Deck 14: Evolution and Development

Question 1

Which of the following biologists was quoted as saying "nothing in biology makes sense unless viewed in the light of evolution?"

A) Theodosius Dobzhansky
B) Gregor Mendel
C) Charles Darwin
D) Hans Spemann

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The living unicellular group most closely related to multicellular animals is

A) Filastereans
B) Choanoflagellates
C) Ichthyosporeans
D) Fungi

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Trichoplax is a very simple two-layered organism harboring only four different cell types. In which phylum is Trichoplax classified?

A) Porifera
B) Placozoa
C) Ctenophora
D) Cnidaria

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Vertebrates, mollusks, and nematodes are tripoblasts. Which embryonic characteristic classifies them as tripoblasts?

A) They have three germ layers
B) Their digestive systems have three branches
C) Their mid-blastula transition occurs at the third cleavage event
D) Their tissues develop across three primary axes

Question 5

What is ontogeny?

A) The evolutionary history of a species or group
B) The speed of developmental events
C) The development of an organism
D) The sharing of embryological structures between animals

Question 6

During Darwin's visit to the Galapagos Islands he observed the differences in the shapes of beaks on finches and attributed those differences to the associated diets. We now know that calmodulin and a signaling pathway dictate these differences in size and shape. What is that signaling pathway?

A) BMP
B) Wnt
C) Shh
D) Notch

Question 7

While Drosophila have the simplest single set of Hox genes on a single chromosome, higher vertebrates typically have four sets across four different chromosomes. How many wholesale duplications of the Hox complex must have occurred during vertebrate evolution?

A) 2
B) 1
C) 3
D) 4

Question 8

What is the Drosophila chordin-related gene?

A) Short gastrulation
B) BMP4
C) Chordino
D) Long gastrulation

Question 9

Humans have five digits on each hand and foot. All modern vertebrate species have no more than which number of digits?

A) 5
B) 6
C) 7
D) 8

Question 10

Which of the following refers to differences in the timing of developmental events?

A) Heterochrony
B) Neoteny
C) Ontogeny
D) Synchrony