptible to change with the age of the tuber. 
B) Flower color is a better classification criterion, because below-ground tubers can be influenced by minerals in the soil as much as by their genes. 
C) A more useful classification would codify potatoes based on the texture and flavor of their flesh, because this is what humans are concerned with. 
D) The most accurate phylogenetic code is that of Linnaeus. Classify potatoes based on Linnaean principles; not according to their color. 
E) The only biologically valid classification of potato varieties is one that accurately reflects their genetic and evolutionary relatedness. 
A) Flesh color, rather than skin color, is a valid trait to use for classification because it is less susceptible to change with the age of the tuber. 
B) Flower color is a better classification criterion, because below-ground tubers can be influenced by minerals in the soil as much as by their genes. 
C) A more useful classification would codify potatoes based on the texture and flavor of their flesh, because this is what humans are concerned with. 
D) The most accurate phylogenetic code is that of Linnaeus. Classify potatoes based on Linnaean principles; not according to their color. 
E) The only biologically valid classification of potato varieties is one that accurately reflects their genetic and evolutionary relatedness.

Question 9

The following questions refer to the information below.
A researcher compared the nucleotide sequences of a homologous gene from five different species of mammals with the homologous human gene. The sequence homology between each species' version of the gene and the human gene is presented as a percentage of similarity.
 $$\begin{array} { l c } 
\text { Species } & \text { Percentage } \
\hline \text { Chimpanzee } & 99.7 \
\text { Orangutan } & 98.6 \
\text { Baboon } & 97.2 \
\text { Rhesus Monkey } & 96.9 \
\text { Rabbit } & 93.7
\end{array}$$

-A researcher wants to determine the genetic relatedness of several breeds of dog (Canis familiaris). The researcher should compare homologous sequences of __________ that are known to be __________.

Accepted Answer

A) carbohydrates; poorly conserved 
B) fatty acids; highly conserved 
C) lipids; poorly conserved 
D) proteins or nucleic acids; poorly conserved 
E) amino acids; highly conserved 
A) carbohydrates; poorly conserved 
B) fatty acids; highly conserved 
C) lipids; poorly conserved 
D) proteins or nucleic acids; poorly conserved 
E) amino acids; highly conserved

Question 10

Paralogous genes that have lost the function of coding for a 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 11

In angiosperm plants, flower morphology can be very intricate. If a tree, such as a New Mexico locust, has flowers that share many morphological intricacies with flowers of the sweet pea vine, then the most likely explanation for these floral similarities is the same general explanation for the similarities between the

Accepted Answer

A) dorsal fins of sharks and of dolphins. 
B) reduced eyes of Australian moles and North American moles. 
C) scales on moth wings and the scales of fish skin. 
D) cranial bones of humans and those of chimpanzees. 
E) adaptations for flight in birds and adaptations for flight in bats. 
A) dorsal fins of sharks and of dolphins. 
B) reduced eyes of Australian moles and North American moles. 
C) scales on moth wings and the scales of fish skin. 
D) cranial bones of humans and those of chimpanzees. 
E) adaptations for flight in birds and adaptations for flight in bats.

Question 12

The following questions refer to the hypothetical patterns of taxonomic hierarchy shown in Figure 26.2.

-Which of the following numbers represents a polyphyletic taxon?

Accepted Answer

A) 2 
B) 3 
C) 4 
D) 5 
E) more than one of these 
A) 2 
B) 3 
C) 4 
D) 5 
E) more than one of these

Question 13

Generally, within a lineage, the largest number of shared derived characters should be found among two organisms that are members of the same

Accepted Answer

A) kingdom. 
B) class. 
C) domain. 
D) family. 
E) order. 
A) kingdom. 
B) class. 
C) domain. 
D) family. 
E) order.

Question 14

The following questions refer to the hypothetical patterns of taxonomic hierarchy shown in Figure 26.2.

-Which of the following is not True of all horizontally oriented phylogenetic trees, where time advances to the right?

Accepted Answer

A) Each branch point represents a point in absolute time. 
B) Organisms represented at the base of such trees are ancestral to those represented at higher levels. 
C) The more branch points that occur between two taxa, the more divergent their DNA sequences should be. 
D) The common ancestor represented by the rightmost branch point existed more recently in time than the common ancestors represented at branch points located to the left. 
E) The more branch points there are, the more taxa are likely to be represented. 
A) Each branch point represents a point in absolute time. 
B) Organisms represented at the base of such trees are ancestral to those represented at higher levels. 
C) The more branch points that occur between two taxa, the more divergent their DNA sequences should be. 
D) The common ancestor represented by the rightmost branch point existed more recently in time than the common ancestors represented at branch points located to the left. 
E) The more branch points there are, the more taxa are likely to be represented.

Question 15

The following questions refer to the table below, which compares the % sequence homology of four different parts (2 introns and 2 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 that 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.
 $\quad $$\quad $$\quad $$\quad $$\quad $$\quad $$\quad $$\text { \%/ Sequence Homology  } $
$\begin{array} { l l l l l } 
\text { Species } & \text { Intron I } & \text { Exon I } & \text { Intron VI } & \text { Exon V } \
\text { A } & 100 \% & 100 \% & 100 \% & 100 \% \
\text { B } & 98 \% & 99 \% & 82 \% & 96 \% \
\text { C } & 98 \% & 99 \% & 89 \% & 96 \% \
\mathrm { D } & 99 \% & 99 \% & 92 \% & 97 \% \
\mathrm { E } & 98 \% & 99 \% & 80 \% & 94 \%
\end{array}$
-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 16

Theoretically, molecular clocks are to molecular phylogenies as radiometric dating is to phylogenies that are based on the

Accepted Answer

A) fossil record. 
B) geographic distribution of extant species. 
C) morphological similarities among extant species. 
D) amino acid sequences of homologous polypeptides. 
A) fossil record. 
B) geographic distribution of extant species. 
C) morphological similarities among extant species. 
D) amino acid sequences of homologous polypeptides.

Question 17

The best classification system is that which most closely

Accepted Answer

A) unites organisms that possess similar morphologies. 
B) conforms to traditional, Linnaean taxonomic practices. 
C) reflects evolutionary history. 
D) corroborates the classification scheme in use at the time of Charles Darwin. 
E) reflects the basic separation of prokaryotes from eukaryotes. 
A) unites organisms that possess similar morphologies. 
B) conforms to traditional, Linnaean taxonomic practices. 
C) reflects evolutionary history. 
D) corroborates the classification scheme in use at the time of Charles Darwin. 
E) reflects the basic separation of prokaryotes from eukaryotes.

Question 18

The following questions refer to the hypothetical patterns of taxonomic hierarchy shown in Figure 26.2.

-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.

Question 19

In Figure 26.4 from your textbook, which similarly inclusive taxon descended from the same common ancestor as Canidae?

Accepted Answer

A) Felidae 
B) Mustelidae 
C) Carnivora 
D) Canis 
E) Lutra 
A) Felidae 
B) Mustelidae 
C) Carnivora 
D) Canis 
E) Lutra

Question 20

The following questions refer to the information below.
A researcher compared the nucleotide sequences of a homologous gene from five different species of mammals with the homologous human gene. The sequence homology between each species' version of the gene and the human gene is presented as a percentage of similarity.
 $$\begin{array} { l c } 
\text { Species } & \text { Percentage } \
\hline \text { Chimpanzee } & 99.7 \
\text { Orangutan } & 98.6 \
\text { Baboon } & 97.2 \
\text { Rhesus Monkey } & 96.9 \
\text { Rabbit } & 93.7
\end{array}$$

-Species that are not closely related and that do not share many anatomical similarities can still be placed together on the same phylogenetic tree by comparing their

Accepted Answer

A) plasmids. 
B) chloroplast genomes. 
C) mitochondrial genomes. 
D) homologous genes that are poorly conserved. 
E) homologous genes that are highly conserved. 
A) plasmids. 
B) chloroplast genomes. 
C) mitochondrial genomes. 
D) homologous genes that are poorly conserved. 
E) homologous genes that are highly conserved.

Exam 26: Phylogeny and the Tree of Life

The term "homoplasy" is most applicable to which of these features?

Three living species X, Y, and Z share a common ancestor T, as do extinct species U and V. A grouping that includes species T, X, Y, and Z makes up

Which of these would, if it had acted upon a gene, prevent this gene from acting as a reliable molecular clock?

The following questions refer to this phylogenetic tree, depicting the origins of life and of the three domains. Horizontal lines indicate instances of gene or genome transfer. -Which portion of this tree may ultimately be better depicted as a "ring"?

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

The following questions refer to the hypothetical patterns of taxonomic hierarchy shown in Figure 26.2. -Which of the following numbers represents a polyphyletic taxon?

Generally, within a lineage, the largest number of shared derived characters should be found among two organisms that are members of the same

The following questions refer to the hypothetical patterns of taxonomic hierarchy shown in Figure 26.2. -Which of the following is not True of all horizontally oriented phylogenetic trees, where time advances to the right?

Theoretically, molecular clocks are to molecular phylogenies as radiometric dating is to phylogenies that are based on the

The best classification system is that which most closely

The following questions refer to the hypothetical patterns of taxonomic hierarchy shown in Figure 26.2. -Cladograms (a type of phylogenetic tree)constructed from evidence from molecular systematics are based on similarities in

In Figure 26.4 from your textbook, which similarly inclusive taxon descended from the same common ancestor as Canidae?

Introduction: Themes in the Study of Life

The Chemical Context of Life

Water and the Fitness of the Environment

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: Harvesting Chemical Energy

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

Control 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 Introduction to Animal Diversity

Invertebrates

Vertebrates

Plant Structure, Growth, and Development

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

Conservation Biology and Restoration Ecology

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