Deck 56: Species Interaction and Coevolution

Question 1

Bright coloration that warns predators of prey toxicity is called

A) aposematism.
B) crypsis.
C) homotypy.
D) amensalism.
E) character displacement.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The principle of competitive exclusion states that

A) no two species can coexist unless they are sharing the same resource.
B) no two species can long coexist if they are sharing the same limiting resource.
C) if two species are sharing the same resource, one will always go extinct.
D) competition between two species always results in character displacement.
E) None of the above

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which of the following statements about leaf-cutter ants is true?

A) They fertilize their fungus gardens with their own feces.
B) Most colonies collect more than a kilogram of plant material per day.
C) The ants feed directly from the leaves they collect.
D) Both a and b
E) Both b and c

Answer 3

D

Question 4

One factor that can constrain the realized niche occupied by an organism is

A) immigration.
B) aposematism.
C) mimicry.
D) parasitism.
E) competition.

Question 5

Which of the following does not involve antagonistic relationships?

A) Parasitism
B) Predation
C) Herbivory
D) Competition
E) All of the above involve antagonistic relationships.

Question 6

Leaf-cutter ants that tend fungal gardens protect themselves from mold by means of

A) their feces.
B) the fungi.
C) bacteria.
D) a smaller ant species.
E) None of the above

Question 7

The type of mimicry in which a palatable species resembles a toxic species is called

A) Müllerian.
B) Batesian.
C) diffuse.
D) commensal.
E) homotypy.

Question 8

Two species of beetles are both herbivores on the same host plant, and the presence of either species reduces the population growth of the other. The relationship between the beetles is best described as

A) antagonistic.
B) predation.
C) herbivory.
D) competition.
E) amensalism.

Question 9

Which of the following is an example of a mutualistic interaction?

A) Barnacles obtain safe haven by riding on a whale, while the whale is unaffected.
B) A bacterium fixes nitrogen, thereby providing nutrient for a plant, while the plant provides protection for the bacterium.
C) A virus infects a bird, thus reducing the bird's fecundity.
D) Both a and b
E) None of the above

Question 10

Predation, herbivory, and parasitism are all examples of

A) antagonistic interactions.
B) mutualistic interactions.
C) commensal interactions.
D) amensal interactions.
E) competitive interactions.

Question 11

Two organisms that use the same resources when those resources are in short supply are said to be

A) predators.
B) competitors.
C) mutualists.
D) commensalists.
E) amensalists.

Question 12

A hummingbird sips nectar from the flowers of a plant species and, in the process, pollinates those flowers. This interaction is best classified as

A) parasitism, because the hummingbird consumes the flower's nectar.
B) predation, because the hummingbird eats the plant's seeds.
C) commensalism, because the hummingbird benefits from consuming nectar and the plant is unaffected.
D) mutualistic, because the plant provides nectar for the hummingbird and the hummingbird transports pollen for the plant.
E) Not enough information is provided to classify this interaction.

Question 13

Interference competition has been demonstrated to occur between

A) species of barnacles in the rocky intertidal zone.
B) species of ants in the deserts of North America.
C) species of soil bacteria that produce antibiotics.
D) All of the above
E) None of the above

Question 14

In a coevolutionary arms race, after a plant evolves a novel chemical defense against an herbivore,

A) the herbivore can be expected to go extinct.
B) the herbivore can be expected to disperse to new habitats.
C) the herbivore can be expected to evolve resistance to the plant's defense.
D) the plant can be expected to colonize new habitats.
E) the plant can be expected to outcompete all other plants in the same environment.

Question 15

While hunting, a bear smashes into and destroys a bush, and then continues pursuing its prey. The relationship between the bear and the bush would be described as

A) herbivory.
B) antagonistic.
C) amensalism.
D) commensalism.
E) predation.

Question 16

Damage caused to shrubs by branches falling from overhead trees is an example of

A) interference competition.
B) partial predation.
C) amensalism.
D) commensalism.
E) diffuse coevolution.

Question 17

Which of the following relationships has negative consequences for both species involved?

A) Predation
B) Competition
C) Amensalism
D) Parasitism
E) Aposematism

Question 18

Another term for coevolution is

A) amensalism.
B) commensalism.
C) aposematism.
D) reciprocal adaptation.
E) character displacement.

Question 19

The relationship between a zebra and the lion that eats it is an example of what kind of relationship?

A) Competition
B) Mutualism
C) Antagonistic
D) Commensalism
E) Amensalism

Question 20

Suppose the fecal matter from dogs helps fertilize a particular species of plant, thus increasing the plant's ability to grow in a particular area. The relationship between the dogs and the plants would be described as

A) mutualism.
B) amensalism.
C) herbivory.
D) antagonistic.
E) commensalism.

Question 21

Suppose a survey of predator-prey relationships shows that the fastest predators are usually found in regions where the fastest prey also are found. The most likely explanation for such a finding is

A) character displacement.
B) reciprocal adaptations.
C) aposematism.
D) exploitative competition.
E) the Batesian principle.

Question 22

Which of the following statements about a predator-prey relationship is true?

A) It is an antagonistic relationship.
B) The predators tend to be more specialized than other types of consumers.
C) The relationship has negative consequences for both species involved.
D) Both a and b
E) Both b and c

Question 23

Which of the following statements about chemical defenses of prey is true?

A) Prey that use chemical defenses tend to be slow-moving.
B) Some predators can evolve countermeasures against the chemical defenses of prey.
C) Many prey species that defend themselves with toxic chemicals advertise their toxicity.
D) Both a and b
E) Both b and c

Question 24

Which of the following is most likely to evolve specialized detoxification systems?

A) A mammalian herbivore that eats a variety of plant species
B) An avian predator
C) An insect whose larvae feed from the leaves from a single host plant
D) A bumblebee that obtains nectar while pollinating flowers
E) A tick that lives as an ectoparasite

Question 25

Drosophila sechellia, which is native to the Seychelles Islands, feeds only from the Indian mulberry shrub. This species would therefore be called

A) polyphagous.
B) oligophagous.
C) aposematic.
D) amensalistic.
E) xeric.

Question 26

Which of the following is most responsible for the biochemical diversity of plants?

A) Adaptations to different soils
B) Adaptations to different temperature regimes
C) Adaptations to different levels of moisture
D) Coevolution with herbivores
E) Coevolution with commensals

Question 27

Homotypy is a type of

A) aposematism.
B) Müllerian mimicry.
C) Batesian mimicry.
D) chemical defense.
E) crypsis.

Question 28

The opposite of crypsis is

A) homotypy.
B) commensalism.
C) antagonism.
D) aposematism.
E) character displacement.

Question 29

What is the major difference between Batesian and Müllerian mimicry?

A) Only Batesian mimicry involves reciprocal adaptations.
B) Only Müllerian mimicry involves reciprocal adaptations.
C) All of the species that exhibit Müllerian mimicry are toxic; in Batesian mimicry, one or more species are toxic and one or more species are nontoxic mimics.
D) All of the species that exhibit Batesian mimicry are toxic; in Müllerian mimicry, one or more species are toxic and one or more species are nontoxic mimics.
E) There is no difference between Müllerian and Batesian mimicry.

Question 30

Which of the following statements about herbivory is true?

A) Most insects are specialized herbivores, usually feeding from one or a few host plants.
B) Most vertebrates are specialized herbivores, usually feeding from one or a few host plants.
C) In most natural ecosystems, insects usually remove less than 20 percent of plant biomass.
D) Both a and b
E) Both a and c

Question 31

Caterpillars of the winter moth Operophtera brumata eat the leaves of a variety of trees, including maples, oaks, cranberry, blueberry, and apple. The feeding habits of this moth would therefore be called

A) aposematic.
B) oligophagous.
C) polyphagous.
D) homotypic.
E) pathogenic.

Question 32

Most plants defend themselves against herbivory mainly by means of

A) aposematism.
B) crypsis.
C) thorns and spines.
D) silica.
E) chemical defenses.

Question 33

Bombardier beetles are best known for their

A) ability to mimic other, more toxic beetles.
B) crypsis.
C) ability to escape from predators by means of their extraordinarily quick reflexes.
D) chemical defenses.
E) extraordinary polyphagy.

Question 34

Which of the following relationships is least likely to result in coevolution?

A) Mutualism
B) Host-parasite
C) Predator-prey
D) Competition
E) Amensalism

Question 35

Many female swallowtail butterflies are not toxic, but they resemble butterflies that are toxic. This phenomenon is known as

A) character displacement.
B) Müllerian mimicry.
C) Batesian mimicry.
D) Wallacean mimicry.
E) crypsis.

Question 36

Three species of snails that are toxic to their bird predators have evolved similar patterns of coloration that help notify the birds of their poisonous nature. This phenomenon is best described as

A) Müllerian mimicry.
B) Batesian mimicry.
C) character displacement.
D) crypsis.
E) homotypy.

Question 37

The sharp contrast of black and white on a skunk warns other animals to stay away, lest they face a noxious spray. This defense is an example of

A) Batesian mimicry.
B) amensalism.
C) character displacement.
D) crypsis.
E) aposematism.

Question 38

Which of the following statements about the relationship between plants and animals is correct?

A) Because vertebrates are more likely than insects to be herbivores, plants have not needed to evolve responses against insect herbivory.
B) Because herbivorous insects usually do not kill the plants they feed on, their role as a selective agent is questionable.
C) Because most plants live a long time, they are less likely to be able to evolve defenses against the herbivores.
D) The fact that most insects are able to eat a wide variety of plants suggests that plant defenses are ineffective.
E) The fact that insects do not exhibit character displacement argues against their ability to coevolve with any other life form.

Question 39

Coevolutionary "arms races" are usually the result of

A) amensalism.
B) responses to abiotic conditions.
C) reciprocal adaptations.
D) commensalism.
E) None of the above

Question 40

Which of the following statements about herbivory is false?

A) At least hundreds of thousands of species engage in herbivory.
B) Herbivory is an antagonistic interaction.
C) Herbivory is found in marine as well as terrestrial systems.
D) Most herbivore species are insects.
E) All of the above are true; none is false.

Question 41

Monarch butterflies are toxic to many of their predators because they

A) have a mutualistic relationship with a fungus that produces a toxin in exchange for nutrition.
B) have a mutualistic relationship with a bacterium that produces a toxin in exchange for nutrition.
C) eat milkweed and are able to sequester the toxins from that plant.
D) have evolved an enzyme that produces a toxin.
E) None of the above

Question 42

Two species of woody shrubs are in close proximity and in competition for limited resources. One species produces chemicals through its roots that limit the growth of the other. The production of these chemicals is a form of

A) intraspecific competition.
B) interference competition.
C) competitive exclusion.
D) resource partitioning.
E) exploitative competition.

Question 43

Which of the following would be most likely to evolve adaptations that would enable them to grasp onto and maintain a tight grip on their hosts?

A) Amensals
B) Ectoparasites
C) Microparasites
D) Herbivores
E) Guild parasites

Question 44

Under which of the following conditions would a mutualistic relationship most likely lead to reciprocal adaptations?

A) When the mutualism is asymmetrical
B) When both partners are animals
C) When one partner is an animal and the other is a plant
D) When both partners are plants
E) When increased benefits are gained by greater dependence on the partner

Question 45

Which of the following are most likely to be pathogens?

A) Macroparasites
B) Ectoparasites
C) Microparasites
D) Cryptoparasites
E) None of the above

Question 46

Which of the following statements about plant-frugivore mutualisms is true?

A) These mutualisms are usually symmetrical.
B) Most frugivores are specialists.
C) Plants time the ripening of their fruits to coincide with the maturation of their seeds.
D) Both a and b
E) None of the above

Question 47

The H1N1 influenza virus responsible for the 2009 pandemic is considered a(n)

A) microparasite.
B) macroparasite.
C) ectoparasite.
D) oligoparasite.
E) mutualist.

Question 48

The evolution of similar traits on the part of species that experience similar selective pressures is a phenomenon called

A) Batesian mimicry.
B) character displacement.
C) diffuse coevolution.
D) aposematism.
E) mutualism.

Question 49

The most likely pollinator of a plant species with orange, sweet-smelling flowers that provide both nectar and pollen would be

A) moths.
B) butterflies.
C) hummingbirds.
D) bees.
E) flesh flies.

Question 50

The relationship between mistletoes and mistletoe birds is one in which food is traded for

A) whole plant transport.
B) defense.
C) pollen transport.
D) seed transport.
E) None of the above

Question 51

Which of the following statements about pathogens and their hosts is true?

A) Pathogens are always selected evolutionarily to kill their host as quickly as possible.
B) Increased host resistance can lead to stable coexistence between pathogen and host.
C) Hosts are classified as susceptible, immune, or recovered.
D) Both a and b
E) Both b and c

Question 52

Two species of yeast are capable of persisting indefinitely on agar in the lab, but when they are grown together under similar conditions, only a single species remains after a few days. This is an illustration of

A) character displacement.
B) interference competition.
C) intraspecific competition.
D) competitive exclusion.
E) homotypy.

Question 53

The primary benefit that acacia trees receive from their association with ants is

A) seed transport.
B) pollen transport.
C) nitrogen products.
D) potassium products.
E) protection.

Question 54

Southern pine bark beetles and leaf-cutter ants are similar in that both

A) display aposematic color patterns.
B) depend on mutualisms with fungi.
C) prey on other insects.
D) exhibit character displacement.
E) None of the above

Question 55

The most likely pollinator of the scarlet monkeyflower Mimulus cardinalis, which has bright red, tubular flowers and produces nectar, would be

A) moths.
B) butterflies.
C) hummingbirds.
D) bees.
E) flesh flies.

Question 56

Which of the following statements about yucca plants is true?

A) They are pollinated by several species of bees as well as by yucca moths.
B) The stigma of the yucca flower is located deep within the pistil.
C) They are pollinated by moths that have evolved specialized mouthparts with long tentacles.
D) Both a and b
E) Both b and c

Question 57

Compared with pollen, nectar

A) provides a greater reward.
B) is more susceptible to theft.
C) evolved earlier.
D) Both a and b
E) Both b and c

Question 58

Which of the following statements about mutualistic interactions is true?

A) They are almost always symmetrical.
B) They can evolve into parasitism.
C) They usually evolve when resources are common.
D) All of the above
E) None of the above

Question 59

Which of the following statements about plant-pollination systems is true?

A) Pollinators usually eat all of a plant's pollen.
B) Successful pollination usually requires that the pollinator visit at least two members of the plant species.
C) Pollinators usually have evolved specialized anatomical features to carry pollen.
D) Both a and b
E) Both b and c

Question 60

Two similar species of lemurs exist in Madagascar. One species eats leaves from the understory of trees, and the other eats leaves from the top of those trees. This phenomenon would be described as

A) competitive exclusion.
B) interference competition.
C) exploitative competition.
D) resource partitioning.
E) character displacement.

Question 61

What would be the best explanation for the observation that the range of a species of lacewings has expanded following the removal of a competitor?

A) The absence of the competitor caused the species to undergo character displacement.
B) The presence of the competitor had caused the species to undergo character displacement.
C) In the presence of the competitor, the realized niche of the species had been larger than its fundamental niche.
D) In the presence of the competitor, the realized niche of the species had been smaller than its fundamental niche.
E) Consumers may influence the outcome of competition.

Question 62

Which of the following is an example of character displacement?

A) Early in its growing season, scarlet gilia produces red flowers that attract hummingbirds; later in the season, the plant produces white flowers that attract hawkmoths.
B) Large polyphagous herbivores usually eat a wide variety of plants in order to minimize their exposure to the toxins of any one plant.
C) A species of butterfly that is edible by bird predators evolves the color patterns of another butterfly species that is toxic to the predators.
D) Finches in the Galápagos Islands are larger on islands where bees are present because the bees compete with the finches for cactus nectar.
E) None of the above

Question 63

Many exquisite adaptations are actually the result of reciprocal adaptations, or _______, between partners of an interaction.

Question 64

Larvae of moths called bagworms can eat a tremendous variety of plants; some species can consume leaves from more than 40 different host plant families. Bagworms are thus _______ herbivores.

Question 65

The type of interaction in which one partner is harmed but there is no effect on the other is called _______.

Question 66

According to the results of Connell's experiments, the distribution of stellate barnacles is restricted by

A) desiccation.
B) cold temperatures.
C) predation.
D) competition.
E) parasitism.

Question 67

The logical chain between interspecific competition, guild formation, and resource partitioning is that _______ caused _______, which led to _______.

A) interspecific competition; guild formation; resource partitioning
B) interspecific competition; resource partitioning; guild formation
C) guild formation; interspecific competition; resource partitioning
D) guild formation; resource partitioning; interspecific competition
E) resource partitioning; interspecific competition; guild formation

Question 68

Which of the following interactions would most likely make a species' realized niche larger than its fundamental niche?

A) Competition
B) Predation
C) Mutualism
D) Both a and b
E) Both b and c

Question 69

A rabbit unwittingly carries a mite across the river at no cost to itself. This is an example of _______.

Question 70

Many snakes, particularly those that are venomous, exhibit patterns of vibrant coloration that serve to advertise their toxicity. These color patterns are an example of _______.

Question 71

After the introduction of the American mink into Belarus, the native European mink became larger, and the American mink gradually decreased in size. Which of the following is the most likely explanation for this observation?

A) Antagonistic interactions
B) Interference competition
C) Character displacement
D) Guild formation
E) Batesian mimicry

Question 72

Parasitism and predation are both forms of _______ interactions.

Question 73

The intertidal zonation seen in the barnacles in Connell's studies is due to

A) competitive interactions and predation.
B) competitive interactions and differential susceptibility to abiotic conditions.
C) predation and differential susceptibility to abiotic conditions.
D) susceptibility to abiotic conditions and parasitism.
E) parasitism and predation.

Question 74

Which of the following statements about competition is true?

A) Consumers can influence the outcome of their prey species' competitive interactions.
B) Competition requires the competitors to be physically present in the same region at the same time.
C) Exploitation competition cannot lead to coexistence.
D) Both a and b
E) None of the above

Question 75

A snail that evolves measures to look like an inedible object demonstrates the form of mimicry known as _______.

Question 76

Robert Denno's studies on sap-sucking planthoppers showed that these species engage in _______ as a response to competition.

A) character displacement
B) antagonistic interactions
C) niche realization
D) reciprocal adaptations
E) resource partitioning

Question 77

Which of the following statements about competition is false?

A) Some microorganisms engage in interference competition.
B) Interspecific competition can lead to species extinction.
C) Competition plays an important role in determining the composition of communities.
D) Competition can take place only between members of different species.
E) All of the above are true; none is false.

Question 78

In _______ mimicry, one species that is not hazardous evolves coloration or behaviors that are similar to those of a hazardous species. The nonhazardous species is called the _______, whereas the hazardous species is called the _______.

Question 79

Taxonomically, most of the world's herbivores are _______.

Question 80

According to the results of Connell's experiments, the distribution of rock barnacles is restricted by

A) desiccation.
B) cold temperatures.
C) predation.
D) competition.
E) parasitism.