Deck 13: Adaptation and Species

Question 1

The faster a cheetah can run,the more likely it is to capture its prey.Cheetahs with longer legs are able to run faster than those with shorter legs.Although the existing cheetah population shows a variety of leg lengths,cheetah legs are not continuing to increase in length from one generation to the next.Which of the following is a possible explanation?

A) The genes that are involved in cheetah leg length do not undergo mutation.
B) Cheetahs with long legs are reproductively isolated from cheetahs with short legs.
C) Natural selection does not act on traits involved in predation.
D) Longer cheetah leg bones are more likely to break.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Using the biological species concept as a method of defining a species is NOT useful for

A) species whose ranges overlap.
B) species that cannot produce hybrids.
C) organisms known only from fossils.
D) organisms that reproduce sexually.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Which of the following organisms would best be identified as a species using the biological species concept?

A) a population of mice living on a mountaintop where the nearest population of mice is 50 miles away
B) a bacteria found living in the human gut with thousands of other bacteria
C) dinosaurs identified by morphologically similar fossil remains located in a single valley in South America
D) a rare plant living in a remote location in Peru that reproduces asexually

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Populations within a species are connected by

A) gene flow.
B) speciation.
C) continental drift.
D) genetic drift.

Question 5

Which of the following must occur for one species to split into two or more species?

A) The species must move into a new habitat.
B) DNA sequences of genes must accumulate differences.
C) Morphological changes must be obvious within the population.
D) One species must undergo geographic isolation.

Question 6

Individuals of the same species generally

A) experience prezygotic barriers to reproduction.
B) do not interbreed extensively.
C) share many common physical and behavioral characteristics.
D) vary only slightly in appearance.

Question 7

According to the biological species concept,a species is defined when individuals of the same species

A) differ widely in their DNA sequences.
B) always have the same physical traits.
C) are capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring.
D) must reproduce asexually.

Question 8

Which of the following examples does NOT illustrate a difference in fitness that would lead to evolution by natural selection?

A) Male peacocks with larger, more colorful tails are more frequently chosen as mates.
B) Moths with coloration that allows them to blend in with the bark of spruce trees are more difficult for predators to find.
C) Wolves who are more successful hunting in packs find mates more frequently.
D) A female panda living in a zoo in China is impregnated more frequently than a female panda living in a zoo in the United States.

Question 9

Which of the following statements is true about adaptation?

A) It is large-scale movement of a single species over a new geographic area.
B) It occurs when a more adapted species causes the extinction of a less adapted one.
C) It is the process by which natural selection improves the match between an organism and its environment over time.
D) It is an increase in the adaptiveness of many species that have already evolved.

Question 10

The red-breasted nuthatch and the white-breasted nuthatch are similar in appearance and,in many regions of the United States,their ranges overlap.The two organisms do not interbreed.Based on this information,red-breasted and white-breasted nuthatches are

A) different species.
B) different populations of the same species.
C) hybrids.
D) polyploids.

Question 11

When a brightly colored guppy population is placed in an area containing many predators,the population changes in only a few generations to one containing only guppies with drab,dull colors that blend into their environment.This is an example of how natural selection can

A) force new color mutations to occur.
B) convert a dominant allele into a recessive allele.
C) improve the match between guppies and their environment.
D) change the color preferences of female guppies.

Question 12

The fossils of two adult birds are found in a nest containing several fossilized eggs.Physically,the bird fossils look very different.Scientists are most likely to classify these species using

A) the biological species concept.
B) DNA from the fossils.
C) morphology of the fossils.
D) evidence of reproduction.

Question 13

Some species of orchids attract wasps to assist them in reproduction by producing flowers that look like female wasps.The flowers fool male wasps into attempting to mate with them.As a result,the wasp is covered with pollen that it takes with it to the next flower with which it attempts to mate.This example shows adaptation by

A) the orchids.
B) the wasps.
C) all flowering plants.
D) ancestral wasps.

Question 14

Evolution by natural selection allows species to

A) reduce mutation rate.
B) decrease genetic variation.
C) adjust to environmental changes.
D) hybridize.

Question 15

Speciation

A) can result from geographic isolation.
B) occurs in the absence of genetic divergence.
C) occurs only in species living on remote islands.
D) reduces variation.

Question 16

Bacteria reproduce asexually,so scientists classify them based on

A) DNA sequence similarity and morphology.
B) reproductive isolation.
C) the biological species concept.
D) the idea that they are all strains of the same species.

Question 17

Two populations of lizards live in the same area.Which of the following evidence would convince you that they are two distinct species?

A) Individuals in one population display a different color pattern than individuals in the second population.
B) Individuals in one population are noticeably larger than individuals in the second population.
C) The two populations are not capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring.
D) The two populations are capable of interbreeding and producing fertile hybrid offspring.

Question 18

A lizard is attacked by a bird.The lizard escapes and survives without his hind legs.Fortunately for this lizard,the loss of his hind limbs allows him to live within a smaller crevice than other lizards of the same species,so he experiences less competition.Which of the following is true for this lizard?

A) The loss of his legs provided an advantage within his environment.
B) The loss of his hind legs would be considered an adaptive trait.
C) A lack of hind limbs should become more common in this population.
D) This lizard will be unable to reproduce.

Question 19

Every year,environmental signals in Africa cause flycatchers to return to the Netherlands to breed.When they arrive,they depend on freshly hatched caterpillars for food.Global climate change has caused the caterpillars to hatch earlier in the Netherlands,but the environmental cues in Africa remain the same.Now,when the flycatchers return to the Netherlands,the caterpillars are no longer available as a food source.Which of the following is most likely to happen to this species of flycatcher?

A) Flycatchers may learn that caterpillars are hatching earlier and will begin flying to the Netherlands earlier.
B) Flycatchers will adapt to environmental change if genetic traits that aid flycatchers in utilizing food sources other than caterpillars are present.
C) Flycatchers will not adapt to environmental change because bird species are unable to utilize new food sources.
D) Flycatchers will remain in the Netherlands instead of returning to Africa.

Question 20

The formation of a new species

A) can occur any time genetic divergence occurs.
B) can only occur when two populations are geographically isolated.
C) can only occur when two populations are sympatric.
D) is a process that stopped occurring thousands of years ago.

Question 21

For two populations to accumulate enough genetic differences to cause speciation,the factors that promote these differences

A) must operate in populations that are not physically separated.
B) must have a greater effect than does the amount of ongoing gene flow.
C) need to be combined with the forces of genetic drift.
D) should include polyploidy.

Question 22

How does geographic isolation lead to speciation?

A) Geographic isolation allows mechanisms of evolution to cause genetic divergence.
B) Populations that are geographically isolated develop reproductive barriers.
C) The habitats for geographically isolated species are always different, and this leads to morphological differences.
D) Geographic isolation does not lead to speciation.

Question 23

Which of the following is an example of a postzygotic barrier?

A) The gametes cannot join.
B) The zygote fails to develop.
C) The breeding seasons are different.
D) The courtship behaviors are different.

Question 24

The two squirrel species shown in the figure below arose from the same ancestor.The Kaibab squirrel lives on the north rim of the Grand Canyon and the Abert's squirrel lives on the south rim.Which is the MOST likely explanation for their speciation?

A) The population of ancestral squirrel occupied only one of the rims of the Grand Canyon. As the population grew, some members of the population crossed the Grand Canyon to form a new population.
B) The population of the ancestral squirrel was split by the formation of the Grand Canyon. Since the habitats were different on each rim, the populations evolved differently and became reproductively isolated.
C) When the Grand Canyon formed, competition for food and shelter became fierce. The two species arose through sympatric speciation as some individuals gathered food on the north rim rather than on the south rim.
D) The ancestral squirrel was actually a hybrid of two squirrel species. When the populations were separated and could no longer mate, the characteristics of the two species became more obvious.

Question 25

Which of the following would NOT be expected after a population undergoes geographic isolation?

A) a decrease in gene flow
B) an increase in gene flow
C) allopatric speciation
D) formation of adaptive traits

Question 26

Before the cultivation of the apple tree,apple maggot flies laid their eggs exclusively on the fruit of Hawthorne trees.As apple orchards became more prominent,apple maggot flies began to lay their eggs on both the fruit of the Hawthorne tree and the fruit of cultivated apple trees.Now,apple maggot flies that live on apple trees mate and lay their eggs at different times of the year than apple maggot flies that live on Hawthorne trees.Is this an example of reproductive isolation?

A) Yes; these two fly populations exhibit a postzygotic barrier that prevents hybrid individuals from developing properly.
B) No; although these two fly populations do not mate in nature, they can be forced to mate in a laboratory because their DNA sequences are still the same.
C) No; this is an example of speciation rather than reproductive isolation.
D) Yes; these two fly populations exhibit a behavioral prezygotic barrier that prevents their gametes from encountering each other.

Question 27

Which of the following is an example of a prezygotic barrier that can isolate two species living in the same geographic area?

A) The members of two populations of birds living in neighboring forests freely interbreed.
B) One species of cichlid has the same mating behavior as another cichlid species in the same lake.
C) The gametes of one species of orchid in a rainforest are unable to fuse with the gametes of another species of orchid in the same rain forest.
D) Two species of wildflowers mate and produce a hybrid that is capable of successfully breeding with either species.

Question 28

Sympatric speciation

A) occurs only in plants.
B) is impossible, because the populations of a species must be isolated from one another for speciation to occur.
C) is always a result of polyploidy.
D) occurs when a new species emerges from a population in the absence of a geographical barrier.

Question 29

Although populations of North American apple maggot flies are not geographically isolated,they appear to be in the process of diverging into two new species.Which of the following could be causing speciation between two populations in the lack of geographic isolation?

A) feeding on two different types of food
B) producing fertile hybrids
C) laying their eggs in the same location
D) increased gene flow between them

Question 30

Two species live in the same area but breed in different parts of their habitat.These species are

A) geographically isolated.
B) ecologically isolated.
C) artificially isolated.
D) likely to produce hybrids.

Question 31

A rain forest is a highly complex habitat with organisms living at various levels in the trees,on the ground,and underground.Is it possible to consider two populations of insects living in the same tree to be geographically isolated?

A) No, because if they are in the same tree, they are in the same geographic area.
B) No, because if they are in the same square acre, they cannot be considered geographically isolated.
C) Yes, because insects only undergo allopatric speciation, and there are many species of insects.
D) Yes, because there are so many habitats in one tree that the populations may never interact.

Question 32

A large population of animals is split in two by a physical barrier.Over time,the genetic makeup of the two resulting populations becomes more and more different until each population becomes a separate species.This is an example of

A) sympatric speciation.
B) allopatric speciation.
C) genetic drift.
D) natural selection.

Question 33

Geographic isolation limits the ________ between separated populations of a species.

A) genetic differences
B) adaptation
C) directional selection
D) gene flow

Question 34

In general,geographical isolation occurs when

A) populations migrate to new environments.
B) gene flow is reduced by more than 75 percent due to climate change.
C) mutations overcome genetic drift across physical barriers.
D) populations are separated by a distance that is great enough to limit gene flow.

Question 35

Two birds that are similar in morphology and live in the same forest exhibit different courtship behaviors.Which of the following describes the relationship of these birds?

A) These birds are the same species because they share morphology.
B) Mating would be prevented because these birds would not respond to each other's behaviors.
C) Allopatric speciation is occurring between these birds.
D) Coevolution is causing these birds to have similar morphology.

Question 36

Genetic adaptations in two closely related species living within the same territory indicates that

A) gene flow is extensive between the two species.
B) geographic isolation is required for evolution.
C) allopatric speciation has occurred.
D) sympatric speciation has occurred.

Question 37

Two populations of ________ are NOT an example of speciation.

A) sea urchins in the same territory, which are physically unable to mate
B) small rodents that look similar but have genetic differences
C) morphologically distinct lizards that lack differences in DNA sequences
D) butterflies that live in the same area but breed in different seasons

Question 38

For which of the following would a mountain range MOST likely represent a geographic barrier that would block gene flow?

A) birds
B) deer
C) mice
D) butterflies

Question 39

Two populations that live ________ do NOT provide an example of geographic isolation.

A) in two valleys on opposite sides of a mountain range
B) on different mountains with a valley between them
C) on opposite sides of a river
D) in different parts of a small lake

Question 40

Some freshwater snail eggs are accidentally introduced into a new habitat that is geographically isolated from the original population.Which of the following must occur before these snails are described as two separate species?

A) gene flow
B) sympatric speciation
C) adaptation
D) genetic divergence

Question 41

There is color variation in a population of insects living within an area.Some individuals are solid black and other individuals are gray with green spots.Individuals who are solid black do not blend into the environment,and they tend to be eaten by predators.Explain how differences in survival rates will lead to more individuals in the population being gray with green spots.

Question 42

There are approximately 8.74 million eukaryotic species on Earth.Of the groups shown in the infographic below,________ make up approximately 11 percent of the known species.

Question 43

In many predator-prey relationships,evolutionary change in the prey will result in evolutionary change in the predator,a phenomenon known as

A) polyploidy.
B) allopatrism.
C) coevolution.
D) sympatric speciation.

Question 44

When populations of a species are separated by a physical barrier,thereby becoming geographically isolated and subsequently reproductively isolated from one another,________ speciation can occur.

Question 45

The best explanation of the role of coevolution in speciation is that coevolution

A) leads to two species that are perfectly adapted to exist together.
B) may lead to benefits for both of the species involved.
C) only occurs in species like corals and sea urchins that live in marine environments.
D) always benefits one species and harms another species.

Question 46

Close ecological interactions between two different species may lead to

A) allopatric speciation.
B) sympatric speciation.
C) coevolution.
D) geographic isolation.

Question 47

Based on the ________ species concept,organisms that interbreed and produce fertile offspring are most likely classified as species.

Question 48

Individual organisms with inherited characteristics that enable them to survive and reproduce are said to have greater ________ fitness than individuals who fail to survive and reproduce.

Question 49

The rough-skinned newt produces one of the most potent toxins on the planet.Scientists in Oregon have found that as newts evolve to produce a more deadly toxin,their primary predator,the garter snake,evolves ways to resist the toxin.This is an example of

A) ecological trade-offs in the evolution of the newt.
B) an adaptation of the newt to living in aquatic environments.
C) reproductive isolation in a population of garter snakes.
D) coevolution of predator and prey.

Question 50

Within a population of mice there is an allele for a gene that leads to the production of larger front teeth.In areas where seeds have thicker coatings,larger teeth allow these mice to chew through thicker seed coatings and survive at a higher rate than mice with smaller teeth.Would you expect an increase in the percentage of mice with larger teeth in a population of mice living in an area with seeds that have thicker coatings? Explain your reasoning.

Question 51

Which of the following is an example of a postzygotic barrier?

A) Two species produce zygotes that fail to develop normally and die prior to birth.
B) Two species have reproductive organs that are physically incompatible.
C) Breeding occurs at different times of the day for two species in the same area.
D) Different courtship displays prevent two species from interbreeding.

Question 52

Which of the following is one of the three important characteristics of an adaptation?

A) An adaptation must be a physical change.
B) Adaptations are typically simple behavioral changes.
C) An adaptation improves an organism's survival in its environment.
D) An adaptation must result in a perfect match between an organism and its environment.

Question 53

Which of the following is MOST likely an example of coevolution?

A) The color of a rodent's hair changes to better match a new environment.
B) A parasitic worm develops a new mechanism to attach to the gut lining of an organism that has a special adaptation designed to shed parasitic worms.
C) Two different species of plants produce flowers that are the same color, which attracts honeybees.
D) Two unrelated rodent species on different continents develop flaps of skin between their front legs and bodies that allow them to glide between trees.

Question 54

Two species live near each other but do not respond to each other's courtship displays.This is an example of ________ isolation,a type of prezygotic barrier.

Question 55

Two species evolving together in response to interactions between the two species is referred to as ________.

Question 56

Which of the following statements gives an example of coevolution?

A) Two unrelated species form at the same time after ancestral species populate a newly formed volcanic island.
B) Two closely related mice species on different mountaintops in the southwest United States both adapt the same trait because food sources are similar.
C) An ant species and a plant species both develop adaptations in response to changes in the other species.
D) A wild cat species and a wild dog species both have similar bacteria living in their guts, which allow them to produce vitamin K.

Question 57

A lizard learns to avoid predatory birds after being attacked and losing part of its tail to a bird.What is required for this avoidance behavior to be considered an adaptive trait?

Question 58

The great diversity of life on Earth is caused by the formation of new species in a process known as ________.

Question 59

How does coevolution lead to speciation?

A) Coevolution is the mechanism that allows allopatric speciation to occur.
B) Coevolution causes the extinction of species that have limited genetic diversity.
C) The adaptations that occur during coevolution are passed on to other species.
D) An adaptation in one organism drives adaptation in a second organism.

Question 60

Convergent evolution involves unrelated,or distantly related,organisms developing similar traits.Coevolution is similar to convergent evolution in that coevolution also

A) involves changes in unrelated, or distant, organisms.
B) often occurs in geographic isolation.
C) is a process that occurs when food sources change.
D) leads to similar traits developing in two species.

Question 61

Explain how a change in the depth,either a lengthening or shortening,of flowers that contain nectar eaten by a particular species of hummingbird would potentially lead to a change in the hummingbird.

Question 62

The three sea urchin species shown below are separated by gametic isolation.Do these species fit the definition of species as defined by the biological species concept? Why or why not?

Question 63

Determine the type of reproductive barrier described in each statement.
a.hybrid sterility
b.behavioral isolation
c.ecological isolation
d.zygote death
e.gametic isolation
Two toad species in the same habitat breed at different times of the year.

Question 64

Determine the type of reproductive barrier described in each statement.
a.hybrid sterility
b.behavioral isolation
c.ecological isolation
d.zygote death
e.gametic isolation
Female fruit flies only recognize the mating rituals of male fruit flies that are the same species.

Question 65

Two biologists discover two populations of toads living in the same area.Morphologically,these two populations are different.The toads in one population have much wider heads and darker coloration than the second population.One of the biologists suggests names for the two new species.The second biologist questions whether the two populations are separate species.Why is the second biologist hesitant to declare these populations are two species?

Question 66

Gene flow is completely blocked between two populations of a flowering plant for 300 years.One population develops light green leaves,tall spindly stems,and purple flowers.The other population develops dark green leaves,short stems,and white flowers.At the end of the 300 years,people begin planting these flowering plants together in decorative gardens.People quickly realize that these two flowering plants are capable of interbreeding.Did speciation occur during the 300-year separation? Explain your reasoning.

Question 67

Of the three species of sea urchins shown,one species is considered allopatric with Echinometra lucunter and the other is considered sympatric with E.lucunter.Name the allopatric species and identify one factor that may have led to speciation between E.lucunter and the allopatric species.Next,name the sympatric species and identify one factor that may have led to speciation between E.lucunter and the sympatric species.

Question 68

A microbiologist discovers a Streptococcus bacterium living on a human scalp.She wants to know whether the bacterium she found is the same species as a Streptococcus bacterium she isolated from the throat of the same human.Explain how she could determine whether these bacteria are the same species.

Question 69

If two populations of beetles living in isolated areas are physically different but genetically similar,would they be considered one species or two? Explain your answer.

Question 70

Determine the type of reproductive barrier described in each statement.
a.hybrid sterility
b.behavioral isolation
c.ecological isolation
d.zygote death
e.gametic isolation
A horse and a donkey successfully mate; their offspring is sterile.

Question 71

This figure shows two squirrels that represent two separate species.Explain how the geographic barrier between these two populations led to the formation of two distinct species.

Question 72

Determine the type of reproductive barrier described in each statement.
a.hybrid sterility
b.behavioral isolation
c.ecological isolation
d.zygote death
e.gametic isolation
The gametes of sea urchins living on a reef together are incapable of fusing.

Question 73

Choose two different reproductive barriers that lead to sympatric speciation and explain how they work.

Question 74

Two birds with distinct differences in their plumage successfully mate and produce viable,fertile offspring.Using the biological species concept,explain whether these two birds would be defined as a single species.Also address whether you would require more information to make this determination.

Question 75

MATCHING
Match each numbered statement to one of the terms listed below.
a.coevolution
b.biological species concept
c.morphological species concept
d.speciation
e.morphology
f.adaptation
an organism's physical characteristics

Question 76

Summarize how genetic divergence between two populations leads to reproductive barriers that isolate species living in the same area.Give specific examples of the barriers produced.

Question 77

MATCHING
Match each numbered statement to one of the terms listed below.
a.coevolution
b.biological species concept
c.morphological species concept
d.speciation
e.morphology
f.adaptation
process of evolution through natural selection

Question 78

MATCHING
Match each numbered statement to one of the terms listed below.
a.coevolution
b.biological species concept
c.morphological species concept
d.speciation
e.morphology
f.adaptation
evolution in one species that leads to reciprocal adaptation in another species

Question 79

MATCHING
Match each numbered statement to one of the terms listed below.
a.coevolution
b.biological species concept
c.morphological species concept
d.speciation
e.morphology
f.adaptation
process by which one species splits to form two species or more

Question 80

Speciation may be described as either allopatric or sympatric.What is the primary difference between the two types of speciation?