Question 1

Spiegelman and colleagues demonstrated natural selection in RNA replications because in their experiments

Accepted Answer

A) RNA molecules had differential survival and replication rates. 
B) RNA was self-replicating. 
C) the researchers chose which RNA molecules to replicate. 
D) RNA was copied into DNA. 
A) RNA molecules had differential survival and replication rates. 
B) RNA was self-replicating. 
C) the researchers chose which RNA molecules to replicate. 
D) RNA was copied into DNA. A

Question 2

Many proteins are now thought to consist of modular units that,through exon shuffling,form new proteins.How is this situation analogous to what may have occurred in the earliest life forms?

Accepted Answer

In early life forms metabolic processes within cells would not have been integrated,and cell functions would have been modular.Swapping modular components may have been the original life-form's mode of evolution,much like protein modules are assembled in new ways to make new proteins.

Question 3

If horizontal gene transfer was predominant in early evolution,how would this affect our ability to reconstruct the tree of life?

Accepted Answer

A) Horizontal gene transfer places viruses firmly at the beginning of the tree of life. 
B) Horizontal gene transfer blurs the concept of species, making it difficult to delineate ancestral species. 
C) Horizontal gene transfer resulted in chloroplasts that confuse the plant lineage. 
D) Horizontal gene transfer means that life-forms do not share a history of common descent. 
A) Horizontal gene transfer places viruses firmly at the beginning of the tree of life. 
B) Horizontal gene transfer blurs the concept of species, making it difficult to delineate ancestral species. 
C) Horizontal gene transfer resulted in chloroplasts that confuse the plant lineage. 
D) Horizontal gene transfer means that life-forms do not share a history of common descent. B

Question 4

Why is DNA favored over RNA as genetic material?

Accepted Answer

A) DNA is more stable and thus is a more efficient transmission system. 
B) DNA can self-replicate. 
C) DNA makes chromosomes. 
D) DNA mutates more readily, with a weaker repair machinery. 
E) DNA has a more limited information storage capacity. 
A) DNA is more stable and thus is a more efficient transmission system. 
B) DNA can self-replicate. 
C) DNA makes chromosomes. 
D) DNA mutates more readily, with a weaker repair machinery. 
E) DNA has a more limited information storage capacity.

Question 5

Identify all of the potential energy sources for prebiotic chemical reactions in this picture.

Accepted Answer

Ultraviolet light,li

Question 6

Deletion experiments of E.coli have determined the minimal set of metabolic pathways.When these pathways were compared to a closely related species,W.glossinidia,an endosymbiotic organism that obtains resources from its host,researchers found that

Accepted Answer

A) the gene sets match perfectly. 
B) E. coli was more specialized and had fewer metabolic pathways. 
C) W. glossinidia had fewer metabolic pathways. 
D) the genomes were not comparable. 
A) the gene sets match perfectly. 
B) E. coli was more specialized and had fewer metabolic pathways. 
C) W. glossinidia had fewer metabolic pathways. 
D) the genomes were not comparable.

Question 7

In the hypercycle illustrated below,the four components increase their own replication and also positively affect the replication of other members.How does the presence of a membrane,uniting the four components,favor the connections between the members of the hypercycle in this case compared to a set that does not have a membrane?

Accepted Answer

An increase in one of the connections he

Question 8

What is most critical for understanding the minimal gene set and the origin of life?

Accepted Answer

A) The number of genes 
B) The functions of the genes 
C) The stable environments of bacteria with the most reduced genomes 
D) The identity of genes involved in fatty acid/lipid metabolism to understand the origin of cell membranes 
A) The number of genes 
B) The functions of the genes 
C) The stable environments of bacteria with the most reduced genomes 
D) The identity of genes involved in fatty acid/lipid metabolism to understand the origin of cell membranes

Question 9

How does comparative data on genes of extant species help us to make estimates of what happened before the phylogenetic event horizon?

Accepted Answer

A) Common genes must have existed for a long time. 
B) If the first life-forms consisted of RNA, then current RNA-coding genes must be the ancestral genes. 
C) Common functional genes imply the minimal characteristics of early cells. 
D) Because so many small genome bacteria are endosymbionts, the earliest cells must have been endosymbionts. 
A) Common genes must have existed for a long time. 
B) If the first life-forms consisted of RNA, then current RNA-coding genes must be the ancestral genes. 
C) Common functional genes imply the minimal characteristics of early cells. 
D) Because so many small genome bacteria are endosymbionts, the earliest cells must have been endosymbionts.

Question 10

Why were the first RNA replication experiments insufficient support for the RNA world hypothesis?

Accepted Answer

A) The experiments did not demonstrate natural selection. 
B) RNA could not adapt to environmental challenges. 
C) The RNA produced was not self-replicating. 
D) No mutations occurred in the RNA. 
E) Mutations occurred, but they were not heritable. 
A) The experiments did not demonstrate natural selection. 
B) RNA could not adapt to environmental challenges. 
C) The RNA produced was not self-replicating. 
D) No mutations occurred in the RNA. 
E) Mutations occurred, but they were not heritable.

Question 11

Encapsulation of a hypercycle would not be favored when

Accepted Answer

A) the costs of a membrane exceed the benefits of the cycle. 
B) the membrane provides a defensive mechanism. 
C) natural selection favors mutations in component members. 
D) RNA components act through molecular mutualism. 
A) the costs of a membrane exceed the benefits of the cycle. 
B) the membrane provides a defensive mechanism. 
C) natural selection favors mutations in component members. 
D) RNA components act through molecular mutualism.

Question 12

The figures below illustrate two lineages with two variants: with and without a black spot.The arrows point to the descendants of the individual.In which situation can natural selection work?

Accepted Answer

A) In the diagram on the left; natural selection has eliminated the spotted variant. 
B) In the diagram on the left; the number of offspring produced is independent of the mutation. 
C) In the diagram on the right; variation is heritable. 
D) In the diagram on the right; the mutation does not influence reproduction. 
A) In the diagram on the left; natural selection has eliminated the spotted variant. 
B) In the diagram on the left; the number of offspring produced is independent of the mutation. 
C) In the diagram on the right; variation is heritable. 
D) In the diagram on the right; the mutation does not influence reproduction.

Question 13

The figure above shows horizontal gene transfer and the early evolution of life.Based on this figure,order the following events from earliest to latest.
A.Mitochondrial horizontal gene transfer
B.Chloroplast horizontal gene transfer
C.Plants and algae separate from animals and fungi
D.Fungi separate from animals

Accepted Answer

The correc

Question 14

The two major cell types are

Accepted Answer

A) archaea and bacteria. 
B) archaea and prokaryotes. 
C) prokaryotes and eukaryotes. 
D) eukaryotes and archaea. 
E) eukaryotes and bacteria. 
A) archaea and bacteria. 
B) archaea and prokaryotes. 
C) prokaryotes and eukaryotes. 
D) eukaryotes and archaea. 
E) eukaryotes and bacteria.

Question 15

Why would natural selection favor reduced parasitic bacterial genomes?

Accepted Answer

A) The parasitic lifestyle eliminates metabolism leading to gene loss. 
B) Parasites have reduced metabolic needs leading to gene loss. 
C) Parasitic bacteria are primitive and never had metabolic genes. 
D) Transposons have caused mutagenesis and genes have been lost. 
A) The parasitic lifestyle eliminates metabolism leading to gene loss. 
B) Parasites have reduced metabolic needs leading to gene loss. 
C) Parasitic bacteria are primitive and never had metabolic genes. 
D) Transposons have caused mutagenesis and genes have been lost.

Question 16

A phylogenetic event horizon is

Accepted Answer

A) a point in the future in which species will diversify. 
B) a phylogeny based on extinct species. 
C) the point at which life started. 
D) a point in the history of life beyond which phylogenetic analysis cannot see. 
A) a point in the future in which species will diversify. 
B) a phylogeny based on extinct species. 
C) the point at which life started. 
D) a point in the history of life beyond which phylogenetic analysis cannot see.

Question 17

Ribozymes are

Accepted Answer

A) capable of replicating RNA. 
B) capable of copying RNA into DNA. 
C) proteins. 
D) RNA enzymes. 
A) capable of replicating RNA. 
B) capable of copying RNA into DNA. 
C) proteins. 
D) RNA enzymes.

Question 18

What was LUCA?

Accepted Answer

A) The first life-form. 
B) The only life-form present before our current lineage. 
C) The last universal ancestral life-form, a single individual. 
D) A population of life-forms that was the last common ancestor of life on Earth today. 
A) The first life-form. 
B) The only life-form present before our current lineage. 
C) The last universal ancestral life-form, a single individual. 
D) A population of life-forms that was the last common ancestor of life on Earth today.

Question 19

Why was it necessary to do serial transfers in the experiment illustrated above?

Accepted Answer

A) Each serial transfer is equivalent to a generation and thus provided an opportunity for natural selection to occur over time. 
B) Each serial transfer was necessary to reintroduce RNA into the system. 
C) Each serial transfer decreased the population size so that genetic drift could occur. 
D) Because the experiment took place in a lab, serial transfers were necessary so that the researchers could go home at night. 
A) Each serial transfer is equivalent to a generation and thus provided an opportunity for natural selection to occur over time. 
B) Each serial transfer was necessary to reintroduce RNA into the system. 
C) Each serial transfer decreased the population size so that genetic drift could occur. 
D) Because the experiment took place in a lab, serial transfers were necessary so that the researchers could go home at night.

Question 20

Spiegelman and colleagues demonstrated natural selection with RNA molecules.How did they satisfy the three ingredients for natural selection?

Accepted Answer

For natural selection to occur,there mus

Spiegelman and colleagues demonstrated natural selection in RNA replications because in their experiments

Many proteins are now thought to consist of modular units that,through exon shuffling,form new proteins.How is this situation analogous to what may have occurred in the earliest life forms?

If horizontal gene transfer was predominant in early evolution,how would this affect our ability to reconstruct the tree of life?

Why is DNA favored over RNA as genetic material?

Identify all of the potential energy sources for prebiotic chemical reactions in this picture.

Deletion experiments of E.coli have determined the minimal set of metabolic pathways.When these pathways were compared to a closely related species,W.glossinidia,an endosymbiotic organism that obtains resources from its host,researchers found that

What is most critical for understanding the minimal gene set and the origin of life?

How does comparative data on genes of extant species help us to make estimates of what happened before the phylogenetic event horizon?

Why were the first RNA replication experiments insufficient support for the RNA world hypothesis?

Encapsulation of a hypercycle would not be favored when

The figures below illustrate two lineages with two variants: with and without a black spot.The arrows point to the descendants of the individual.In which situation can natural selection work?

The two major cell types are

Why would natural selection favor reduced parasitic bacterial genomes?

A phylogenetic event horizon is

Ribozymes are

What was LUCA?

Why was it necessary to do serial transfers in the experiment illustrated above?

Spiegelman and colleagues demonstrated natural selection with RNA molecules.How did they satisfy the three ingredients for natural selection?

An Overview of Evolutionary Biology

Early Evolutionary Ideas and Darwins Insight

Natural Selection

Phylogeny and Evolutionary History

Inferring Phylogeny

Transmission Genetics and the Sources of Genetic Variation

The Genetics of Populations

Evolution in Finite Populations

Evolution at Multiple Loci

Genome Evolution

Major Transitions

Evolution and Development

Species and Speciation

Extinction and Evolutionary Trends

The Evolution of Sex

Sexual Selection

The Evolution of Sociality

Coevolution

Evolution and Medicine

Filters

Exam 11: The Origin and Evolution of Early Life

Spiegelman and colleagues demonstrated natural selection in RNA replications because in their experiments

Many proteins are now thought to consist of modular units that,through exon shuffling,form new proteins.How is this situation analogous to what may have occurred in the earliest life forms?

If horizontal gene transfer was predominant in early evolution,how would this affect our ability to reconstruct the tree of life?

Why is DNA favored over RNA as genetic material?

Identify all of the potential energy sources for prebiotic chemical reactions in this picture.

Deletion experiments of E.coli have determined the minimal set of metabolic pathways.When these pathways were compared to a closely related species,W.glossinidia,an endosymbiotic organism that obtains resources from its host,researchers found that

What is most critical for understanding the minimal gene set and the origin of life?

How does comparative data on genes of extant species help us to make estimates of what happened before the phylogenetic event horizon?

Why were the first RNA replication experiments insufficient support for the RNA world hypothesis?

Encapsulation of a hypercycle would not be favored when

The figures below illustrate two lineages with two variants: with and without a black spot.The arrows point to the descendants of the individual.In which situation can natural selection work?

The two major cell types are

Why would natural selection favor reduced parasitic bacterial genomes?

A phylogenetic event horizon is

Ribozymes are

What was LUCA?

Why was it necessary to do serial transfers in the experiment illustrated above?

Spiegelman and colleagues demonstrated natural selection with RNA molecules.How did they satisfy the three ingredients for natural selection?

An Overview of Evolutionary Biology

Early Evolutionary Ideas and Darwins Insight

Natural Selection

Phylogeny and Evolutionary History

Inferring Phylogeny

Transmission Genetics and the Sources of Genetic Variation

The Genetics of Populations

Evolution in Finite Populations

Evolution at Multiple Loci

Genome Evolution

Major Transitions

Evolution and Development

Species and Speciation

Extinction and Evolutionary Trends

The Evolution of Sex

Sexual Selection

The Evolution of Sociality

Coevolution

Evolution and Medicine

Filters