Deck 2: Sex and Evolution

Question 1

The rate of evolutionary change in a species would be likely to slow down if

A) all members of the species were similar.
B) offspring were not very similar to parents.
C) differences among the members of the species caused large differences in their numbers of offspring.
D) Both a and b
E) All of the above

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Traits that are passed down from parents to offspring are termed

A) heritable.
B) conjugations.
C) eukaryotes.
D) gametes.
E) parthenogenic.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Scientists estimate the number of genes in the human genome to be between _______ and _______.

A) 44; 46
B) 500; 5000
C) 20,000; 25,000
D) 1 million; 2 million
E) 50 million; 100 million

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Sexual reproduction differs from asexual reproduction in that sexual reproduction

A) occurs by mitosis.
B) requires the mixing of genes from two individuals.
C) is similar to artificial cloning.
D) is nonadaptive.
E) does not place participants at risk.

Question 5

The final product of mitosis is

A) haploid gametes.
B) haploid daughter cells.
C) diploid gametes.
D) diploid daughter cells.
E) haploid polymorphisms.

Question 6

A form of reproduction is asexual rather than sexual if

A) organisms do not have sexual intercourse.
B) organisms carry genes of only one parent.
C) reproduction promotes DNA replication.
D) it is performed by eukaryotic organisms.
E) it involves meiosis.

Question 7

Which of the following occurs only during sexual reproduction?

A) Mitosis
B) Meiosis
C) Budding
D) Cell division
E) Both a and c

Question 8

The sequence of cell divisions known as _______ occurs within the reproductive tissues.

A) mitosis
B) meiosis
C) conjugation
D) parthenogenesis
E) adaptation

Question 9

Two species are closely related, except that one of them (Species A) reproduces sexually and the other (Species B) reproduces asexually. As time goes on, which of the following should happen?

A) Species A should grow more rapidly than Species
B) Species B should grow more rapidly than Species
C) Species A should have more harmful mutations than Species
D) Species B should have more harmful mutations than Species
E) Both b and d

Question 10

One of the advantages of sexual reproduction over asexual reproduction is that it

A) contributes to the development of new defenses against disease.
B) leads to gene combinations that prove to be functionless.
C) is less adaptable to changing environments.
D) involves the passing of 100% of the genetic material from parents to offspring.
E) involves reduced risk to parents.

Question 11

Which of the following statements about reproduction is true?

A) Males generally invest more than females.
B) Males choose among females for mates.
C) Females generally invest more than males.
D) Females are generally more competitive than males.
E) In choosing their mates, females disregard physical characteristics of males and focus only on behavior.

Question 12

The key feature of sexual reproduction is that

A) it is less adaptive than asexual reproduction.
B) it occurs when females outnumber males.
C) it occurs when males outnumber females.
D) it increases the occurrence of mutations in a species.
E) offspring carry a mixture of genes from both parents.

Question 13

The theory that gene mixing is an adaptation that protects a host from constantly evolving parasites is called the

A) Red Queen hypothesis.
B) parthenogenic hypothesis.
C) theory of natural selection.
D) polymorphism theory.
E) theory of beneficial mutations.

Question 14

_______ help organisms perpetuate their genes in future generations.

A) Competitors
B) Adaptations
C) Polymorphisms
D) Mutations
E) Conjugations

Question 15

The mixing of _______ in sexual reproduction may be useful in helping offspring adapt to environmental change.

A) genes
B) hormones
C) gonads
D) eukaryotes
E) MHC markers

Question 16

The most general evolutionary advantage of sexual reproduction is that it

A) ensures that organisms must experience pleasure in order to reproduce
B) ensures that at least some offspring have better genes than their parents.
C) ensures that all offspring have better genes than their parents.
D) is the most rapid rate of reproduction.
E) is the least costly form of reproduction.

Question 17

Sexually reproducing species are _______ successful at resisting parasites than asexually reproducing species because they _______.

A) more; have fewer harmful mutations
B) less; have more harmful mutations
C) more; are more likely to have beneficial combinations of genes
D) less; are less likely to have beneficial combinations of genes
E) Both a and c

Question 18

Which of the following is the main evolutionary reason that many species have two sexes?

A) Two sexes allow for the elimination of harmful mutations.
B) Two sexes are necessary for sexual reproduction.
C) Two sexes reduce the harmfulness of parasites.
D) Larger gametes cost more to produce than smaller ones but are more likely to succeed.
E) Both a and c

Question 19

Females usually exceed males in all of the following areas except for

A) commitment of resources.
B) speed of gametes.
C) investment in reproduction.
D) size of gametes.
E) certainty of reproducing.

Question 20

According to disruptive selection, individuals that are not favored are those that produce

A) small gametes.
B) large gametes.
C) middle-sized gametes.
D) too many gametes.
E) haploid gametes.

Question 21

The purpose of sexual behavior among members of parthenogenic whiptail lizard species is to

A) promote egg development and ovulation.
B) exchange gametes.
C) mix genetic material.
D) promote mate guarding behavior.
E) promote sperm development and ejaculation.

Question 22

The division of one population into two groups, male and female, is an example of

A) natural selection.
B) binary fission.
C) disruptive selection.
D) conjugation.
E) having sex.

Question 23

Prior to fertilization, a mature female gamete is called a(n)

A) zygote.
B) isogamete.
C) chromatid.
D) daughter cell.
E) ovum.

Question 24

Hermaphrodites do not generally fertilize themselves because

A) they are not adapted to do so.
B) sexual reproduction is more advantageous genetically.
C) they only reproduce asexually.
D) they usually fail to survive to adulthood.
E) they only reproduce with other species.

Question 25

Which of the following statements about hermaphroditic organisms is false?

A) They have both male and female reproductive functions.
B) They exist among plants.
C) They exist among animals.
D) They usually fertilize themselves.
E) They reproduce sexually.

Question 26

In most animal species the ratio of males to females is

A) nearly equal.
B) about 2:1 in favor of males.
C) about 2:1 in favor of females.
D) heavily weighted toward males because they are aggressive and dominant.
E) heavily weighted toward females because they are nurturing.

Question 27

A species of marine mollusks called nudibranchs are hermaphrodites that produce both sperm and ova and

A) fertilize themselves.
B) must find another individual to mate with.
C) do not reproduce.
D) are sterile.
E) reproduce via conjugation.

Question 28

There are no known species in which individual organisms have more than _______ parents.

A) 2
B) 3
C) 4
D) 5
E) 6

Question 29

Which of the following is the most important factor explaining why, in most species, there are similar numbers of males and females?

A) Species with similar numbers of males and females grow the most quickly.
B) The existence of fewer females would lead to much more male violence.
C) A gene that made more of one sex would eventually be outcompeted by genes that increased the rate of the other sex.
D) Offspring need fathers and mothers equally.
E) Species with uneven sex ratios have more difficulty shedding harmful mutations.

Question 30

At every stage in development, _______ are more likely than _______ to die.

A) eukaryotic organisms; single-celled organisms
B) girls; boys
C) sexual species; asexual species
D) boys; girls
E) multi-celled organisms; single-celled organisms

Question 31

In mammals, when an ovum and sperm fuse at fertilization, a female offspring results if the ovum receives

A) a Y chromosome from the sperm.
B) an X chromosome from the sperm.
C) both an X and Y chromosome from the sperm.
D) two X chromosomes from the sperm.
E) two Y chromosomes from the sperm.

Question 32

Humans possess 46 chromosomes, _______ of which are called autosomes.

A) 2
B) 22
C) 23
D) 44
E) 46

Question 33

Men and women possess similar

A) sex chromosomes.
B) zygotes.
C) autosomes.
D) gonads
E) SRY genes.

Question 34

The universal mechanism of sex determination in animals is

A) the Y chromosome.
B) the X chromosome.
C) SRY.
D) All of the above
E) None of the above

Question 35

Another term for a fertilized ovum is a

A) hermaphrodite.
B) zygote.
C) polymorphism.
D) eukaryote.
E) polygyny.

Question 36

An individual with a chromosomal complement of 47 (XYY) is categorized as

A) asexual.
B) parthenogenic.
C) female.
D) SRY-neutral.
E) male.

Question 37

An individual with a chromosomal complement of 47 (XXY) is categorized as

A) asexual.
B) parthenogenic.
C) female.
D) SRY-neutral.
E) male.

Question 38

Males typically exhibit a reproductive strategy that is

A) nurturing.
B) invested.
C) exploitative.
D) asymmetrical.
E) temperature-dependent.

Question 39

Which of the following statements about typical sex differences in reproduction and mating is false?

A) Males are more likely than females to fail to reproduce.
B) The minimum investment that a female must make in reproduction is larger than that of a male.
C) Males can have more offspring than females can.
D) Males compete for females more than females compete for males.
E) Males are more concerned than females with getting a high quality mate.

Question 40

Which of the following is the most important limit on a male's reproductive success?

A) The number of sperm he can produce
B) The amount of investment he must make in each offspring
C) The number of females with whom he can reproduce
D) The energy he has for sex
E) His resistance to sexually transmitted parasites

Question 41

Which of the following is the most important limit on a female's reproductive success?

A) The number of males with whom she can reproduce
B) The energy she has for sex
C) Her resistance to sexually transmitted parasites
D) The amount of investment she must make in each offspring
E) The number of eggs she can produce

Question 42

A high degree of fluctuating asymmetry is associated with

A) intact chromosomal function.
B) immunity from infection.
C) tolerance to toxins.
D) tolerance to stress.
E) decreased reproductive success.

Question 43

Compared to male animals, female animals invest much more heavily in their offspring. Which of the following is not one of the areas in which the female investment is greater than that of the male?

A) Carrying children internally during gestation
B) Feeding children after birth
C) Protecting children from predators
D) Fighting off rivals for their mate's attention
E) Being fertilized internally

Question 44

In which of the following organisms does fertilization occur within a male's body?

A) Elephant
B) Horse
C) Sea horse
D) Mule
E) Hyena

Question 45

Among birds, the sex that invests less in parenting of offspring tends to be

A) smaller and less colorful than its partner.
B) larger and more brightly colored than its partner.
C) female.
D) the more attentive partner.
E) a poor mate.

Question 46

Greater variance in reproductive success experienced by males leads to

A) conjugation.
B) nurturing behavior.
C) invested sexual strategies.
D) asexual reproduction.
E) risky sexual strategies.

Question 47

A trait favored by male‒male competition is

A) nurturing behavior.
B) asexual reproduction.
C) sexual endurance.
D) small body size.
E) lack of bright coloration.

Question 48

In species in which males are larger than females, the size difference is usually due to

A) competition between males for mates.
B) competition between males and females.
C) the need for females to provide nutrients to their offspring.
D) the need for males to demonstrate high quality to females.
E) the evolution in males of traits that help them protect their offspring.

Question 49

The fact that attractive physical characteristics have a cost makes them

A) attractive to mates.
B) painful.
C) environmental.
D) maladaptive.
E) undesirable to mates.

Question 50

In a certain bird species, females are attracted to males with long, bright green tail feathers. If a scientist were to glue feathers onto a male bird's tail to make it twice the length of a naturally found tail, which of the following would likely result?

A) Female birds would in all cases be especially attracted to the male with the artificially lengthened tail.
B) Female birds would be especially attracted to the male with the artificially lengthened tail if the tail were symmetric.
C) Female birds would be less attracted to the male with the artificially lengthened tail because the tail would be perceived as unnatural.
D) Female birds would pay attention only to the degree of symmetry of the male's artificially lengthened tail, not to its length.
E) The male with the artificially-lengthened tail would survive longer than other males.

Question 51

When rodents are not in estrus they

A) hop and dart around.
B) wiggle their ears.
C) copulate with males.
D) are able to be impregnated.
E) reject male courtship.

Question 52

_______ behaviors elicit reciprocal courtship.

A) Monogamous
B) Receptive
C) Promiscuous
D) Mate guarding
E) Proceptive

Question 53

Which of the following is most likely to be true in species in which males invest in reproduction about as much as females do?

A) Males and females are similar in appearance.
B) Females compete for males more than males compete for females.
C) Males carry the offspring inside their bodies.
D) Females are the brighter, larger sex.
E) Neither sex competes for the other.

Question 54

Male promiscuity is more common than female promiscuity because, typically,

A) females have no reason to prefer one male over another.
B) females do not have to invest much in competition for mates.
C) males invest less in reproduction.
D) females are not interested in males unless the males will invest in offspring.
E) All of the above

Question 55

Which of the following is the least likely reason that a monogamously-mated female would engage in sex with a male other than her partner?

A) To obtain extra food
B) Because the extra-pair partner has better genes than her partner
C) Because the extra-pair partner is more dominant than her partner
D) To suggest to the extra-pair partner that he might be the father of her future offspring
E) To have more offspring than she would with just one partner

Question 56

In a species that practices polyandry, we would expect to find that

A) males invest an unusually large amount in reproduction.
B) females compete for males.
C) males are much larger than females.
D) Both a and b
E) All of the above

Question 57

Which of the following is famous for forming lifelong pair bonds?

A) Rabbits
B) Swans
C) Ducks
D) Bears
E) Lizards

Question 58

A social relationship called _______ consists of a single female with a harem of males.

A) monogamy
B) polyamory
C) polygyny
D) polyandry
E) promiscuity

Question 59

Individuals that mate only within their pair-bond are called

A) polygynous.
B) polyandrous.
C) promiscuous.
D) sexually monogamous.
E) socially monogamous.

Question 60

A social relationship called _______ consists of a single male with a harem of females

A) monogamy
B) polyamory
C) polygyny
D) polyandry
E) promiscuity

Question 61

Sexual monogamy may be imposed on males when females

A) refuse to engage in extra-pair mating.
B) leave the relationship.
C) are incapable of reproduction.
D) become promiscuous.
E) exhibit mate guarding behavior.

Question 62

The willingness of animals, including humans, to engage in sex outside of an established relationship is termed

A) pornography.
B) prostitution.
C) adultery.
D) polygamy.
E) promiscuity.

Question 63

Which of the following would be most likely if females of a species mated promiscuously?

A) Males would ejaculate large amounts of sperm.
B) Males would be much larger than females.
C) Females would compete for access to males.
D) Both a and b
E) All of the above

Question 64

When a male remains close to a female throughout her fertile period and keeps other males away from her, he is

A) mate guarding.
B) acting foolishly.
C) condoning female promiscuity.
D) sterile.
E) past his sexual prime.

Question 65

Haploid gametes

A) are necessary for asexual reproduction.
B) contain twice the number of chromosomes of a diploid cell.
C) are produced by the process of mitosis.
D) are devoid of chromosomes.
E) contain half the number of chromosomes of a diploid cell.

Question 66

Males may respond to female promiscuity by

A) producing brightly colored fur or feathers.
B) producing large numbers of sperm.
C) ignoring their mates.
D) gathering a harem of mates.
E) producing small numbers of sperm.

Question 67

Which of the following is the main evolutionary reason that individuals in some species tend to help their relatives?

A) The relatives have similar traits as the individuals that help them.
B) There is little cost to helping relatives.
C) Relatives tend to reciprocate the help.
D) The relatives are especially likely to share genes with the individuals that help them.
E) The behavior is learned early by offspring as they observe their mothers.

Question 68

Kin selection favors _______ behavior in primates.

A) maternal
B) paternal
C) aunting
D) sibling rivalry
E) incestuous

Question 69

The kin selection theory has been applied most successfully to

A) social insects, such as bees and ants.
B) siblings that display extreme jealousy.
C) step-relationships in humans.
D) incestuous family members.
E) opposite-sex sibling sexual relations.

Question 70

Which of the following brother and sister pairs could most plausibly have an incestuous sexual relationship?

A) A biologically related brother and sister who were reared together until the age of 10, separated, and then were reunited at age 30
B) A biologically related brother and sister who were reared in a culture that does not teach that incest is sinful
C) A brother and sister who are step-siblings (not biologically related), lived together from infancy until age 10, separated, and then were reunited at age 30
D) A biologically related brother and sister who did not meet each other until age 15
E) Both a and c

Question 71

Which of the following correlates most strongly with moral opposition to sibling incest?

A) Opposition to adoption
B) Time spent living with a same-sex sibling
C) Opposition to communal living
D) Time spent living with an opposite-sex sibling
E) Religious upbringing

Question 72

Bonobos are similar to humans in terms of the frequency with which they

A) have sex when they cannot conceive.
B) have sex with other members of their group in order to resolve conflict.
C) have homosexual sex.
D) Both a and b
E) All of the above

Question 73

There is evidence that female mice avoid sex with males carrying

A) haploid cells.
B) different MHC markers.
C) eukaryotic cells.
D) diploid cells.
E) similar MHC markers.

Question 74

In order for the process of natural selection to occur within a species, the traits of individuals must be _______ and _______.

A) invariant; heritable
B) invariant; adaptive
C) somewhat variable; heritable
D) somewhat heritable; adaptive
E) somewhat variant; nonheritable

Question 75

Most cells of the body are _______ and _______; however, the gametes of a mammal are _______.

A) prokaryotic; diploid; haploid
B) eukaryotic; diploid; haploid
C) eukaryotic; haploid; diploid
D) asexual; meiotic; mitotic
E) protolitic; mitotic; diploid

Question 76

Parthenogenesis occurs

A) during gestation.
B) in proceptive females.
C) as a form of asexual reproduction.
D) All of the above
E) None of the above

Question 77

The benefits of sexual reproduction outweigh its costs because

A) the mixing of genes offers substantial advantages in dealing with changing environmental challenges.
B) sexual reproduction permits the removal of harmful mutations in the genome.
C) harmful mutations must occur at a low rate.
D) Both a and b
E) All of the above are benefits.

Question 78

The Red Queen hypothesis states that

A) sexual reproduction affords a strategy for hosts to outwit parasites.
B) asexual reproduction is adaptive in challenging environments.
C) males will be larger and compete for access to fertile females.
D) offspring of asexual reproduction are genetically dissimilar.
E) females will prefer asymmetrical males.

Question 79

Female gametes are _______, while male gametes are _______.

A) small and nutrient-rich; large and motile
B) large and motile; small and nutrient-rich
C) nutrient-poor and motile; large and motile
D) large and diploid; small and motile
E) large and nutrient-rich; small and motile

Question 80

Whiptail lizards of the species

A) both male and female; no; parthenogenetic
B) both male and female; both male and female; sexual
C) sexless; no; sexual
D) all female; both male and female; parthenogenetic
E) male; male; asexual