Download Name: ______ AP Biology Comprehension Check Enduring

Name: ________________________________________
AP Biology Comprehension Check
Enduring Understandings
Enduring Understanding 1.A: Change in the genetic makeup of a population over time is evolution.
1.A.1: Natural selection is a major mechanism of evolution.
1.A.2. Natural selection acts on phenotypic variations in populations.
1.A.3. Evolutionary change is also driven by random processes.
1.A.4. Biological evolution is supported by scientific evidence from many disciplines, including
mathematics.
Enduring Understanding 1.B: Organisms are linked by lines of descent from common ancestry.
1.B.1: Organisms share many conserved core processes and features that evolved and are
widely distributed among organisms today.
1.B.2. Phylogenetic trees and cladograms are graphical representations (models) of
evolutionary history that can be tested.
Enduring Understanding 1.C: Life continues to evolve within a changing environment.
1.C.1. Speciation and extinction have occurred throughout the Earth’s history.
1.C.2. Speciation may occur when two populations become reproductively isolated from each
other.
1.C.3. Populations of organisms continue to evolve.
Enduring Understanding 1.D: The origin of living systems is explained by natural processes.
1.D.1. There are several hypotheses about the natural origin of life on Earth, each with
supporting scientific evidence.
1.D.2. Scientific evidence from many different disciplines supports models of the origin of life.
__________________________________________________________________________________
1. (1.A.1.) How do limited resources relate to differential survival of individuals?
2. (1.A.1.) What is fitness and how is it measured?
3. (1.A.1.) Explain the concept of Natural Selection. How does genetic variation and mutations play a
role in natural selection?
4. (1.A.1.) What is an adaptation?
5. (1.A.1.) What are the 5 conditions for a population to be in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium?
6. (1.A.1.) You have sampled a population in which you know that the percentage of homozygous
recessive genotype (aa) is 36%. Using this information, calculate the following:
a) The frequency of the “aa” genotype.
b) The frequency of the “a” allele.
c) The frequency of the “A” allele.
d) The frequency of the genotypes “AA” and “Aa”
7. (1.A.2.) How does the Peppered Moth explain how environments can act as a selective mechanism on
populations?
8.(1.A.2). Ho do phenotypic variations occur? Are they goal-oriented (because all the food is high up,
giraffes grow long necks) or is it random?
9. (1.A.2.) Describe an instance when humans have an impact on species variations.
10. (1.A.3.) What is Genetic Drift? How is it different from Genetic Flow? If it helps, draw a picture to
help show your point.
11. (1.A.4.) How does the study of fossils help prove evolution? Make sure to discuss the dating of
fossils and using the geographic location of the fossil (where it is found) to help prove evolution.
12. (1.A.4.) How do morphological homologies (Homologous Structures) and Vestigial Structures
provide evidence for evolution?
13. (1.C.1.) Describe the rate of speciation. Does it vary? Include a discussion of adaptive radiation.
14. (1.C.1.) When species undergo levels of high ____________________ extinction rates are rapid.
Give some examples of times in Earth’s history (or present day) when extinction rates were/are rapid.
15. (1.C.2.) How are ways speciation can occur? Discuss pre- and post-zygotic mechanisms and how
they promote speciation.
16. (1.C.2.) We know species can arise from reproductive isolation (Reproductive Isolation occurs when
members of a species are separated from other members in such a way that they can not mate with
them), but this usually takes a while. Describe an instance when speciation can occur rapidly.
17. (1.C.3.) Discuss an example that shows evolution is still occurring today (check out the blog for a
great video on antibiotic resistant bacteria!)