Question 1

What did the results of Grant and Grant's 1996 study determine about cultural transmission of finch songs across generations? A

B

C

Accepted Answer

A)  Their results showed that bird song was culturally transmitted from fathers to sons and that females were far more likely to mate with males who sang the song typical of their own species. 
B)  Their results showed that bird song was culturally transmitted from mothers to sons and that females were far more likely to mate with males who sang the song typical of their own species. 
C)  Their results were not conclusive in trying to determine if bird song was culturally transmitted. 
D)  The results showed that some species culturally transmitted bird song from father to son, while others did not. 
A)  Their results showed that bird song was culturally transmitted from fathers to sons and that females were far more likely to mate with males who sang the song typical of their own species. 
B)  Their results showed that bird song was culturally transmitted from mothers to sons and that females were far more likely to mate with males who sang the song typical of their own species. 
C)  Their results were not conclusive in trying to determine if bird song was culturally transmitted. 
D)  The results showed that some species culturally transmitted bird song from father to son, while others did not. A

Question 2

Provide one likely cost and one likely benefit for each of the mutualistic partners in the Iridomyrmex ant and imperial blue butterfly caterpillar relationship.
A. Benefit for ants:
B. Cost for ants:
C. Benefit for caterpillars:
D. Cost for caterpillar:

Accepted Answer

A) Food from caterpillar secretion; B) Risk of predation/parasitism when defending caterpillars; C) Protection from predation/parasitism; D) Fitness loss due to providing food secretion for ants

Question 3

Why does cultural transmission have the potential to be faster than genetic transmission? Limit your answer to one sentence.

Accepted Answer

Social learning among individuals in the same population can change the frequency of cultural traits within the same generation.

Question 4

What ecological role were the nitrogen-fixing Bradyrhizobium japonicum bacteria in soybean root nodules effectively playing when the experimenters cut off gaseous nitrogen?

Accepted Answer

A)  cheater 
B)  predator 
C)  commensal 
D)  symbiont 
A)  cheater 
B)  predator 
C)  commensal 
D)  symbiont

Question 5

Based on the data provided, what type of coevolutionary relationship exists between Jalemenus evagoras butterfly larvae and Iridomyrmex anceps ants? A Mt. Nebo field site

B Canberra field site

Accepted Answer

A)  antagonistic 
B)  intraspecific cooperation 
C)  interspecific cooperation 
D)  mosaic 
A)  antagonistic 
B)  intraspecific cooperation 
C)  interspecific cooperation 
D)  mosaic

Question 6

Which is the correct sequence of events in the gene-culture evolution of lactose tolerance in humans?

Accepted Answer

A)  domestication of cattle, fermentation of milk products, mutation of LCT gene, rise in frequency of LCT mutation 
B)  domestication of cattle, mutation of LCT gene, fermentation of milk products, rise in frequency of LCT mutation 
C)  mutation of LCT gene, domestication of cattle, fermentation of milk products, rise in frequency of LCT mutation 
D)  mutation of LCT gene, rise in frequency of LCT mutation, fermentation of milk products, domestication of cattle 
A)  domestication of cattle, fermentation of milk products, mutation of LCT gene, rise in frequency of LCT mutation 
B)  domestication of cattle, mutation of LCT gene, fermentation of milk products, rise in frequency of LCT mutation 
C)  mutation of LCT gene, domestication of cattle, fermentation of milk products, rise in frequency of LCT mutation 
D)  mutation of LCT gene, rise in frequency of LCT mutation, fermentation of milk products, domestication of cattle

Question 7

Dale Clayton and colleagues discovered the relationship between feather-louse size and the body mass of their corresponding bird hosts illustrated in the figure below. What do the authors hypothesize about the mechanism of cospeciation in doves and lice from this relationship?

Accepted Answer

A)  Lice are unlikely to switch to hosts that differ in body size from their original host. 
B)  Lice will tend to shift to the larger host regardless of their own size. 
C)  Larger lice are always better at holding onto their hosts. 
D)  Smaller lice are always better than larger lice species at evading the preening attempts. 
A)  Lice are unlikely to switch to hosts that differ in body size from their original host. 
B)  Lice will tend to shift to the larger host regardless of their own size. 
C)  Larger lice are always better at holding onto their hosts. 
D)  Smaller lice are always better than larger lice species at evading the preening attempts.

Question 8

Dale Clayton et al. studied host parasite coevolution and cospeciation in ectoparasitic feather lice. What did they conclude about the match between body size of the host and body size of the parasite?

Accepted Answer

A)  Body-size matching enabled the lice to remain attached to the feathers of the host. 
B)  Body-size matching enabled the lice to escape defensive preening behavior of the host species. 
C)  Body-size matching enabled the lice to feed more efficiently on their host. 
D)  Body-size matching enabled the lice to fend off other parasitic species on their host. 
A)  Body-size matching enabled the lice to remain attached to the feathers of the host. 
B)  Body-size matching enabled the lice to escape defensive preening behavior of the host species. 
C)  Body-size matching enabled the lice to feed more efficiently on their host. 
D)  Body-size matching enabled the lice to fend off other parasitic species on their host.

Question 9

Describe the mosaic theory of coevolution in your own words. Limit your answer to one sentence.

Accepted Answer

Different geographic

Question 10

Contrast how fitness is affected by a mutualistic interaction versus an antagonistic interaction.

Accepted Answer

In a mutualistic interaction,

Question 11

Which species has a negative effect on the actinomycete bacteria in the mutualistic web of ant fungal gardens?

Accepted Answer

A)  Streptomyces 
B)  Escovopsis 
C)  Acromyrmex 
D)  black yeast 
A)  Streptomyces 
B)  Escovopsis 
C)  Acromyrmex 
D)  black yeast

Question 12

Why do we distinguish between inter- and intraspecific mutualism?

Accepted Answer

A)  This distinction is for historical reasons only. 
B)  Mutualistic partners in the same species are part of the same gene pool, but this is not the case for intraspecific mutualisms. 
C)  The mutualistic partners do not benefit equally in interspecific mutualism. 
D)  Only intraspecific mutualism gives the opportunity for cheating. 
A)  This distinction is for historical reasons only. 
B)  Mutualistic partners in the same species are part of the same gene pool, but this is not the case for intraspecific mutualisms. 
C)  The mutualistic partners do not benefit equally in interspecific mutualism. 
D)  Only intraspecific mutualism gives the opportunity for cheating.

Question 13

When researchers examined the effects of withholding nitrogen from Bradyrhizobium japonicum, they used a "split root" treatment in which half of a soybean plant's root mass received gaseous nitrogen, whereas the other half did not. Why did the researchers use this split-root treatment?

Accepted Answer

A)  They were economizing on experimental soybean plants. 
B)  They were testing whether different parts of the root react differently to the absence of nitrogen. 
C)  They were testing the range of nitrogen in which soybean plants can thrive. 
D)  They were testing whether the potential "retaliation" against cheating symbionts was specific to root nodules that did not fix nitrogen. 
A)  They were economizing on experimental soybean plants. 
B)  They were testing whether different parts of the root react differently to the absence of nitrogen. 
C)  They were testing the range of nitrogen in which soybean plants can thrive. 
D)  They were testing whether the potential "retaliation" against cheating symbionts was specific to root nodules that did not fix nitrogen.

Question 14

The apple host race (or biotype) of the Rhagoletis pomonella fruit flies evolved after apples were colonized by individuals of R. pomonella's hawthorn race (hawthorn is the original host of R. pomonella). If the two R. pomonella races become two different species over time, would this represent an example for cospeciation? Briefly justify your answer.

Accepted Answer

No; R. pomonella swi

Question 15

How does the relationship between bird host size and louse parasite affect the cospeciation dynamic between the two species?

Accepted Answer

Lice fare poorly when switching hosts be

Question 16

How did François Lutzoni and Marc Pagel conclude that the entire genome of mutualistic fungi evolved faster than the genome of free-living fungi?

Accepted Answer

A)  They based their estimate on the branch lengths in the phylogeny of a single gene. 
B)  They compared the evolutionary rates of multiple genes. 
C)  They conducted a genome scan at a great number of variable loci using microarray technology. 
D)  Their "conclusion" is mere speculation and is not backed by data. 
A)  They based their estimate on the branch lengths in the phylogeny of a single gene. 
B)  They compared the evolutionary rates of multiple genes. 
C)  They conducted a genome scan at a great number of variable loci using microarray technology. 
D)  Their "conclusion" is mere speculation and is not backed by data.

Question 17

Is there an alternative (genetic) explanation to cultural evolution for the correlation in songs of Darwin finches and their sons and grandsons? (The units on the x- and y-axes summarize multiple components of the finches' songs.) A

B

C

Accepted Answer

A)  mitochondrial inheritance 
B)  X-linked inheritance 
C)  Y-linked inheritance 
D)  insufficient data 
A)  mitochondrial inheritance 
B)  X-linked inheritance 
C)  Y-linked inheritance 
D)  insufficient data

Question 18

Changes in the environment can alter the dynamics of natural selection in predator-prey relationships. As the planet continues to warm, climate change will have a significant effect on many of these relationships. In the case of the snowshoe hare, loss of winter snow cover could make the species more vulnerable to its predator, the lynx. The fur of snowshoe hares turns white in the winter months, providing camouflage in the snow. Which prediction would best fit a hypothesis of continued antagonistic coevolution between these two species in a year-round, snow-free environment?

Accepted Answer

A)  Snowshoe hares will rapidly go extinct due to the lack of camouflage. This will result in a decline in the lynx population until they shift to a new primary prey. 
B)  If the allele for year-round brown fur exists within the snowshoe hare populations, those individuals will be more likely to survive and reproduce, as they are more likely to remain undetected. Lynx who are better at detecting brown snowshoe hares in a snow-free environment will be more likely to survive and reproduce, increasing the frequency of that genotype within the population. 
C)  Although lynx populations may initially increase due to easier prey, they will then decline with the loss of their primary prey. Lynx populations will be greatly reduced, while snowshoe hare populations are likely to go extinct. 
D)  Because neither species is well adapted to a warmer climate, they are both likely to be greatly reduced and may go extinct. 
A)  Snowshoe hares will rapidly go extinct due to the lack of camouflage. This will result in a decline in the lynx population until they shift to a new primary prey. 
B)  If the allele for year-round brown fur exists within the snowshoe hare populations, those individuals will be more likely to survive and reproduce, as they are more likely to remain undetected. Lynx who are better at detecting brown snowshoe hares in a snow-free environment will be more likely to survive and reproduce, increasing the frequency of that genotype within the population. 
C)  Although lynx populations may initially increase due to easier prey, they will then decline with the loss of their primary prey. Lynx populations will be greatly reduced, while snowshoe hare populations are likely to go extinct. 
D)  Because neither species is well adapted to a warmer climate, they are both likely to be greatly reduced and may go extinct.

Question 19

Naomi Pierce et al. demonstrated that Jalmenus butterfly larvae benefit from their Iridomyrmex ant partners in a coevolutionary mutualism. Because it is a costly mutualistic relationship for both species, Pierce et al. hypothesized that communication between the species would be favored by natural selection. What were the results of their tests for communication? A

B

Accepted Answer

A)  Stridulating by the butterfly larvae repelled significantly more ants, making it less likely for the larvae to survive. 
B)  Stridulating by the ants attracted significantly more butterfly larvae, making it less likely for the larvae to survive. 
C)  Stridulating by the butterfly larvae attracted significantly more ants to the larvae, making it more likely for the larvae to survive. 
D)  Stridulating by the ants repelled significantly more butterfly larvae, making it more likely for the larvae to survive. 
A)  Stridulating by the butterfly larvae repelled significantly more ants, making it less likely for the larvae to survive. 
B)  Stridulating by the ants attracted significantly more butterfly larvae, making it less likely for the larvae to survive. 
C)  Stridulating by the butterfly larvae attracted significantly more ants to the larvae, making it more likely for the larvae to survive. 
D)  Stridulating by the ants repelled significantly more butterfly larvae, making it more likely for the larvae to survive.

Question 20

Geographically isolated subpopulations of a species can evolve partial reproductive isolation. If two subpopulations come into secondary contact, they can either become one mixed population, or, during a process called reinforcement, selection may lead to greater reproductive isolation. The latter will occur if mating between subpopulations results in hybrid offspring that have lower fitness. Could cultural evolution play a role in reinforcement?

Accepted Answer

A)  Yes, if traits that affect reproductive isolation can be culturally transmitted. 
B)  Yes, but only if there is zero cultural transmission between subpopulations. 
C)  No; in order to form separate species, the changes have to be genetic. 
D)  No; culturally transmitted behavioral traits are bound to be "leaky" (allow for some level of gene flow). 
A)  Yes, if traits that affect reproductive isolation can be culturally transmitted. 
B)  Yes, but only if there is zero cultural transmission between subpopulations. 
C)  No; in order to form separate species, the changes have to be genetic. 
D)  No; culturally transmitted behavioral traits are bound to be "leaky" (allow for some level of gene flow).

What did the results of Grant and Grant's 1996 study determine about cultural transmission of finch songs across generations? A B C

Provide one likely cost and one likely benefit for each of the mutualistic partners in the Iridomyrmex ant and imperial blue butterfly caterpillar relationship. A. Benefit for ants: B. Cost for ants: C. Benefit for caterpillars: D. Cost for caterpillar:

Why does cultural transmission have the potential to be faster than genetic transmission? Limit your answer to one sentence.

What ecological role were the nitrogen-fixing Bradyrhizobium japonicum bacteria in soybean root nodules effectively playing when the experimenters cut off gaseous nitrogen?

Based on the data provided, what type of coevolutionary relationship exists between Jalemenus evagoras butterfly larvae and Iridomyrmex anceps ants? A Mt. Nebo field site B Canberra field site

Which is the correct sequence of events in the gene-culture evolution of lactose tolerance in humans?

Dale Clayton and colleagues discovered the relationship between feather-louse size and the body mass of their corresponding bird hosts illustrated in the figure below. What do the authors hypothesize about the mechanism of cospeciation in doves and lice from this relationship?

Dale Clayton et al. studied host parasite coevolution and cospeciation in ectoparasitic feather lice. What did they conclude about the match between body size of the host and body size of the parasite?

Describe the mosaic theory of coevolution in your own words. Limit your answer to one sentence.

Contrast how fitness is affected by a mutualistic interaction versus an antagonistic interaction.

Which species has a negative effect on the actinomycete bacteria in the mutualistic web of ant fungal gardens?

Why do we distinguish between inter- and intraspecific mutualism?

When researchers examined the effects of withholding nitrogen from Bradyrhizobium japonicum, they used a "split root" treatment in which half of a soybean plant's root mass received gaseous nitrogen, whereas the other half did not. Why did the researchers use this split-root treatment?

How does the relationship between bird host size and louse parasite affect the cospeciation dynamic between the two species?

How did François Lutzoni and Marc Pagel conclude that the entire genome of mutualistic fungi evolved faster than the genome of free-living fungi?

Is there an alternative (genetic) explanation to cultural evolution for the correlation in songs of Darwin finches and their sons and grandsons? (The units on the x- and y-axes summarize multiple components of the finches' songs.) A B C

An Overview of Evolutionary Biology

Early Evolutionary Ideas and Darwin S 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

The Origin and Evolution of Early Life

Major Transitions

Evolution and Development

Species and Speciation

Extinction and Evolutionary Trends

The Evolution of Sex

The Evolution of Sociality

Human Evolution

Evolution and Medicine

Filters

Exam 18: Coevolution

What did the results of Grant and Grant's 1996 study determine about cultural transmission of finch songs across generations? A B C

Provide one likely cost and one likely benefit for each of the mutualistic partners in the Iridomyrmex ant and imperial blue butterfly caterpillar relationship. A. Benefit for ants: B. Cost for ants: C. Benefit for caterpillars: D. Cost for caterpillar:

Why does cultural transmission have the potential to be faster than genetic transmission? Limit your answer to one sentence.

What ecological role were the nitrogen-fixing Bradyrhizobium japonicum bacteria in soybean root nodules effectively playing when the experimenters cut off gaseous nitrogen?

Based on the data provided, what type of coevolutionary relationship exists between Jalemenus evagoras butterfly larvae and Iridomyrmex anceps ants? A Mt. Nebo field site B Canberra field site

Which is the correct sequence of events in the gene-culture evolution of lactose tolerance in humans?

Dale Clayton and colleagues discovered the relationship between feather-louse size and the body mass of their corresponding bird hosts illustrated in the figure below. What do the authors hypothesize about the mechanism of cospeciation in doves and lice from this relationship?

Dale Clayton et al. studied host parasite coevolution and cospeciation in ectoparasitic feather lice. What did they conclude about the match between body size of the host and body size of the parasite?

Describe the mosaic theory of coevolution in your own words. Limit your answer to one sentence.

Contrast how fitness is affected by a mutualistic interaction versus an antagonistic interaction.

Which species has a negative effect on the actinomycete bacteria in the mutualistic web of ant fungal gardens?

Why do we distinguish between inter- and intraspecific mutualism?

When researchers examined the effects of withholding nitrogen from Bradyrhizobium japonicum, they used a "split root" treatment in which half of a soybean plant's root mass received gaseous nitrogen, whereas the other half did not. Why did the researchers use this split-root treatment?

How does the relationship between bird host size and louse parasite affect the cospeciation dynamic between the two species?

How did François Lutzoni and Marc Pagel conclude that the entire genome of mutualistic fungi evolved faster than the genome of free-living fungi?

Is there an alternative (genetic) explanation to cultural evolution for the correlation in songs of Darwin finches and their sons and grandsons? (The units on the x- and y-axes summarize multiple components of the finches' songs.) A B C

An Overview of Evolutionary Biology

Early Evolutionary Ideas and Darwin S 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

The Origin and Evolution of Early Life

Major Transitions

Evolution and Development

Species and Speciation

Extinction and Evolutionary Trends

The Evolution of Sex

The Evolution of Sociality

Human Evolution

Evolution and Medicine

Filters