Question 1

You discover a butterfly that has some similarity to members of the species Faunis canens, but it also has a few important differences. You may have discovered a new

Accepted Answer

The fact that the butterfly has some similarities to Faunis canens but also some important differences suggests that it may represent a distinct species within the same genus, rather than a higher taxonomic category such as family or order.

Question 2

You are interested in the evolution of a particular kind of beetle. What sort of analysis might be useful in your study?

Accepted Answer

By comparing the histone genes of the beetle being studied to those of other beetles, researchers can determine its evolutionary history and relationships with other species. This can provide insights into how the beetle has adapted and evolved over time. Option B is not relevant to the study of the beetle's evolution, while option C is too broad and would not provide specific information about this particular beetle. Option D may be useful for tracking the beetle's geographic distribution, but it does not address the question of its evolution.

Question 3

Which of the following levels would contain members that are the most similar?

Accepted Answer

Genus is a level of classification that groups together closely-related species. Members of the same genus share many similarities in terms of physical characteristics, behavior, and genetics. In contrast, members of a higher level, such as a kingdom or class, may be more diverse and less similar to each other.

Question 4

Lizards on a dry, sandy island are most likely to be similar to

Accepted Answer

Lizards on a dry, sandy island would likely be similar to lizards in nearby habitats on the mainland, as the conditions and available resources would be similar. Lizards on a rainforest island or a distant dry, sandy island may have evolved differently due to different environmental factors. Tortoises, being a different species, would not be expected to have a significant similarity to lizards in this case.

Question 5

Special creation is NOT considered a scientific hypothesis because no one has ever tested it using scientific means.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Special creation is NOT considered a scientific...

Question 6

You discover a primate fossil while on an expedition in Africa. Which part of the skeleton would you be most interested in examining in order to classify this primate as a human or a nonhuman primate?

Accepted Answer

The base of the skull can provide clues about the position of the foramen magnum (the hole where the spinal cord exits the skull). In humans, the foramen magnum is positioned underneath the skull, indicating a bipedal (upright) posture. In nonhuman primates, the foramen magnum is positioned towards the back of the skull, indicating a quadrupedal (four-legged) posture.

Question 7

Which statement best describes the now-discredited theories of Lamarck?

Accepted Answer

Lamarck's theories included the idea that organisms could acquire traits during their lifetime and these new traits could be passed on to their offspring, a concept known as the inheritance of acquired characteristics. This idea has been widely discredited in modern biology.

Question 8

Intelligent design is NOT a testable ________ and thus cannot be considered a scientific explanation for the origin of living things.

Accepted Answer

A hypothesis is a testable explanation for a phenomenon, and intelligent design does not present testable predictions that can be confirmed or disproven through experimentation or observation. Therefore, it cannot be considered a scientific hypothesis or explanation for the origin of living things.

Question 9

Which of these events would most likely result in the creation of large numbers of fossils?

Accepted Answer

A volcano can bury organisms quickly and effectively, allowing for rapid fossilization. This type of event is known as a mass burial and often results in the creation of large numbers of fossils. Drought, earthquakes, and fires are less likely to result in the creation of large numbers of fossils.

Question 10

Why were Darwin's ideas so widely accepted by scientists of his day?

Accepted Answer

Darwin's ideas were widely accepted because he presented extensive evidence from many areas of biology to support his ideas, including observations from his own travels on the HMS Beagle, as well as data from comparative anatomy, embryology, and biogeography. His evidence was convincing and helped to support his theory of evolution by natural selection.

Question 11

What aspect of the geology of the Galápagos was important in producing the diversity of organisms seen by Darwin?

Accepted Answer

The Galápagos Islands are in a chain, with each island having unique geological features that created different habitats. This led to the evolution of unique species on each island, which Darwin observed and used to develop his theory of evolution by natural selection.

Question 12

The standard classification system used by biologists today groups and classifies organisms on the basis of similar physical traits. This system was first developed by Carl Linnaeus. At the time of his work, there were other methods for grouping organisms that were based on similar habitats, similar diets, or similar behaviors. Why is Linnaeus's system the most useful one to biologists today?

Accepted Answer

Classifying based on shared traits allows biologists to recognize evolutionary relationships among organisms, which is a key aspect of modern biological understanding. It helps us to understand how different organisms are related to one another and how they have evolved over time. The other methods for grouping organisms are not as useful in this regard.

Question 13

What was the contribution of Wallace to the history of ideas about evolution?

Accepted Answer

Wallace independently proposed a theory of evolution by natural selection that was very similar to that of Darwin. In fact, the two men collaborated on some of their early work before going public with their findings. While Darwin is often credited with the discovery of evolution by natural selection, Wallace's contribution to the idea is significant and cannot be overlooked.

Question 14

What should you look for when considering whether structures from two kinds of organisms are homologous?

Accepted Answer

Homologous structures are those that have similar anatomy in different organisms, indicating a common ancestry. Therefore, when considering whether structures from two kinds of organisms are homologous, we should look for similarities in their anatomy. Function, position, and occurrence in close relatives are not reliable indicators of homology.

Question 15

Humans who have mutations in the presenilin genes are at a higher risk for developing early-onset Alzheimer's disease. The human presenilin proteins that are made from these genes are responsible for altering other proteins by cleaving (cutting)them at specific positions. Presenilin proteins that are highly similar to the human ones have been identified in C. elegans, a microscopic nematode worm. These nematodes do not get Alzheimer's disease, as they do not have a brain. What would you expect the function of nematode presenilins to be?

Accepted Answer

Since presenilin proteins are responsible for altering other proteins by cleaving them, it is likely that the function of nematode presenilins is also associated with this cleavage process rather than the development of a central nervous system, transportation of proteins, or synthesis of new proteins.

Question 16

What is the role of fossils in supporting the theory of common descent?

Accepted Answer

Fossils of intermediate types, also known as transitional fossils, show features of both the ancestral and derived forms and provide evidence of a gradual change from one species to another. These fossils have been found for various groups of organisms, such as reptiles to mammals, fish to tetrapods, and land-dwelling mammals to whales. This supports the idea that all living organisms are related by common descent.

Question 17

Darwin observed that tortoises of the nearby islands, although slightly different, belonged to the same species. How might he have known they were the same species?

Accepted Answer

Darwin likely knew the tortoises were the same species because he observed that they could interbreed when brought together, which is a common criterion for determining whether organisms belong to the same species. He did not have access to DNA sequence data, and comparing the metabolism of the tortoises would not necessarily provide information about their species classification. Darwin did not move tortoises to a new island to observe changes, as he did not intervene in natural populations in this way.

Question 18

What is the molecular clock?

Accepted Answer

The molecular clock is the rate at which mutations accumulate in DNA within a population or species over time. This rate serves as a tool for estimating how long ago different species diverged from a common ancestor.

Question 19

In land mammals, the pelvic girdle is the point where the leg bones attach to the rest of the skeleton. Whales also have a small pelvic girdle. This would be an example of what type of evidence for common descent?

Accepted Answer

The presence of a small pelvic girdle in whales, which is not used for attachment to legs, is an example of a vestigial structure. This is evidence for the common descent of whales from land mammals, as their ancestors likely had a functional pelvic girdle for walking on land.

Question 20

How do fossils support the theory of common descent?

Accepted Answer

Fossils provide evidence of intermediate forms of organisms, which supports the idea of gradual evolution and the theory of common descent. They show a progression of changes over time, documenting the evolutionary process.

Quiz 10: Where Did We Come From? The Evidence for Evolution