Exam 22: Descent With Modification: a Darwinian View of Life

Currently, two extant elephant species (X and Y)are placed in the genus Loxodonta, and a third species (Z)is placed in the genus Elephas. Thus, which statement should be true?

Catastrophism, meaning the regular occurrence of geological or meteorological disturbances (catastrophes), was Cuvier's attempt to explain the existence of

If two modern organisms are distantly related in an evolutionary sense, then one should expect that

The following questions refer to the evolutionary tree shown below. The horizontal axis of the cladogram depicted below is a timeline that extends from? 100 000 years ago to the present; the vertical axis represents nothing in particular. The labelled branch points on the tree (V-Z) represent various common ancestors. Let's say that only since? 50 000 years ago has there been enough variation between the lineages depicted here to separate them into distinct species, and only the tips of the lineages on this tree represent distinct species. -Which pair would probably have agreed with the process that is depicted by this tree?

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

What is the best explanation for the emergence of resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus?

The following questions refer to the evolutionary tree shown below. The horizontal axis of the cladogram depicted below is a timeline that extends from? 100 000 years ago to the present; the vertical axis represents nothing in particular. The labelled branch points on the tree (V-Z) represent various common ancestors. Let's say that only since? 50 000 years ago has there been enough variation between the lineages depicted here to separate them into distinct species, and only the tips of the lineages on this tree represent distinct species. -How many separate species, both extant and extinct, are depicted in this tree?

The following questions refer to the evolutionary tree shown below. The horizontal axis of the cladogram depicted below is a timeline that extends from? 100 000 years ago to the present; the vertical axis represents nothing in particular. The labelled branch points on the tree (V-Z) represent various common ancestors. Let's say that only since? 50 000 years ago has there been enough variation between the lineages depicted here to separate them into distinct species, and only the tips of the lineages on this tree represent distinct species. -Which of the five common ancestors, labelled V-Z, has given rise to the greatest number of species, both extant and extinct?

Which of the following statements most detracts from the claim that the human appendix is a completely vestigial organ?

A high degree of endemism is most likely in environments that are

Which of the following concepts/ideas reflects Lamarck's perception of evolution?

Members of two different species possess a similar-looking structure that they use in a similar fashion to perform the same function. Which information would best help distinguish between an explanation based on homology versus one based on convergent evolution?

Within six months of effectively using methicillin to treat S. aureus infections in a community, all new infections were caused by MRSA. How can this result best be explained?

The following questions refer to the description below. You have read that soapberry bugs, Jadera haematoloma, adapt to available food sources. For example, in southern Florida, soapberry bugs feed on seeds of a native plant, the balloon vine. In central Florida, the balloon vine is rare and soapberry bugs have switched to eating seeds of an introduced species, the goldenrain tree. The seeds of the goldenrain tree fruits are much closer to the fruit surface than the seeds of the native balloon vine fruit. As a result, natural selection results in beaks that are shorter in soapberry bugs that utilize goldenrain tree fruits than those that feed on balloon vine fruit seeds. -If soapberry bug populations become isolated by habitat preference/use, which of the following outcomes is most likely to occur?

Which of Darwin's ideas had the strongest connection to Darwin having read Malthus's essay on human population growth?

The role that humans play in artificial selection is to

The following questions refer to the figure below, which shows an outcrop of sedimentary rock whose strata are labelled A-D. -If x indicates the fossils of two closely related species, neither of which is extinct, then their remains may be found in how many of these strata?

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

During a study session about evolution, one of your fellow students remarks, "The giraffe stretched its neck while reaching for higher leaves; its offspring inherited longer necks as a result." Which statement is most likely to be helpful in correcting this student's misconception?

In the mid-1900s, the Soviet geneticist Lysenko believed that his winter wheat plants, exposed to ever-colder temperatures, would eventually give rise to ever more cold-tolerant winter wheat. Lysenko's attempts in this regard were most in agreement with the ideas of