Deck 18: Introduction to Darwinian Evolution

Question 1

Food supplies that sustain animal populations have the capacity to increase:

A) arithmetically.
B) by accumulation and deduction.
C) geometrically.
D) symmetrically.
E) migration rates.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Who proposed that the Earth's geological features formed slowly over time, creating long periods for evolution?

A) Charles Darwin
B) Aristotle
C) Lamarck
D) Charles Lyell
E) Erasmus Darwin

Answer 2

D

Question 3

The rapid evolution of bacteria and fungi in certain environments is used in the field of:

A) bioremediation.
B) human disease genetics.
C) medical diagnostics.
D) human genome sequencing.
E) plant genomics.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Which vegetable was not produced from a single species using artificial selection?

A) broccoli.
B) colewort.
C) collard greens.
D) kale.
E) kohlrabi.

Question 5

Evolution is genetic change in __________ that occurs over time.

A) an individual
B) a population
C) a community
D) an ecosystem
E) the biosphere

Question 6

Differential reproductive success is equivalent to:

A) evolution.
B) competition.
C) mutation.
D) natural selection.
E) adaptation.

Question 7

__________ arranged organisms into a scale of nature and first stated that organisms changed toward the more complex and perfect.

A) Dobzhansky
B) Lamarck
C) Erasmus Darwin
D) Charles Darwin
E) Aristotle

Question 8

Fossil evidence shows that giraffes living 1000 years ago had much shorter necks than the giraffes seen today.Which of the following statements best explains this observation?

A) The two groups of giraffes are not related.
B) The two groups of giraffes arose as a result of convergent evolution.
C) The giraffes acquired longer necks through the continuing process of natural selection.
D) The difference in neck length supports Lamarck's hypothesis.
E) The difference in neck length is evidence for homoplastic inheritance.

Question 9

Which of the following ideas is not part of Darwin's concept of evolution?

A) A population is capable of producing more offspring than the environment can support.
B) Individuals that are best adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce.
C) A struggle for existence exists among individuals of a population.
D) Traits acquired during an individual's life are passed on to its offspring.
E) Individuals in a population are genetically variable.

Question 10

Passing on traits or characteristics that were acquired during the lifetime of an organism to its offspring is a concept that is attributed to:

A) Alfred Wallace.
B) Charles Darwin.
C) Charles Lyell.
D) Jean Baptiste de Lamarck.
E) Thomas Malthus.

Question 11

Overproduction, variation, limits on population growth, and differential reproductive success are components of:

A) evolution by natural selection.
B) evolution by inheritance of acquired characteristics.
C) punctuated equilibrium.
D) genetic inheritance.
E) gradualism.

Question 12

Evolutionary modifications that improve the survival and reproductive success of an organism are called:

A) mutations.
B) vestigial structures.
C) homoplastic traits.
D) artificial traits.
E) adaptations.

Question 13

Which of the following does not contribute to limits on population growth?

A) snakes feeding on mice in a cornfield
B) bears having two cubs
C) the amount of light for photosynthesis
D) a disease-causing organism entering a population
E) an increase in the total rainfall in a normally dry environment

Question 14

Breeds of dogs, such as German Shepherds and Saint Bernards, occur as a result of:

A) polyploidy.
B) artificial selection.
C) hormones.
D) mutation.
E) natural selection.

Question 15

Individual species will continually evolve as a result of:

A) coevolution.
B) convergent evolution.
C) punctuated equilibrium.
D) natural selection.
E) gradualism.

Question 16

On the Galapagos Islands, Charles Darwin questioned why:

A) the island species resembled those on other arid islands.
B) the island species resembled those from nearby islands.
C) the islands were inhabited at all since they were 600 miles from South America.
D) the island species resembled those from South America.
E) the island species were not unique.

Question 17

The islands where Charles Darwin observed variation among organisms and compared them to those organisms found on the mainland were the:

A) Channel Islands.
B) Falkland Islands.
C) Galapagos Islands.
D) Canary Islands.
E) Virgin Islands.

Question 18

Which statement would not be supported by Darwin's concept of evolution?

A) A population of wolves produces 500 offspring in an environment capable of supporting only 450.
B) A population of plants adapted to dry conditions survives a draught and reproduces, while another population best adapted to rainy weather dies and becomes extinct.
C) The offspring of three different female bears compete for the same food source.
D) All children in the same town are genetically different.
E) Five generations of farmers have warts on their hands.

Question 19

Whose findings of evolution by natural selection were presented with those of Darwin?

A) Alfred Wallace
B) Carolus Linnaeus
C) Charles Lyell
D) Gregor Mendel
E) Thomas Malthus

Question 20

__________ penned an essay stating that populations have the capability to outgrow their food supply resulting in disease, famine, and competition.

A) Erasmus Darwin
B) Aristotle
C) Thomas Malthus
D) Lamarck
E) Charles Darwin

Question 21

The front limbs of birds and bats -- both wings -- are considered to be:

A) homologous structures.
B) homozygous structures.
C) divergent structures.
D) vestigial structures.
E) homoplastic structures.

Question 22

Bird wings and insect wings are considered to be examples of:

A) divergent evolution.
B) homoplastic evolution.
C) vestigial structures.
D) convergent evolution.
E) coevolution.

Question 23

During the 1920s to 1940s, biologists combined Mendelian genetics with Darwin's theory to form a unified explanation of evolution that is referred to as:

A) classical Darwinism.
B) evolutionary genetics.
C) genetic evolution.
D) neo-evolution.
E) the modern synthesis.

Question 24

Bird wings and insect wings are considered to be:

A) homologous structures.
B) homogenous structures.
C) vestigial structures.
D) divergent structures.
E) homoplastic structures.

Question 25

Which of the following methods is not used to date fossils?

A) the amount of radioisotopes remaining
B) index fossils
C) the relative position in rock strata
D) uranium-235
E) nitrogen-14

Question 26

Which of the following is not part of Darwin's mechanism of evolution?

A) overproduction of offspring
B) competition among organisms
C) acquiring traits because they are needed
D) differential reproductive success
E) genetic variation among individuals

Question 27

The differential distribution of wing length in Drosophila, with larger wings in northern areas and smaller wings in southern climates, provides evidence that:

A) chance is the most important agent in evolutionary change.
B) natural selection is the most important agent in evolutionary change.
C) wing length is not a heritable trait.
D) the fossil record is usually inaccurate.
E) the molecular clock cannot be applied to fruit fly traits.

Question 28

Which of the following would be least likely to form a fossil?

A) an animal with an exoskeleton
B) an animal with an endoskeleton
C) a marine organism
D) an organism in the tropical rain forest
E) an organism living in a lake

Question 29

Perhaps the most direct evidence for evolution comes from:

A) biogeography.
B) comparative anatomy.
C) developmental biology.
D) the fossil record.
E) molecular biology.

Question 30

Paleontologists have pieced together from fossils the evolution of the whale from:

A) aquatic reptiles.
B) four-legged, land dwelling mammals.
C) sharks.
D) porpoises.
E) extinct aquatic birds.

Question 31

Fossilized remains of humans and their immediate ancestors are found:

A) only in rock formed from volcanoes.
B) only in relatively young rock.
C) in any rock from areas inhabited by humans.
D) only in rock from the Precambrian times.
E) only in relatively old rock.

Question 32

When populations with separate ancestors adapt in similar ways to similar environmental constraints, it is referred to as:

A) biogeography.
B) coevolution.
C) convergent evolution.
D) homologous evolution.
E) natural selection.

Question 33

Which of the following statements about radioisotopes is false?

A) The half-life of a radioisotope does not vary with temperature or pressure.
B) Carbon-14 is typically used to date the rocks in which fossils are found.
C) The ratio of carbon-14 to carbon-12 is used in dating fossils.
D) Potassium-40 has an extremely long half-life.
E) The nucleus of a radioisotope can change into that of a different element during decay.

Question 34

The synthetic theory of evolution emphasizes:

A) natural selection of individuals.
B) population genetics.
C) differential reproduction.
D) overproduction of individuals.
E) homologous versus vestigial structures.

Question 35

You have identified a new mammal species.You are surprised to find that it has a pelvis, but there is no evidence the species has legs.However, as a scientist you will most likely conclude:

A) the pelvic bones are present because the animal is a mammal.
B) that this is a very young animal.
C) that you have found a mutant species.
D) the pelvic bones are analogous to the pelvic bones found in other mammals.
E) that the pelvis is a vestigial structure.

Question 36

If two species have homologous structures:

A) the structures have the same function.
B) the structures are identical.
C) the species are related by a common ancestry.
D) the species have very different ancestors.
E) the structures have the same function and they are identical.

Question 37

What process provides the genetic variability that natural selection acts on during evolution?

A) adaptation
B) artificial selection
C) fitness
D) mitosis
E) mutation

Question 38

The indigenous plants and animals of the Galapagos Islands and Cape Verde Islands:

A) are the same species as those found on the nearby mainland.
B) are the same species on the two islands, but are different from those on the mainland.
C) are the same species on the two islands and on the mainland.
D) are similar to one another, but quite different from either adjacent mainland.
E) resemble the nearest mainland species, but have evolved into new species.

Question 39

Darwin might have made even greater advances in his theory if he had:

A) understood the work of Gregor Mendel.
B) read the works of Malthus.
C) done experiments in plant structure.
D) read of the work of Charles Lyell.
E) understood the theories of Jean Baptiste de Lamarck.

Question 40

The most important finding from the fossil record which supports the theory of evolution is:

A) that life has evolved over time.
B) that life evolved in the ocean.
C) that most species are extinct.
D) that ancient species differed from those alive today.
E) the inaccuracy of the fossil record.

Question 41

When it is said that the genetic code is universal, it means that all organisms share the same:

A) genes.
B) mitochondrial DNA.
C) coding mechanism.
D) ribosomal structure.
E) nuclear composition.

Question 42

The genetic code demonstrates the universality of living things because it is common to virtually all:

A) eukaryotes.
B) autotrophs.
C) plants and animals.
D) bacteria.
E) organisms.

Question 43

Which of the following early embryos would be the easiest to distinguish from the others?

A) bird
B) honey bee
C) human
D) snake
E) catfish

Question 44

When DNA sequences are compared, the closet living relative of humans is found to be the gorilla.
__________________

Question 45

The study of past and present distributions of organisms on Earth is termed:

A) biodistributogeography.
B) organismal geography.
C) biogeography.
D) geographical ecology.
E) biological ecology.

Question 46

Compare and contrast the following terms: homology and homoplasy.Provide two examples for each.

Question 47

Acquired variations that are favorable to the survival of an organim tend to be present in greater frequency in the next generation of those organisms.
__________________

Question 48

DNA sequencing data suggest that evolutionary changes are related to an accumulation of:

A) changes in DNA nucleotide sequences.
B) homologous structures.
C) index fossils.
D) vestigial organs.
E) convergent structures.

Question 49

The decrease of carbon-12 in a fossil indicates the age of that fossil.
__________________

Question 50

The geographical distribution of organisms makes sense only in the context of:

A) natural selection.
B) plate tectonics.
C) continental drift.
D) evolution.
E) ecology.

Question 51

Analysis of mitochondrial DNA from different species of stickleback fish in three lakes disproves the hypothesis of a common ancestor for all three species.
__________________

Question 52

Explain why we have a more complete historical record of diversity in North American dinosaurs than we do of rain forest organisms.

Question 53

After eleven years, the descendants of transferred guppies in Venezuela and Trinidad were significantly larger than their ancestors, indicating that the larger size of guppies was an adaptation to the new environment.
__________________

Question 54

Australia has distinctive organisms, such as egg-laying mammals and pouched mammals (marsupials), because they have:

A) an unusual climate that has triggered natural selection.
B) selective conditions that have been relaxed.
C) been separated and isolated from other land masses for a long period of time.
D) experienced a significantly slower rate of evolutionary change.
E) fewer species of organisms than most continents.

Question 55

The modern synthesis theory of evolution explains Darwin's observations of variation among offspring in terms of amino acid substitutions.
__________________

Question 56

Darwin observed that species found on ocean islands do not resemble species on islands with similar environment in other parts of the world.
__________________

Question 57

A cactus spine and a pea tendril illustrate homoplasy because both are modified leaves.
__________________

Question 58

Medicine must respond with new drugs and vaccinations to the slow evolution of disease-causing organisms such as bacteria and viruses.
__________________

Question 59

Figure 18-3
Use the figure to answer the corresponding question(s).
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-The results in Figure 18-3 support the conclusion that:

A) natural selection does not occur in guppies.
B) natural selection can occur in guppies within a few generations.
C) predation is not a selective force in determining the average size of guppies.
D) male body weight increased proportionately more than female body weight.
E) in the experimental setting, the guppies produced fewer, larger offspring.

Question 60

Provide a brief explanation of the relationship between amino acid sequences in proteins and nucleotide sequences in DNA and what they can reveal about evolutionary relationships.

Question 61

How do fossils provide evidence of evolution? How are scientists able to determine the age of fossils?

Question 62

MATCHING
Match the description with the different types of evidence for evolution.
a.artificial selection
d.fossil record
b.adaptation
e.biogeography
c.nucleotide sequence comparisons
a feature that improves the chance of survival and reproduction

Question 63

MATCHING
Match the description with the different types of evidence for evolution.
a.artificial selection
d.fossil record
b.adaptation
e.biogeography
c.nucleotide sequence comparisons
remains of ancient organism

Question 64

MATCHING
Match the description with the different types of evidence for evolution.
a.artificial selection
d.fossil record
b.adaptation
e.biogeography
c.nucleotide sequence comparisons
Explain this statement: "There is bias in the fossil record."

Question 65

The accumulation of genetic changes in vertebrates that modified the basic body plan laid out in fish development illustrates evolutionary development from a common ancester.
__________________

Question 66

MATCHING
Match the description with the different types of evidence for evolution.
a.artificial selection
d.fossil record
b.adaptation
e.biogeography
c.nucleotide sequence comparisons
breeding only organisms that share the desired trait

Question 67

MATCHING
Match the description with the different types of evidence for evolution.
a.artificial selection
d.fossil record
b.adaptation
e.biogeography
c.nucleotide sequence comparisons
distribution of plants and animals on the planet

Question 68

MATCHING
Match the description with the different types of evidence for evolution.
a.artificial selection
d.fossil record
b.adaptation
e.biogeography
c.nucleotide sequence comparisons
mutations

Question 69

What part of Darwin's theory was incomplete due to a lack of knowledge at the time of publication? How does the synthetic theory of evolution explain this?

Question 70

Compare and contrast the homology that occurs in the forelimbs of mammals.