Question 1

Charles Darwin was the first person to propose

Accepted Answer

A)  that evolution occurs. 
B)  a mechanism for how evolution occurs. 
C)  that Earth is older than a few thousand years. 
D)  a mechanism for evolution that was supported by evidence. 
E)  that population growth can outpace the growth of food resources. 
A)  that evolution occurs. 
B)  a mechanism for how evolution occurs. 
C)  that Earth is older than a few thousand years. 
D)  a mechanism for evolution that was supported by evidence. 
E)  that population growth can outpace the growth of food resources.

Question 2

If the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus experiences a cost for maintaining one or more antibiotic-resistance genes, then what should happen in environments from which antibiotics are missing?

Accepted Answer

A)  These genes should continue to be maintained in case the antibiotics ever appear. 
B)  These bacteria should be outcompeted and replaced by bacteria that have lost these genes. 
C)  The bacteria should try to make the cost worthwhile by locating, and migrating to, microenvironments where traces of antibiotics are present. 
D)  The bacteria should start making and secreting their own antibiotics. 
A)  These genes should continue to be maintained in case the antibiotics ever appear. 
B)  These bacteria should be outcompeted and replaced by bacteria that have lost these genes. 
C)  The bacteria should try to make the cost worthwhile by locating, and migrating to, microenvironments where traces of antibiotics are present. 
D)  The bacteria should start making and secreting their own antibiotics.

Question 3

Which of the five common ancestors, labeled V-Z, has been least successful in terms of the percent of its derived species that are extant?

Accepted Answer

A)  V 
B)  W 
C)  X 
D)  Y 
E)  Z 
A)  V 
B)  W 
C)  X 
D)  Y 
E)  Z

Question 4

According to a 1999 study, the vegetarian finch is genetically no more similar to the tree finches than it is to the ground finches, despite the fact that it is placed in the same genus as the tree finches. Based on this finding, it is reasonable to conclude that the vegetarian finch

Accepted Answer

A)  is no more closely related to the tree finches than it is to the ground finches, despite its classification. 
B)  should be re-classified as a warbler finch. 
C)  is not truly a descendent of the original ancestral finch. 
D)  is a hybrid species, resulting from a cross between a ground finch and a tree finch. 
A)  is no more closely related to the tree finches than it is to the ground finches, despite its classification. 
B)  should be re-classified as a warbler finch. 
C)  is not truly a descendent of the original ancestral finch. 
D)  is a hybrid species, resulting from a cross between a ground finch and a tree finch.

Question 5

Which of the five common ancestors, labeled V-Z, has given rise to the greatest number of species, both extant and extinct?

Accepted Answer

A)  V 
B)  W 
C)  Z 
D)  Both W and Z can be considered to have given rise to the greatest number of extant and extinct species. 
E)  Both X and Y can be considered to have given rise to the greatest number of extant and extinct species. 
A)  V 
B)  W 
C)  Z 
D)  Both W and Z can be considered to have given rise to the greatest number of extant and extinct species. 
E)  Both X and Y can be considered to have given rise to the greatest number of extant and extinct species.

Question 6

Which of these conditions should completely prevent the occurrence of natural selection in a population over time?

Accepted Answer

A)  All variation between individuals is due only to environmental factors. 
B)  The environment is changing at a relatively slow rate. 
C)  The population size is large. 
D)  The population lives in a habitat where there are no competing species present. 
A)  All variation between individuals is due only to environmental factors. 
B)  The environment is changing at a relatively slow rate. 
C)  The population size is large. 
D)  The population lives in a habitat where there are no competing species present.

Question 7

The role that humans play in artificial selection is to

Accepted Answer

A)  determine who lives and who dies. 
B)  create the genetic variants, which nature then selects. 
C)  choose which organisms breed, and which do not. 
D)  train organisms to breed more successfully. 
E)  perform artificial insemination. 
A)  determine who lives and who dies. 
B)  create the genetic variants, which nature then selects. 
C)  choose which organisms breed, and which do not. 
D)  train organisms to breed more successfully. 
E)  perform artificial insemination.

Question 8

DDT was once considered a "silver bullet" that would permanently eradicate insect pests. Today, instead, DDT is largely useless against many insects. Which of these would have been required for this pest eradication effort to be successful in the long run?

Accepted Answer

A)  Larger doses of DDT should have been applied. 
B)  All habitats should have received applications of DDT at about the same time. 
C)  The frequency of DDT application should have been higher. 
D)  None of the individual insects should have possessed genomes that made them resistant to DDT. 
E)  DDT application should have been continual. 
A)  Larger doses of DDT should have been applied. 
B)  All habitats should have received applications of DDT at about the same time. 
C)  The frequency of DDT application should have been higher. 
D)  None of the individual insects should have possessed genomes that made them resistant to DDT. 
E)  DDT application should have been continual.

Question 9

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?

Accepted Answer

A)  Species X and Y are not related to species Z. 
B)  Species X and Y share a greater number of homologies with each other than either does with species Z. 
C)  Species X and Y share a common ancestor that is still extant (in other words, not yet extinct). 
D)  Species X and Y are the result of artificial selection from an ancestral species Z. 
E)  Species X, Y, and Z share a common ancestor, but nothing more can be claimed than this. 
A)  Species X and Y are not related to species Z. 
B)  Species X and Y share a greater number of homologies with each other than either does with species Z. 
C)  Species X and Y share a common ancestor that is still extant (in other words, not yet extinct). 
D)  Species X and Y are the result of artificial selection from an ancestral species Z. 
E)  Species X, Y, and Z share a common ancestor, but nothing more can be claimed than this.

Question 10

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?

Accepted Answer

A)  S. aureus can resist vaccines. 
B)  A patient must have become infected with MRSA from another community. 
C)  In response to the drug, S. aureus began making drugresistant versions of the protein targeted by the drug. 
D)  Some drug-resistant bacteria were present at the start of treatment, and natural selection increased their frequency. 
E)  The drug caused the S. aureus DNA to change. 
A)  S. aureus can resist vaccines. 
B)  A patient must have become infected with MRSA from another community. 
C)  In response to the drug, S. aureus began making drugresistant versions of the protein targeted by the drug. 
D)  Some drug-resistant bacteria were present at the start of treatment, and natural selection increased their frequency. 
E)  The drug caused the S. aureus DNA to change.

Question 11

Which of the following must exist in a population before natural selection can act upon that population?

Accepted Answer

A)  genetic variation among individuals 
B)  variation among individuals caused by environmental factors 
C)  sexual reproduction 
D)  Three of the responses are correct. 
E)  Two of the responses are correct. 
A)  genetic variation among individuals 
B)  variation among individuals caused by environmental factors 
C)  sexual reproduction 
D)  Three of the responses are correct. 
E)  Two of the responses are correct.

Question 12

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

Accepted Answer

A)  humans purposefully raise MRSA in large fermenters in an attempt to make the bacteria ever-more resistant. 
B)  S. aureus is cultivated by humans to replenish the soil with nutrients. 
C)  humans synthesize methicillin and create environments in which bacteria frequently come into contact with methicillin. 
D)  Humans are becoming resistant to bacteria by taking methicillin. 
A)  humans purposefully raise MRSA in large fermenters in an attempt to make the bacteria ever-more resistant. 
B)  S. aureus is cultivated by humans to replenish the soil with nutrients. 
C)  humans synthesize methicillin and create environments in which bacteria frequently come into contact with methicillin. 
D)  Humans are becoming resistant to bacteria by taking methicillin.

Question 13

DNA sequences in many human genes are very similar to the sequences of corresponding genes in chimpanzees. The most likely explanation for this result is that

Accepted Answer

A)  humans and chimpanzees share a relatively recent common ancestor. 
B)  humans evolved from chimpanzees. 
C)  chimpanzees evolved from humans. 
D)  convergent evolution led to the DNA similarities. 
E)  humans and chimpanzees are not closely related. 
A)  humans and chimpanzees share a relatively recent common ancestor. 
B)  humans evolved from chimpanzees. 
C)  chimpanzees evolved from humans. 
D)  convergent evolution led to the DNA similarities. 
E)  humans and chimpanzees are not closely related.

Question 14

The following questions refer to Figure 19.1, which shows an outcrop of sedimentary rock whose strata are labeled A-D.
   Figure 19.1
-If x indicates the location of fossils of two closely related species, then fossils of their most-recent common ancestor are most likely to occur in which stratum?

Accepted Answer

A)  A 
B)  B 
C)  C 
D)  D 
A)  A 
B)  B 
C)  C 
D)  D

Exam 19: Descent With Modification

Charles Darwin was the first person to propose

If the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus experiences a cost for maintaining one or more antibiotic-resistance genes, then what should happen in environments from which antibiotics are missing?

Which of the five common ancestors, labeled V-Z, has been least successful in terms of the percent of its derived species that are extant?

According to a 1999 study, the vegetarian finch is genetically no more similar to the tree finches than it is to the ground finches, despite the fact that it is placed in the same genus as the tree finches. Based on this finding, it is reasonable to conclude that the vegetarian finch

Which of the five common ancestors, labeled V-Z, has given rise to the greatest number of species, both extant and extinct?

Which of these conditions should completely prevent the occurrence of natural selection in a population over time?

The role that humans play in artificial selection is to

DDT was once considered a "silver bullet" that would permanently eradicate insect pests. Today, instead, DDT is largely useless against many insects. Which of these would have been required for this pest eradication effort to be successful in the long run?

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?

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?

Which of the following must exist in a population before natural selection can act upon that population?

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

DNA sequences in many human genes are very similar to the sequences of corresponding genes in chimpanzees. The most likely explanation for this result is that

The following questions refer to Figure 19.1, which shows an outcrop of sedimentary rock whose strata are labeled A-D. Figure 19.1 -If x indicates the location of fossils of two closely related species, then fossils of their most-recent common ancestor are most likely to occur in which stratum?

Introduction: Evolution and the Foundations of Biology

The Chemical Context of Life

Carbon and the Molecular Diversity of Life

A Tour of the Cell

Membrane Transport and Cell Signaling

An Introduction to Metabolism

Cellular Respiration and Fermentation

Photosynthesis

The Cell Cycle

Meiosis and Sexual Life Cycles

Mendel and the Gene Idea

The Chromosomal Basis of Inheritance

The Molecular Basis of Inheritance

Gene Expression: From Gene to Protein

Regulation of Gene Expression

Development, Stem Cells, and Cancer

Viruses

Genomes and Their Evolution

Phylogeny

The Evolution of Populations

The Origin of Species

Broad Patterns of Evolution

Early Life and the Diversification of Prokaryotes

The Origin and Diversification of Eukaryotes

The Colonization of Land by Plants and Fungi

The Rise of Animal Diversity

Plant Structure and Growth

Resource Acquisition, Nutrition, and Transport in Vascular Plants

Reproduction and Domestication of Flowering Plants

Plant Responses to Internal and External Signals

Homeostasis and Endocrine Signaling

Animal Nutrition

Circulation and Gas Exchange

The Immune System

Reproduction and Development

Neurons, Synapses, and Signaling

Nervous and Sensory Systems

Motor Mechanisms and Behavior

Population Ecology and the Distribution of Organisms

Species Interactions

Ecosystems and Energy

Global Ecology and Conservation Biology

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