Deck 2: Evolution: Constructing a Fundamental Scientific Theory

Question 1

The forces of evolution include:

A) gene flow, mutations, chromosomes, and genes.
B) mutations, genes, and genetic drift.
C) natural selection, gene flow, genetic drift, and mutations.
D) natural selection, genes, alleles, and chromosomes.

Answer 1

natural selection, gene flow, genetic drift, and mutations.

Question 2

Darwinian evolution proposes that:

A) species adapt and change over time based on the environment.
B) an individual can change within its own lifetime.
C) species adapt based on individual goals.
D) individuals determine their own biological adaptation.

Answer 2

species adapt and change over time based on the environment.

Question 3

Cuvier, Lamarck, and Erasmus Darwin all shared an idea of evolution; however, they all lacked:

A) the longevity necessary for evolution to take place.
B) a basic understanding of inheritance.
C) an understanding of variation.
D) a mechanism for evolution.

Answer 3

a mechanism for evolution.

Question 4

James Hutton is associated with:

A) adaptation.
B) catastrophism.
C) uniformitarianism.
D) principles of heredity.

Question 5

Thomas Malthus's contribution to natural selection is:

A) the binomial taxonomic system of naming species.
B) the theory that the Earth's old age is based on geologic evidence resulting from cataclysmic events.
C) the theory that events like warfare, disease, and famine are necessary to control population size and thereby reduce the risk of depleting resources.
D) the theory that environmental resources are subject to population pressures.

Question 6

The English demographer whose work on population growth greatly influenced Darwin's thinking on population adaptation was:

A) Jean-Baptiste de Lamarck.
B) Georges Cuvier.
C) Thomas Malthus.
D) Charles Lyell.

Question 7

Adaptive radiation occurs when:

A) one species produces multiple closely related species.
B) several species adapt to one environment.
C) species radiate to different environments and adapt to the varying environments.
D) an individual adapts to varying environments.

Question 8

Evolutionary synthesis is:

A) the concept of evolution and natural selection.
B) the melding of natural selection and Mendelian inheritance.
C) a combination of the inheritance of acquired characteristics and natural selection.
D) the theory of evolution and Linnaean taxonomy.

Question 9

How did Lamarck contribute to the theory of evolution?

A) He discovered genetic mutation through experiments with pea plants.
B) He proposed the concept of natural selection after his voyage to the Galapagos Islands and his study of finches.
C) He did not but instead proposed an erroneous evolutionary mechanism known today as inheritance of acquired characteristics.
D) He did not but instead proposed a concept known today as gene flow.

Question 10

Without the work of x-ray crystallographer _________, DNA might not have been discovered for some time longer.

A) James Watson
B) Francis Crick
C) Thomas Malthus
D) Rosalind Franklin

Question 11

According to Darwin, natural selection operates at the level of:

A) individuals.
B) genes.
C) populations.
D) species.

Question 12

Charles Darwin's book On the Origin of Species (1859) was considered an important contribution to modern science because:

A) it coined the concept of evolution.
B) it synthesized information from diverse scientific fields in order to document evolutionary change.
C) it was immediately and widely accepted by the scientific community as the mechanism for evolutionary change.
D) it proposed the use of the scientific method for the first time.

Question 13

How was Darwin influenced by Thomas Malthus's work on population growth?

A) Darwin was interested in Malthus's examination of population changes in pea plants.
B) Darwin was influenced by Malthus's work on demography and population responses to food availability.
C) Darwin liked the concept of Latin taxonomic classification as it pertained to human groups.
D) Darwin was greatly influenced by research on acquired characteristics.

Question 14

The advantageous "attributes" to which Darwin refers are now known as:

A) traits.
B) genes.
C) alleles.
D) chromosomes.

Question 15

The relevance of the theory of uniformitarianism is that:

A) it supports the theory of catastrophism.
B) it proves that changes to the Earth were caused by cataclysmic events like earthquakes and floods.
C) it proves that the Earth has a long history and supports the theory of natural selection.
D) it demonstrates that the Earth is 4.4 billion years old, based on geologic evidence from stratigraphic layers.

Question 16

Why is the work of Alfred Russell Wallace considered when discussing the theory of evolution?

A) He was an English naturalist who had arrived at many of the same conclusions as Darwin through his own research in the Amazon.
B) His work is not considered, as he was mistakenly credited with the theory of natural selection.
C) He was a British dog breeder who worked on artificial selection experiments in the same way Mendel worked on sweet peas to determine inheritance.
D) He was well known and gathered even more evidence to support evolution than Darwin, though from the Amazon rather than the Galapagos.

Question 17

Darwin drew on information from five scientific disciplines:

A) geology, physical anthropology, taxonomy and systematics, demography, and evolutionary biology.
B) geology, paleontology, taxonomy and systematics, geography, and evolutionary biology.
C) geology, paleontology, taxonomy and systematics, demography, and biology.
D) geology, paleontology, taxonomy and systematics, demography, and evolutionary biology.

Question 18

The English scientist who independently codiscovered the theory of natural selection was:

A) Charles Lyell.
B) Jean-Baptiste de Lamarck.
C) Alfred Russell Wallace.
D) Carolus Linnaeus.

Question 19

Uniformitarianism is the theory that:

A) the earth is very old, based on geologic evidence from stratigraphic layers in Scotland.
B) the natural processes operating today are the same as the natural processes that operated in the past.
C) the uniformity of species is derived from the common ancestor of all species.
D) processes such as earthquakes are evidence supporting catastrophism as proposed by Lamarck.

Question 20

A source of new genetic material to a population is:

A) natural selection.
B) mutation.
C) gene flow.
D) gene drift.

Question 21

Linnaeus's taxonomic system is referred to as a "hierarchy" because:

A) each species has a "higher level" genus and "lower level" species.
B) species are placed in a ranked list called the "Great Chain of Being."
C) humans are considered the most evolved species.
D) none of the above

Question 22

How do modern-day lemurs of Madagascar demonstrate the concept of adaptive radiation?

A) They are closely related species that have branched from one species.
B) They are no different from ancient species of lemurs.
C) They have radiated from ancient species of monkeys.
D) They show great cultural flexibility.

Question 23

Darwin observed that adaptations:

A) resulted from supernatural forces.
B) did not vary among Galápagos finches living in different habitats.
C) were physical traits that enhanced survival and reproduction.
D) were peripheral to evolutionary change.

Question 24

In your textbook, the lower frequency of sickle-cell anemia among present day American blacks as compared to West African blacks is attributed to:

A) genetic drift.
B) gene flow.
C) new mutations.
D) none of the above

Question 25

James Hutton:

A) extensively studied fossils.
B) revealed that fossils would provide the history of past life.
C) created the first scientific classification of plants and animals.
D) provided geologic evidence necessary for calculating the time span of evolution.

Question 26

Why are Darwin's finches considered good examples of natural selection?

A) They are found on every continent.
B) They originated in North America, according to fossil evidence.
C) They embody the idea of descent with modification.
D) They did not differ between populations.

Question 27

The presence of iridium in geologic deposits around the world supported the theory that:

A) the impact of a giant meteor that struck the Earth produced mass extinctions of dinosaur species across the planet.
B) alien material was a factor in the origins of species on this planet.
C) catastrophes occurred in the past and produced major changes in species, causing dinosaurs to adapt and eventually become mammals.
D) Cuvier's proposal of catastrophism as the theory explaining human origins is correct.

Question 28

Mendel's plant hybridization experiments demonstrated that:

A) traits inherited from each parent blended together in the offspring.
B) DNA was the molecule carrying the genetic code.
C) peas were a poor choice for understanding basic hereditary principles.
D) traits inherited from each parent remained distinct in the offspring.

Question 29

Fossils represent the remains of once-living:

A) extant species that tell the story of human origins.
B) extinct organisms that provide a record of the history of life on the planet.
C) plants that provide proof of catastrophism.
D) organisms that demonstrate the age of the Earth through the process of uniformitarianism.

Question 30

Gene flow differs from genetic drift because:

A) it is the random change in the frequency of alleles.
B) it is the random change in a gene or chromosome.
C) it is the guiding force of evolution.
D) it is the spread of new genetic material from one gene pool to another.

Question 31

The individual genotypes in a breeding population, taken as a whole, are the:

A) gene pool.
B) DNA.
C) genome.
D) polygene.

Question 32

The scientist who coined the name Homo sapiens for human beings and placed them in a higher taxonomic group (primates) was:

A) Charles Darwin.
B) Georges Cuvier.
C) Carolus Linnaeus.
D) Robert Hooke.

Question 33

The geneticist who studied the workings of fruit flies' chromosomes was:

A) Charles Darwin.
B) Gregor Mendel.
C) Thomas Hunt Morgan.
D) Thomas Huxley.

Question 34

The Human Genome Project has identified the location of genes that influence diseases such as:

A) the common cold, flu, whooping cough, and meningitis.
B) high blood pressure, diabetes, sinus inflammation, and sickle-cell anemia.
C) sickle-cell anemia, breast cancer, Tay-Sachs, and cystic fibrosis.
D) thyroid disease, menopause, meningitis, and breast cancer.

Question 35

The scientist whose work provided the foundation for later understandings of genetics was:

A) John Ray.
B) Gregor Mendel.
C) Charles Darwin.
D) Robert Hooke.

Question 36

What are the classification levels of humans from order to species?

A) Chordata, Mammalia, Haplorhini, Hominoidea, Homo, and sapiens
B) Primates, Haplorhini, Anthropoidea, Catarrhini, Hominoidea, Hominidea, Homininae, Hominine, Homo, and sapiens
C) Primates, Strepsirhini, Catarrhini, Hominoidea, Hominidea, Homo, and sapiens
D) Mammalia, Platyrrhini, Hominioidea, Hominidae, Homo, and sapiens

Question 37

What are the three observations of natural selection?

A) Species change and adapt based on environmental pressure, individuals change within their lifetime, and offspring inherit the changes.
B) Genetic drift, gene flow, and mutations provide the change necessary in populations that affect future generations.
C) Organisms produce more offspring than survive, populations vary, and traits are inherited.
D) The number of adults tends to remain the same over time, inheritance provides all of the genetic variation needed for future generations, and natural selection works on only the best of those adults in each generation.

Question 38

Thomas Hunt Morgan:

A) demonstrated that chromosomes carry genetic material in the form of genes.
B) studied mutations in Homo sapiens.
C) thought change was gradual and occurred over long time periods.
D) none of the above

Question 39

Zoonosis is:

A) the transfer of pathogens from other animals to humans.
B) the transfer of genes from other animals to humans.
C) a gene pool of nonhuman genes only.
D) the phenomenon of genetic change in nonhuman species.

Question 40

Gregor Mendel's discovery of the principles of inheritance contributed to the field of:

A) psychology.
B) paleontology.
C) zoology.
D) biology.

Question 41

What is the significance for evolutionary theory of Darwin's analysis of the Galápagos finches? Provide at least one example in your answer.

Question 42

Discuss four key individuals who helped Darwin formulate the theory of natural selection.

Question 43

Discuss the forces of evolution and their role in evolution.

Question 44

What are some of the important scientific discoveries that laid the groundwork for Darwin's theory of evolution?

Question 45

Why was Darwin's 1859 published theory of natural selection not widely accepted by his peers? What later scientific advance was critical to the subsequent broad acceptance of natural selection as a major force in evolutionary change?