Deck 8: Molecular and Evolutionary Ecology

Question 1

Multiple regions of DNA that are used as markers would be referred to as what?

A) Loci
B) Alleles
C) Barcodes
D) Exons

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which term describes what a molecular marker is?

A) It is a section of DNA sequence that can be used to characterize variation in nucleotide bases.
B) It is a barcode added to DNA.
C) It is a copied sequence of a person's genome that is then a target for DNA barcoding.
D) All of the above.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which of the following defines plant qualitative compounds?

A) Chemicals that plants produce when attacked, that are toxic or poisonous, and have high specificity.
B) Chemicals that plants always produce, reduce digestion when consumed, and accumulate ill effects.
C) Chemicals that plants produce when attacked, that reduce digestion when consumed, and have high specificity.
D) Chemicals that plants always produce, that are toxic or poisonous, and have high specificity.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

What is the evolutionary history of the red wolf?

A) The red wolf (Canis rufus) was always a species and evolved independently from Canis lupis as a result of geographic isolation when humans modified the landscape.
B) The red wolf (Canis rufus) was always a species and evolved independently from Canis latrans as a result of geographic isolation when humans modified the landscape
C) The red wolf (Canis rufus) was never a species that evolved independently. It is a hybrid Canis rufus and C. latrans.
D) None of the above

Question 5

If within a single population there were four genetically distinct morphs,what would this mean?

A) It would mean that the population had all the same DNA except at four loci.
B) It would mean that most individuals were bi-allelic.
C) It would mean that the population is polymorphic.
D) It would mean that the population is actually four races.

Question 6

Are mutations in the coding regions of DNA primarily favored or selected against?

A) They are always selected for because they always increase fitness.
B) They are often selected against because they often make the mutated organism less fit.
C) They are generally maintained at a level of 50% throughout a population.
D) Selection does not act on this part of the genome.

Question 7

What term would be used to describe the process whereby nitrogen is converted into molecules that plants can use?

A) Nitrogenation
B) Nitrogen fixation
C) Nitrogen recovery
D) Nitrogen flux

Question 8

Which molecular marker is a series of nucleotide bases repeated numerous times and is found in noncoding regions of DNA?

A) SNP
B) DNA barcode
C) Polymorphism
D) Microsatellite

Question 9

Which molecular technique can be used to identify whether labeled foods are actually labeled correctly?

A) Microsatellites that tell us if red meat is actually beef or venison.
B) SNPs that are used to identify genetically-modified chicken.
C) Sanger sequencing that tells us if seafood is actually dolphin.
D) DNA barcoding that is used to identify fish species

Question 10

A population of organisms is divided by a large seismic event.The populations remain split for hundreds of years.One side of the split population is exposed to high levels of ultraviolet radiation,while the other side is primarily exposed to moderate levels of ultraviolet radiation as had been in the shared environment in the past.What hypothesis might you derive with regard to how these populations have responded to ultraviolet radiation?

A) The populations have likely differentiated due to continued gene flow.
B) The populations have likely differentiated due to adaptive variation.
C) The populations have likely not differentiated because of genetic drift.
D) The populations have likely not differentiated but there may be adaptive variation and new species.

Question 11

What process occurs at random and is the undirected changes in gene frequency from generation to generation?

A) Gene flow
B) Mutation
C) Genetic drift
D) Adaptive variation

Question 12

Each year individuals of a species of salamander return to the same pool where they were born to breed.This is an example of which of the following?

A) Philanthropy
B) Genetic drift
C) Natal philopatry
D) Local adaptation

Question 13

Regions of DNA that do not vary between individuals are referred to as what?

A) Microsatellites
B) Allele
C) Locus
D) Conserved

Question 14

Which of the following defines plant quantitative compounds?

A) Chemicals that plants produce when attacked, that are toxic or poisonous, and have high specificity.
B) Chemicals that plants always produce, reduce digestion when consumed, and accumulate ill effects.
C) Chemicals that plants produce when attacked, that reduce digestion when consumed, and have high specificity.
D) Chemicals that plants always produce, that are toxic or poisonous, and have high specificity.

Question 15

mtDNA stands for what?

A) Mighty deoxyribonucleic acid
B) Mitochondrial deoxyribonucleic acid
C) Molecular deoxyribonucleic acid
D) Marker deoxyribonucleic acid

Question 16

What would it mean if you looked at a locus in a sequence of DNA and found a SNP that was bi-allelic?

A) It would mean that there are four genes for those two alleles.
B) It would mean that there are two nucleic variants at that locus.
C) It would mean that the organism has become a new species
D) All of the above

Question 17

Which process of sequencing DNA will provide a higher resolution of an organisms genome?

A) Sanger sequencing
B) Microsatellites
C) Next-generation sequencing
D) DNA barcoding

Question 18

Which of the following is not a modular organism?

A) Creosote bush
B) Streptococcus bacteria
C) Quercus spp. oak tree
D) Baetis spp. mayfly

Question 19

According to Figure 8.5b,when K=7,the red wolf appears to be primarily genetically composed of which canids?

A) Domestic dog and Eurasian wolves
B) Western coyote and Eurasian wolves
C) Western coyote and western grey wolves
D) Western coyote and domestic dog

Question 20

According to Figure 8.5a,the historic red wolf zone was:

A) Sympatric with C. latrans, C. lupis, and admixed zones of grey wolves and coyotes.
B) Was isolated from C. latrans.
C) Was isolated from the admixed zone of grey wolves and C. lupus.
D) Misrepresented and never existed.

Question 21

The term symbiosis means what?

A) Forming a coevolving relationship
B) Species that parasitize one another
C) Living together
D) None of the above

Question 22

What are a few examples of how molecular markers have informed our understanding of the Asian elephant as a species?

A) Molecular markers indicate that Asian elephants are two species.
B) Molecular markers have shown us that there are distinct clades of Asian elephants.
C) The results suggest that the two elephant species arose independently.
D) The results suggest that elephants were moved from regions by humans.

Question 23

Which of the following are types of molecular markers?

A) Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNP)
B) Microsatellites
C) Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)
D) DNA barcodes

Question 24

Do Tuberculatus quercicola that are farmed by Formica yesensis experience any type of tradeoff?

A) No, it is a beneficial relationship for both ants and aphids.
B) Yes, aphids pay a price because their fecundity and growth are reduced.
C) No, aphids are protected from predators by the ants and the populations never suffer.
D) Yes, aphids suffer reduced fecundity and growth, and the population also experiences losses from predators.

Question 25

Which of the following could be involved in a mutualism?

A) A host
B) A parasite
C) Intraspecific individuals
D) A symbiont

Question 26

What is one factor that appears to drive the coevolution of insect-plant arms races?

A) Flowering plants that require pollinators.
B) Plant toxins that have high specificity.
C) Quantitative compounds that plants produce, which have high specificity.
D) Herbivores that respond to plant chemical defenses that reduce digestion.

Question 27

If genetic differentiation has occurred it could be due to:

A) Genetic drift
B) Adaptive variation
C) Gene flow
D) Microsatellites

Question 28

When organisms of different species interact to their benefit this is referred to as what?

A) Parasitism
B) Coevolution
C) A mutualism
D) Symbiosis

Question 29

What reasons explain why Myxomatosis virulence declined in European rabbits outside of their native range?

A) Myxoma evolved toward becoming benign
B) Myxoma virulence was selected against
C) Intermediate virulence was selected for
D) There was selection for increased transmissibility

Question 30

In the myxomatosis-rabbit system,the two vectors were which of the following?

A) Mosquitos
B) Tics
C) Fleas
D) Mites

Question 31

A genetic analysis of the mtCO1 region in Astraptes fulgerator indicated what?

A) That it was a true species
B) That there were seven species
C) That there were at least 10 species
D) That it is not a species

Question 32

In Figure 8.6a,what reasons might explain why specialists survive better than generalists?

A) Generalists have likely not evolved adaptations to process toxins.
B) Generalists are always less fit than specialists.
C) Specialists have evolved adaptations to specific plant toxins since they are usually coevolving.
D) Generalists must evolve adaptations that allow them to process quantitative plant chemical defenses.

Question 33

The bacteria that inhabit pufferfish and produce a chemical defense for them called tetrodotoxin would be an example of what?

A) A parasite
B) A grazer
C) A host
D) A symbiont

Question 34

In Figure 8.6b,why would generalists survive better than specialists?

A) There are not enough data to determine this.
B) Generalists can more efficiently handle toxins with high specificity.
C) Generalists did not survive more than specialists.
D) Specialists have likely evolved adaptations to deal with a specific compound, whereas generalists must have adaptations for an array of compounds.

Question 35

Using Figure 8.9a,how long did it take for an intermediate level of virulence to arise?

A) Approximately 30 years
B) Between 1 to 4 years
C) It never evolved
D) Less than 1 year

Question 36

What is an example of a reason why an ecologist would employ a molecular marker?

A) To differentiate one individual of a species from another
B) To measure the amount of gene flow between populations of a species
C) To trace lineages of a species from generation to generation
D) To detect adaptive variation between populations of a species

Question 37

Which ecology terms define differentiation within populations where relatedness is much greater within groups rather than between them?

A) Tribe
B) Race
C) Clade
D) Subdivision

Question 38

Based on the data in Figures 8.9a and 8.9b,how much longer did it take for intermediate virulence to arise in Australia than in Britain?

A) It appears that it took approximately 5 years longer.
B) Intermediate virulence never evolved in Australia.
C) Less than 1 year.
D) It did not take longer for intermediate virulence to evolve in Australia.

Question 39

What is a molecular marker?

A) It is a section of DNA sequence that can be used to characterize variation in nucleotide bases
B) It is DNA from the mitochondrion
C) It is a part of the genome that does not code for a protein
D) It is a section of DNA sequences that can be used to evaluate polymorphisms

Question 40

Which of the following pertain to qualitative plant chemicals?

A) They can be toxins
B) High specificity
C) Low specificity
D) Can be induced by attacks

Question 41

In Figure 8.13a,the percentage of herbivory between Azteca spp.and Myrmelachista schumanni in ant exclusions _______.

A) Was not significantly different between treatments and controls.
B) Increased significantly in the control.
C) Was nearly three times greater for M. schumanni.
D) Decreased more than controls.

Question 42

An __________ is a finely branched intracellular cluster of fungi found in plant host cells.

A) Ectomycorrhiza
B) Ectosymbiont
C) Arbuscule
D) Epiphyte

Question 43

About _______% of flowering plants possess morphological features that serve to disperse seeds.

A) 10
B) 20
C) 30
D) 70

Question 44

A bird feeds on the fruit of a plant.The bird will later regurgitate the seed.However,in the process of digesting the fruit and regurgitating the seed,the embryo is made non-viable.This is ___________.

A) An example of a mutualism because the bird disperses the plants seeds.
B) An example of a coevolutionary relationship because both are specialized.
C) Not an example of a mutualism because the bird destroys the seed and so it is never actually benefiting the plant.
D) None of the above

Question 45

__________ are mutualisms formed between plant root tissue and fungi.

A) Cruciferae
B) Mycorrhiza
C) Arbuscular ectobiota
D) None of the above

Question 46

You are working on a research project in a garden and notice that many different insect species visit the same species of plant in the garden.All of the insects appear to be collecting nectar and pollen.This is likely because ________.

A) The plant is visited by a specialized pollinator.
B) The plant is visited by generalist pollinators.
C) The plant has many nectaries, which provide exclusive resources to specialists.
D) The plant relies on ultraspecialists for pollination.

Question 47

You might expect the evolution of specialized animal pollinators and specialized flowers because ______________.

A) This ensures that both can survive.
B) A specialist pollinator will likely be able to discriminate between plants and therefore not move pollen between heterospecifics.
C) There is no precedent that suggests that this should be expected.
D) A specialist pollinator will likely only visit one plant and pollinate only that one plant which will therefore increase the plants fitness.

Question 48

According to the classic study by de Wit et al.(1966),soybeans were grown in mixtures with a grass.Mixtures either received mineral nitrogen,were inoculated with Rhizobium,or both.The results of this experiment showed what?

A) Where environments are deficient in nitrogen, plants that are not nodulated legumes will outcompete nodulated legumes.
B) When the two species compete in fertilized soil, the grass outcompetes and produces a greater yield than the soybeans, regardless of whether Rhizobium were present. But, when nitrogen is deficient and Rhizobium are present the soybeans have a greater yield and it appears the grass will eventually be outcompeted.
C) Rhizobium have no effect on the yield of the plants because nitrogen availability is the single most important factor
D) When the two species compete in unfertilized soil, the grass outcompetes the soybeans and produces a greater yield, regardless of whether Rhizobium were present. But, when nitrogen is abundant and Rhizobium are present the soybeans have a greater yield and outcompete the grass.

Question 49

________ are found in roughly two-thirds of all plant species.

A) Ectosymbionts
B) Arbuscular mycorrhizas
C) Ericoid mycorrhizas
D) Endosymbionts

Question 50

Bacteria that are found in the root nodules of most leguminous plants and are responsible for fixing nitrogen are known as ______________.

A) Arbuscules
B) Rhizobia
C) Parasitic fungi
D) There is no term to define these bacteria because there are so many of them.