Deck 17: Evolution: the Development of the Theory

Question 1

Why was Sir Francis Bacon important?

A)He established the importance of observation, experimentation, and finding evidence to support a proposal or theory, also called deductive reasoning.
B)He established the importance of observation, experimentation, and finding evidence to support a proposal or theory, also called inductive reasoning.
C)He established the importance of observation, experimentation, and theory to support a proposal, also called inductive reasoning.
D)He established the importance of observation, experimentation, and theory to support a proposal, also called deductive reasoning.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

As a young child, you preferred to collect shells and insects, dig through the mud around a pond, and watch birds rather than play video games. What did you have in common with Charles Darwin?

A)an interest in geology
B)an interest in history
C)an interest in natural history
D)an interest in biogeography

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Which of the following is an example of biogeography?

A)studies of the travelling around the world and observing life
B)studies of the world distribution of humans
C)studies of the world distribution of fungi and animals
D)studies of the world distribution of plants and animals

Answer 3

D

Question 4

How long is the life cycle of Australian sheep blowfly?

A)9-19 days
B)10-20 days
C)11-21 days
D)12-23 days

Question 5

Which of the following was NOT proposed by Lamarck's theory of evolution?

A)Changes in species are a result of natural selection.
B)Organisms change in response to their environment.
C)New characteristics are passed from one generation to the next.
D)Species change through time.

Question 6

Which of the following is a defining characteristic of comparative morphology?

A)It compares the anatomical structures of organisms.
B)It compares the similarities of organisms.
C)It compares the differences of organisms.
D)It compares the similarities and differences of organisms.

Question 7

Which of the following is the reason for existence of vestigial structures (useless parts of the body)?

A)They must have functioned in the near past.
B)They must have functioned in ancestral organisms.
C)They must have functioned in other organisms.
D)They must have functioned in similar organisms.

Question 8

What is the main unifying concept in biology, explaining how the diversity of life on Earth arose and how species change over time in response to changes in their environment?

A)evolution
B)biodiversity
C)environmentalismd.
D)development

Question 9

What was the reason Darwin was sailing aboard the HMS Beagle?

A)He was a naturalist.
B)He was a geologist.
C)He was the captain's personal physician.
D)He was the captain's dining companion.

Question 10

What happens to the body parts, according to the principle of use and disuse?

A)Body parts grow in proportion to their biogeographic location.
B)Body parts grow in proportion to the needs of natural selection.
C)Body parts grow in proportion to how much they are used.
D)Body parts grow in proportion to how much they are not used.

Question 11

The list below contains steps for the life cycle of Australian sheep blowflies. They are in random order, and some may be incorrect. Which sequence places the correct steps in the correct order?
1)egg
2)pupa
3)larva
4)tadpole
5)adult

A)1, 2, 4, 5
B)1, 3, 2, 5
C)1, 3, 4, 5
D)1, 2, 3, 5

Question 12

While collecting a diverse group of finches, Darwin noticed great variability in the shapes of their bills. However, he incorrectly assumed which of the following.

A)that birds on the same island belonged to the same species
B)that birds on the same island did not belong to the same species
C)that birds on different islands did not belong to the same species
D)that birds on different islands belonged to the same species

Question 13

The collective work of scientists gave rise to three new disciplines: biogeography, comparative morphology, and geology. Who were these scientists?

A)Aristotle, Galileo Galilei, Rene Descartes, and Sir Isaac Newton
B)Nicolaus Copernicus, Galileo Galilei, Rene Descartes, and Sir Francis Bacon
C)Nicolaus Copernicus, Galileo Galilei, Rene Descartes, and Sir Isaac Newton
D)Aristotle, Galileo Galilei, Rene Descartes, and Sir Francis Bacon

Question 14

Which of the following is an example of Scala Naturae?

A)Minerals rank below plants, plants below animals, animals below humans, and humans below the gods.
B)Mosses rank below ferns, ferns below flowering plants, flowering plants below bushes, and bushes below trees.
C)Cars rank below buses, buses below trucks, trucks below cars, and buses below airplanes.
D)Blood cells rank below blood liquid, blood liquid below lymph, lymph below connective tissue, and connective tissue below skin.

Question 15

Which of the following probably influenced Darwin the most when he was developing his theory of evolution?

A)catastrophism
B)uniformitarianism
C)Scala Naturea
D)vestigial structures

Question 16

Which of the following is an example of Scala Naturae?

A)Darwin's ladder-like understand of nature from the most complex to simplest
B)Darwin's ladder-like understand of nature from simplest to the most complex
C)Aristotle's ladder-like understand of nature from the most complex to simplest
D)Aristotle's ladder-like understand of nature from simplest to the most complex

Question 17

Which of the following was something that Charles Darwin did NOT study during his long career?

A)the rocks of the Galapagos Islands
B)the response of plants to light
C)the pollination of orchids
D)the genetic basis of traits

Question 18

Which of the following happened before Darwin?

A)No one had conceived of biological evolution.
B)Lamarck wrote about biological evolution, but had the mechanism wrong.
C)Lamarck had the idea of natural selection, but was ignored.
D)Malthus demonstrated the progression of fossils in the rocks.

Question 19

Who proposed that species change through time?

A)Charles Lyell, Jean Baptiste de Lamarck, and Alfred Russel Wallace
B)James Hutton, Charles Darwin, and Alfred Russel Wallace
C)Aristotle, Charles Darwin, and Jean Baptiste de Lamarck
D)Charles Darwin, Jean Baptiste de Lamarck, and Alfred Russel Wallace

Question 20

Which of the following observations did NOT influence Darwin's later thoughts about evolution?

A)North American and South American species were more similar to each other than European and African species.
B)Species on islands differed from species on the mainland closest to the island.
C)A great variety of species exist across the globe.
D)Species on different islands were very different.

Question 21

Which two scientists evidenced evolution via natural selection as an idea whose time had come?

A)Darwin and Wallace
B)Darwin and Lamarck
C)Darwin and Malthus
D)Lamarck and Wallace

Question 22

Which of the following represents what Darwin thought of natural selection?

A)He reasoned that if characteristics that better enable organisms to adapt to specific environmental pressures exist, then selective breeding could do the same.
B)He reasoned that if a person could select different characteristics when breeding organisms, then nature could do so as well.
C)Humans were selecting the characteristics they wanted in the offspring by choosing parents with those traits.
D)Humans were selecting the characteristics they wanted in the offspring by eliminating individuals that did not show these characteristics.

Question 23

Which of the following observations did Darwin apply to organisms in nature?

A)Malthus's observation that England's population was growing much faster than the country's agricultural capacity
B)Malthus's observation that simple organisms evolved into more complex ones, moving up the ladder of life
C)Lamarck's observation that simple organisms evolved into more complex ones, moving up the ladder of life
D)Lamarck's observation that England's population was growing much faster than the country's agricultural capacity

Question 24

Which of the following best compares microevolution with macroevolution?

A)Microevolution describes the small-scale evolutionary changes that populations undergo. Macroevolution describes larger-scale genetic changes observed in species.
B)Microevolution describes the large-scale genetic changes that populations undergo. Macroevolution describes small-scale evolutionary changes observed in species.
C)Microevolution describes the small-scale genetic changes that populations undergo. Macroevolution describes larger-scale evolutionary changes observed in species.
D)Microevolution describes the small-scale genetic changes that species undergo. Macroevolution describes larger-scale evolutionary changes observed in populations.

Question 25

Which of the following represents what Darwin thought of artificial selection?

A)He reasoned that if characteristics that better enable organisms to adapt to specific environmental pressures exist, then artificial selection will tend to increase those in succeeding generations.
B)He reasoned that if a person could select different characteristics when breeding organisms, then nature could do so as well.
C)Humans were selecting the characteristics they wanted in the offspring by choosing parents with those traits.
D)Humans were selecting the characteristics they wanted in the offspring by eliminating individuals that did not show these characteristics.

Question 26

Suppose that each species of Galápagos tortoise has a distinctive shell. Variations in shell size make some tortoises better adapted for defence. Imagine an island where many hunt on these tortoises; individuals with a larger shell would be more likely to survive and reproduce than would tortoises with smaller shells. These favoured individuals would pass on the genes that produce larger shells to their descendants, while those with smaller shells would not reproduce, leading to extinction. Which of the following would be most likely to drive this event?

A)spontaneous selection
B)hereditary selection
C)natural selection
D)artificial selection

Question 27

What was a basic truth of inheritance that had been known well before Darwin's time?

A)Offspring frequently resemble their parents, offspring inherit genes from their parents, and selective breeding improves domesticated plants and animals.
B)Offspring frequently resemble their parents and selective breeding improves domesticated plants and animals.
C)Offspring inherit genes from their parents.
D)Offspring frequently resemble their parents.

Question 28

What was the major stumbling block for the acceptance of natural selection as a mechanism for evolution when proposed by Darwin?

A)lack of a fossil record
B)lack of observational and experimental data
C)lack of a plausible theory of heredity
D)lack of evidence for artificial selection

Question 29

Which of the following statements best exemplifies the principle of selective pressures?

A)the environmental pressures felt by selection
B)the environmental pressures felt by populations
C)the environmental pressures felt by species
D)the environmental pressures felt by organisms

Question 30

What was the perceived fundamental conflict between Darwin's and Mendel's theories?

A)Darwin was a scientist while Mendel was a monk.
B)Mendel's experiments were unbiased, while Darwin set out to prove evolution by natural selection.
C)Mendel's experiments were based on simple traits while Darwin's evidence was based on complex characteristics.
D)Mendel's theory was based on experimentation while Darwin's was based on observation.

Question 31

If reproduction was not limited, how many descendants could a single pair of elephants have after 750 years, according to Darwin's calculations?

A)15 000
B)150 000
C)19 million
D)190 million

Question 32

Which of the following were integrated in a unified theory of evolution called the modern synthesis?

A)biogeography, comparative morphology, comparative embryology, genetics, paleontology, and taxonomy
B)biogeography, comparative morphology, comparative embryology, genetics, and paleontology
C)biogeography, comparative morphology, comparative embryology, and genetics
D)biogeography, comparative morphology, and comparative embryology

Question 33

Which of the following best characterizes evolutionary divergence by Darwin's observation?

A)the great similarity of form of species
B)the great variety of form of species
C)differences in appearance of nutria and beaver
D)differences in bill shape and food habits of finches

Question 34

Which of the following was the specific discipline that linked Mendel's and Darwin's work?

A)modern synthesis
B)biogeography
C)population biology
D)population genetics

Question 35

Which of the following is NOT an observation made by Darwin?

A)If the next generation is subjected to the same process of selection, these favourable traits will become less common.
B)Individuals within populations vary in size, form, colour, behaviour, and other characteristics.
C)Many of these variations are passed on from parent to offspring.
D)Some of the inherited variations enable some individuals to survive and reproduce better than others.

Question 36

Which of the following is characteristic of adaptive traits?

A)artificially selected characteristics that make organisms more likely to survive and reproduce under a given set of environmental conditions
B)hereditary characteristics that make organisms more likely to survive and reproduce under a given set of environmental conditions.
C)naturally selected characteristics that make organisms more likely to become extinct under a given set of environmental conditions
D)hereditary characteristics that make organisms more likely to become extinct under a given set of environmental conditions

Question 37

Extinct glyptodont and living nine-banded armadillo were related according to Darwin. In what way are they related?

A)They were/are both living.
B)They are both animals.
C)Glyptodont is an ancestor and armadillo is a descendant.
D)Glyptodont is a descendant and armadillo is an ancestor,

Question 38

Which of the following characteristics distinguish Darwin's theory from earlier explanations of biological diversity and adaptive traits?

A)Darwin provided purely spiritual, rather than physical, explanations for the origins of biological diversity.
B)Darwin recognized that evolutionary change occurs in groups of organisms rather than in individuals: some members of a group survive and reproduce more successfully than others.
C)Darwin described evolution as a single-stage process: variations arise within groups, natural selection eliminates unsuccessful variations, and the next generation inherits successful variations.
D)Like Lamarck, Darwin understood that evolution does not occur because some organisms function worse than others in a particular environment.

Question 39

When did Darwin's voyage take place?

A)between 1731 and 1736
B)between 1831 and 1836
C)between 1854 and 1859
D)between 1931 and 1939

Question 40

Which of the following was most important to lead to the science of molecular genetics?

A)research since the discovery of the structure of RNA that has led to a more thorough understanding of mutations
B)research since the discovery of the structure of DNA that has led to a more thorough understanding of mutations
C)research since the discovery of the structure of DNA that has led to a more thorough understanding of genetics
D)research since the discovery of the structure of RNA that has led to a more thorough understanding of genetics

Question 41

What is extinction an example of?

A)mendelian genetics
B)natural selection
C)macroevolutionary change
D)microevolutionary change

Question 42

Which of the following studies provide compelling evidence of evolutionary change?

A)studies of adaptation and historical biogeography
B)studies of adaptation and the fossil record
C)studies of adaptation, the fossil record, and historical biogeography
D)studies of adaptation, the fossil record, historical biogeography, and comparative morphology

Question 43

The wings of insects and birds have similar traits. What is this an example of?

A)macroevolution
B)microevolution
C)divergent evolution
D)convergent evolution

Question 44

The wings of bats and insects have similar traits. What is this an example of?

A)macroevolution
B)microevolution
C)divergent evolution
D)convergent evolution

Question 45

Which of the following is an example of sexual dimorphism?

A)a lion looking different than a lioness
B)a lion looking the same as another lion
C)a lioness looking the same as another lioness
D)a lioness looking different than another lioness

Question 46

Which of the following explains why snakes do not have forelimbs or necks?

A)A mutation causes the expression of Hoxc6 to extend into a more backward region of the animal's body.
B)A mutation causes the expression of Hoxc8 to extend into a more backward region of the animal's body.
C)A mutation causes the expression of Hoxc8 to extend into a more forward region of the animal's body.
D)A mutation causes the expression of Hoxc6 to extend into a more forward region of the animal's body.

Question 47

Suppose that inherited characteristics of an individual allow it to survive longer and reproduce more than others without those characteristics. What are the particular traits that make these individuals more fit?

A)These particular traits that make these individuals more fit are considered redundant: they help the individual survive and are not needed after that.
B)These particular traits that make these individuals more fit are considered adaptive: they help the individual survive.
C)These particular traits that make these individuals more fit are considered non-functional any more: they help the individual survive and are not needed after that.
D)These particular traits that make these individuals more fit are considered obsolete: they help the individual survive and are no longer needed.

Question 48

What are homologous traits?

A)characteristics that are similar in two species because they inherited the genetic basis of the trait from their common ancestor
B)characteristics that are different in two species because they inherited the genetic basis of the trait from a different ancestor
C)characteristics that are similar in two species because they are used for the same function
D)characteristics that are similar in two species because two species look similar

Question 49

Which of the following matches between evolutionary evidence and biological disciplines is NOT correct?

A)gill pouches in embryos of four-limbed vertebrates-comparative embryology
B)forelimbs or all four-legged vertebrates are homologous-comparative morphology
C)short tails of African and Asian monkeys-historical biogeography
D)pesticide resistance-historical biogeography

Question 50

Which of the following is a correct interpretation of the wings of bats and the wings of birds?

A)They are analogous because they have a similar internal bone structure inherited from a common ancestor.
B)They are homologous because they are adapted for the same function.
C)They are homologous because they have a similar internal bone structure inherited from a common ancestor.
D)They are analogous because the common ancestor of bats and birds had wings.

Question 51

Which of the following is modern synthesis NOT based on?

A)linking Darwinism with Mendelism
B)linking population growth with variation to explain natural selection
C)interpreting microevolution and macroevolution
D)interpreting data from a wide variety of biological disciplines in an evolutionary framework

Question 52

What did Cohn and Tickle's research suggest about snake evolution?

A)The second stage in snake evolution, the reduction or complete absence of forelimbs, is caused by other genetic variations that appeared some time after the altered expression pattern of Hoxc6.
B)The second stage in snake evolution, the reduction or complete absence of forelimbs, is caused by other genetic variations that appeared some time after the altered expression pattern of Hoxc8.
C)The second stage in snake evolution, the reduction or complete absence of hindlimbs, is caused by other genetic variations that appeared some time after the altered expression pattern of Hoxc6.
D)The second stage in snake evolution, the reduction or complete absence of hindlimbs, is caused by other genetic variations that appeared some time after the altered expression pattern of Hoxc8.

Question 53

Which of the following is a result of expression of both Hoxc6 and Hoxc8 genes in pythons?

A)A python's ribcage develops right behind its head, and limb buds or forelimbs develop.
B)A python's ribcage develops right behind its head, and no limb buds or forelimbs develop.
C)A python's ribcage develops right behind its head, and limb buds or hindlimbs develop.
D)A python's ribcage develops right behind its head, and hindlimbs or forelimbs develop.

Question 54

Which of the following is evidence that woolly mammoths were determined to be more closely related to Asian elephants than to African elephants?

A)DNA sequencing of nuclear genes
B)anatomical evidence
C)embryological evidence
D)mitochondrial DNA sequences

Question 55

Suppose that inherited characteristics of an individual allow it to survive longer and reproduce more than others without those characteristics. What do these individuals have?

A)These individuals have enhanced fitness: they are better adapted to their environment.
B)These individuals have reduced fitness: they are less adapted to their environment.
C)These individuals have enhanced genetics: they are better adapted to their environment.
D)These individuals have reduced genetics: they are less adapted to their environment.

Question 56

Which of the following is Archaeopteryx an important link for?

A)dinosaurs and birds
B)crocodiles and birds
C)non-flying birds and flying birds
D)lizards and birds

Question 57

What is the independent evolution of similar traits in unrelated species termed?

A)macroevolution
B)microevolution
C)convergent evolution
D)divergent evolution

Question 58

The wings of bats and birds have similar traits. What is this an example of?

A)macroevolution
B)microevolution
C)divergent evolution
D)convergent evolution

Question 59

Which of the following reflects genetic differences?

A)phenotypic variation among organisms
B)genotypic variation among organisms
C)genotypic and phenotypic variation among organisms
D)genotypic and phenotypic variation among populations

Question 60

Which of the following have extended the achievements of the modern synthesis and what is the result?

A)Molecular techniques have extended the achievements of the modern synthesis, allowing precise analysis of the genetic basis of evolutionary change.
B)Molecular techniques have extended the achievements of the modern synthesis, allowing precise analysis of the genetic basis of evolutionary change and the genetic relatedness of living and extinct organisms.
C)Molecular techniques have extended the achievements of the modern synthesis, allowing the genetic relatedness of living and extinct organisms.
D)Genetic techniques have extended the achievements of the modern synthesis, allowing precise analysis of the genetic relatedness of living and extinct organisms.

Question 61

Match the descriptions listed below with their correct discipline.a.population genetics
b.microevolution
c.historical biogeography
d.comparative morphology
e.macroevolution
f.the fossil record
g.molecular techniques
In this discipline, genetics and mathematics are combined to predict how selection and other processes such as non-random reproduction affect a population's genetic changes through time.

Question 62

Match the descriptions listed below with their correct discipline.a.population genetics
b.microevolution
c.historical biogeography
d.comparative morphology
e.macroevolution
f.the fossil record
g.molecular techniques
This describes larger-scale evolutionary changes observed in species.

Question 63

A parent's traits developed through life are passed on to offspring via natural selection indicates that evolution by natural selection is a plausible mechanism leading to the diversity of species that have and do exist.

Question 64

Match the descriptions listed below with their correct discipline.a.population genetics
b.microevolution
c.historical biogeography
d.comparative morphology
e.macroevolution
f.the fossil record
g.molecular techniques
A practitioner of this discipline might observe that species on oceanic islands often closely resemble species on the nearest mainland.

Question 65

Match the descriptions listed below with their correct discipline.a.population genetics
b.microevolution
c.historical biogeography
d.comparative morphology
e.macroevolution
f.the fossil record
g.molecular techniques
This documents continuity in morphological characteristics.

Question 66

Which of the following contribute(s) to sexual selection?

A)morphological features only
B)female choice only
C)competition among males and female choice
D)competition among males only

Question 67

Match the descriptions listed below with their correct discipline.a.population genetics
b.microevolution
c.historical biogeography
d.comparative morphology
e.macroevolution
f.the fossil record
g.molecular techniques
This describes the small-scale genetic changes in populations.

Question 68

What does sexual selection involve?

A)variation in reproductive success that is influenced by sexually polymorphic characters
B)variation in reproductive success that is influenced by sexually dimorphic characters
C)variation in reproductive success that is influenced by asexually dimorphic characters
D)variation in reproductive success that is influenced by asexually polymorphic characters

Question 69

Match the descriptions listed below with their correct discipline.a.population genetics
b.microevolution
c.historical biogeography
d.comparative morphology
e.macroevolution
f.the fossil record
g.molecular techniques
Species on oceanic islands often closely resemble species on the nearest mainland, suggesting that the islands and mainland species have a common ancestry.

Question 70

Match each person with their correct concept.
a.vestigial structures
b.evolution by natural selection
c.inheritance of acquired characteristics
d.gradualism
e.uniformitarianism
Charles Darwin

Question 71

Match the descriptions listed below with their correct discipline.a.population genetics
b.microevolution
c.historical biogeography
d.comparative morphology
e.macroevolution
f.the fossil record
g.molecular techniques
Using fossil evidence is important in this discipline.

Question 72

Evolution by natural selection, as conceived by Darwin, is NOT based on Mendel's experiments with peas.

Question 73

You are a farmer that grows corn. You are offered a genetically modified variety of corn that is 100 percent resistant to corn borers. You have to decide what proportion of your field you should plant in resistant corn versus a variety that is susceptible to corn borers. Explain why you might choose one of the following proportions of resistant to susceptible: 100:0, 90:10, 75:25, or 50:50.

Question 74

Mendel did NOT influence Darwin's writing of the book On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection.

Question 75

Discuss the links between Darwin's observations and inferences. Are some inferences more logical than others? Is there evidence for all of the inferences?

Question 76

Match the descriptions listed below with their correct discipline.a.population genetics
b.microevolution
c.historical biogeography
d.comparative morphology
e.macroevolution
f.the fossil record
g.molecular techniques
If you observe that the arms of humans and wings of birds are constructed similarly, you would be practicing this discipline.

Question 77

Explain how observing artificial selection provides an inference for natural selection.

Question 78

Match the descriptions listed below with their correct discipline.a.population genetics
b.microevolution
c.historical biogeography
d.comparative morphology
e.macroevolution
f.the fossil record
g.molecular techniques
This provides biologists with powerful tools for exploring all aspects of life.

Question 79

What are the products of evolution?

Question 80

Match the descriptions listed below with their correct discipline.a.population genetics
b.microevolution
c.historical biogeography
d.comparative morphology
e.macroevolution
f.the fossil record
g.molecular techniques
Ambiguous conclusions about phylogenetic relationship derived from comparative morphology can now generally be clarified by this discipline.