Question 1

In the year 2317, a group of human pioneers decide to colonize Mars. The distance between Mars and Earth prevents the possibility of new members joining the colony or the members of the colony interbreeding with humans on Earth. This situation is an example of

Accepted Answer

The situation described is an example of the founder effect, where a small group of individuals become isolated from the larger population and establish a new population with a different allele frequency. In this case, the group of human pioneers who colonize Mars become the founders of a new population with a limited genetic diversity, as there is no new gene flow from Earth. This can lead to unique genetic traits and potentially harmful genetic disorders if any mutations occur.

Question 2

The process of ________ has had a major impact on species distributions worldwide.

Accepted Answer

Continental drift, or the movement of continents over millions of years, has dramatically changed the geographic configuration of the planet's landmasses and oceans. As a result, species have been separated from their original ranges and have either gone extinct or evolved in different ways to adapt to new environments. This has led to the modern distribution of species and has played a major role in shaping the Earth's biodiversity. Comparative biochemistry, genetic engineering, divergent speciation, and adaptive mobility are all important processes in evolution and ecology but do not have the same broad impact on species distributions as continental drift.

Question 3

The structure of human cytochrome c is the same as that of chimpanzees, but it differs from the structure of cytochrome c in chickens by 16 amino acids and in yeast by more than 50 amino acids. From these data, one could hypothesize that humans are most closely related evolutionarily to

Accepted Answer

The fact that the structure of human cytochrome c is the same as that of chimpanzees suggests a close evolutionary relationship between the two species. The larger differences in amino acid sequence between human cytochrome c and those of chickens and yeast suggest a more distant evolutionary relationship with those species. Therefore, the best choice is A) chimpanzees.

Question 4

Which one of the following processes tends to mix gene pools?

Accepted Answer

Gene flow is the movement of genes from one population to another. This tends to mix gene pools between populations because it introduces new alleles to the recipient population and can change the frequency of existing alleles in the gene pool.

Question 5

In each local environment, living organisms have evolved to possess the traits necessary to survive and reproduce. This concept is called

Accepted Answer

Natural selection is the process by which organisms with certain traits are more likely to survive and reproduce than those without those traits in a given environment. This results in the evolution of a population over time as the advantageous traits become more common. Genetic drift and the bottleneck effect are random fluctuations in allele frequencies in a population, while microevolution refers to small-scale evolutionary changes within a population, and antigenic shift is a specific type of genetic change in viruses. None of these concepts fully explains how living organisms adapt to their local environments in the same way that natural selection does.

Question 6

Which one of the following is TRUE regarding fossils?

Accepted Answer

Even though a large number of fossils have been discovered, the fossil record is still incomplete because many species may not have been fossilized or their fossils may not have been discovered yet.

Question 7

The wings of birds and insects share similar functions but evolved from different structures; therefore, these wings are said to be

Accepted Answer

Wings of birds and insects are structurally different but serve similar functions of flying. Therefore, they are analogous structures. Homologous structures arise from a common ancestral structure and have a similar structure, but may have evolved to have different functions (e.g. the arms of humans and the wings of bats). Biramous and uniramous refer to the branching patterns of appendages in arthropods, and bipedal refers to animals that walk on two legs.

Question 8

Movement of individuals into or out of the population, called gene flow, impacts evolution of populations because

Accepted Answer

The movement of individuals into or out of the population causes a redistribution of alleles, which can have significant impacts on the evolution of the population. This can result in changes in allele frequencies, potentially leading to the formation of new species. Gene flow can also help prevent genetic drift, which can be detrimental to the population's genetic diversity. However, it does not necessarily lead to extinction, adaptive radiation, or a founder effect.

Question 9

When conditions are right, many new species may develop in a relatively short period of time from a single ancestor. Such short bursts of evolutionary activity are called

Accepted Answer

Short bursts of evolutionary activity from a single ancestor are known as adaptive radiation. This occurs when a group of organisms diversifies rapidly into multiple new species, often filling different ecological niches. The other options (gene flow, founder effect, population explosion, genetic drift) do not specifically refer to this pattern of rapid speciation from a single ancestor.

Question 10

-The figure above shows an evolutionary tree. At which of the following locations does this map indicate extinction?

Accepted Answer

The answer of 
-The figure above shows an evolutionary tree....

Question 11

In the 1940s, the population of whooping cranes in North America neared extinction, with fewer than 30 birds. It has since expanded to several hundred birds today. It is likely that these birds will exhibit very little genetic diversity. This is an example of

Accepted Answer

The scenario of a small population size followed by a dramatic expansion suggests that the population experienced a bottleneck effect. As a result, the genetic diversity of the population would have been severely reduced, making it likely that there is very little genetic variation in the current population.

Question 12

When two species contain identical or nearly identical molecules such as proteins, this suggests

Accepted Answer

The fact that two species exhibit identical or nearly identical molecules such as proteins suggests that they share a common ancestry, and the molecules have been conserved through evolution. This is because these molecules are essential for the functioning of cells and organisms and any changes to their structure could potentially harm the organism. Therefore, natural selection tends to preserve these molecules, resulting in their similarity between closely related species.

Question 13

Anatomical parts of the body that serve little or no function are referred to as

Accepted Answer

Vestigial structures are anatomical parts of the body that once served a purpose in our evolutionary past but no longer have a significant function. Examples include wisdom teeth, the appendix, and the coccyx (tailbone). These structures are considered evidence of our evolutionary history and the process of natural selection, as they have not been completely eliminated from the human body over time.

Question 14

The theory that individuals with certain traits are more fit for their local environment and therefore are more likely to survive and reproduce is known as

Accepted Answer

The theory described in the question is the foundation of natural selection, which is the process by which organisms with advantageous traits are more likely to survive and pass on those traits to their offspring.

Question 15

All of the following are key elements of evolution EXCEPT which one?

Accepted Answer

Evolution does not occur with a purpose and a plan. It is a result of unpredictable natural processes and is not goal-oriented.

Question 16

Large-scale evolutionary trends or changes that apply to whole groups of species are referred to as

Accepted Answer

Large-scale evolutionary trends or changes that apply to whole groups of species are referred to as macroevolution.

Question 17

Differences in populations may arise over time when physical structures in the environment, such as mountains or large bodies of water, change. These structures are referred to as

Accepted Answer

Geographical barriers, such as mountains or large bodies of water, can create physical barriers that prevent gene flow and lead to genetic divergence between populations over time.  Choices A and B refer to the historical movement of continents, not physical structures in the environment. Choice C refers to large-scale evolutionary changes, not physical structures in the environment. Choice E refers to a specific type of genetic drift that occurs when a small population is isolated from a larger population, not physical barriers in the environment.

Question 18

Cytochrome c is a small protein that is found in present-day organisms. Comparison of the structure of cytochrome c from different organisms to infer evolutionary relationships would be part of the science involving

Accepted Answer

Comparative biochemistry involves studying the similarities and differences in the biomolecules (such as proteins and nucleic acids) between different organisms to infer evolutionary relationships. Since cytochrome c is a protein, comparing its structure between different organisms falls under comparative biochemistry.

Question 19

In 2004, archaeologists unearthed a female skeleton on the Indonesian island of Flores that led to its classification as a member of the genus Homo instead of Australopithecus because of

Accepted Answer

The bone structure that suggested she was able to walk upright and her type of chewing ability were the key factors that led to the classification of the skeleton as a member of the genus Homo instead of Australopithecus.

Question 20

-The figure above shows the skeletal structure of the forelimbs of several vertebrates. Because these skeletal elements are similar in form and are believed to have evolved from a common ancestral structure, they are said to be

Accepted Answer

Homologous structures are those that are similar in form and origin, indicating a common ancestry, even if they serve different functions in modern species.

Quiz 22: Evolution and the Origins of Life