Download Evolution Terms to Know

Evolution questions:
Sample questions:
1. About which of these did Darwin have a poor understanding?
A. that individuals in a population exhibit a good deal of variation
B. that much of the variation between individuals in a population is inherited
C. the factors that cause individuals in populations to struggle for survival
D. the sources of genetic variations among individuals
E. how a beneficial trait becomes more common in a population over the course of
generations
2. Which of these is the smallest unit that natural selection can change?
A. a species’gene frequency
B. a population’s gene frequency
C. an individual’s genome
D. an individual’s genotype
E. an individual’s phenotype
3. Each of the following has a better chance of influencing gene frequencies in small
populations than in large populations, but which one most consistently requires a small
population as a precondition for its occurrence?
A. mutation
B. non-random mating
C. genetic drift
D. natural selection
E. gene flow
4. Which of these makes determining the evolutionary relatedness of different species
based on the amino acid sequence of homologous proteins generally less accurate than
determinations of relatedness based on the nucleotide sequences of homologous genes?
A. silent mutations
B. gene duplications
C. translocation events that change gene sequences
D. crossing-over
E. independent assortment
5. Which is a true statement concerning genetic variation?
A. It is created by the direct action of natural selection.
B. It arises in response to changes in the environment.
C. It must be present in a population before natural selection can act upon the population.
D. It tends to be reduced by the processes involved when diploid organisms produce
gametes.
E. A population that has a higher average heterozygosity has less genetic variation than
one with a larger average heterozygosity.
6. Gene flow is a concept best used to describe an exchange between
A. species.
B. males and females.
C. populations.
D. individuals.
E. chromosomes.
7. The Darwinian fitness of an individual is measured most directly by
A. the number of its offspring that survive to reproduce.
B. the number of “good genes” it possesses.
C. the number of mates it attracts.
D. its physical strength.
E. how long it lives.
8. Which of the following statements best summarizes evolution as it is viewed today?
A. It is goal-directed.
B. It represents the result of selection for acquired characteristics.
C. It is synonymous with the process of gene flow.
D. It is the descent of humans from the present-day great apes.
E. It is the differential survival and reproduction of the most-fit phenotypes.
9. If neutral variation is truly “neutral,” then it should have no effect on
A. nucleotide diversity.
B. average heterozygosity.
C. our ability to measure the rate of evolution.
D. relative fitness.
E. gene diversity.
10. The most important finding from the fossil record for the theory of evolution is
A. that life has evolved through time.
B. life has evolved gradually.
C. most species are extinct.
D. ancient species differed from those alive today.
E. All of the above.
11. All of the alleles for all the loci present in a population is called the ___.
A. population variation
B. evolutionary potential
C. population compilation
D. gene pool
E. allele collection
12. Which of the following is an example of nonrandom mating?
A. self-fertilization
B. heterozygote advantage
C. genetic equilibrium
D. directional selection
E. genetic polymorphisms
13. Variation that does not alter the ability to survive and reproduce
A. is not possible with natural selection.
B. reduces genetic polymorphism.
C. is only possible for polygenic traits.
D. is not part of the gene pool.
E. is called neutral variation
14. What process refers to dramatic phenotypic changes that sometimes occur in
evolution, such as the appearance of feathered wings during the evolution of birds?
A. paedomorphosis
B. gradualism
C. macroevolution
D. allopolyploidy
E. microevoluton
15. What type of speciation is most common in animals?
A. hybridization
B. allopatric
C. allopolyploidy
D. sympatric
E. paedomorphosis
1. D
2. B
3. C
4. A
5. C
6. C
7. A
8. E
9. D
10. A
11. D
12. A
13. E
14. C
15. B