Deck 1: Darwins Finches: Evolution, Genomes, and Genes

Question 1

Which important observation in the Galapagos Islands led to Darwin's development of evolutionary theory?

A) Wildlife on the islands was different from, but related to, wildlife on the mainland
B) The islands hosted a wide range of wildlife
C) There was a limited range of wildlife on the islands compared to the mainland
D) There were unique species on the islands and the mainland

Answer 1

Wildlife on the islands was different from, but related to, wildlife on the mainland

Question 2

Which observation about species in the Galapagos Islands was important for Darwin's development of evolutionary theory?

A) Species were suited to survival in their environments
B) Multiple species could use the same food sources
C) Species could travel easily between the islands
D) Species were the same on the different islands

Answer 2

Species were suited to survival in their environments

Question 3

The Cape Verde Islands and the Galapagos Islands have very different species despite their very similar geological and climatic conditions. What did Darwin suggest explained these differences?

A) Species migration from nearby landmasses
B) Independent species creation in the different islands
C) Transfer of species between the Galapagos and Cape Verde Islands
D) Convergent evolution on the different islands

Answer 3

Species migration from nearby landmasses

Question 4

Which phrase describes the process that led to the development of different beaks in Darwin's finches?

A) Adaptive radiation
B) Convergent evolution
C) Morphological contraction
D) Conditional descent

Question 5

Match the missing words in the following phrase. Darwin's finches developed different beak shapes and sizes on different islands. The original bird [A] that colonized the islands was genetically [B]. This meant that, although birds in the original population were [C], individual birds had slightly different beaks. Food sources differed between islands. Birds with beaks that were better suited to obtaining food on a particular island had [D] survival and reproduction rates, and the number of birds with suboptimal beaks [E] relative to the number of birds with well-suited beaks. Over evolutionary time, the beak shape became fixed in each [F].

Question 6

Blunt beaks in finches in the Galapagos Islands are in the ancestral condition.

Question 7

Which of the following explain why divergence and fixation of traits can occur more rapidly on islands compared to other geographical locations? Please select all that apply.

A) Species are isolated in an island
B) The founding number of individuals of a species can be small on an island
C) Islands have a high rate of species exchange
D) Reproductive rates tend to be lower on islands

Question 8

In the phrase, 'ABC1 is involved in transcriptional regulation', ABC1 refers to a gene.

Question 9

Match the missing words in the following phrase. An observable trait is termed the [A] whereas the genetic information underlying a trait is the [B]. Genetic information is held as [C], and the full set of genetic information in an organism is known as a [D].

Question 10

Which of the following bases are found in DNA? Please select all that apply.

A) A
B) M
C) C
D) U
E) G
F) T

Question 11

The entire DNA sequence of an organism can be determined, and different organisms have many differences in sequence between them. (There are many differences even between members of the same species.) What would be the best way for geneticists to find out which DNA regions were important for a particular trait difference - for example, beak shape in Darwin's finches?

A) Identify the species that had most overall differences between the sequences.
B) Compare the sequences of finches with sequences of other birds.
C) Compare sequences between different finch species with different beak shapes.
D) Compare sequences between members of the same species with different beak shape.

Question 12

Scientists identified several DNA regions that potentially held the sequence that contributed to the different beak shapes in Darwin's finches. What was the next step used to determine which region might be responsible?

A) Sequences were compared to those from other animals to see if they contained genes that might be involved in beak development
B) Sequences were compared to those of related finches from the mainland to see if beak size was similar
C) Protein production was compared in the different bird species to see if they produced different beak proteins.
D) RNA transcription was examined in the different bird species to identify the genes

Question 13

What evidence supported the hypothesis that differences in the ALX1 gene were responsible for beak differences in Darwin's finches? Please select all that apply.

A) ALX1 was found in all the finch DNA sequences
B) ALX1 was expressed at the expected time and location for a gene involved in beak development.
C) ALX1 lay in a region of the genome that correlated with a difference in beak shapes
D) Mammals with defects in ALX1 have facial abnormalities

Question 14

What type of protein controls when and where genes are expressed?

A) Transcription factor
B) Translation factor
C) mRNA
D) DNA regulator

Question 15

Beak shape difference in Galapagos finches was one of the earliest observations supporting evolutionary theory. The recent identification of ALX1 as the likely gene responsible for these differences was the culmination of a research history that has drawn on several of the Great Ideas in biology. Match each Great Idea to the relevant evidence underlying the discovery of ALX1.

-The cell as the basic unit of living systems

A) Development of beak shape as a consequence of localized gene expression
B) Identification of candidate genes for influencing beak shape
C) Changes in DNA sequence influence phenotype
D) Observed differences in beak shape

Question 16

Beak shape difference in Galapagos finches was one of the earliest observations supporting evolutionary theory. The recent identification of ALX1 as the likely gene responsible for these differences was the culmination of a research history that has drawn on several of the Great Ideas in biology. Match each Great Idea to the relevant evidence underlying the discovery of ALX1.

-The gene as the unit of heredity

A) Development of beak shape as a consequence of localized gene expression
B) Identification of candidate genes for influencing beak shape
C) Changes in DNA sequence influence phenotype
D) Observed differences in beak shape

Question 17

Beak shape difference in Galapagos finches was one of the earliest observations supporting evolutionary theory. The recent identification of ALX1 as the likely gene responsible for these differences was the culmination of a research history that has drawn on several of the Great Ideas in biology. Match each Great Idea to the relevant evidence underlying the discovery of ALX1.

-Life as chemistry

A) Development of beak shape as a consequence of localized gene expression
B) Identification of candidate genes for influencing beak shape
C) Changes in DNA sequence influence phenotype
D) Observed differences in beak shape

Question 18

Beak shape difference in Galapagos finches was one of the earliest observations supporting evolutionary theory. The recent identification of ALX1 as the likely gene responsible for these differences was the culmination of a research history that has drawn on several of the Great Ideas in biology. Match each Great Idea to the relevant evidence underlying the discovery of ALX1.

-Evolution by natural selection

A) Development of beak shape as a consequence of localized gene expression
B) Identification of candidate genes for influencing beak shape
C) Changes in DNA sequence influence phenotype
D) Observed differences in beak shape