Deck 15: Darwin and Evolution

Question 1

Cutting off the tails of mice over several generations should cause the tails of their offspring to become shorter,according to the ideas of which of these scientists?

A)Darwin
B)Lamarck
C)Cuvier
D)Lyell

Answer 1

B

Question 2

During the course of Darwin's journey aboard the H.M.S.Beagle he was collecting and recording ________ and __________.

A)biological; genetic evidence.
B)religious; political evidence
C)historical; biological evidence
D)fossils; geological evidence.
E)geological; biological diversity evidence

Answer 2

E

Question 3

Darwin's geometric ratio of increase pertains specifically to

A)the inheritable variations found in a population.
B)the artificial selection of traits in plants or animals.
C)the inheritance of acquired traits.
D)the overproduction potential of a species.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Most of Darwin's observations about changes in species over time and in different environments took place in and near

A)North America.
B)Africa.
C)South America.
D)Asia.
E)Greenland.

Question 5

Darwin's theory of natural selection to explain evolution is also known as

A)descent with modification.
B)inheritance of acquired characteristics.
C)uniformitarianism.
D)catastrophism.

Question 6

Hutton's theory of geological change included all EXCEPT

A)catastrophic extinction of species.
B)slow cycles of erosion and uplift.
C)production of layers of sediment through slow deposition.
D)extreme geological change occurring over a long period of time.

Question 7

Who was the author of the book Principles of Geology? The book presented arguments to support a theory of geological change,proposing that the earth was subject to slow but continuous erosion and uplift?

A)Leclerc
B)Lamarck
C)Cuvier
D)Lyell

Question 8

What is the scalanaturae?

A)a species of horse
B)the first theory of evolution
C)a sequential ladder of life,with humans at the top
D)another name for the theory of special creation

Question 9

Erasmus Darwin,in his discussion of evolutionary possibilities,included all of the following EXCEPT

A)changes during the development of organisms.
B)comparative anatomy of plants and algae.
C)vestigial organs.
D)artificial selection in animal breeding.

Question 10

Which naturalist wrote a 44-volume natural history on plants and animals,and suggested migration,environmental influences,isolation,and overcrowding might affect how organisms descend with modifications?

A)Darwin
B)Lamarck
C)Cuvier
D)Lyell
E)Leclerc

Question 11

Two fossilized remains are found and scientists assume the two organisms are different but related.Which of the following would determine the relatedness of these two organisms?

A)homologous structures
B)vestigial structures
C)biogeography
D)All of the choices could be examined to determine relatedness.

Question 12

Lamarck's inheritance of acquired characteristics included the idea that

A)there is a natural force in all living things that pushes them toward perfection.
B)local catastrophes cause mass extinctions of species.
C)species are only produced through special creation.
D)species are fixed and unchanging over time.

Question 13

The theory of __________ proposed that a series of catastrophes or mass extinctions followed by repopulation could explain why species change over time.

A)descent with modification
B)inheritance of acquired traits
C)uniformitarianism
D)catastrophism

Question 14

An idea that could be traced back to Plato is that

A)hybrids showed that species could be changed with time.
B)variation is due to imperfections in copies of some perfect ideal form.
C)artificial selection of animals by humans proves that evolution can occur.
D)acquired characteristics could be passed from parents to offspring.
E)worldwide catastrophes caused extinction,followed by creation of new species.

Question 15

Which of the following is NOT involved in natural selection?

A)There is always competition for resources.
B)Organisms differ in reproductive success.
C)There are inheritable variations in populations.
D)The desired traits are chosen by a breeder.

Question 16

Lamarck's ideas on evolution were adopted by some Russian scientists,including Michurin and Lysenko in Stalinist Russia.Their textbooks printed Lysenko's assertions that a wheat plant could be made cold-hardy by conditioning in cold storage,or that workmen who develop strong muscles would produce children who were stronger.Which of the major premises of evolution by natural selection was violated?

A)The organisms vary in traits.
B)Natural selection acts on variations that are already available in the population's gene pool.
C)More young are born than can survive.There will always be more demand than resources available.
D)Some individuals are better adapted to the environment.

Question 17

In his theory of natural selection,Darwin incorporated the premise that available resources were not sufficient for all members of a population to survive.Darwin adopted these ideas of competition and survival from

A)Erasmus Darwin.
B)Malthus.
C)Cuvier.
D)Lamarck.
E)Plato.

Question 18

Over many generations man has chosen certain desirable characteristics in dogs by allowing dogs possessing those characteristics to reproduce.In this way,150 breeds of dogs,all in the same species,have descended from wolves.This process is referred to as

A)natural selection.
B)inheritance of acquired traits.
C)artificial selection.
D)convergent evolution.

Question 19

Which of the following ideas was most commonly held in the eighteenth century?

A)evolution by natural selection over time
B)genetic change through mutation
C)the fixity of species
D)changes in a species through adaptation to the environment

Question 20

Linnaeus developed his classification system for organisms according to

A)a theory of descent by modification.
B)Darwin's theory of evolution.
C)Lamarck's theory of evolution.
D)a theory of special creation and fixity of species.

Question 21

Natural selection was independently proposed as a means of evolution by Darwin and

A)Lyell.
B)Wallace.
C)LeClerc.
D)Lamarck.

Question 22

A population must have ______ for natural selection to occur.

A)a stable environment
B)abundant resources
C)many individuals
D)inheritable variation

Question 23

The organisms on the Galápagos Islands that were most important to the development of Darwin's theory of natural selection were

A)rabbits and hares.
B)plants and fungi.
C)tortoises and finches.
D)snails and fish.
E)monkeys and armadillos.

Question 24

All of the following are examples of natural selection EXCEPT

A)the distribution of dark and light colored peppered moths in Britain.
B)a rise in bacterial resistance to antibiotics.
C)the reduction in beak length of scarlet honeycreepers when they changed food sources.
D)the 150 breeds of dogs developed from ancestral wolves.
E)two of the above are not examples of natural selection.

Question 25

Darwin observed that

A)members of a population vary in their functional,physical and behavioral characteristics.
B)there is a constant struggle for survival of organisms.
C)organisms in a normal population differ in reproductive success.
D)All of the choices are correct.
E)None of the choices are correct.

Question 26

Which of the following is/are true about natural selection?

A)It acts on genotypes rather than phenotypes.
B)It assures the survival of each fit individual.
C)On average,it favors the survival of more young with adaptive characteristics.
D)It always selects for more complex forms.
E)All of the choices are correct.

Question 27

What evidence would be studied by a biogeographer?

A)plate tectonics
B)amount of genetic similarity among current populations
C)ocean currents and wind patterns
D)ranges and migration patterns of animals
E)All of the choices are correct.

Question 28

When he arrived at the Galápagos Islands,Darwin did not observe the amazing tool-using "woodpecker finch" that can modify twigs to pry out grubs.Because there are no true woodpeckers on the Galápagos Islands,this behavior allows this finch to exploit an untapped food source.However,not all members of this species exhibit this behavior,which is probably learned from watching other finches.Therefore,

A)young isolated at hatching will not know how to do this.
B)it is probably not "hardwired" in the brain as a behavior passed on genetically.
C)there must be a great advantage to reaching this food source for this learned behavior to be repeated by most descendants of each generation.
D)as an acquired characteristic,in a strict sense this is not part of the adaptive radiation of finches on the Galápagos.
E)All of the choices are correct.

Question 29

Darwin's observation that there were Patagonian hares but no rabbits in South America would be considered ______________ evidence.

A)anatomical
B)biochemical
C)fossil
D)biogeographical

Question 30

A line of evidence NOT considered by Darwin in his development of the theory of natural selection is

A)comparative anatomy.
B)biogeography.
C)the fossil record.
D)comparative biochemistry.

Question 31

Fossils like Archaeopteryx offer evidence linking

A)reptiles and mammals.
B)fish and amphibians.
C)birds and mammals.
D)birds and reptiles.
E)amphibians and reptiles.

Question 32

Transitional forms are seen in the fossil record that links all of these groups EXCEPT

A)birds and reptiles.
B)reptiles and amphibians.
C)fish and amphibians.
D)mammals and birds.
E)mammals and reptiles.

Question 33

When previous adaptations in a species are no longer useful in a changed environment,

A)selection of a different form occurs.
B)artificial selection is witnessed.
C)fitness is observed.
D)All of the choices are correct.

Question 34

Darwin's opinion that living forms must be descended from extinct forms was based on ________ evidence.

A)anatomical
B)biochemical
C)fossil
D)biogeographical

Question 35

Homologous structures such as the bones in wings,flippers,and arms would be studied in the field of

A)comparative anatomy.
B)biogeography.
C)the fossil record.
D)comparative embryology.
E)comparative biochemistry.

Question 36

The post Darwinian view of the world included

A)the age of the Earth is billions of years old.
B)species are related by descent.
C)an interaction of random variations and environmental conditions produced environmental adaptation.
D)All of the choices are correct.
E)only two of the above are correct.

Question 37

Birds and insects both have wings,but we do not consider this similarity as evidence of relatedness because

A)bird wings function on different physics principles of lift.
B)insect wings are vestigial.
C)the wings are not homologous structures with a common ancestral origin.
D)they did not evolve in the same region or live at the same time period.
E)there is no fossil link between these groups.

Question 38

Once exposed to an antibiotic drug,bacteria will develop a resistance in order to survive and then pass the resistance onto subsequent generations.This is an example of Lamark's idea of the inheritance of acquired characteristics.

Question 39

Erasmus Darwin,Charles Darwin's grandfather,suggested the possibility of evolutionary descent in his writings.

Question 40

Analogous structures serve the same function,are similarly constructed and are inherited from a common ancestor.

Question 41

The distribution of species can help provide information about all of the following except _________.

A)past geological events.
B)the movement of continents.
C)formation of volcanic islands.
D)ecological change.
E)the time period in which a species was present on Earth. Incorrect

Question 42

HIV and cancer cells are becoming more drug resistant over time.

Question 43

Which of the following is an example of evolution that can be observed and studied?

A)bacterial resistance to antibiotics
B)resistance of weeds to select herbicides
C)resistance of HIV to drug treatment
D)All are examples of evolution that can be observed and studied.

Question 44

Marsupials are more numerous in Australia than South America because of less competition with placental mammals.

Question 45

Which of the following misconceptions about evolution can be refuted with the molecular evidence that is being collected through DNA analysis?

A)Evolution is a theory about how life originated.
B)There are no transitional fossils.
C)Evolution is not observable or testable,thus it is not science.
D)Evolution proposes life changed as a result of random events; traits are too complex to have originated by chance alone.

Question 46

Which of the following features were present in the transitional species between amphibian tetrapods and the fishes?

A)fins,scales and expanded ribs
B)fins,rounded head with eyes on the side and a neck
C)lungs,fins and scales
D)a flat head with eyes on the top,fins and scales Correct

Question 47

Which of the following observations were made during Darwin's journey aboard the Beagle that led him to believe in evolution?

A)Geological formations and species variations
B)Geological formation and the fixation of species
C)Artificial selection and species variation
D)All of the above are correct Correct: Darwin observed geological formations and species variation during his journey aboard the Beagle that led him to believe in evolution.

Question 48

Alfred Wallace is considered the Father of Zoogeography because of linking geography with the study of animals.

Question 49

What was Darwin's main purpose during his time aboard the H.M.S.Beagle?

A)To serve as the ships naturalist.
B)To develop evidence that could be used to support the theory of evolution.
C)To document evidence that would support the concept of Natural Selection.
D)Darwin was a simple sailor with not specific purpose aboard the H.M.S.Beagle. Correct

Question 50

The oldest mammals were large,dinosaur-like creatures that flourished over 600 million years ago.

Question 51

What is the main reason that the alternative explanations to evolution are not considered scientific?

A)The alternative explanations are not testable by the scientific method.
B)The people suggesting the alternative explanations are not scientists.
C)The scientific community is biased and will not look at any other explanation.
D)All of these are reasons why the alternative explanations are not considered testable.

Question 52

Which of the following observations is not part of natural selection as posed by Darwin?

A)Individuals within a species exhibit variation.
B)Organisms compete for available resources.
C)Individuals within a population differ in terms of reproductive success.
D)Organisms become adapted to conditions as the environment changes.
E)All of these observations are part of natural selection as posed by Darwin. Incorrect

Question 53

Which of the following piece of fossil evidence was not observed during Darwin's journey aboard the Beagle?

A)fossilized remains of the Glyptodont
B)fossilized remains of a giant ground sloth
C)13 different species of finches on the Galapagos Islands
D)fossilized marine shells in the cliffs of the Andes Mountains Incorrect