Question 1

According to ________, with modernization, increases in food supply accompanied by reductions in physical activity and a switch to high calorie diets can lead to obesity and diabetes.

Accepted Answer

The thrifty gene hypothesis suggests that certain populations have evolved genes that enable them to efficiently store fat during periods of food abundance to survive during periods of food scarcity. In modern contexts, where food supply is consistently high and physical activity is often reduced, these genetic predispositions can lead to obesity and diabetes.

Question 2

In research conducted since the 1950s, it has been shown that human populations tend to conform to Bergmann's rule, but not Allen's rule.

Accepted Answer

Bergmann's rule and Allen's rule both have been supported by research in human populations. Bergmann's rule suggests that individuals in colder climates tend to have larger bodies, while Allen's rule posits that individuals in colder climates tend to have shorter extremities (arms and legs). Both have been observed to some extent in human populations, indicating adaptations to climate.

Question 3

In the Himalayas,

Accepted Answer

C

Question 4

Which of the following does not apply to Type II diabetes?

Accepted Answer

Type II diabetes is not due to individuals lacking the gene necessary for insulin production, but rather it is due to insulin resistance, where the body is not able to use insulin effectively to regulate blood sugar levels. Genetic factors can play a role in the development of Type II diabetes, but it is not solely due to lacking a specific gene.

Question 5

If an individual experiences oxygen deficiency at altitude, this condition is termed

Accepted Answer

Oxygen deficiency at high altitude is termed hypoxia. It is a condition in which an individual experiences a lack of oxygen supply to the body due to the reduced atmospheric pressure at high altitude. Symptoms of hypoxia may include headache, fatigue, shortness of breath, and confusion.

Question 6

Many of the cultural changes in the world from A.D. 1500 to present have been caused, directly or indirectly, by

Accepted Answer

The dominance and expansion of Western societies, through colonization and globalization, has had a significant impact on cultural changes around the world in the last 500 years. This includes the spread of Western languages, religions, and values, as well as the homogenization of global popular culture.

Question 7

Hypoxia or oxygen deficiency results in

Accepted Answer

Hypoxia results in a decrease in oxygen supply to the body, which triggers a response that includes rapid breathing and an increased heart rate in an attempt to compensate for the decreased oxygen. It also makes activities more difficult to undertake as the body struggles to meet its oxygen demands. Therefore, all of the above choices are correct.

Question 8

As predicted by Bergmann's and Allen's rules, having a lean, long-limbed body type in an equatorial climate provides an individual with

Accepted Answer

Bergmann's rule states that individuals in warmer climates have a leaner body type to facilitate body heat dissipation, while Allen's rule states that individuals in warmer climates have longer limbs to increase surface area for heat dissipation. Therefore, having a lean, long-limbed body type in an equatorial climate would provide an individual with greater surface area in relation to body mass, which facilitates body heat dissipation. Choice A is the correct choice.

Question 9

The relationship between malaria and the allele that produces sickle-cell anemia in humans is an example of balancing selection because

Accepted Answer

Balancing selection occurs when two or more alleles are maintained in a population at intermediate frequencies, due to heterozygote advantage. In this case, individuals who are heterozygous for the sickle-cell allele have a selective advantage against malaria compared to homozygous normal and homozygous sickle-cell individuals. This leads to the maintenance of both the sickle-cell allele and normal hemoglobin allele in the population, despite the fact that sickle-cell anemia has negative effects on health.

Question 10

It has been observed that when children take IQ tests

Accepted Answer

Economic factors, such as access to resources and educational opportunities, have a significant influence on children's performance on IQ tests.

Question 11

The observed variation in world heights might be partly explained by

Accepted Answer

The observed variation in world heights can be influenced by multiple factors including temperature differences, poor nutrition, disease, and genetics. All of these factors can contribute to differences in height among different populations.

Question 12

______________ occurs when a heterozygous combination of alleles is positively favoured even though a homozygous combination is disfavoured.

Accepted Answer

This is a clear case of balancing selection, where heterozygotes have an advantage over homozygotes. This can happen in situations where different alleles have different advantages in different environments, or where heterozygotes have a fitness advantage due to some other factor such as resistance to disease.

Question 13

In the event of dramatic changes in the world environment

Accepted Answer

Greater genetic diversity provides a wider range of potential adaptations to environmental changes. Therefore, organisms with greater genetic diversity have a greater chance of survival and reproduction in changing environments.

Question 14

Individuals who have sickle-cell anemia

Accepted Answer

Sickle-cell anemia is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder. This means that an individual must inherit two copies of the mutated gene (or allele) responsible for the disease, one from each parent. Therefore, individuals with sickle-cell anemia have inherited the same allele from both parents.

Choice B is incorrect because individuals who are heterozygous for sickle-cell anemia (meaning they have one normal allele and one mutated allele) may have some symptoms of the disease but typically have milder symptoms and are not considered to have sickle-cell anemia.

Choice C is partially correct. Individuals with sickle-cell anemia are more resistant to malaria, not more susceptible. This is because the mutated hemoglobin that causes sickle-cell anemia also makes it difficult for the malaria parasite to survive inside red blood cells.

Choice D is incorrect. If an individual inherits two different alleles from their parents (meaning they have one normal allele and one mutated allele), they are a carrier for sickle-cell anemia, but they do not have the disease.

Choice E is also incorrect. Sickle-cell anemia is a genetic disorder and is not caused by being born with malaria.

Question 15

Research by psychologist Phillipe Rushton of the University of Western Ontario

Accepted Answer

Rushton's research, particularly his racial theories and methodologies, has been widely criticized and dismissed by the general anthropological and broader scientific communities for lacking scientific rigor and for promoting controversial and unsupported views on race and intelligence.

Question 16

Differences in most disease patterns in humans is the result of

Accepted Answer

The answer of Differences in most disease patterns in humans...

Question 17

Cultural adaptations exhibited by humans include the alteration of our "microenvironments."

Accepted Answer

Cultural adaptations often involve modifying our immediate surroundings or microenvironments to better suit our needs and activities. Examples include building shelters, creating tools, and cultivating crops.

Question 18

The ultraviolet radiation that light skin absorbs facilitates the body's production of

Accepted Answer

Ultraviolet radiation from the sun causes a chemical reaction in the skin, allowing the body to synthesize Vitamin D3. Light skin absorbs UV radiation more easily than dark skin, which is why fair-skinned individuals are more prone to sunburns and also why they are able to synthesize Vitamin D more efficiently.

Question 19

The biological relationship between melanin levels and climate across mammals and birds, where populations living in warmer climates have darker skin, fur or feathers than do populations of the same species living in cooler areas, is called

Accepted Answer

This relationship between melanin levels and climate across mammals and birds is specifically referred to as Gloger's rule. Allen's rule refers to the length of extremities in relation to climate, Bergmann's rule refers to body size in relation to climate, the bioclimatic law is a general term for the relationship between organisms and their environment, and Riesenfeld's rule is not a recognized biological concept.

Question 20

Researchers have observed an increased incidence of ________ among Canadian Aboriginal children as young as 5 years of age

Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that Canadian Aboriginal children are at a higher risk of developing type II diabetes from a young age due to factors such as genetics, lifestyle, and limited access to healthy food options.

Quiz 6: Human Variation