Deck 4: Biodiversity and Evolution

Question 1

Scientists estimate that the fossils found so far represent probably only 1% of all species that have ever lived.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Adaptation through natural selection occurs most rapidly in species that produce only one or two offspring at a time, such as elephants and whales.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Amphibian populations are declining due to multiple threats, but are not threatened by overhunting.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Genes mutate, individuals are selected, and populations evolve.

Question 5

Compounds in secretions from the skin of certain amphibians have been isolated and used as painkillers and antibiotics, and in treatments for burns and heart disease.

Question 6

Burmese pythons have been introduced to the Everglades and there is concern that they may harm populations of native species such as alligators.

Question 7

All nonnative species threaten ecosystems.

Question 8

There are many forms of biological diversity, including functional diversity, ecological diversity, genetic diversity, and species diversity.

Question 9

Most of the earth's species of flowering plants depend on insects to pollinate their flowers.

Question 10

Cockroaches have a wide range of tolerance of environmental conditions, so they are considered a specialist species.

Question 11

Speciation is the process of a new species evolving.

Question 12

Humans have been responsible for all species extinctions.

Question 13

Even if a beneficial heritable trait is present in a population, the population's ability to adapt may be limited by its reproductive capacity.

Question 14

Generalist species are more prone to extinction when environmental changes change rapidly than specialist species.

Question 15

New species arise when a mutation occurs and an organism is born much different than its parents.

Question 16

Viral and fungal diseases are among the factors that threaten amphibians.

Question 17

Heritable traits that give an individual some advantage over other individuals in the population are called adaptive traits.

Question 18

Geographic isolation and reproductive isolation can both lead to speciation.

Question 19

Evolution by natural selection involves a grand plan of nature in which species are to become increasingly more perfectly adapted to their environments.

Question 20

When biologists talk about the "survival of the fittest," the fittest individuals are those that leave the most descendants rather than those that are physically the strongest.

Question 21

The variety of processes such as energy flow and matter cycling that occur within ecosystems as species interact with one another in food webs is called ________.

A) biome diversity
B) genetic diversity
C) functional diversity
D) ecosystem diversity
E) species diversity

Question 22

The American alligator is a(n) ____ because it plays a number of important roles in the ecosystems where it is found in the southeastern United States.

A) endemic species
B) specialist species
C) indicator species
D) exotic species
E) keystone species

Question 23

____ is the type of diversity that describes the number and variety of species present in any biological community.

A) Biome diversity
B) Functional diversity
C) Ecological diversity
D) Genetic diversity
E) Species diversity

Question 24

Biomes are ____.

A) individual ocean basins
B) large terrestrial regions of the earth with distinct climate and certain species typically occurring within them
C) groups of populations living in harmony in a given ecosystem
D) all the biological, rather than human-made, portions of the planet combined into one ecosystem
E) types of forests that are extensive and widespread on a continent

Question 25

In 1957, Brazil imported wild African honeybees to help increase honey production. The bees escaped and became established in the wild, displacing some native honeybee populations and leading to a reduced honey supply. These African honeybees could be described as ____.

A) mutagens
B) keystones
C) indicators
D) invasive
E) endemic

Question 26

Species with broad niches are described as ____ species.

A) invasive species
B) native
C) specialist
D) diverse
E) generalist

Question 27

When bacteria are exposed to antibiotic medications, they can develop resistance so that the drugs no longer harm them. For this to occur, the bacteria must experience ____ followed by _____.

A) adaptation; bacterial mortality
B) a beneficial mutation; natural selection
C) a harmful mutation; invasion
D) adaptation; a harmful mutation
E) invasion; evolution

Question 28

Which characteristic must be true in order for a trait to be impacted by the forces of natural selection and then play a role in the process of biological evolution?

A) The trait must be the result of environmental conditions.
B) The trait must be genetically based.
C) The trait must impact the social rank of its possessor.
D) The trait must be a physical characteristic of the organism.
E) The trait must be a behavioral characteristic of the organism.

Question 29

It could be said that ____ favored the bee with the larger wingspan, and so the ____ evolved.

A) adaptation; bee
B) evolution; population
C) mutation; bee
D) natural selection; population
E) mutation; population

Question 30

Sharks are important because ____.

A) they all fill similar niches and are all endangered
B) they consume alligators in large numbers, threatening alligator populations
C) they are keystone species that perform important ecosystem services, such as removing sick and injured animals from the population
D) they pose a major threat to human life, killing thousands of people each year
E) they are known for preferentially consuming invasive species and are large enough to consume large numbers

Question 31

Amphibians are very sensitive to chemicals in their environment and often show effects of harmful chemicals before other species do. This makes them useful as a(n) ____.

A) invasive species
B) exotic species
C) keystone species
D) indicator species
E) native species

Question 32

The earth's variety of deserts, grasslands, forests, mountains, oceans, lakes, rivers, and wetlands can be described as ____.

A) functional diversity
B) resource diversity
C) species diversity
D) genetic diversity
E) ecosystem diversity

Question 33

The variety of genes found in a species or population is known as ____.

A) species diversity
B) genetic diversity
C) functional diversity
D) ecological diversity
E) molecular diversity

Question 34

The term ____ specifically refers to species that are introduced to a new area and then compete with and harm other species, as opposed to other introduced species that may be harmless.

A) nonnative species
B) keystone species
C) native species
D) indicator species
E) invasive species

Question 35

Which statement is true with regard to mutations?

A) Mutations are always harmful.
B) Mutations always provide for beneficial changes in an organism's genetic makeup.
C) Mutations are chosen by the organism to improve their survival.
D) Mutations that survive in a population are determined by natural selection.
E) Mutations are caused only by harmful chemicals.

Question 36

The role a species plays in its ecosystem is its ____.

A) biodiversity
B) biome
C) habitat
D) niche
E) trait

Question 37

Deserts, tropical forests, prairie grasslands, and coniferous forests have distinct climates and certain species; they are all examples of ____.

A) different species
B) ecosystems with the highest biodiversity
C) ecosystems with low genetic biodiversity
D) biomes
E) populations

Question 38

A trait that creates a specific advantage for some organisms in the struggle to survive ____.

A) enables individuals with the trait to leave more offspring than the other members of the population leave
B) results in greater genetic diversity in the offspring of those organisms that possess it than in those that do not possess the trait
C) causes the ratio of male and female offspring produced to be equal
D) results in offspring that are genetically different than the parents
E) forces non-heritable traits to be passed from parent to offspring

Question 39

In a population of wild bees, a mutation resulted in slightly larger wingspan in some of the bees. This larger wingspan made the bees more efficient in their flights to flowers to collect nectar. Thus, these bees became more successful at surviving and reproducing. This trait was passed on to offspring, and eventually the larger wingspan variety of bee replaced their smaller-winged relatives completely.

Because this mutation produced a specific wing trait that was passed onto offspring, the mutation must have occurred ____.

A) in wing cells
B) in reproductive cells
C) as a result of exposure to a chemical agent
D) as a result of UV light
E) because of the type of pollen the bee collected

Question 40

Fossils are often found in ____.

A) limestone, sandstone, and other sedimentary rocks
B) igneous rock and magma from volcanic eruptions
C) topsoil with considerable organic matter
D) sand, silt, and clay
E) metamorphic rock

Question 41

Artificial selection can be achieved by ____.

A) ensuring that more individuals survive to reproductive age
B) not interfering with the survival of the fittest
C) selective breeding
D) geographic isolation
E) increasing competition for niches

Question 42

A heritable trait that improves the ability of an individual organism to survive and to reproduce at a higher rate than other individuals in a population is called a(n) ____.

A) adaptation
B) mutagen
C) niche
D) chromosome
E) selection

Question 43

Which statement is true with regard to keystone species?

A) Animals can be keystone species, but plants cannot.
B) Top predators can be keystone species, but other animals cannot.
C) Insects can never be keystone species because they are pests.
D) Some keystone species are more vulnerable to extinction than other species.
E) A species must have a very large population size in order to be a keystone species.

Question 44

A species that is found only on one island would be described as ____.

A) adaptive
B) the product of artificial selection
C) a keystone species
D) an indicator species
E) endemic

Question 45

Which statement best describes an organism's habitat?

A) Nutrient relationships with other species
B) Place or type of ecosystem in which a species lives
C) Types of resource requirements
D) Range of tolerance to different physical and chemical conditions
E) Types of competitors

Question 46

An organism can only consume one type of plant as food and lives in a particular type of forest found only at a high elevation, giving it a very narrow niche. Which term best describes this type of organism?

A) An invasive species
B) A non-native species
C) A generalist species
D) A specialist species
E) An indicator species

Question 47

An intertidal species of sea star helps to maintain the diversity of the intertidal region by controlling the mussel population. Without the sea star, the mussel population would crowd out other species and take over their territory. The sea star could be called a(n) ____.

A) indicator species
B) keystone species
C) foundation species
D) aggressive species
E) repressor species

Question 48

A common misconception about evolution is that humans evolved from ___, when they actually evolved from _____.

A) apes or monkeys; a common ancestor shared with apes and moneys
B) a common ancestor shared with apes and monkeys; monkeys or chimpanzees;
C) chimpanzees; apes
D) a common ancestor shared with apes and monkeys; apes, monkeys, or chimpanzees
E) an ancestor with no connection to apes or monkeys; apes and monkeys

Question 49

When environmental conditions change dramatically or rapidly, a population of a species faces three possible futures: adapt to the new conditions through natural selection, migrate (if possible) to another area with more favorable conditions, or ____.

A) wait until conditions improve
B) crossbreed with another species
C) become extinct
D) control environmental conditions
E) become invasive

Question 50

Specialist species occupy ____.

A) multiple habitats
B) a broad ecological niche
C) multiple ecological niches
D) a narrow ecological niche
E) the same niche as a keystone species

Question 51

Humans have used ____ to change the genetic characteristics of populations to generate individuals with desired traits.

A) specialist species
B) ecological niches
C) keystone species
D) artificial selection
E) subjective selection

Question 52

Scientists use ____ to alter an organism's genetic material by adding, deleting, or changing segments of its DNA to produce desirable traits or to eliminate undesirable ones.

A) genetic engineering
B) natural selection
C) geographic isolation
D) speciation
E) genetic resistance

Question 53

We can say that on a long-term basis, ____ has especially helped life on the earth to adapt to drastic changes in environmental conditions.

A) wise use
B) energy cycling
C) nutrient cycling
D) energy
E) genetic biodiversity

Question 54

____ is a technology that enables scientists to make new sequences of DNA and to use such genetic information to design and create new cells, tissues, organisms, and devices, and to redesign natural biological systems.

A) Synthetic biology
B) Artificial selection
C) Reproductive isolation
D) Speciation
E) Adaptation

Question 55

External agents such as radioactivity, ultraviolet radiation, and some chemicals are ____when they cause mutations.

A) mutagens
B) heritable traits
C) keystones
D) niches
E) antibiotics

Question 56

A species that can live in many different places and eat a variety of foods could be described as ____.

A) endemic
B) exotic
C) a specialist species
D) a generalist species
E) a native species

Question 57

Traits that can be passed from one generation to the next are called ____ traits.

A) selection
B) native
C) adaptive
D) heritable
E) fitness

Question 58

____ is the most common cause of speciation.

A) Mass extinction
B) Geographic isolation
C) The arrival of a nonnative species
D) An overlap between ecological niches
E) The loss of a keystone species

Question 59

The process by which members of isolated populations become so different in genetic makeup that they cannot produce live, fertile offspring if they are rejoined together is best described as ____.

A) geographic isolation
B) reproductive isolation
C) evolutionary isolation
D) endemic isolation
E) niche isolation

Question 60

The ability of one or more organisms in a population to tolerate a chemical such as a pesticide or antibiotic designed to kill it and to reproduce more rapidly than the members of the population that do not have such genetic traits is called ____.

A) synthetic biology
B) genetic engineering
C) crossbreeding
D) genetic resistance
E) heritability

Question 62

Because they are so sensitive to chemicals and environmental changes, amphibians are often considered to be useful as ____________________.

Question 63

____________________ are mineralized or petrified replicas of skeletons, bones, teeth, shells, leaves, and seeds, or imprints of such items found in rocks.

Question 64

Give an example of artificial selection and an example of natural selection, explaining how they differ.

Question 65

Holding the pen or pencil for taking this exam is one of the things you can do as a human because you have _____________________.

Question 66

Genes mutate, ____________________ are selected, and populations____________________.

Question 67

How are geographic isolation and reproductive isolation related?

Question 68

Which statement is true regarding our knowledge about the origin of life?

A) It is explained by the evolutionary theory.
B) It is explained by adaptation and natural selection.
C) It occurred about 5-8 million years ago.
D) It cannot be studied scientifically.
E) It occurred about 3.8 billion years ago.

Question 69

Most species identified to date are____.

A) insects
B) birds
C) mammals
D) reptiles
E) amphibians

Question 70

Species that are found in only one area are called ____________________ and are especially vulnerable to extinction.

Question 71

____________________ species are those that have been introduced to an area, become established, and caused harm to native species.

Question 72

What is the difference between species diversity and genetic diversity?

Question 73

A population of squirrels becomes divided into two halves by a flooding river. Over time, the river becomes larger and the populations are not able to interact for many years. Which of the following is the most likely outcome?

A) Both groups will become increasingly generalist
B) Geographic isolation may lead to speciation
C) Reproductive isolation may lead to speciation
D) Both species may become extinct
E) One group will be considered native and the other will be considered non-native

Question 74

Sharks are especially vulnerable to population declines because ____.

A) they cannot tolerate changes in water temperature
B) they are susceptible to many more diseases than most species
C) they often deplete the populations of their prey
D) they grow slowly, mature late, and have only a few offspring per generation
E) they are prey for so many species

Question 75

____________________ are changes in DNA that can be inherited by offspring.

Question 76

Typically speaking, organisms that are described as ____________________ tend to have broad niches.

Question 77

Similar fossils have been found in countries that are now separated by large amounts of water that would have formed a formidable barrier. What is the best explanation for these fossils?

A) The fossils must be from species that are similar because they live in similar environments and face similar adaptive pressures
B) All of the species found must by flying species as there would be no way for terrestrial species to cross from one land mass to the other
C) Plate tectonics have caused continents to move, separating land that was once close together
D) The fossils in one location must be nonnative species that were introduced by human movements
E) The fossils must have been transported by air following a volcanic eruption that put a great deal of ash into the atmosphere

Question 78

The role that an organism plays within its ecosystem is its _____________..

Question 79

In order for a mutation to be passed to offspring and for evolution to occur, it must occur in ____________________ cells.

Question 80

____________________ is the process by which living organisms change genetically over time,