Deck 14: Principles of Evolution

Question 1

Which scientist devised the theory of uniformitarianism to account for Earth's old age?

A)Plato
B)Darwin
C)Cuvier
D)Lamarck
E)Lyell

Answer 1

E

Question 2

An antibiotic is given repeatedly to treat a recurrent ear infection. It worked initially but now is no longer effective. This indicates that the Streptococcus bacterium:

A)is very sensitive to the antibiotic.
B)is being treated with an antibiotic that has experienced a manufacturing error, making it infective.
C)experienced natural selection that has allowed the resistant Streptococcus to survive and multiply.
D)are infectious only if they are sensitive to the antibiotic.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Inheritable mutations in the genes of an individual arise due to:

A)random chance.
B)environmental change.
C)vigorous exercise or effort.
D)other species in the environment.
E)artificial selection.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Which of the following statements about mutations is TRUE?

A)Mutations have no effect on the survival and reproduction of an organism.
B)Mutations are almost always better for the organism.
C)Mutations almost always leave the organism worse off than before.
D)Mutations are caused by natural selection.
E)Mutations occur at random and are by chance.

Question 5

Who presented the idea of natural selection to the Linnaean Society in 1858?

A)Darwin
B)Lamarck
C)Darwin and Wallace
D)Cuvier
E)Plato

Question 6

Which geologist described the age of the Earth as "eternal"?

A)Lyell
B)Lamarck
C)Buffon
D)Malthus
E)Aristotle

Question 7

Modern geologists estimate that the age of Earth is about:

A)4,500 years.
B)450,000 years.
C)4)5 million years.
D)4)5 billion years.
E)4)5 trillion years.

Question 8

Plato's view of species:

A)was consistent with the modern concept of evolution.
B)did not allow for evolutionary change.
C)included species that do not actually exist.
D)recognized that each individual in a species is unique.
E)allowed for limited evolution within species.

Question 9

The idea that physical changes I make to myself will be passed on to my children was proposed by:

A)Plato.
B)Darwin.
C)Cuvier.
D)Lamarck.
E)Lyell.

Question 10

The concept that Earth's present landscape is due to gradual geologic processes was proposed by:

A)Lyell.
B)Lamarck.
C)Buffon.
D)Malthus.
E)Aristotle.

Question 11

Fossils include rocks and sediments that:

A)have been shaped by wind and water to resemble lifelike forms.
B)have been shaped by people to resemble plants or animals.
C)bear the impressions or shapes of preserved organisms.
D)all of the above.

Question 12

Who proposed the geological theory of catastrophism?

A)Darwin
B)Lamarck
C)Darwin and Wallace
D)Cuvier
E)Plato

Question 13

Which statement illustrates Lamarck's theory on the mechanism of evolution?

A)Fish with coloration that matches the river bottom they inhabit will survive to reproduce.
B)Plants that can survive in less light will become the dominant species in shaded areas.
C)Birds with bright colors will attract more mates and pass on the colorful plumage.
D)A man who routinely shaves the hair off his head will have sons who become bald.
E)Giraffes with longer necks survived and reproduced faster because they could reach a better food source.

Question 14

The publication date of On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection was:

A)1809.
B)1830.
C)1859.
D)1869.
E)1900.

Question 15

Which of these statements BEST illustrates the theory of catastrophism?

A)Species become extinct due to natural disasters, such as floods and volcanic eruptions.
B)Only plant species have become extinct.
C)Only extinct species appear in the fossil record.
D)There are no humans in early fossil records because they had not been created yet.
E)The fossil record is incomplete.

Question 16

Whose philosophy was based on the "ideal form"?

A)Darwin
B)Lamarck
C)Darwin and Wallace
D)Cuvier
E)Plato

Question 17

Who suggested that giraffes developed their long necks over time by stretching?

A)Darwin
B)Lamarck
C)Wallace
D)Cuvier
E)Plato

Question 18

Genetic variations in natural populations develop due to:

A)random mutations of the DNA.
B)changes in diet.
C)changes in the environment.
D)environmental catastrophies.
E)individual activities.

Question 19

Which organism is least likely to survive to reproduce?

A)a flower that produces a scent that attracts bees
B)a shrub that produces a toxin in its flower buds that repels deer
C)a plant that has a sweet flavor before it flowers
D)a dark-furred rodent that comes out only at night
E)a seahorse that mimics the weeds in which it lives

Question 20

Who wrote On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection?

A)Mendel
B)Malthus
C)Smith
D)Darwin
E)Lamarck

Question 21

Darwin was influenced by Thomas Malthus's writings on:

A)population growth.
B)uniformitarianism.
C)genetics.
D)evolution.
E)natural selection.

Question 22

Sea squirts and lampreys, which are both aquatic animals, have a perforated pharynx, a ventral heart, and a notochord at some stage of development. These similarities are BEST explained by:

A)artificial selection.
B)inheritance of acquired characteristics.
C)a common ancestry.
D)uniformitarianism.
E)the "Ladder of Nature."

Question 23

Darwin realized that most species produce many more offspring than is necessary to maintain a constant population. The "excess" individuals in a population:

A)migrate to another location.
B)die before they can reproduce.
C)evolve to become new species.
D)mutate and are able to adapt to new environments.

Question 24

When unrelated organisms living under similar environmental demands evolve superficially similar structures, it is called:

A)superficial selection.
B)comparative anatomy.
C)convergent evolution.
D)coevolution.

Question 25

Boa constrictors have tiny pelvic girdles and leg bones inside their bodies. Because these structures are nonfunctional "evolutionary baggage," they are called:

A)convergent.
B)analogous.
C)maladaptive.
D)homologous.
E)vestigial.

Question 26

Some of Darwin's most important discoveries were based on studies of birds and tortoises he observed in:

A)Tahiti.
B)Jamaica.
C)Ecuador.
D)the Bahamas.
E)the Galápagos Islands.

Question 27

The human appendix is an example of a(n):

A)analogous structure.
B)homologous structure.
C)vestigial structure.
D)adaptation.
E)mutation.

Question 28

The human upper arm bone (the humerus)is structurally similar to the upper wing bone of a bat. The structural similarity is an example of:

A)analogous structures.
B)homologous structures.
C)vestigial structures.
D)adaptation.
E)mutation.

Question 29

A change in the genetic makeup of a population is called:

A)natural selection.
B)uniformitarianism.
C)artificial selection.
D)evolution.

Question 30

Natural selection is BEST described as:

A)the ability to generate new traits that better suit the species.
B)increasing the perfection of a species.
C)working on the existing variation of traits to favor those better suited to the organism's environment.
D)causing the death of a significant proportion of the population.
E)driving the species toward an eventual endpoint in which the species possesses the best possible adaptations for that particular environment.

Question 31

Which of the four postulates of Darwin's theory of evolution was not well established when On the Origin of Species was first published but is overwhelmingly supported today?

A)Some differences among individuals in a population are due to genetics and are heritable.
B)Individuals in a population differ physically from one another in many ways.
C)Some individuals in a population survive and reproduce better than other individuals.
D)Individuals with advantageous traits survive longest and have the most offspring.

Question 32

The theory of natural selection states that:

A)all individuals live to reproduce in each generation.
B)only the largest and strongest individuals survive.
C)random assortment of genes results in better physical characteristics in the following generations.
D)the most well-adapted individuals in their environments survive and reproduce, contributing the most genes to the next generation.
E)individuals that mutate in response to changes in their environment will contribute the most genes to the next generation.

Question 33

Natural selection can act on a certain trait only if the trait is:

A)heritable.
B)behavioral.
C)favorable.
D)morphological.
E)new.

Question 34

Which of the following are vestigial structures?

A)fish fins
B)vertebral columns in snakes
C)pelvic bones of whales
D)wings of bats
E)hoofs of horses

Question 35

Which mutation provides a survival advantage?

A)a flower that attracts more bees
B)a tree that grows shorter than the surrounding trees
C)a brightly colored fish that attracts predators
D)a horse that lacks the ability to digest either grains or grass
E)a shrub that loses the ability to make seeds

Question 36

Humans still have body hair even though it is greatly reduced and serves little function. The hair is a(n):

A)analogous structure.
B)homologous structure.
C)vestigial structure.
D)adaptation.
E)mutation.

Question 37

What English economist wrote that the human population "increases in a geometrical ratio" and would soon exceed Earth's capacity to support it?

A)Wallace
B)Mendel
C)Hutton
D)Lyell
E)Malthus

Question 38

An emu is a flightless bird that still has wings. These wings are an example of:

A)analogous structures.
B)homologous structures.
C)vestigial structures.
D)adaptation.
E)mutation.

Question 39

Some animal species found in caves have tiny, nonfunctional eyes. These are BEST described as:

A)analogous structures.
B)homologous structures.
C)vestigial structures.
D)mutations.

Question 40

Where are the Galápagos Islands?

A)off the west coast of Australia
B)off the west coast of North America
C)off the west coast of South America
D)near Southeast Asia
E)near the center of the south Atlantic Ocean

Question 41

Charles Darwin believed that artificial selection was:

A)impossible.
B)unimportant.
C)a process completely identical to natural selection.
D)a common phenomenon in nature.
E)similar in many ways to natural selection.

Question 42

The amino acid sequences of human and bonobo hemoglobin are almost identical, yet they differ considerably from the sequence of the hemoglobin of wolves. This fact indicates that:

A)humans are more closely related to wolves.
B)wolves and bonobos are closely related.
C)bonobos are more closely related to humans than to wolves.

Question 43

Convergent evolution occurs when:

A)unrelated organisms develop analogous structures.
B)two or more different species evolve to become one species.
C)two or more populations merge into one.
D)analogous structures evolve to be homologous.

Question 44

Which of the following would you expect to occur in a captive population of guppies collected from Trinidad, if you allowed them to breed for many generations in an aquarium without any predators?

A)Female guppies will become more brightly colored.
B)Female guppies will prefer to mate with the dull-colored males.
C)The number of dull-colored male guppies will eventually equal the number of brightly colored males.
D)Male guppies that are brightly colored will have better reproductive success than dull males.

Question 45

Of all the possible amino acids, all living organisms make use of only the same 20 amino acids. This supports the idea that:

A)only a limited number of DNA mutations are possible.
B)bacteria, animals, and plants developed independently.
C)each species uses a unique set of amino acids.
D)plants and animals have a completely different ancestry.
E)all living things are derived from a single common ancestor.

Question 46

Dandelions in a lawn that is mowed have short flower stalks, whereas those in a field have tall flower stocks. This illustrates:

A)convergent evolution.
B)natural selection.
C)artificial mutation.
D)artificial selection.
E)inheritance of acquired characteristics.

Question 47

Dolphins (which are mammals)and sharks (which are fish)have stiff dorsal fins projecting from their backs that help them maneuver through water. These structures are BEST described as:

A)analogous structures.
B)homologous structures.
C)vestigial structures.
D)mutations.

Question 48

A farmer noticed that two of her cotton plants produce cotton with a slight greenish hue. By repeatedly crossing the greenish plants, she has produced a variety of deep-green cotton without the use of any dyes. This is an example of:

A)convergent evolution.
B)natural selection.
C)artificial mutation.
D)artificial selection.
E)inheritance of acquired characteristics.

Question 49

A farmer produces a variety of apple with deep pink flesh by selectively crossbreeding apples with pinkish hues. This is an example of:

A)convergent evolution.
B)natural selection.
C)artificial mutation.
D)artificial selection.
E)inheritance of acquired characteristics.

Question 50

Imagine that a biologist develops a strain of corn with a lower fat content by choosing low-fat variants and crossbreeding them over several generations. This is an example of:

A)convergent evolution.
B)natural selection.
C)artificial mutation.
D)artificial selection.
E)inheritance of acquired characteristics.

Question 51

Strong evidence for the common ancestry of all vertebrates is:

A)they all have legs.
B)their means of reproduction.
C)the similarity of their embryological stages.
D)they all evolved from fish.
E)they all possess DNA.

Question 52

Most commercial pesticides are effective for only two or three years because:

A)new pests invade the area.
B)the chemicals induce mutations that provide immunity.
C)the chemicals mutate and become ineffective.
D)the pests learn to hide when the chemicals are being applied.
E)those pests born with mutations that provide immunity will survive and reproduce.

Question 53

Karl von Baer's observations of vertebrate embryos suggest that:

A)fish are unrelated to other vertebrates because they are the only vertebrates that develop gills.
B)fish, turtles, and mice are more closely related to one another than to either chickens or humans because they have substantial tails.
C)chickens and humans are closely related because they lack substantial tails.
D)all vertebrate species have similar genes for development, with some being active in some species and inactive in others.

Question 54

The controlled breeding of domestic plants and animals by humans in order to produce certain physical traits in those organisms is called:

A)natural selection.
B)agricultural selection.
C)physical selection.
D)artificial selection.

Question 55

Which of the following is an excellent example of artificial selection?

A)the many different breeds of domestic cats
B)cheetahs that can outrun their prey
C)the ability to gain muscle mass by using steroids
D)green tree frogs that blend perfectly into their leafy surroundings
E)all of the above

Question 56

Which of the following situations has occurred in insect pests in Florida due to natural selection?

A)Cockroaches now avoid the poison bait that used to be very effective at killing them.
B)The poisoned bait caused a mutation that makes the roaches more sensitive to it.
C)Cockroaches eat only bait.
D)Roaches that ate the poison bait became addicted to it.

Question 57

The fact that whales have pelvic and leg bones indicates that:

A)they probably evolved from fish.
B)ancestral whales had legs.
C)whales should have functional legs.
D)having a pelvis is advantageous.
E)whales did not evolve by natural selection.

Question 58

The amino acid sequences of human and chimpanzee hemoglobin are almost identical, yet they differ considerably from the sequence of the hemoglobin of dogs. This fact:

A)supports the theory of evolution.
B)opposes the theory of evolution.
C)neither supports nor opposes the theory of evolution.

Question 59

The many different breeds of domestic dog were produced by:

A)natural selection.
B)artificial selection.
C)physical selection.
D)artificial mutation.

Question 60

Which of the following supports the idea that all organisms share a common ancestry?

A)All cells use DNA as a cellular energy carrier.
B)All cells use ATP as the template for protein synthesis.
C)All cells use the same collection of lipids.
D)All cells use amino acids as a carrier of genetic information.
E)All cells have a similar biochemistry, including amino acids, nucleic acids, and ATP.

Question 61

Based on the way natural selection works, what is the BEST way to make use of antibacterial soap?

A)Always use it because most bacteria will cause illness.
B)Always use it because it is unlikely that bacteria will evolve to become resistant to it.
C)Never use it because bacteria will evolve to become resistant to it.
D)Use it only when you need to be free of bacterial contamination, so bacteria will be less likely to evolve resistance to it.
E)Never use it because all bacteria are harmless.

Question 62

The theory that earthquakes, floods, and other natural disasters cause extinctions of some species while leaving others unharmed is ________.

Question 63

In theory, individuals with advantageous traits are more likely to reproduce. True or False?

Question 64

Coprolites (animal dung), bones, and impressions of body parts in rocks are called ________.

Question 65

Early in embryonic development, all vertebrate embryos look similar. True or False?

Question 66

Variations in a population are produced by ________.

Question 67

There were biologists before Darwin who proposed mechanisms for evolution. True or False?

Question 68

The characteristics of a species remain unchanged from generation to generation. True or False?

Question 69

If a woman learns to speak many languages, her children will inherit fluency in many languages. True or False?

Question 70

Mammalian appendages with similar bone structures can be used for flying, swimming, running, or grasping. These are examples of ________ structures.

Question 71

Through artificial selection it is possible to select for characteristics that may not be advantageous to the organism in a natural environment. True or False?

Question 72

Insects and bats both have wings. This proves they evolved from a common ancestor. True or False?

Question 73

Which of the following would you predict would evolve in guppies that are taken from streams in Trinidad with predators and put into streams lacking predators?

A)Male guppies will become more colorful.
B)Male guppies will become less colorful.
C)Male guppies will not change in coloration.
D)Guppies would evolve to have females avoid more colorful males.
E)Guppies would evolve to have females prefer less colorful males.

Question 74

Darwin and ________ both developed and proposed the theory of evolution by natural selection.

Question 75

In most geological formations, younger rocks are layered over older rocks. True or False?

Question 76

All organisms use RNA and ribosomes for protein synthesis. True or False?

Question 77

Anolis lizards with long legs adapted for climbing have been transplanted from an area with many large trees to islands with many small plants and no trees. These lizards have:

A)undergone no evolutionary change.
B)evolved shorter legs adapted for the smaller plants.
C)evolved even longer legs.
D)evolved to be able to run away from predators more quickly.
E)evolved to be able to maneuver less efficiently.

Question 78

Darwin's theory of evolution was based on his observations during his voyage to Asia. True or False?

Question 79

In any population of organisms, individual variations exist. True or False?

Question 80

Evidence that supports the theory of evolution is found in the studies of:

A)embryos.
B)biochemistry.
C)fossils.
D)artificial selection.
E)embryos, biochemistry, fossils, and artificial selection.