Question 1

Artificial selection is

Accepted Answer

A)  human-directed selective breeding. 
B)  past extinction. 
C)  patterns of evolution. 
D)  slower than natural selection. 
A)  human-directed selective breeding. 
B)  past extinction. 
C)  patterns of evolution. 
D)  slower than natural selection. A

Question 2

Please use the following information to answer the question(s) below.
The following questions refer to the evolutionary tree 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 labeled 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.   Figure 19.2
-Which of the five common ancestors, labeled V-Z, has been most successful in terms of the percent of its derived species that are extant?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 3

Both ancestral birds and ancestral mammals shared a common ancestor that was terrestrial. Today, penguins (which are birds) and seals (which are mammals) have forelimbs adapted for swimming. What term best describes the relationship of the bones in the forelimbs of penguins and seals, and what term best describes the flippers of penguins and seals?

Accepted Answer

A)  homologous; homologous 
B)  analogous; homologous 
C)  homologous; analogous 
D)  analogous; analogous 
A)  homologous; homologous 
B)  analogous; homologous 
C)  homologous; analogous 
D)  analogous; analogous C

Question 4

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

Accepted Answer

A)  All organisms require energy. 
B)  All organisms use essentially the same genetic code. 
C)  All organisms reproduce. 
D)  All organisms show heritable variation. 
A)  All organisms require energy. 
B)  All organisms use essentially the same genetic code. 
C)  All organisms reproduce. 
D)  All organisms show heritable variation.

Question 5

Please use the following information to answer the question(s) below.
The following questions refer to the evolutionary tree 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 labeled 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.   Figure 19.2
-  Figure 19.3
Darwin viewed the history of life as a tree, with multiple branchings from a common trunk to the tips of the twigs. Which part of that tree represents extant organisms?

Accepted Answer

A)  tips of the twigs 
B)  unlabeled branches 
C)  common trunk 
D)  forks of the tree 
A)  tips of the twigs 
B)  unlabeled branches 
C)  common trunk 
D)  forks of the tree

Question 6

DDT was once considered a "silver bullet" that would permanently eradicate insect pests. Instead, today DDT is largely useless against many insects. Which of the following should have occurred 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. 
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.

Question 7

What environment stimulates evolution of drug-resistant pathogens?

Accepted Answer

A)  presence of an enzyme called penicillinase 
B)  colonization of host 
C)  pathogens without cell walls 
D)  excess antibiotics 
A)  presence of an enzyme called penicillinase 
B)  colonization of host 
C)  pathogens without cell walls 
D)  excess antibiotics

Question 8

Which of the following statements indicate the function of the appendix?

Accepted Answer

A)  The appendix can be surgically removed with no immediate ill effects. 
B)  The appendix might have been larger in fossil hominids. 
C)  The appendix has a substantial amount of defensive lymphatic tissue. 
D)  Individuals with a larger-than-average appendix leave fewer offspring than those with a below-average-sized appendix. 
A)  The appendix can be surgically removed with no immediate ill effects. 
B)  The appendix might have been larger in fossil hominids. 
C)  The appendix has a substantial amount of defensive lymphatic tissue. 
D)  Individuals with a larger-than-average appendix leave fewer offspring than those with a below-average-sized appendix.

Question 9

If one wanted to find the largest number of endemic species, one should visit which of the following geological features (assuming each has existed for several millions of years)?

Accepted Answer

A)  an isolated ocean island in the tropics 
B)  an extensive mountain range 
C)  a midcontinental grassland with extreme climatic conditions 
D)  a shallow estuary on a warm-water coast 
A)  an isolated ocean island in the tropics 
B)  an extensive mountain range 
C)  a midcontinental grassland with extreme climatic conditions 
D)  a shallow estuary on a warm-water coast

Question 10

What was the prevailing belief prior to the time of Lyell and Darwin?

Accepted Answer

A)  Earth is a few thousand years old, and populations are unchanging. 
B)  Earth is a few thousand years old, and populations gradually change. 
C)  Earth is millions of years old, and populations rapidly change. 
D)  Earth is millions of years old, and populations are unchanging. 
A)  Earth is a few thousand years old, and populations are unchanging. 
B)  Earth is a few thousand years old, and populations gradually change. 
C)  Earth is millions of years old, and populations rapidly change. 
D)  Earth is millions of years old, and populations are unchanging.

Question 11

Which of the following represents an idea that Darwin learned from the writings of Thomas Malthus?

Accepted Answer

A)  Technological innovation in agricultural practices will permit exponential growth of the human population into the foreseeable future. 
B)  Populations tend to increase at a faster rate than their food supply normally allows. 
C)  Earth changed over the years through a series of catastrophic upheavals. 
D)  The environment is responsible for natural selection. 
A)  Technological innovation in agricultural practices will permit exponential growth of the human population into the foreseeable future. 
B)  Populations tend to increase at a faster rate than their food supply normally allows. 
C)  Earth changed over the years through a series of catastrophic upheavals. 
D)  The environment is responsible for natural selection.

Question 12

Two plant species live in the same biome but on different continents. Although the two species are not at all closely related, they may appear quite similar as a result of

Accepted Answer

A)  parallel evolution. 
B)  convergent evolution. 
C)  allopatric speciation. 
D)  gene flow. 
A)  parallel evolution. 
B)  convergent evolution. 
C)  allopatric speciation. 
D)  gene flow.

Question 13

Please use the following information to answer the question(s) below.
The following questions refer to the evolutionary tree 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 labeled 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.   Figure 19.2
About 13 different species of finches inhabit the Galápagos Islands today, all descendants of a common ancestor from the South American mainland that arrived a few million years ago. Genetically, there are four distinct lineages, but the 13 species are currently classified among three genera. The first lineage to diverge from the ancestral lineage was the warbler finch (genus Certhidea). Next to diverge was the vegetarian finch (genus Camarhynchus), followed by five tree finch species (also in genus Camarhynchus) and six ground finch species (genus Geospiza).
-An article in the New York Times noted that the human population has shown a significant increase in height. When the relationship of height to reproductive success in humans was examined across three decades (1935-1967), height had a positive correlation to the number of children born and the number of surviving children. These observations suggest that

Accepted Answer

A)  individuals vary in heritable characteristics. 
B)  humans produce more offspring than the environment can support. 
C)  individuals who are taller are better suited to their environment. 
D)  over time, favorable traits will accumulate in the population. 
A)  individuals vary in heritable characteristics. 
B)  humans produce more offspring than the environment can support. 
C)  individuals who are taller are better suited to their environment. 
D)  over time, favorable traits will accumulate in the population.

Question 14

The upper forelimbs of humans and bats have fairly similar skeletal structures, whereas the corresponding bones in whales have very different shapes and proportions. However, genetic data suggest that all three kinds of organisms diverged from a common ancestor at about the same time. Which of the following is the most likely explanation for these data?

Accepted Answer

A)  Forelimb evolution was adaptive in people and bats, but not in whales. 
B)  Natural selection in an aquatic environment resulted in significant changes to whale forelimb anatomy. 
C)  Genes mutate faster in whales than in humans or bats. 
D)  Whales are not properly classified as mammals. 
A)  Forelimb evolution was adaptive in people and bats, but not in whales. 
B)  Natural selection in an aquatic environment resulted in significant changes to whale forelimb anatomy. 
C)  Genes mutate faster in whales than in humans or bats. 
D)  Whales are not properly classified as mammals.

Question 15

Please use the following information to answer the question(s) below.
The following questions refer to the evolutionary tree 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 labeled 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.   Figure 19.2
-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 
A)  V 
B)  W 
C)  X 
D)  Y

Question 16

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. 
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.

Question 17

Convergent evolution uses analogous features to describe

Accepted Answer

A)  distantly related organisms that have structures for a different functions. 
B)  the independent evolution of similar features in different lineages. 
C)  two mammals that have adapted to similar environments in similar way. 
D)  features that share common ancestry but not necessarily similar function. 
A)  distantly related organisms that have structures for a different functions. 
B)  the independent evolution of similar features in different lineages. 
C)  two mammals that have adapted to similar environments in similar way. 
D)  features that share common ancestry but not necessarily similar function.

Question 18

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. 
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.

Question 19

Logically, which of the following should cast the most doubt on the relationships depicted by an evolutionary tree?

Accepted Answer

A)  Some of the organisms depicted by the tree had lived in different habitats. 
B)  The skeletal remains of the organisms depicted by the tree were incomplete (in other words, some bones were missing). 
C)  Transitional fossils had not been found. 
D)  Relationships between DNA sequences among the species did not match relationships between skeletal patterns. 
A)  Some of the organisms depicted by the tree had lived in different habitats. 
B)  The skeletal remains of the organisms depicted by the tree were incomplete (in other words, some bones were missing). 
C)  Transitional fossils had not been found. 
D)  Relationships between DNA sequences among the species did not match relationships between skeletal patterns.

Question 20

Of the following anatomical structures, which is homologous to the bones in the wing of a bird?

Accepted Answer

A)  bones in the hind limb of a kangaroo 
B)  chitinous struts in the wing of a butterfly 
C)  bony rays in the tail fin of a flying fish 
D)  bones in the flipper of a whale 
A)  bones in the hind limb of a kangaroo 
B)  chitinous struts in the wing of a butterfly 
C)  bony rays in the tail fin of a flying fish 
D)  bones in the flipper of a whale

Exam 19: Descent With Modification

Artificial selection is

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

DDT was once considered a "silver bullet" that would permanently eradicate insect pests. Instead, today DDT is largely useless against many insects. Which of the following should have occurred for this pest eradication effort to be successful in the long run?

What environment stimulates evolution of drug-resistant pathogens?

Which of the following statements indicate the function of the appendix?

If one wanted to find the largest number of endemic species, one should visit which of the following geological features (assuming each has existed for several millions of years)?

What was the prevailing belief prior to the time of Lyell and Darwin?

Which of the following represents an idea that Darwin learned from the writings of Thomas Malthus?

Two plant species live in the same biome but on different continents. Although the two species are not at all closely related, they may appear quite similar as a result of

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

Convergent evolution uses analogous features to describe

Charles Darwin was the first person to propose

Logically, which of the following should cast the most doubt on the relationships depicted by an evolutionary tree?

Of the following anatomical structures, which is homologous to the bones in the wing of a bird?

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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