Question 1

Which statement best describes how overspecialization can affect a species?
A) Highly specialized adaptations in a species increase the likelihood of extinction if the environment changes.
B) If the habitat around a specialized species changes, the species always evolves new specialized adaptations.
C) Highly specialized adaptations are rare in species that occupy a very limited geographic range.
D) New adaptations will never occur in a highly specialized species.
E) Highly specialized adaptations enable a species to live anywhere on Earth.

Accepted Answer

Highly specialized adaptations make a species very efficient in a specific environment, but if that environment changes, the species may not be able to adapt quickly enough, increasing its risk of extinction. This is because their specialized nature means they are less flexible and may struggle to survive in new or altered conditions.

Question 2

Which statement best describes the reproductive isolation between populations of Rhagoletis flies, one of which is found on apple trees and the other that is found on hawthorn trees?
A) Hybrid offspring of the two populations are sterile.
B) Hawthorn trees and apple trees grow in different areas, so the two populations do not encounter each other.
C) Eggs laid by female flies mated with a male from the ʺwrongʺ population do not develop.
D) Male flies of one population cannot physically mate with females from the other population.
E) Apple-liking males are more likely to encounter apple-liking females than hawthorn-liking females.

Accepted Answer

The reproductive isolation between the two populations of Rhagoletis flies is primarily due to their preferences for different host plants (apple trees vs. hawthorn trees), which leads to them being more likely to encounter and mate with individuals with the same host plant preference. This is an example of habitat isolation, a form of prezygotic barrier where different environments lead to the separation of populations.

Question 3

The immediate cause of most extinctions is
A) environmental change.
B) genetic drift.
C) hybridization.
D) overspecialization.
E) wide distribution.

Accepted Answer

Environmental change is the immediate cause of most extinctions as it can alter habitats and resources, making it difficult for species to survive.

Question 4

Organisms from two separate species can look anatomically similar.

Accepted Answer

Organisms from different species can exhibit anatomical similarities due to convergent evolution, where unrelated species independently evolve similar traits as a result of having to adapt to similar environments or ecological niches.

Question 5

The introduction of a few individuals into a new habitat that is unoccupied by other members of the species is a(n)
A) temporal isolation.
B) adaptive radiation.
C) extinction.
D) founder event.
E) limited speciation.

Accepted Answer

A founder event occurs when a few individuals start a new population in a new location, leading to genetic differences from the original population due to the small initial gene pool.

Question 6

When a species invades a new habitat and evolves rapidly into several new species to better exploit new resources, what has occurred?
A) Adaptive radiation
B) Hybridization
C) Polyploidy
D) Extinction
E) Genetic divergence

Accepted Answer

Adaptive radiation occurs when a species enters a new habitat and evolves into new species to exploit different resources, leading to a rapid increase in the number of species from a common ancestor.

Question 7

The organisms most likely to undergo sympatric speciation by polyploidy are
A) protists.
B) mammals.
C) birds.
D) insects.
E) plants.

Accepted Answer

Plants are the most likely to undergo sympatric speciation by polyploidy because they can tolerate changes in chromosome number better than animals, and polyploidy is a common mechanism of speciation in plants.

Question 8

A single species of finch from South America was displaced to a new habitat in the Galápagos Islands and evolved rapidly into several new species as it exploited the new resources. What occurred in these Darwinʹs finches?
A) Phyletic speciation
B) Stabilizing selection
C) Polyploidy
D) Divergent speciation
E) Adaptive radiation

Accepted Answer

Adaptive radiation occurred when a single species of finch from South America evolved rapidly into several new species in the Galápagos Islands, each adapted to exploit different resources in the new habitat.

Question 9

Overspecialized adaptations
A) enable a species to be more adaptable to environmental changes.
B) enable a species to be more independent of other species.
C) are found only in species with very wide geographic ranges.
D) are the result of natural selection.
E) promote survival in a wide range of habitats.

Accepted Answer

Overspecialized adaptations are the result of natural selection, which favors traits that increase an organism's fitness in its specific environment. These adaptations, however, can limit an organism's ability to adapt to new or changing environments.

Question 10

What is the best explanation for the origin of the unique species recently found in the Annamite Mountains of Vietnam?
A) Adaptive radiation
B) Sympatric speciation
C) Behavioral isolation
D) Temporal isolation
E) Allopatric speciation

Accepted Answer

The unique species found in the Annamite Mountains of Vietnam are likely the result of allopatric speciation, which occurs when populations of a species become isolated from each other to an extent that prevents or interferes with genetic interchange. This geographical isolation can lead to the development of distinct species as the isolated populations undergo independent evolutionary changes.

Question 11

In northern Minnesota, the lynx (Lynx canadensis) habitat overlaps the bobcat (Lynx rufus) habitat. The two can breed and produce healthy, fertile offspring, which could lead to
A) hybrid infertility.
B) geographic isolation.
C) gametic incompatibility.
D) extinction of one or both species.
E) hybrid inviability.

Accepted Answer

When two species, such as the lynx and bobcat, breed and produce fertile offspring, it can lead to competition for resources or genetic blending, potentially resulting in the extinction of one or both original species due to hybridization.

Question 12

The parasitic Rhagoletis flies show such a preference for either hawthorn or apple trees that they are no longer interbreeding populations. What type of speciation does this scenario illustrate?
A) The founder effect
B) Specialization
C) Sympatric
D) Allopatric
E) Polyploidy

Accepted Answer

Sympatric speciation occurs when new species evolve from a single ancestral species while inhabiting the same geographic region. In this case, the Rhagoletis flies have developed a preference for different host plants (hawthorn or apple trees) without geographical separation, leading to reproductive isolation and speciation while still living in the same area.

Question 13

Which species is least likely to become extinct?
A) A fish species found in all five of the Great Lakes
B) A fish species that has hybridized with another species to produce infertile offspring
C) A mammal species that feeds on a rare tropical orchid
D) A fish species that feeds on only rare snails found in only one small river
E) A mammal species that can live equally well on dry land and in fresh water

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which species is least likely to become...

Question 14

The introduction of a new species into an area that has several different habitats and very rich resources, but no predators will likely lead to
A) adaptive radiation.
B) mechanical incompatibility.
C) extinctions.
D) limited speciation.
E) temporal isolation.

Accepted Answer

Adaptive radiation is likely to occur because the new species can exploit the diverse habitats and resources without the threat of predators, leading to the evolution of multiple new species.

Question 15

The most common cause of extinction is
A) habitat change.
B) overspecialization.
C) limited species range.
D) asteroid impacts.
E) interactions with other species.

Accepted Answer

Habitat change is the most common cause of extinction, as it affects the availability of resources, shelter, and breeding grounds for species, leading to a decline in populations and eventual extinction.

Question 16

The origins of 300 or more species of cichlid fish in Lake Malawi can best be explained by
A) random events.
B) premating isolating mechanisms.
C) polyploidy.
D) adaptive radiation.
E) the fossil record.

Accepted Answer

The origins of the diverse species of cichlid fish in Lake Malawi are best explained by adaptive radiation, a process where organisms diversify rapidly from an ancestral species into a multitude of new forms, particularly when a change in the environment makes new resources available, creates new challenges, or opens new environmental niches.

Question 17

Which of the following is the most prevalent immediate cause of extinction?
A) Specialization
B) Disease
C) Environmental change
D) Predation
E) Competition

Accepted Answer

Environmental change is the most prevalent immediate cause of extinction, as it can rapidly alter the conditions necessary for a species' survival, leading to a decline in populations and eventual extinction. Changes can include climate shifts, habitat destruction, and pollution.

Question 18

Hybridization of two species in which of the following cases could lead to the extinction of one of the original species?
A) The two species increase their population sizes, thus increasing the effects of genetic drift.
B) Hybridization increases inbreeding, which decreases the average fitness of the species.
C) An endangered species may further decline by producing less -fit hybrid offspring.
D) The hybrid offspring may outcompete the parental species.
E) It may introduce deleterious genes from one species to another.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Hybridization of two species in which of...

Question 19

Premating isolation mechanisms occur when two species have different and incompatible mating behaviors.

Accepted Answer

Premating isolation mechanisms prevent individuals of different species from attempting to mate in the first place, often due to differences in mating behaviors, rituals, or timing, making them incompatible for mating.

Question 20

Which species is most likely to become extinct?
A) The northeastern pygmy shrew, found throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania
B) The white tiger beetle, found throughout several mid-Atlantic U.S. states
C) Carp, found throughout Europe, the United States, and Canada
D) The jack-in-the-pulpit, found throughout the eastern United States and Canada
E) Kirtlandʹs warbler, which breeds in only a small area of Michigan

Accepted Answer

Kirtlandʹs warbler is most likely to become extinct because it has a very limited breeding range, making it more vulnerable to habitat destruction, environmental changes, and other threats compared to species with wider distributions.

Quiz 17: The Origin of Species

Which statement best describes how overspecialization can affect a species?

Which statement best describes the reproductive isolation between populations of Rhagoletis flies, one of which is found on apple trees and the other that is found on hawthorn trees?

The immediate cause of most extinctions is

Organisms from two separate species can look anatomically similar.

The introduction of a few individuals into a new habitat that is unoccupied by other members of the species is a(n)

When a species invades a new habitat and evolves rapidly into several new species to better exploit new resources, what has occurred?

The organisms most likely to undergo sympatric speciation by polyploidy are

A single species of finch from South America was displaced to a new habitat in the Galápagos Islands and evolved rapidly into several new species as it exploited the new resources. What occurred in these Darwinʹs finches?

Overspecialized adaptations

What is the best explanation for the origin of the unique species recently found in the Annamite Mountains of Vietnam?

In northern Minnesota, the lynx (Lynx canadensis) habitat overlaps the bobcat (Lynx rufus) habitat. The two can breed and produce healthy, fertile offspring, which could lead to

The parasitic Rhagoletis flies show such a preference for either hawthorn or apple trees that they are no longer interbreeding populations. What type of speciation does this scenario illustrate?

Which species is least likely to become extinct?

The introduction of a new species into an area that has several different habitats and very rich resources, but no predators will likely lead to

The most common cause of extinction is

The origins of 300 or more species of cichlid fish in Lake Malawi can best be explained by

Which of the following is the most prevalent immediate cause of extinction?

Hybridization of two species in which of the following cases could lead to the extinction of one of the original species?

Premating isolation mechanisms occur when two species have different and incompatible mating behaviors.

Which species is most likely to become extinct?