Deck 12: Evolution and Adaptation in Human Populations

Question 1

The distribution of ABO blood group phenotypes seems best explained as

A)random.
B)having to do with differences in climate.
C)reflecting other differences among human racial groups.
D)related to disease resistance and susceptibility.

Answer 1

related to disease resistance and susceptibility.

Question 2

Intensity of ultraviolet radiation varies with latitude because

A)northern latitudes are colder.
B)equatorial latitudes are hotter.
C)sunlight hits the earth at different angles in different latitudes.
D)higher altitudes are found closer to the equator.

Answer 2

sunlight hits the earth at different angles in different latitudes.

Question 3

In cold,dry climates,noses tend to:

A)be long and narrow.
B)be short and broad.
C)have wide nostrils.
D)have rounded tips.

Answer 3

be long and narrow.

Question 4

Recently,old diseases once under control are returning in new,more serious forms.This is because

A)we have lost our ability to make effective medicines.
B)disease organisms are themselves evolving.
C)government funding for medical research is down.
D)people have become complacent and are less likely to be immunized.

Question 5

Melanocytes are

A)specialized skin cells that produce melanin.
B)cancerous skin cells caused by too much exposure to ultraviolet radiation.
C)particles of melanin.
D)the genes that code for melanin production.

Question 6

Of the ten major causes of death in the U.S.,how many are infectious diseases?

A)one
B)five
C)none
D)eight

Question 7

Human populations who reside in hot climates tend to be

A)tall.
B)short.
C)stocky.
D)linear.

Question 8

The Black Death of 14^th century Europe killed what proportion of that continent's population?

A)10%
B)25%
C)over 33%
D)60%

Question 9

Increased levels of ultraviolet radiation result in

A)an increase in the number of melanocytes.
B)an increase in the number of dark skin cells that makes the whole skin darker.
C)increased melanin production by the melanocytes.
D)genetic changes that help to permanently darken the skin.

Question 10

Human populations who reside in cold climates tend to be

A)tall.
B)short.
C)stocky.
D)linear.

Question 11

The study of disease outbreaks is

A)forensic medicine.
B)virology.
C)epidemiology.
D)taphonomy.

Question 12

According to current understanding of the human skin color polymorphism,light skin

A)was the "original" human color.
B)developed fairly early in human evolution.
C)may have developed only fairly recently.
D)is the best adapted skin color.

Question 13

Infectious disease increased in impact when

A)hominids first evolved.
B)hominids first migrated out of Africa.
C)the industrial revolution began.
D)animal and plant domestication began.

Question 14

When infectious diseases were increasingly controlled in the twentieth century,what sorts of disease became more common?

A)viral
B)bacterial
C)genetic
D)chronic,degenerative

Question 15

As a type A person,which antibodies does my blood contain?

A)anti-A
B)anti-B
C)both anti-A and anti-B
D)neither antibody

Question 16

If,as a blood type A person,I needed a transfusion,which blood type(s)could be used?

A)A or O
B)only A
C)only B
D)A or AB

Question 17

Which of the following is NOT a potential factor in the distribution of human skin color?

A)intensity of ultraviolet radiation
B)production of vitamin D
C)adaptation to altitude
D)extremely cold temperatures

Question 18

Darker skinned populations are found in equatorial regions because

A)the people there undergo the tanning response on a year round basis.
B)dark skin protects against excessive heat.
C)these are the oldest and least evolved groups.
D)such populations have genes for permanently darker skin.

Question 19

Lactase persistence is most common in populations:

A)from Africa.
B)from Europe.
C)that have a long history of dairy farming.
D)that emphasis breast feeding of infants.

Question 20

What is the correlation between head shape and climate?

A)People in cold climates tend to have wider heads.
B)People in cold climates tend to have long,narrow heads.
C)People in warm climates have rounder heads.
D)People in cold climates need bigger brains.

Question 21

Mad cow disease and related spongiform encephalopathies appear to be caused by

A)a bacterium.
B)a virus.
C)a genetic mutation.
D)a malformed protein.

Question 22

HIV,the virus that causes human AIDS,originated

A)among chimpanzees.
B)among human populations in East Africa.
C)among homosexuals.
D)among intravenous drug users.

Question 23

Emerging diseases such as AIDS and ebola virus have only fairly recently become a problem because

A)they only recently evolved.
B)means of immunization have recently failed.
C)humans have only recently come into contact with other species that carry these diseases.
D)practices of modern life make us more susceptible to such diseases.