Question 1

A farmer uses triazine herbicide to control pigweed in his field. For the first few years, the triazine works well and almost all the pigweed dies; but after several years, the farmer sees more and more pigweed, no matter how often he applies triazine. Which of these actions is most likely to solve the farmer's problem?
A) adding triazine more often to his fields
B) trying a different herbicide
C) applying the triazine to the soil and roots instead of spraying it over the leaves
D) increasing the amount of triazine he puts on his fields

Accepted Answer

The farmer's problem is most likely due to the development of pigweed populations that are resistant to triazine herbicide. Therefore, trying a different herbicide with a different mode of action can help to control the resistant pigweed. Adding more triazine, changing the application method, or increasing the amount of triazine will not be effective against resistant pigweed.

Question 2

Which of the following statements describes a vestigial trait?
A) Whales and dolphins must breathe air even though they spend their entire lives in the water.
B) Penguins are flightless birds with wings that are specialized for swimming.
C) Humans still have eyebrows, even though we have much less body hair than chimps.
D) Kiwis are flightless birds with reduced, nonfunctional wings.
E) Snakes have hinged jaws to help them swallow large meals.

Accepted Answer

A vestigial trait is a characteristic that has lost its original function through evolution. Kiwis are flightless birds with reduced, nonfunctional wings, making it a clear example of a vestigial trait.

Question 3

After the drought of 1977, researchers hypothesized that on Daphne Major, medium ground finches with large, deep beaks survived better than those with smaller beaks because they could more easily crack and eat the tough Tribulus cistoides fruits. If this hypothesis is true, what would you expect to observe if a population of these medium ground finches colonizes a nearby island where T. cistoides is the primary available food in all yea
Assume that 1) even the survivors of the 1977 drought sometimes had difficulty cracking the tough T. cistoides fr and would eat other seeds when offered a choice, and 2) food availability is the primary limit on finch fitness on this new island.
A) evolution of smaller, pointier beaks over time
B) random fluctuations in beak size and shape
C) evolution of yet larger, deeper beaks over time
D) no change in beak size and shape

Accepted Answer

If the primary available food on the new island is T. cistoides and this fruit requires a large, deep beak to crack it open, the medium ground finches with smaller beaks would not survive as well as those with larger beaks. Over time, natural selection would favor those individuals with larger, deeper beaks that are better able to access the available food source, resulting in the evolution of even larger, deeper beaks on this new island.

Question 4

Radiometric dating is a technique used to determine the age of rocks. Geologists have used this technique to determine that
A) Earth is about 4.6 billion years old, and life appeared on Earth about 3.8 billion years ago.
B) Earth is about 3.4- 3.8 billion years old, and life appeared on Earth about 460 million years ago.
C) Earth is about 34- 38 billion years old, and life appeared on Earth about 4.6 billion years ago.
D) Earth is about 46 billion years old, and life appeared on Earth about 34- 38 billion years ago.

Accepted Answer

Radiometric dating has been used to determine the age of rocks and has shown that Earth is approximately 4.6 billion years old. Additionally, this technique has allowed geologists to determine that life appeared on Earth about 3.8 billion years ago. This information has been obtained through the study of radioactive isotopes and their decay over time.

Question 5

Why was Darwin and Wallace's theory of evolution by natural selection revolutionary?
A) It proposed that humans were descended from chimpanzees.
B) It was the first time a biologist had proposed that species changed through time.
C) It dismissed the idea that species are constant and emphasized the importance of variation and change in populations.
D) It proved that individuals acclimated to their environment over time.

Accepted Answer

Darwin and Wallace's theory of evolution by natural selection was revolutionary because it dismissed the previously widely accepted idea that species were constant and unchanging. Instead, it emphasized the importance of variation within and across populations and the role of environmental pressures in shaping the traits that were favored or selected for. This fundamentally changed the way that biologists and scientists approached the study of life on Earth.

Question 6

Your text discusses the evolution of antibiotic- resistant M. tuberculosis bacteria in a patient. Researchers discovered that the strain of M. tuberculosis taken from the dead patient has a point mutation in the rpoB gene that codes for part of the RNA polymerase enzyme. This mutant form of RNA polymerase does not normally function as well as the more common form, but a commonly used antibiotic called rifampin does not affect the mutant rpoB. A researcher places M. tuberculosis isolated from the patient a year before death no rpoB mutation) in cell cultures with M. tuberculosis isolated from the dead patient with rpoB mutation). Half the cell cultures contain just standard nutrients, and the other cell cultures contain rifampin in addition to the standard nutrients. After many cell generations, the researcher finds that
A) almost all M. tuberculosis in the standard nutrient cell cultures carry the rpoB gene mutation, but very few of the M. tuberculosis in the cell cultures with rifampin carry the rpoB mutation.
B) a mix of both M. tuberculosis strains thrive in the standard cell cultures, but no living bacteria can be found in the cell cultures that contain rifampin.
C) very few M. tuberculosis in any of the cell cultures carry the rpoB gene mutation.
D) very few M. tuberculosis in the standard nutrient cell cultures carry the rpoB gene mutation, but almost all of the M. tuberculosis in the cell cultures with rifampin carry the rpoB mutation.
E) almost all of the M. tuberculosis in both types of cell cultures carry the rpoB mutation.

Accepted Answer

The presence of rifampin in the cell cultures selects for the M. tuberculosis with the rpoB mutation that is not affected by the antibiotic. Therefore, in the cell cultures with rifampin, almost all the M. tuberculosis carry the rpoB mutation. In contrast, in the standard nutrient cell cultures without rifampin, a mix of both M. tuberculosis strains can thrive, but fewer of the M. tuberculosis carry the rpoB mutation.

Question 7

The same basic internal organs kidneys, stomach, heart, lungs) are found in frogs, birds, snakes. and rodents. This is primarily an example of
A) transitional features.
B) genetic correlation.
C) developmental homology.
D) structural homology.

Accepted Answer

The presence of the same internal organs in different groups of animals is an example of structural homology, which occurs when organisms have similar structures due to common ancestry. Transitional features refer to intermediate structures found in fossil records, genetic correlation refers to the correlation between different genes in an individual, and developmental homology refers to similarities in the development of different organisms.

Question 8

Which of the following statements is an example of typological thinking?
A) Women are shorter than men, have longer hair, and like to shop.
B) The variety of dog shape and size is truly amazing.
C) The type of beak that is most advantageous varies depending on how much rain falls in a given year.
D) It is best to choose the seeds from the plants with the largest fruits to set aside for next year's plantings.

Accepted Answer

Statement A categorizes and generalizes women based on their gender, which is an example of typological thinking. Statement B acknowledges the variety in dog shape and size and does not categorize or generalize. Statement C recognizes that the most advantageous beak type varies based on environmental factors, rather than categorizing or generalizing. Statement D is based on practical selection and not typological thinking.

Question 9

Gill pouches in chick, human, and house- cat embryos are an example of
A) the inheritance of acquired characters.
B) structural homology.
C) developmental homology.
D) genetic homology.

Accepted Answer

The presence of gill pouches in chick, human, and house-cat embryos is a shared developmental homology, suggesting that these organisms share a common ancestor with gills. This is not an example of inheritance of acquired characters (A), as the trait is not acquired during an organism's lifetime and passed down to offspring. It is also not an example of structural homology (B), which refers to the similarity of structure and function between different organisms due to common ancestry. Finally, genetic homology (D) refers to similarities in genetic sequences between different organisms, which is not directly relevant to the development of gill pouches.

Question 10

Researchers have found fossils of Eocene horse species in Colorado. Deeper deposits contain smaller species, and more recent deposits contain larger species. How does this observation support the theory of evolution?
A) It proves that environments have changed over time.
B) It suggests that species are unchanging and of recent origin.
C) It does not support the theory of evolution.
D) It shows that all species are related to each other.
E) It provides evidence that species change over time.

Accepted Answer

The observation that deeper deposits contain smaller species, and more recent deposits contain larger species supports the theory of evolution, as it provides evidence that species change over time. This is consistent with the idea that earlier species gradually evolved into newer ones through the process of natural selection, resulting in changes in size and morphology over time.

Question 11

Explain how one of the following supports the idea that species change through time: artificial selection, extinction, transitional forms, vestigial traits, or antibiotic resistance.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain how one of the following supports...

Question 12

Which of these conditions are always true of populations evolving due to natural selection?
Condition 1: The population must vary in traits that are heritable. Condition 2: Some heritable traits must increase reproductive success. Condition 3: Individuals pass on all traits they acquire during their lifetime.
A) Condition 1 only
B) Condition 2 only
C) Conditions 1 and 2
D) Conditions 2 and 3
E) Conditions 1, 2, and 3

Accepted Answer

Condition 1 is necessary because natural selection acts on heritable traits. Condition 2 is necessary because those traits that confer reproductive success will increase in frequency in the population. Condition 3 is not always true as individuals do not pass on all traits they acquire during their lifetime (only those that are coded for in their genetic material).

Question 13

Why did Darwin argue that evidence of extinction supports the theory of evolution?
A) It shows that lower organisms have died to make way for humans.
B) It shows that nothing lasts forever.
C) It shows that reproduction is more important than survival of the fittest.
D) It shows that the number and types of species have changed over time.

Accepted Answer

Darwin argued that evidence of extinction supports the theory of evolution because it shows that the number and types of species have changed over time. This supports the concept that nature selects for the most fit organisms to survive and reproduce, leading to changes in the species that populate the earth.

Question 14

You sequence the genes that code for an important glycolytic enzyme in a moth, a mushroom, a worm, and an alga, and find a high degree of sequence similarity among these distantly related species. This is an example of
A) analogy/convergent evolution.
B) structural homology.
C) genetic homology.
D) developmental homology.

Accepted Answer

The high degree of sequence similarity in the genes that code for an important glycolytic enzyme among distantly related species indicates that they share genetic homology. This suggests that they inherited this gene from a common ancestor and have evolved through divergent evolution rather than convergent evolution or structural homology. Developmental homology involves similarities in embryonic development across different species, which is not the case here.

Question 15

A farmer uses triazine herbicide to control pigweed in his field. For the first few years, the triazine works well and almost all the pigweed dies; but after several years, the farmer sees more and more pigweed. Which of these explanations best describes this observation?
A) Triazine- resistant pigweed has less- efficient photosynthesis metabolism.
B) Increased rainfall due to climate change washes away the herbicide more often, so the pigweed has reduced exposure to the triazine.
C) The pigweed mutated in response to the herbicide, creating a new triazine- resistant species.
D) Only triazine- resistant weeds survived and reproduced, so each year more pigweed was triazine- resistant.

Accepted Answer

Only triazine-resistant weeds survived and reproduced, so each year more pigweed was triazine-resistant.

Question 16

If you say that Squirrel A has greater biological fitness than Squirrel B, you mean that the animal
A) is able to mate more frequently than Squirrel B.
B) has a longer lifespan.
C) has more offspring that survive to reproductive age than Squirrel B.
D) is able to access more food than Squirrel B.
E) is bigger and stronger than Squirrel B.

Accepted Answer

Biological fitness refers to an organism's ability to survive and reproduce in its environment. Therefore, if Squirrel A has more offspring that survive to reproductive age than Squirrel B, it has a greater biological fitness. The other options may be factors that contribute to fitness, but they do not necessarily determine it.

Question 17

Who proposed that organisms could be organized into a great chain of being?
A) Lamarck
B) Wallace
C) Aristotle
D) Darwin
E) Linnaeus

Accepted Answer

Aristotle proposed the concept of a great chain of being, which organized all living things into a hierarchy based on complexity and perfection. This idea existed long before the development of modern evolutionary theory.

Question 18

Which of the following is the best modern definition of evolution?
A) change in allele frequencies in a population over time
B) inheritance of acquired characters
C) survival of the fittest
D) descent without modification

Accepted Answer

This definition describes the core mechanism of evolution, which is the change in the frequency of alleles (different versions of genes) within a population over generations. It encompasses both the non-random processes of natural selection, genetic drift, and gene flow, as well as the random process of mutation that introduces new alleles into the population. The other options either describe outdated or inaccurate ideas about evolution (such as inheritance of acquired characters) or only capture part of the process (such as survival of the fittest, which is a result of natural selection but not the definition of evolution itself).

Question 19

Evolutionary theory predicts that species are related, not independent. Four of the following examples provide support for this prediction, but one is irrelevant. Which one of these examples does not support the claim that species are related?
A) The endostyle of lancelets invertebrate chordates) and the thyroid gland of vertebrates develop similarly, and both produce iodinated proteins.
B) Many dinosaurs and other organisms went extinct following a huge asteroid impact at the end of the Cretaceous.
C) Ground squirrel species found on the north and south sides of the Grand Canyon are very similar to each other.
D) All prokaryotes and eukaryotes use DNA to carry their genetic information.
E) Before synthetic insulin was available, diabetics used injections of purified pig insulin to manage their disease.

Accepted Answer

This example is about extinction, which does not provide evidence for relatedness between species. The other examples show similarities or commonalities between different species, supporting the idea that they are related through a common ancestor.

Question 20

Which of the following scientists argued that variation among individuals allows evolution to occur?
A) Lamarck
B) Aristotle
C) Wallace
D) Linnaeus

Accepted Answer

Alfred Russel Wallace was the scientist who proposed the concept of natural selection along with Charles Darwin. He argued that variation among individuals is necessary for natural selection to occur and for species to evolve over time.

Quiz 22: Evolution by Natural Selection

Which of the following statements describes a vestigial trait?

Radiometric dating is a technique used to determine the age of rocks. Geologists have used this technique to determine that

Why was Darwin and Wallace's theory of evolution by natural selection revolutionary?

The same basic internal organs kidneys, stomach, heart, lungs) are found in frogs, birds, snakes. and rodents. This is primarily an example of

Which of the following statements is an example of typological thinking?

Gill pouches in chick, human, and house- cat embryos are an example of

Researchers have found fossils of Eocene horse species in Colorado. Deeper deposits contain smaller species, and more recent deposits contain larger species. How does this observation support the theory of evolution?

Explain how one of the following supports the idea that species change through time: artificial selection, extinction, transitional forms, vestigial traits, or antibiotic resistance.

Why did Darwin argue that evidence of extinction supports the theory of evolution?

You sequence the genes that code for an important glycolytic enzyme in a moth, a mushroom, a worm, and an alga, and find a high degree of sequence similarity among these distantly related species. This is an example of

A farmer uses triazine herbicide to control pigweed in his field. For the first few years, the triazine works well and almost all the pigweed dies; but after several years, the farmer sees more and more pigweed. Which of these explanations best describes this observation?

If you say that Squirrel A has greater biological fitness than Squirrel B, you mean that the animal

Who proposed that organisms could be organized into a great chain of being?

Which of the following is the best modern definition of evolution?

Evolutionary theory predicts that species are related, not independent. Four of the following examples provide support for this prediction, but one is irrelevant. Which one of these examples does not support the claim that species are related?

Which of the following scientists argued that variation among individuals allows evolution to occur?