Question 1

Whether a mutation is harmful or beneficial can only be judged in respect to the environment.

Accepted Answer

The impact of a mutation depends on the environment in which it occurs. A mutation that may be harmful in one environment may be beneficial in another. Therefore, it is true that whether a mutation is harmful or beneficial can only be judged in respect to the environment.

Question 2

Populations that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring are called species.

Accepted Answer

This is the biological definition of a species. Populations that cannot interbreed or produce fertile offspring are considered different species.

Question 3

The fossil record shows no significant change in terms of the diversity of organisms through time.

Accepted Answer

The fossil record actually shows a significant change in terms of the diversity of organisms through time, with some periods characterized by mass extinctions and others by bursts of new species diversification.

Question 4

Only mutations present in sex cells are inheritable.

Accepted Answer

Mutations that occur in somatic cells (non-sex cells) are not inheritable as they do not affect the DNA in the sex cells (egg or sperm). Only mutations that occur in the sex cells can be passed on to offspring.

Question 5

Sharks and dolphins show convergent evolution since they have similar features, yet are only distantly related.

Accepted Answer

Sharks and dolphins have similar features such as streamlined bodies, dorsal fins, and tail fins, but they evolved these features independently from each other due to similar environmental pressures. This is an example of convergent evolution, which occurs when unrelated species evolve similar traits to adapt to similar environments.

Question 6

The phrase "survival of the fittest" has often been used to describe the theory of natural selection.

Accepted Answer

This is true. "Survival of the fittest" is a phrase coined by Herbert Spencer to describe the concept of natural selection proposed by Charles Darwin. It means that individuals with advantageous traits are more likely to survive and reproduce, passing those traits on to the next generation.

Question 7

Jean-Baptiste de Lamarck developed the theory of inheritance of acquired characteristics .

Accepted Answer

Lamarck was the first to propose the theory of inheritance of acquired characteristics in the early 19th century, although it was later discredited by scientific discoveries in genetics.

Question 8

Most of the organisms that have ever existed are now extinct.

Accepted Answer

The fossil record and current estimates suggest that over 99% of all species that have ever existed on Earth are now extinct.

Question 9

Evolutionary trends can be reversed.

Accepted Answer

Evolutionary trends can be reversed through factors such as changes in the environment, genetic mutations, and natural selection. This can result in the reemergence of traits that were once present in earlier species or populations.

Question 10

Evolutionary change always occurs slowly, over long periods of time.

Accepted Answer

Evolutionary change can occur slowly over long periods of time, but it can also occur rapidly in response to sudden environmental pressures or through genetic mutations.

Question 11

The view that species change little during most of their existence and then evolve rapidly into new species is called punctuated equilibrium.

Accepted Answer

This statement accurately describes the concept of punctuated equilibrium.

Question 12

Growth and development by mitosis results in progeny that are genetically identical to the parent cell.

Accepted Answer

Mitosis is the process of cell division that results in the production of two daughter cells, each with the same genetic content as the parent cell. This means that the progeny produced through mitosis are genetically identical to the parent cell.

Question 13

Darwin's studies of animals in the Galapagos Islands were important in the development of the theory of evolution.

Accepted Answer

Darwin's studies of the unique animal species on the Galapagos Islands helped him develop his theory of natural selection and the process of evolution.

Question 14

The fossil record contains a sequence from simple to more complex organisms through time.

Accepted Answer

The fossil record shows a general trend of increasing complexity over time as simpler organisms gave rise to more complex ones through evolutionary processes. However, there are also many exceptions and complexities in the fossil record, such as extinction events and rapid bursts of evolutionary change, that require more detailed examination and interpretation.

Question 15

Allopatric speciation occurs when organisms inherit two different alleles.

Accepted Answer

Allopatric speciation occurs when populations of the same species are geographically isolated from each other, leading to genetic divergence over time. The inheritance of different alleles may contribute to this process, but it is not the defining characteristic of allopatric speciation.

Question 16

Microevolution results from the cumulative effects of macroevolution.

Accepted Answer

Microevolution refers to small evolutionary changes within a species or population, typically over a short period, while macroevolution involves significant evolutionary changes that can lead to the emergence of new species or groups over much longer periods. Microevolutionary changes are the building blocks of macroevolution, not the other way around.

Question 17

Members of a clade can have different derived and primitive characteristics.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Members of a clade can have different...

Question 18

Charles Darwin wrote On the Origin of Species .

Accepted Answer

This is a well-known fact in the field of biology that Charles Darwin wrote On the Origin of Species, which was first published in 1859.

Question 19

Punctuated equilibrium is the gradual accumulation of minor changes eventually resulting in the origin of a new species.

Accepted Answer

Punctuated equilibrium is actually the theory that species experience long periods of stasis (no change) followed by short bursts of rapid change that result in the origin of new species. It is not a gradual accumulation of minor changes.

Question 20

A bat's wing and a bird's wing are examples of analogous structures.

Accepted Answer

Analogous structures are structures that have a similar function but different structure and evolutionary origin, such as the wings of bats and birds which both allow them to fly but have different bone structure and development.

Quiz 7: Evolution the Theory and Its Supporting Evidence