Deck 7: Evolution the Theory and Its Supporting Evidence

Question 1

Whether a mutation is harmful or beneficial can only be judged in respect to the environment.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Populations that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring are called species.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

The fossil record shows no significant change in terms of the diversity of organisms through time.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Only mutations present in sex cells are inheritable.

Question 5

Sharks and dolphins show convergent evolution since they have similar features, yet are only distantly related.

Question 6

The phrase "survival of the fittest" has often been used to describe the theory of natural selection.

Question 7

Jean-Baptiste de Lamarck developed the theory of inheritance of acquired characteristics .

Question 8

Most of the organisms that have ever existed are now extinct.

Question 9

Evolutionary trends can be reversed.

Question 10

Evolutionary change always occurs slowly, over long periods of time.

Question 11

The view that species change little during most of their existence and then evolve rapidly into new species is called punctuated equilibrium.

Question 12

Growth and development by mitosis results in progeny that are genetically identical to the parent cell.

Question 13

Darwin's studies of animals in the Galapagos Islands were important in the development of the theory of evolution.

Question 14

The fossil record contains a sequence from simple to more complex organisms through time.

Question 15

Allopatric speciation occurs when organisms inherit two different alleles.

Question 16

Microevolution results from the cumulative effects of macroevolution.

Question 17

Members of a clade can have different derived and primitive characteristics.

Question 18

Charles Darwin wrote On the Origin of Species .

Question 19

Punctuated equilibrium is the gradual accumulation of minor changes eventually resulting in the origin of a new species.

Question 20

A bat's wing and a bird's wing are examples of analogous structures.

Question 21

Divergent evolution results in descendants with characteristics that are very similar to their ancestors' characteristics.

Question 22

Human wisdom teeth are examples of ____ since their functionality has changed over time.

A) homologous structures
B) analogous structures
C) vestigial structures
D) extra appendage
E) superfluous organs

Question 23

Mutations in sex cells can be induced by ultraviolet radiation or extreme temperature changes.

Question 24

The science of genetics was developed based on experimental studies using fruit flies.

Question 25

Charles Darwin did not use evidence from ____ to support the theory of evolution.

A) classification
B) geographic distribution
C) embryology
D) inheritance mechanisms
E) comparative anatomy

Question 26

Variation is always present in populations because ____.

A) alleles control multiple genes
B) genes blend during inheritance
C) alleles blend during inheritance
D) genes are reshuffled by reproduction and altered by mutations
E) new traits develop when traits that are not expressed are lost

Question 27

The fossil record reveals that present-day organisms are better adapted to their environments than ancient organisms were adapted to their environments.

Question 28

Parallel evolution occurs when

A) unrelated species have evolved structures with similar functions
B) closely related animals have developed similar characteristics that have evolved independently
C) unrelated species develop similar characteristics that are dependent on one another
D) related species have identical vestigial organs
E) unrelated organisms develop different adaptations to similar environments

Question 29

What is a mass extinction?

A) The continuous extinction of various species
B) The result of excessive allopatric speciation
C) The result of accumulated harmful mutations
D) An occurrence when an entire phylum of cohorts dies off
E) A rapid increase in the rate of extinctions that reduces Earth's biotic diversity

Question 30

Which of the following is not a component of the Darwin-Wallace theory of natural selection?

A) All populations contain heritable variations.
B) Some variations are more favorable than others.
C) Not all young survive to maturity.
D) All organisms can knowingly select their genetic direction.
E) The parts of organisms are fully evolved and functional at any one time.

Question 31

Structures like bat and fly wings have similar functions, but they evolved in different ways. What would these types of structures be called?

A) homologous structures
B) analogous structures
C) vestigial structures
D) equivalent structures
E) comparative structures

Question 32

According to Mendel's work on inheritance, a flower with "Aa" alleles, where "A" is dominant over "a" and "A" is red and "a" is white, will be ____.

A) red
B) white
C) pink
D) half red and half white
E) more red than white

Question 33

When animal breeders select desirable traits and breed animals with these traits, they are practicing artificial selection.

Question 34

What has occurred when organisms of one species develop a resistance to pesticides?

A) microevolution
B) macroevolution
C) homologous evolution
D) allopatric mutations
E) analogous evolution

Question 35

The theory of genetics was initially developed by studying ____.

A) giraffes
B) peas
C) humans
D) mice
E) cyanobacteria

Question 36

What is the development of similar characteristics in distantly related organisms called?

A) analogous evolution
B) divergent evolution
C) homologous evolution
D) convergent evolution
E) parallel evolution

Question 37

The origin of amphibians from fish is an example of ____.

A) microevolution
B) macroevolution
C) homologous evolution
D) parallel evolution
E) analogous evolution

Question 38

Cell division yielding sex cells, sperm and eggs in animals, and pollen and ovules in plants, in which the number of chromosomes is reduced by half is ____.

A) mutation
B) mitosis
C) meiosis
D) natural selection
E) evolution

Question 39

A population of similar individuals that in nature interbreed and produce fertile offspring:

A) genus
B) species
C) kingdom
D) class
E) order

Question 40

Cell division resulting in two cells with the same number of chromosomes as the parent cell is ____.

A) mitosis
B) meiosis
C) natural selection
D) divergent evolution
E) mutation

Question 41

Traits like eye color are controlled by ____________________, the basic unit of inheritance.

Question 42

The gradual accumulation of minor changes that bring about a transition from one species to another is a process called ____________________.

Question 43

The development of similar characteristics in separate but closely related organisms is called ____________________.

Question 44

One important conclusion of Mendel's genetic studies with pea plants is ____.

A) mutation is the only important factor in change
B) genes controlling traits do not blend during inheritance, but are transmitted as discrete entities
C) the traits that an organism inherits are the average of the two alleles
D) if particular traits do not appear in each generation, they are lost from the species
E) once a trait becomes recessive, it is lost to the population forever

Question 45

What is punctuated equilibrium?

A) another word for phyletic gradualism
B) the idea that species remain stable for long periods, then evolve rapidly
C) the idea that new species originate from small changes
D) a phenomenon that occurs in divergent, but not convergent, evolution
E) an idea that would garner more support if missing fossil links could be found

Question 46

_____ structures probably indicate descent from a common ancestor with modifications for different functions.

A) Homologous
B) Analogous
C) Vestigial
D) Derived
E) Primitive

Question 47

The concept of ____________________ proposes that species change little or gradually over long periods of time and then evolve quickly to give rise to new species.

Question 48

The study of life history as revealed by fossils is____________________.

Question 49

The development of similar characteristics in distantly related organisms is called ____.

A) divergent evolution
B) allopatric speciation
C) convergent evolution
D) parallel speciation
E) parallel evolution

Question 50

In evolution, the organisms that win are ____.

A) big, mean, or smart (preferably all three)
B) able to keep the environment adapted to them
C) able to adapt to their environment
D) those that are not subjected to harsh environments
E) more complex

Question 51

Changes that occur in genes and are then passed from one generation to another are called ____________________.

Question 52

The binomial species name is composed of the ____ name first, followed by the ____ name.

A) genus; species
B) family; species
C) species; order
D) phyla; order
E) species; class

Question 53

Strong evidence for evolution comes from the field of ____________________, which studies the geographic distribution of ancient and present-day organisms.

Question 54

The theory of evolution____.

A) explains how life originated.
B) says evolutionary change takes place by chance.
C) states humans are direct descendants of monkeys.
D) states the same principles of change apply to organic and inorganic systems.
E) states organisms have changed since life originated.

Question 55

The type of cell division in which resulting cells contain one chromosome from each pair of the parent cell is called ____________________.

Question 56

____________________ allow genes to have multiple expressions.

Question 57

The basic unit of heredity, ____, is found in segments of ____.

A) DNA; genes
B) chromosomes; genes
C) genes; DNA
D) DNA; chromosomes
E) genes; chromosomes

Question 58

You have the most characteristics in common with members of your own ____.

A) kingdom
B) phylum
C) class
D) genus
E) species

Question 59

Allopatric speciation is most likely to occur after a(n) ____.

A) earthquake
B) mountain building
C) volcanic eruption
D) pet is lost
E) pond is dredged

Question 60

____________________ illustrate the relationships among members in a group of organisms, including the group's most recent common ancestor.

Question 61

Discuss how the concept of punctuated equilibrium is compatible with the fossil record. How does this concept adapt Darwin's original concepts of natural selection and evolution to agree more closely with what we see in nature?

Question 62

Why do some organisms have vestigial organs?

Question 63

Explain why critics did not readily accept the Darwin-Wallace theory of natural selection.

Question 64

Using the Darwin-Wallace mechanism of natural selection, describe how the long necks of giraffes evolved.

Question 65

Explain how Darwin's observations during his 5-year voyage on the Beagle led him to change his mind about the fixity of species.

Question 66

Compare and contrast the Darwin-Wallace mechanisms of natural selection and evolution with Lamarck's theory of inheritance of acquired characteristics. Explain how both of these concepts might apply to the development of long necks in giraffes.

Question 67

Discuss the difficulties of applying the concept of species to a fossil organism.

Question 68

Discuss biologists' definition of "species." What does this definition imply? Give an example of a species and discuss binomial species names.

Question 69

What role does the process of mass extinction play in the evolution of life?

Question 70

Why might an organism such as Lingula show little evidence for change over great amounts of geologic time? What are these types of organisms called?