Download 1. Which statement does not reflect Darwin`s theory of evolution by

1. Which statement does not reflect Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection?
a. Excess numbers of individuals are produced in each generation.
b. All members of a population have an equal opportunity to reproduce.
c. Members of the same population must compete for essential resources to survive.
d. Resources in the environment are limited.
e. Population levels tend to remain unchanged.
2. What is a vestigial organ?
a. an organ that is reduced in form and function
b. an organ in the process of developing into a useful organ
c. an organ with great physiological importance
d. an organ that is found only in the embryo
e. an organ that is found only in fossilized remains
3. Which process can change the gene pool of a population?
a. geographic isolation
b. natural selection
c. migration
d. non-random mating
e. all of the above
4. What is required for natural selection to occur?
a. variation within a species
b. variation between species
c. some artificial means of selecting traits
d. no change in environmental conditions
e. all of the above
5. Which term is used to describe the structural similarities in the skeletal elements found in the flipper
of a porpoise and the wing of a bat?
a. analogous
b. embryonic
c. homologous
d. phylogenetic
e. vestigial
6. What do the similarities in the embryonic development of mammals and birds suggest?
a. Both types of organisms have the same DNA content.
b. Both types of organisms have a common ancestry.
c. Both types of organisms belong to the same family.
d. Both types of organisms have analogous structures.
e. Both types of organisms have homologous structures.
7. What is macroevolution?
a. the presence of more than one allele in a population
b. the genetic contribution of an individual to succeeding generations
c. the creation of a new species
d. a change in the frequency of an allele in a local population
e. the effect of selective breeding to enhance desirable characteristics
8. Two unrelated organisms show similar characteristics. Which process has occurred?
a. convergent evolution
b. divergent evolution
c. allopatric speciation
d. sympatric speciation
e. coevolution
9. Which adaptation is considered to be an evolutionary adaptation?
a. the ability of plants found near iron deposits to grow in soil enriched with iron
b. larger muscles acquired through rigorous exercise
c. darker skin obtained through sun exposure
d. increased flexibility obtained from repeated stretching
e. all of the above
10. Which term can be defined as the gradual increase in a population of one particular phenotype due to
more successful reproduction?
a. genetic drift
b. mutation
c. polyploidy
d. natural selection
e. the theory of use and disuse
11. Conservation biologists are trying to preserve intermediate-sized fish in a certain pond. People who
fish at the pond can keep only the large and small fish that they catch. Intermediate-sized fish must be
returned to the water. What kind of selection is demonstrated?
a. stabilizing selection
b. directional selection
c. disruptive selection
d. sexual selection
e. none of the above
12. Which factor might explain why two species of animal show many structural similarities?
a. The species lived in different environments for a long time.
b. The species are genetically related to a common ancestor.
c. The species share characteristics and perform different functions.
d. The species have passed through a period of adaptation.
e. The species show the effect of convergent evolution.
13. Natural selection primarily favors:
a. phenotypes
b. genotypes
c. mutations
d. heterozygotes
e. homozygotes
14. The smallest unit that can evolve is a(n):
a. species
b. genotype
c. individual
d. population
15. Animals that possess homologous structures probably:
a. are headed for extinction
b. evolved from the same ancestor
c. have increased genetic diversity
d. by chance had similar mutations independently in the past
e. are not related
16. Vestigial organs are:
a. evidence for Lamarck's theory of use and disuse
b. remnants of structures that were useful to an organism's ancestors
c. one piece of evidence that does not support the theory of evolution
d. examples of anatomical imperfections such as the human knee
e. homologies that can only be observed in embryos
17. An earthquake hits a small island. All but a small group of closely related lizards are eliminated, and
the survivors spread out over the island. This is an instance of:
a. founder effect
b. bottleneck effect
c. gene flow
d. mutation
e. non-random mating
18. Which of the following scenarios would most likely result in the microevolution of a population of
humans?
a. Only random mating takes place among all the people that reproduce in North America.
b. A colony of humans on the moon is isolated from Earth.
c. The incidence of skin cancer in adults over age 40 rises significantly.
d. Hundreds of thousands of people are killed in a natural disaster.
e. Both random mating and an increase in middle-aged skin cancer occur.
19. A population of squirrels is preyed upon by small hawks. The smaller squirrels can escape into
burrows. The larger squirrels can fight off the hawks. After several generations, the squirrels in the
area tend to be very small or very large. What process is responsible for this outcome?
a. stabilizing selection
b. directional selection
c. disruptive selection
d. balancing selection
e. sexual selection
20. Which one of the following conditions is necessary for speciation to occur?
a. reproductive isolation
b. sympatric speciation
c. adaptive radiation
d. mass extinction
e. interbreeding among neighboring populations
21. Three species of frogs, Rana pipiens, Rana clamitans, and Rana sylvatica, all mate in the same ponds,
but they pair off correctly because they have different calls. This is a specific example of a _____
barrier, called _____.
a. prezygotic barrier ... behavioral isolation
b. postzygotic ... hybrid breakdown
c. prezygotic ... temporal isolation
d. postzygotic ... mechanical isolation
e. prezygotic ... gametic isolation
22. There are two groups of pine trees that appear to be very similar phenotypically and genotypically.
However, one releases pollen in January, when the female structures of that group are receptive, and
one in March. What kind of reproductive barrier is this?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
gametic isolation
mechanical isolation
temporal isolation
hybrid inviability
a geographic barrier
23. The term founder effect is defined as:
a. the establishment of a population in a new region
b. a rapid population decrease
c. the movement of alleles from one population to another
d. any change in gene or allele frequencies in a population
e. any random change in gene or allele frequencies in a small population
24. The biochemical (or molecular biological) evidence for evolution is based on the concept that:
a. the more similar the DNA of two species is, the more distantly they are related
b. identical DNA molecules shared by present and extinct organisms suggest that they are
descended from a common ancestor
c. the DNA in all organisms came from their parents
d. all organisms share identical DNA molecules and similar proteins
e. comparisons of the DNA and proteins of different species indicate the degree to which those
species are related
25. The Theory of Evolution by Acquired Characteristics did not include:
a. organisms can change during their own lifetime
b. strenuous activities can change organisms
c. the environment plays a role in selecting favourable characteristics
d. organisms were originally created by a Creator
e. physical characteristics cannot be passed to offspring
26. A population of organisms is considered to be adapted to its environment if:
a. environmental changes are few, so as not to influence closely related species
b. successive generations of offspring thrive in spite of minor environmental fluctuations
c. successive generations of offspring are free of any inheritable variations
d. the population continues to increase
e. competition among neighbouring populations is minimal
27. Evolution can be defined as:
a. the establishment of a population in a new region
b. a rapid population decrease
c. any change in gene or allele frequencies in a population
d. any random change in gene or allele frequencies in a small population
e. the movement of alleles from one population to another
28. Organisms are of the same species if they are able to breed and produce:
a. expanding populations
b. fertile offspring in the wild
c. fertile offspring in controlled conditions
d. litter with fertile and sterile offspring
e. sterile offspring
29. A species of flying squirrel inhabited an island. Ashes from a nearby volcano killed much of the
vegetation, including all the trees. A few squirrels survived. Recently the squirrels were reported to be
abundant, living among the rocks and shrubs now covering the island. In the present population, the
ANSWERS:
"flight membranes" are mostly too small to be functional. The most probable explanation for
this change is which of the following?
a. the squirrels had no chance to fly so the membranes shriveled
b. a new type of squirrel was introduced to the island
c. natural selection no longer favoured those who could fly
d. young squirrels were not taught to fly by their parents, so the membranes did not
develop
e. all the squirrels that could fly left the island
1b, 2a, 3e, 4a, 5c, 6b, 7c, 8a, 9a, 10d, 11a, 12e, 13a, 14d, 15b, 16b, 17b, 18b, 19c, 20a, 21a, 22c, 23a, 24e, 25d, 26b, 27c, 28b, 29c, 30b
30. Several different species of finches have evolved over time from a common ancestor due to
the unique and varied environments on the Galapagos Islands. This is due to:
a. convergent evolution
b. divergent evolution
c. analogous structures
d. homologous structures
e. macroevolution