Deck 21: How Evolution Works

Question 1

James Hutton and Charles Lyell provided which of the following ideas that paved the way for Darwin's thinking?

A) the surface features of Earth were formed by catastrophic events and the fossil record showed that species have evolved
B) the surface features of Earth were formed by catastrophic events and those events are still occurring
C) the surface features of Earth were formed gradually and the fossil record showed that species have evolved
D) the surface features of Earth were formed slowly and gradually and the geological processes are still at work

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Which of the following statements is most consistent with data obtained from the fossil record?

A) Older strata carry fossils that differ greatly from living organisms.
B) Geologic changes occur quickly on Earth.
C) Unused body parts decrease in size.
D) Organisms have an innate drive to increase in complexity.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

The diagram is reminiscent of Darwin's sketch showing the branching of evolution. The horizontal axis of the diagram is a timeline that extends from 100,000 years ago to the present; the vertical axis represents nothing in particular. Which combination of ideas is represented in the diagram?

A) extinction and mutation
B) origin of new species and mutation
C) natural selection and overreproduction
D) origin of new species and extinction

Answer 3

D

Question 4

The cow Bos primigenius (which is farmed for meat and milk) has a smaller brain and larger eyes than closely related species of wild ungulates. Which of the following statements best describes the process that led to differences between domesticated/farmed cows and their wild relatives?

A) Natural selection resulted in changes in the wild species because humans preyed upon them.
B) Natural selection resulted in changes in the lineage leading to domesticated cows because humans provided food for their cows.
C) Artificial selection resulted in changes in the lineage leading to domesticated cows because humans wanted animals with high milk output and high muscle content.
D) Artificial selection resulted in changes in the lineage leading to domesticated cows because humans wanted animals that would see predators and escape from them.

Question 5

The figure shows an outcrop of sedimentary rock whose strata are labeled A-D. If x indicates the location of fossils of two closely related species, then fossils of their most-recent common ancestor are most likely to occur in which stratum?

A) A
B) B
C) C
D) D

Question 6

Use the diagram to answer the next question. Which of the following conclusions is consistent with the information in the evolutionary tree?

A) The amnion occurs in mammals, birds, and lizards.
B) The amnion occurs in all organisms that have digit-bearing limbs.
C) The amnion is a membrane that surrounds developing embryos.
D) Feathers contribute to temperature regulation in birds.

Question 7

Which of the following statements best represents a conclusion that Cuvier made when he considered the fossils found in the vicinity of Paris?

A) Older rock strata contain species that are quite similar to current species because they evolved in that area.
B) Young rock strata contain only species that evolved recently.
C) Multiple catastrophes caused extinctions and then new species evolved.
D) Multiple catastrophes caused extinctions and then species from other areas repopulated emptied areas.

Question 8

The figure shows an outcrop of sedimentary rock whose strata are labeled A-D. If x indicates the earliest appearance of fossils of two closely related species, neither of which is extinct, then their remains may be found in which of these strata?

A) stratum A only
B) strata A and B only
C) strata A, B, and C only
D) all four strata

Question 9

Which of the following characteristics is most likely an adaptation?

A) dark fur on mice that live in areas with light colored soil
B) large size in St. Bernard dogs
C) bright colors of prairie flowers
D) large seed size in wind-dispersed plants

Question 10

Which of the following statements is accurate if we view evolution both as a pattern and a process?

A) To study evolution as a pattern we draw on information from many other scientific fields, while to study evolution as a process we study factors that cause changes in populations.
B) To study evolution as a pattern we study factors that cause changes in populations, while to study evolution as a process we draw on information from many other scientific fields.
C) To study evolution as a pattern we rely on data from the past, while to study evolution as a process we study data from current day populations.
D) To study evolution as a pattern we study data from current day populations, while to study evolution as a process we rely on data from the past.

Question 11

Starting from the wild mustard Brassica oleracea, plant breeders have created the strains known as Brussels sprouts, broccoli, kale, and cabbage. Which of the following statements is correct with regard to the wild mustard?

A) There is enough heritable variation in the wild mustard to permit these different varieties.
B) Heritable variation is low in wild mustard-otherwise this wild strain would have different characteristics.
C) Natural selection is rare in wild populations of wild mustard.
D) In wild mustard, most of the variation is due to differences in soil or other aspects of the environment.

Question 12

A species of mouse that is preyed on by owls (which can see color) at dawn and dusk varies in coat color between dark and light brown. Under which of the following conditions will NO evolution occur if climate change results in the soil color becoming darker?

A) Dark-colored mice are more likely to be eaten by owls.
B) Light-colored mice produce more offspring than dark-colored mice.
C) There is no variability in the genes that control coat color.
D) There is no way to make a prediction.

Question 13

In this diagram, each fork represents which of the following ideas?

A) groups of living organisms
B) groups of extinct organisms
C) the most recent common ancestor of the subsequent species
D) morphologic gaps in the fossil record

Question 14

Which of the following observations helped Darwin agree with Lyell that Earth was more than a few thousand years old?

A) experiencing an earthquake and seeing fossils of ocean organisms high in the Andes
B) experiencing a tidal wave and seeing fossils of ocean organisms in the interior lands of the Galapagos islands
C) observing the immigration of new finch species to a bare island in the Galapagos and seeing the development of a new species
D) observing the variety of mockingbirds on the different Galapagos Islands as well as understanding that they were most similar to species in South America

Question 15

Use the diagram to answer the next question. Which of the following conclusions is most consistent with the information in the evolutionary tree shown above?

A) Mammals are more closely related to birds than to amphibians.
B) Lizards and crocodiles (both of which have legs) are more closely related to each other than either is to snakes (which lack legs).
C) Crocodiles are more closely related to hawks than to lizards.
D) Modern lungfishes are the common ancestor of modern tetrapods.

Question 16

A farmer uses triazine herbicide to control pigweed in his field. For the first few years, the triazine works well and almost all the pigweed dies; however, after several years, the farmer sees more and more pigweed growing once again in the fields. Which of the following statements best explains the return of pigweed to the farmer's fields?

A) The herbicide company started selling poor-quality triazine.
B) Natural selection caused the pigweed to mutate, creating a new triazine-resistant species.
C) Triazine-resistant pigweed has less-efficient photosynthetic pathways than the original form.
D) Triazine-resistant weeds were more likely to survive and reproduce than were non-resistant individuals.

Question 17

Which of the following statements best describes Linnaeus' method of classifying organisms?

A) Linnaeus grouped organisms according to the linear hierarchy of the scala naturae.
B) Linnaeus grouped organisms into increasingly more inclusive categories.
C) Linnaeus grouped organisms into increasingly more complex categories.
D) Linnaeus grouped organisms according to their geographical location.

Question 18

Which of the following observations would provide evidence supporting Lamarck's proposed evolutionary mechanism of "inheritance of acquired characteristics"?

A) a decrease in tail length in dogs after 20 generations of dogs that had their tails docked (cut off) as puppies
B) an increase in the length of giraffes' necks after trees in the area decreased in height
C) a decrease in the size of the tails of salamanders in a population that immigrated into a cave 20 generations earlier
D) an increase in average speed of deer on an island when the amount of food increased

Question 19

Which of these conditions do NOT occur in populations evolving due to natural selection?

A) The populations vary in traits that can be inherited.
B) Some inherited traits increase reproductive success.
C) Individuals pass on most traits that they acquire during their lifetime.
D) More offspring are produced than can survive.

Question 20

Which of the following statements best describes Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection?

A) Darwin's theory was the first to describe the ideas of special creation.
B) Darwin's theory proved that individuals acclimated to their environment over time.
C) Darwin's theory emphasized that populations vary and change over time.
D) Darwin's theory was the first to propose that species changed over time.

Question 21

Which of the following statements best describes the effect of natural selection on a population?

A) improved match between a population and its environment
B) increased genetic variation among individuals in a population
C) increased mutation rate in the population
D) reduction in population size

Question 22

Of the following anatomical structures, which is most homologous to the bones in the wings of a bird?

A) bones in the hind limbs of a kangaroo
B) chitinous struts in the wings of a butterfly
C) bony rays in the tail fin of a flying fish
D) bones in the flippers of a whale

Question 23

In a hypothetical environment, fishes called pike-cichlids locate their prey by sight and eat small, immature algae-eating fish. Thus, the population of algae-eaters experiences predatory pressure from pike-cichlids. Which of the following possible changes is LEAST likely to occur in the algae-eater population in future generations?

A) improved camouflage of the algae-eaters
B) decreased day-time activity by algae-eaters
C) increased size of female algae-eaters that then produce more and larger young
D) production of fewer offspring by algae-eaters

Question 24

Fossils of Thrinaxodon, a species that lived during the Triassic period, have been found in both South Africa and Antarctica. Thrinaxodon had a reptile-like skeleton and laid eggs, but small depressions on the front of its skull suggest it had whiskers and, therefore, fur. Thrinaxodon may have been endothermic (able to generate its own internal heat). Which of the following statements is likely most accurate about Thrinaxodon?

A) Fossils found in a given area look like the modern species in that same area.
B) The environment where Thrinaxodon lived was very warm.
C) Mammals evolved from a relative of Thrinaxodon.
D) Antarctica and South Africa separated before Thrinaxodon evolved.

Question 25

Currently, two of the living elephant species (X and Y) are placed in the genus Loxodonta, and a third surviving species (Z) is placed in the genus Elephas. Assuming this classification reflects evolutionary relatedness, which of the following is the most accurate evolutionary tree?

A)

B)

C)

D)

Question 26

Which of the following statements best describes evolution?

A) Populations change genetically from one generation to the next.
B) The match between individuals and their environment decreases over time.
C) Natural selection favors the most abundant trait.
D) Individuals change in response to changes in the environment.

Question 27

Structures as different as human arms, bat wings, and dolphin flippers contain many of the same bones, which develop from similar embryonic tissues. These structural similarities are an example of ________.

A) homology
B) convergent evolution
C) the evolution of common structure as a result of common function
D) the evolution of similar appearance as a result of common function

Question 28

Darwin used the phrase "descent with modification" to explain which of the following ideas?

A) descent of all organisms from a single, ancient ancestor
B) the unity of life
C) the diversity of life
D) both the unity and diversity of life

Question 29

After a drought in 1977, researchers hypothesized that on the Galápagos Island Daphne Major, medium ground finches with large, deep beaks survived better than those with smaller beaks because they could more easily crack and eat the tough Tribulus cistoides fruits. A tourist company sets up reliable feeding stations with a variety of bird seeds (different types and sizes) so that tourists can get a better look at the finches. Which of the following events is now most likely to occur to finch beaks on this island?

A) evolution of yet larger, deeper beaks over time, until all birds have relatively large, deep beaks
B) evolution of smaller, pointier beaks over time, until all birds have relatively small, pointy beaks
C) increased variation in beak size and shape over time
D) no change in beak size and shape over time

Question 30

Which of the following factors contribute to limiting the capacity of organisms to overreproduce?

A) lack of food, mortality from predators, and production of many offspring per pair of parents
B) inability of individuals to tolerate the physical conditions, lack of food, and mortality from predators
C) abundance of food, mortality from predators, and inability of individuals to tolerate the physical conditions
D) inability of individuals to tolerate the physical conditions, production of many offspring per pair of parents, and abundance of food

Question 31

Which of the following statements about vestigial structures is accurate?

A) A vestigial structure in species A can be homologous to a functional structure in species B.
B) A vestigial structure in species A can be analogous to a functional structure in Species B.
C) A vestigial structure in species A is likely an example of convergent evolution with a structure in species B.
D) A vestigial structure in species A did not have a function in past ancestors.

Question 32

Which of the following ideas of Charles Darwin was most derived from his reading of Malthus's essay on human population growth?

A) descent with modification
B) variation among individuals in a population
C) the ability of all species to over reproduce
D) humans selected for specific traits in domesticated organisms

Question 33

Which of the following factors would most likely cause an increase in population size of a prey animal?

A) a decrease in available food
B) an increase in the number of predators
C) an improvement in eyesight
D) a reduction in camouflage

Question 34

Claytonia virginica is a plant with flowers that vary from white, to pale pink, to bright pink. Slugs prefer to eat pink-flowering over white-flowering plants (due to chemical differences between the two), and plants experiencing severe herbivory are more likely to die. The bees that pollinate this plant also prefer pink over white flowers, so that Claytonia with pink flowers produce more seeds than Claytonia with white flowers. A researcher observes that the percentage of different flower colors remains stable in the study population from year to year. Given no other information, if the researcher removes all slugs from the study population, what do you predict will most likely happen to the percentage of flower colors in the population over time?

A) The percentage of pink flowers will increase over time.
B) The percentage of white flowers will increase over time.
C) The distribution of flower colors will not change.
D) The distribution of flower colors will randomly fluctuate over time.

Question 35

Currently, two living elephant species (X and Y) are classified in the genus Loxodonta, and a third species (Z) is placed in the genus Elephas. Thus, which of the following statements would be accurate?

A) Species X and Y are not related to species Z.
B) Species X and Y share a greater number of homologies with each other than either does with species Z.
C) Species X and Y share a common ancestor that is alive today.
D) Species X and Y are the result of artificial selection.

Question 36

Cotton-topped tamarins are small primates with tufts of long white hair on their heads. While studying these creatures, a scientist noticed that males with longer hair get more opportunities to mate and that they father more offspring than males with shorter hair. Which of the following possible studies would be the best design for testing if longer hair is an adaptive trait? Assume that hair length is a trait that is inherited.

A) Capture a group of males with long hair at random, and cut the hair very short in half of the males; then, compare the number of matings of males with their hair left unchanged vs. males with shortened hair.
B) From long-term observational records, determine the ages of males and then compare the number of matings by males of different ages.
C) Follow at least ten troops of tamarins and compare the number of matings by males that live in large groups vs. those that live in small groups.
D) Follow at least 20 troops of tamarins and compare the number of matings by males that live high in trees vs. those that live on the ground.

Question 37

Which of the following statements best defines artificial selection?

A) Artificial selection is a process that occurs when individuals inherit traits that enable them to survive and reproduce.
B) Artificial selection is a process in which humans decide which plants and/or animals will and will not breed.
C) Artificial selection is a process in which humans protect domesticated species from predation.
D) Artificial selection is a process that produces beneficial mutations.

Question 38

DDT was once considered a "silver bullet" that would permanently eradicate insect pests. Instead, DDT is now largely ineffective against many insects. Which of the following possible actions would have had the best chance of preventing this evolution of DDT resistance?

A) All habitats should have received applications of DDT at about the same time.
B) The frequency of DDT application should have been higher.
C) The use of DDT should have been interspersed with the use of other pesticides that have a different mode of action.
D) DDT application should have been continual.

Question 39

If the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus experiences a cost for maintaining one or more antibiotic-resistance genes, what would be most likely to happen in environments that lack antibiotics?

A) These bacteria would maintain the antibiotic-resistance genes in case the antibiotics reappear.
B) These bacteria would be outcompeted and replaced by bacteria that have lost the antibiotic resistance genes.
C) These bacteria would try to make the cost worthwhile by locating and migrating to microenvironments where traces of antibiotics are present.
D) These bacteria would increase the number of genes conveying antibiotic resistance.

Question 40

Which of the following statements is most accurate in comparing scientific theories and scientific hypotheses?

A) Scientific theories are nearly the same things as scientific hypotheses.
B) Scientific theories are supported by, and make sense of, many observations, whereas scientific hypotheses are narrow, testable ideas.
C) Scientific theories cannot be tested because they relate to events that occurred only once, but scientific hypotheses can be tested because they relate to events that occur now.
D) Scientific theories predict future events but scientific hypotheses describe past events.

Question 41

Over long periods of time, many cave-dwelling organisms have lost their eyes. Tapeworms have lost their digestive systems. Whales have lost their hind limbs. How can natural selection account for these losses?

A) Natural selection cannot account for losses, but can only account for new structures and functions.
B) Natural selection accounts for these losses by the principle of use and disuse.
C) Under particular circumstances that persisted for long periods, natural selection reduced each of these structures because they presented greater costs than benefits.
D) The ancestors of these organisms experienced harmful mutations that forced them to lose these structures.

Question 42

Continental drift (plate tectonics) has moved continents around the globe. Which of the following predictions would be most likely?

A) Most species will occur only on one continent.
B) No species will occur on all continents.
C) The most recently separated continents will have the most closely related species.
D) There is not enough information to make a prediction.

Question 43

Which of the following observations helped Darwin shape his concept of descent with modification?

A) Species diversity declines farther from the equator.
B) Fewer species live on islands than on the nearest continents.
C) Birds live on islands located farther from the mainland than the birds' maximum nonstop flight distance.
D) South American temperate plants are more similar to the tropical plants of South America than to the temperate plants of Europe.

Question 44

There are a group of 13 related species of birds on a group of about 20 isolated oceanic islands. These species are grouped into four subgroups, with subgroup 1 evolving first (3 species), subgroup 2 evolving second (1 species), subgroup 3 evolving third (5 species), and subgroup 4 evolving last (6 species). If subgroup 4 evolved most recently, then which of the following statements is the most logical prediction?

A) Subgroup 4 should be limited to the six islands that most recently emerged from the sea.
B) The genomes of subgroup 4 should be more similar to each other than to the genomes of subgroup 3.
C) The species of subgroup 4 should share fewer anatomical homologies with each other than they share with the species of subgroup 4.
D) The chances of hybridization between two subgroup 4 species should be less than the chances of hybridization between two subgroup 3 species.

Question 45

Use the diagram to answer the next question. Which of the following sequences is the one that most likely occurred in evolution of whales?

A) elongation of the femur, loss of pelvis, loss of foot
B) reduction of pelvis, loss of foot, elongation of tibia
C) shortening of foot, reduction of pelvis, shortening of femur
D) shortening of femur, reduction in foot, loss of tibia

Question 46

Given what we know about evolutionary biology, which of the following places would be the most likely to have the highest number of species that are unique to the area (that is, that had evolved in that place). Assume that the conditions have existed for at least a few million years.

A) a shallow estuary on a warm-water coast
B) a single mountain in the middle of a continent
C) a grassland, with extreme climatic conditions, in the center of a large continent
D) an isolated group of ocean islands

Question 47

Which of the following observations most strongly supports the common origin of all life on Earth?

A) All organisms require energy.
B) All organisms use essentially the same genetic code.
C) All organisms reproduce.
D) All organisms show variation that is inherited.

Question 48

Imagine that you are an explorer who has discovered an isolated land mass in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. You find a predator that resembles a North American wolf except that it lays eggs. You name it the "mid-ocean wolf." The physical similarity between the mid-ocean wolf and the North American wolf is most likely due to which of the following factors?

A) similarities in prey species
B) natural selection that favors the evolution of homologous structures
C) inheritance of the characteristics from a recent common ancestor
D) natural selection that favors similar traits for organisms with similar ecological roles

Question 49

The upper forelimbs of humans and bats have fairly similar skeletal structures, whereas the corresponding bones in whales have very different shapes and proportions. However, genetic data suggest that all three kinds of organisms diverged from a common ancestor at about the same time. Which of the following is the most likely explanation for these data?

A) Forelimb evolution was adaptive in people and bats, but not in whales.
B) Natural selection in an aquatic environment resulted in significant changes to whale forelimb anatomy.
C) Genes mutate faster in whales than in humans or bats.
D) Whales are not properly classified as mammals.

Question 50

DNA sequences in many human genes are very similar to the sequences of corresponding genes in chimpanzees. The most likely explanation for this result is that ________.

A) humans and chimpanzees share a relatively recent common ancestor
B) humans evolved from chimpanzees
C) chimpanzees evolved from humans
D) convergent evolution led to the DNA similarities

Question 51

The diagram shows two sets of islands. Group A is located 2,500 kilometers from the nearest mainland, whereas Group B is located about 25 kilometers from the mainland. Which of the following statements is most likely accurate in comparing the number of unique species (that is, that had evolved in that place) in Island Groups A and B?

A) There will be more unique species in Island Group A.
B) There will be more unique species in Island Group B
C) There will be no difference in the number of unique species in the two island groups.
D) There is not enough information to make a prediction.

Question 52

Within six months of effectively using methicillin to treat S. aureus infections in a community, all new S. aureus infections were caused by MRSA. How can this best be explained?

A) A patient must have become infected with MRSA from another community.
B) In response to the drug, S. aureus began making drug-resistant versions of the protein targeted by the drug.
C) Some drug-resistant bacteria were present at the start of treatment, and natural selection increased their frequency.
D) S. aureus evolved to resist vaccines.

Question 53

Emerald ash borers are beetles whose larvae eat the leaves of ash trees. Without treatment of the trees, the beetles usually kill all ash trees in an area within 10 years. Which of the following events would provide the best possible avenue for saving the ash trees?

A) development of a new pesticide that kills 50% of the emerald ash borers
B) constant application of DDT to kill the beetles
C) recognition by ash trees of the need for a chemical defense and subsequent production of the chemical by the ash trees to kill the beetles
D) discovery of a gene in ash trees that prevents feeding by emerald ash borers and subsequent breeding of more ash trees with this chemical

Question 54

Which of the following is not an observation or inference on which natural selection is based?

A) There is heritable variation among individuals.
B) Poorly adapted individuals never produce offspring.
C) Species produce more offspring than the environment can support.
D) Only a fraction of an individual's offspring may survive.

Question 55

Use the diagram to answer the next question Fossil evidence indicates that modern whales and other cetaceans (dolphins and porpoises) are closely related to even-toed ungulates (hippopotamuses, pigs, deer, and cows). Which of the following predictions would you make if you wanted to test this idea using the amino acid sequence of hemoglobin?

A) Hemoglobin sequences of whales will be more similar to dogs than to hippopotamuses.
B) Hemoglobin sequences of whales will be more similar to gorillas than to hippopotamuses.
C) Hemoglobin sequences of whales will be more similar to hippopotamuses than to horses.
D) Hemoglobin sequences of whales will be more similar to hippopotamuses than to a fossil common ancestor of all even-toed ungulates (assume we can discover the amino acid sequence from a fossil).

Question 56

It has been observed that organisms on many islands are different from, but closely related to, similar forms found on the nearest continent. Which of the following possible conclusions is best derived from this observation?

A) Island forms are descended from mainland forms.
B) Common environments are inhabited by the same organisms.
C) Island forms and mainland forms have identical gene pools.
D) The island forms and mainland forms are converging.

Question 57

Which of the following statements is accurate about an organ described as vestigial?

A) It must be analogous to some feature in an ancestor.
B) It must be homologous to some feature in an ancestor.
C) It must be both homologous and analogous to some feature in an ancestor.
D) It need be neither homologous nor analogous to some feature in an ancestor.

Question 58

Members of two different species possess a similar-looking structure that they use in a similar way to perform about the same function. Which of the following observations would suggest that the relationship more likely represents homology than convergent evolution?

A) The two species live at great distance from each other.
B) The embryological development of the two structures are similar.
C) The structures in adult members of both species are similar in size.
D) Both species are well adapted to their particular environments.

Question 59

Antibiotic resistance in bacteria is an increasingly dangerous public health problem. Which of the following strategies would be most likely to reduce public health problems?

A) increased funding for research into finding new antibiotics with new mechanisms of action
B) eliminating use of all antibiotics
C) eliminating use of methicillin
D) wearing of breathing masks when outdoors

Question 60

Which of the following statements about evolutionary trees is accurate?

A) Evolutionary trees are considered evolutionary hypotheses.
B) Evolutionary trees are considered evolutionary theories.
C) Evolutionary trees are developed when they are confirmed by fossil evidence.
D) Evolutionary trees cannot be tested by gathering more evidence.