Question 1

Dr. McCallum's class is learning about genes. He explains that not all of the information contained in our genes is used, either because the environment doesn't trigger certain tendencies or because another genetic tendency took precedence. All of a person's genetic information, regardless of whether particular tendencies are expressed, is referred to as
A) genotypes.
B) phenotypes.
C) alleles.
D) chromosomes.

Accepted Answer

Genotypes refer to the complete set of genes or genetic information present in an organism, regardless of whether those genes are expressed.

Question 2

Except for sex cells, all cells in the human body have 46 chromosomes. At conception, the 23 chromosomes from the egg and the 23 chromosomes from the sperm combine to create a new cell that has the normal 46 chromosomes. Because this new cell repeatedly duplicates to create the other cells that form the body, all cells except sex cells have the exact same genetic information. Therefore, children always get __________ of their genetic information from their biological mothers and__________ of their genetic information from their biological fathers.
A) 23 percent; 46 percent
B) 50 percent; 50 percent
C) 46 percent; 54 percent
D) 23 percent; 77 percent

Accepted Answer

Children receive 50 percent of their genetic information from their biological mothers and 50 percent from their biological fathers, as each parent contributes 23 chromosomes to the child.

Question 3

Dr. McCallum's class is learning about genes. He explains that not all of the information contained in our genes is used, either because the environment doesn't trigger certain tendencies or because another genetic tendency took precedence. The genetic information that is active in a particular person is expressed through observable characteristics. We call these characteristics
A) genotypes.
B) phenotypes.
C) alleles.
D) chromosomes.

Accepted Answer

Phenotypes are the observable characteristics or traits of an organism, which result from the expression of genes as well as the influence of environmental factors.

Question 4

Every human being shares 99.9 percent of his or her genetic makeup with every other human. The remaining .01 percent is what makes individuals different from one another. Identical twins have 100 percent of their genes in common, though people who know them often emphasize their personality differences. Therefore, we can say that twins have the same __________, but environmentalinfluences may affect each twin's
A) heritability; DNA.
B) phenotype; genotype.
C) characteristics; DNA.
D) genotype; phenotype.

Accepted Answer

Identical twins have the same genotype, which is their genetic makeup, but environmental influences can affect their phenotype, which is the expression of those genes.

Question 5

A mother alligator lays a clutch, or group, of eggs. When the babies hatch, one has a white hide rather than the normal green. The white alligator grows normally and is as healthy as its siblings, but it's definitely easier to see against the green lake area in which the alligators live. What caused the white alligator's hide to be different from those of its siblings and parents?
A) its genotype
B) mutation
C) adaptation
D) natural selection

Accepted Answer

The white alligator's hide is likely due to a mutation, which is a change in the genetic code that can result in different physical traits, such as coloration.

Question 6

Though genetic screening is more than 90 percent accurate, some types of screens provide information on whether you are likely, but not certain, to develop a certain disorder. These are called
A) the Big Five.
B) susceptibility tests.
C) genotypes.
D) phenotypes.

Accepted Answer

Susceptibility tests are genetic tests that indicate the likelihood of developing a particular disorder, but do not guarantee it.

Question 7

Studies show that creative people have more problems with mood disorders than do people who are not creative. To determine whether this correlation has any genetic basis, researchers would need to
A) identify evolutionary personality traits.
B) conduct family studies.
C) demonstrate strategic pluralism.
D) prove genetic determinism.

Accepted Answer

Conducting family studies would help researchers determine if there is a genetic basis for the correlation between creativity and mood disorders by examining the prevalence of these traits in families.

Question 8

Baby geese attach (associate themselves) to the first large moving object they see after hatching. If they see a goose, they attach to the goose; if they see a person, they attach to the person. This instinctive tendency is called a
A) tabula rasa.
B) reaction range.
C) fixed action pattern.
D) phenotype.

Accepted Answer

This instinctive behavior is known as a fixed action pattern, which is a sequence of innate behaviors that are triggered by a specific stimulus. In this case, the stimulus is the first large moving object seen by the baby geese.

Question 9

Baby geese attach to the first large moving object they see after hatching. If they see a goose, theyattach to the goose; if they see a person, they attach to the person. Researchers who study this type ofbehavior are called
A) entomologists.
B) ethologists.
C) ecologists.
D) anthropologists.

Accepted Answer

Ethologists study animal behavior, particularly in natural environments, and are interested in behaviors like imprinting, which is what baby geese exhibit when they attach to the first moving object they see.

Question 10

Gillian and Illeana are in the same grade at the same school, but they participate in differentextracurricular activities. Their classes are therefore part of __________, while their extracurricularactivities are part of A) a pluralistic environment; an unshared environment. B) an ethological environment, an unshared environment. C) a shared environment; an ethological environment. D) a shared environment; an unshared environment.

Accepted Answer

Their classes are part of a shared environment because they are in the same grade at the same school, while their extracurricular activities are part of an unshared environment because they participate in different activities.

Question 11

Madden has been shy ever since he was a baby and has never had a large group of friends. When he reaches college, he promises himself he will be more social. Unfortunately, whenever he arrives at a party, he's intimidated by all the people and starts to worry that they'll reject him. As a result, they tend to ignore him, and he just feels even more shy. Madden's shyness is
A) having an evocative influence on the environment.
B) inevitable due to genetic determinism.
C) due to strategic pluralism.
D) all of these

Accepted Answer

Madden's shyness is having an evocative influence on the environment because his behavior (being shy and worried about rejection) leads others to ignore him, which reinforces his shyness.

Question 12

Psychological disorders appear only if stressors in the environment trigger them, so inheriting the genetics for a particular disorder doesn't doom someone to have that disorder. Panic disorder runs in Allie's family, but because the environment never triggered it, she has no problems with it. We can say that panic disorder is part of Allie's
A) genotype.
B) phenotype.
C) eugenics.
D) strategic pluralism.

Accepted Answer

Genotype refers to the genetic makeup of an individual, including the inherited genetic potential for certain traits or disorders, such as panic disorder in Allie's case.

Question 13

Every year, the dubious posthumous honor of the Darwin Award is bestowed on people who "[improve] the human genome by...accidentally kill[ing] themselves in really stupid ways."In 2002, for example, a man used a chainsaw to open a grenade because he wanted to make firecrackers; instead, the grenade exploded. To which of Darwin's principles are the Darwin Awards in homage?
A) natural selection
B) adaptation
C) evolutionary noise
D) mutation

Accepted Answer

The Darwin Awards are a darkly humorous nod to the principle of natural selection, which suggests that individuals with traits that are disadvantageous for survival are less likely to pass on their genes.

Question 14

Early women who had sex before securing a commitment were more likely to be left without a partner to help during the pregnancy and childrearing. Proponents of __________ theory would argue thatmany modern women's tendency to insist on some indication of commitment before having sex is a direct, inherited, and adaptive result.
A) sexual strategies
B) social structure
C) evolutionary personality
D) strategic pluralism

Accepted Answer

Sexual strategies theory argues that human mating behavior is driven by evolved strategies that maximize reproductive success. In this case, women who insist on some indication of commitment before having sex are doing so because it increases their chances of finding a partner who will help them during pregnancy and childrearing.

Question 15

Despite strides made by the feminist movement, women are more likely than men to leave a full-timecareer to take care of children. Because most modern stressors and challenges can be handled equally well by males and females, proponents of __________ would argue that this is due not to genetics butto societal norms. A) sexual strategies B) social structure C) evolutionary personality D) strategic pluralism

Accepted Answer

Proponents of social structure theory argue that gender differences in behavior are largely due to societal norms and roles rather than biological or genetic factors.

Question 16

Introversion and extroversion are contradictory traits. Evolutionary psychologists believe this may be because extroverts may have been more assertive with potential sexual partners, leading to more children with extroverted traits. At the same time, introverts may have been less likely to die in accidents caused by high-risk behavior which is more common in extroverts. The theory of __________ accounts for the possibility that these opposing behaviors may both have beenadaptive.
A) sexual strategies
B) social structure
C) evolutionary personality
D) strategic pluralism

Accepted Answer

Strategic pluralism theory suggests that multiple behavioral strategies can coexist within a population because different strategies can be adaptive in different environmental contexts.

Question 17

Those who believe that people have a choice about being gay, lesbian, or bisexual typically point to the fact that no gayness gene has been identified. If there is no single gayness gene, are they right that being gay must be a choice?
A) Yes. If there is no single gene, we cannot say that a tendency is genetic in nature.
B) Yes. Being gay could be genetic only if a child inherited two "gay alleles" from each biological parent.
C) No. The tendency could be polygenetic in nature.
D) A and B only.

Accepted Answer

The tendency could be polygenetic in nature, meaning it could be influenced by multiple genes rather than a single gene.

Quiz 3: Evolution, Genes, Environment and Behaviour

Though genetic screening is more than 90 percent accurate, some types of screens provide information on whether you are likely, but not certain, to develop a certain disorder. These are called

Studies show that creative people have more problems with mood disorders than do people who are not creative. To determine whether this correlation has any genetic basis, researchers would need to

Baby geese attach (associate themselves) to the first large moving object they see after hatching. If they see a goose, they attach to the goose; if they see a person, they attach to the person. This instinctive tendency is called a

Baby geese attach to the first large moving object they see after hatching. If they see a goose, theyattach to the goose; if they see a person, they attach to the person. Researchers who study this type ofbehavior are called

Gillian and Illeana are in the same grade at the same school, but they participate in different extracurricular activities. Their classes are therefore part of __________, while their extracurricularactivities are part of

Those who believe that people have a choice about being gay, lesbian, or bisexual typically point to the fact that no gayness gene has been identified. If there is no single gayness gene, are they right that being gay must be a choice?

Gillian and Illeana are in the same grade at the same school, but they participate in differentextracurricular activities. Their classes are therefore part of __________, while their extracurricularactivities are part of