Chapter 11

Which is NOT one of the preconditions in a population where natural selection is at work?
Many more individuals are produced by a population than can survive and reproduce.
The population always becomes adapted to its environment.
Heritable variations must be passed on the subsequent generations.
There is variation that can be inherited in a population.
Adaptive characteristics in some individuals make them more likely to survive and reproduce.

Which of the following mechanisms does NOT result in variation in the gene frequencies from the ancestral population?
genetic equilibrium
genetic drift
natural selection
differential reproduction
founder effect

A random alteration in the sequence of DNA nucleotides that provides a new variant of the gene is
gene mutation.
allele frequency.
disruption.
polymorphism.
gene frequency.

Anatomical features that are fully developed and functional in one group of organisms but reduced and functionless in a similar group are termed
analogous.
vestigial.
sympatric.
homologous.
polygenic.

Homologous structures such as the bones in wings, flippers, and arms are most closely concerned with
biogeography.
comparative biochemistry.
comparative anatomy.
the fossil record.

Which of these conditions is NOT among the requirements of the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium?
no net mutations
sexually reproducing and random mating population
small population with genetic drift
no selection of one genotype over another
no net migration of alleles into or out of the population

The raw material for evolutionary change is
mutation.
gene flow.
genetic drift.
natural selection.
nonrandom reproduction.

If there is a change in the allele frequency of a gene pool due to chance, primarily in a small population, it is termed
mutations.
natural selection.
gene flow.
nonrandom mating.
genetic drift.

An insect population lives along the edge of a north-south mountain range. The populations from the east and west slope eventually join in a low northern pass and interbreed, producing fertile offspring; but they do not circle around the southern edge because of a desert barrier. When glaciers move southward, the populations are pushed south of the northern pass and are isolated. While isolated, the two populations develop enough differences over time that when the glaciers retreat north and the insects again share the same pass, they no longer mate at the same time, nor can they produce fertile offspring. These insects
The number of species cannot be determined from the information given.
were originally two species but are now one species.
were originally one species but are now two species.
began as one species and therefore remain one species.
were originally two species and remain two species.

When he arrived at the Galápagos Islands, Darwin did not observe the amazing tool-using "woodpecker finch" that can modify twigs to pry out grubs. Because there are no true woodpeckers on the Galápagos Islands, this behavior allows this finch to exploit an untapped food source. However, not all members of this species exhibit this behavior, which is probably learned from watching other finches. Therefore, which of the following is NOT true?
As an acquired characteristic, in a strict sense this is not part of the adaptive radiation of finches on the Galápagos.
Young isolated at hatching will not know how to do this.
There must be a great advantage to reaching this food source for this learned behavior to be repeated by most descendants each generation.
It is probably not "hardwired" in the brain as a behavior passed on genetically.
This "learned" behavior will not lead to evolutionary change in the woodpecker population.

The theory of evolution attempts to explain the origin of life.
True
False

A scientific theory is an idea proposed by someone but which does not have any evidence supporting it.

True
False

Among biologists, the theory of evolution is still controversial.
True
Correct!
False

What is the difference between micro- and macroevolution?
Microevolution describes the evolution of small organisms, such as insects, while macroevolution describes the evolution of large organisms, like people and elephants.
Microevolution describes the evolution of microscopic entities, such as molecules and proteins, while macroevolution describes the evolution of whole organisms.
Microevolution describes the evolution of populations, while macroevolution describes the emergence of new species over long periods of time.
Microevolution describes the evolution of organisms over their lifetimes, while macroevolution describes the evolution of organisms over multiple generations.

A small, reproductively isolated religious sect called the Dunkers was established by 27 families that came to the United States from Germany over 200 years ago. The frequencies for blood group alleles in this population differ significantly from those in the general U.S. population. This would be an example of ___.
random mating
the founder effect
natural selection
gene flow
a bottleneck

According to Lamarck, which variable would have the greatest influence on the evolution of an organism?
the genetics of the individual
A creator would determine the evolution of an organism.
the environment
Neither the environment nor the genetics of an organism play a role in its evolution.
Both the environment and genetics are equally responsible for the evolution of an organism.

What is the main difference between dispersal and vicariance?
One leads to allopatric speciation, whereas the other leads to sympatric speciation.
One involves the movement of the organism, whereas the other involves a change in the environment.
One depends on a genetic mutation occurring, whereas the other does not.
One involves closely related organisms, whereas the other involves only individuals of the same species.

___ describes how evolutionary pressures, such as natural selection, can affect a population’s genetic makeup, and, in turn, how this can result in the gradual evolution of populations and species.
The modern synthesis
Microevolution
Biogeography
Molecular biology
Macroevolution

In which of the following pairs do both evolutionary processes introduce new genetic variation into a population?
natural selection and genetic drift
mutation and gene flow
natural selection and gene flow
gene flow and genetic drift

The word “theory” in theory of evolution is best replaced by ___.
fact
hypothesis
idea
alternate explanation

The organisms examined by Darwin on the Galápagos Islands that were most important in his development of the theory of natural selection were
monkeys and armadillos.
finches.
rabbits and hares.
plants.
fish.

Which of the following would NOT result in reproductive isolation?
Fruit flies on one Hawaiian island live for hundreds of generations and do not come in contact with fruit flies on another island except when blown there by rare tropical storms.
Two populations of crickets are indistinguishable in physical features but the females in each group only come to the different songs of their males.
Snakes found in one state are genetically identical to snakes found in a neighboring state with no geographic barriers separating them.
A lion and a tiger mate in the artificial confines of a zoo but the offspring is infertile.
One brood of the 17-year cicada emerged in 1987 (and will do so every 17 years) and lives a few months as adults; another brood emerged in 1992 (and will do so every 17 years); the larvae of both feed side by side on tree roots.

During allopatric speciation
wide phenotype differences appear between subpopulations.
a geographic separation occurs between subpopulations.
subpopulations are still able to interbreed.
gene flow continues between subpopulations.
reproduction between all subpopulations is impossible

Which of the following conditions does NOT contribute to evolution?
genetic drift
gene flow
natural selection
mutations
unchanging environmental conditions

A variety of genotypes and phenotypes in a population is useful because it
allows the species to survive if the environment changes.
makes life more interesting.
means that the gene pool is constant and unchanging.
will lead to nonrandom mating.
makes genetic drift an unlikely occurrence.

The model of speciation that requires some time with geographic barriers between two populations, allowing evolution of reproductive isolation, is
allopatric speciation.
prezygotic isolation.
sympatric speciation.
punctuated equilibrium.
phyletic gradualism.

Which statement is NOT true about the founder effect?
Chance determines which alleles are carried by the original founders.
Founding members contain a tiny fraction of the alleles found in the original population.
It produces a high frequency of some rare alleles in a small isolated population.
The founder effect occurs when a population is subjected to near extinction and then recovers, so that only a few alleles are left in survivors.
It is a form of genetic drift.

The northern elephant seal went through a severe population decline as a result of overhunting in the late 1800s. As a result of a hunting ban, the population has rebounded but is now homozygous for nearly every gene studied. This would be an example of ___.
the founder effect
a bottleneck
natural selection
gene flow
random mating

Unrelated species that have similar morphology (= physical shapes) can be explained by ___.
vestigial structures
divergent evolution
convergent evolution
Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium

Which situation would most likely lead to allopatric speciation?
A flood causes the formation of a new lake.
A storm causes several large trees to fall down.
A mutation causes a new trait to develop.
An injury causes an organism to seek out a new food source.

Galápagos medium ground finches are found on Santa Cruz and San Cristóbal islands, which are separated by about 100 km of ocean. Occasionally, individuals from either island fly to the other island to stay. This can alter the allele frequencies of the population through which of the following mechanisms?
natural selection
genetic drift
gene flow
mutation

What is the unifying theory in biology that explains the relationships of all living things?
biodiversity
ecology
evolution
taxonomy

Why are alternative scientific theories to evolution not taught in public school?
more theories would confuse students
there are no viable scientific alternatives
it is against the law
alternative scientific theories are suppressed by the science establishment

In which of the following pairs do both evolutionary processes introduce new genetic variation into a population?
natural selection and genetic drift
mutation and gene flow
natural selection and gene flow
gene flow and genetic drift

Biologic evolution changes individual organisms.

True
False

All mutations either increase or decrease the fitness of an organism.
True
False

Inbreeding (mating between relatives to a greater extent than by chance) within a population is an example of
nonrandom mating.
gene flow.
mutations.
genetic drift.
natural selection.

Which is NOT one of the preconditions in a population where natural selection is at work?
Many more individuals are produced by a population than can survive and reproduce.
The population always becomes adapted to its environment.
Heritable variations must be passed on the subsequent generations.
There is variation that can be inherited in a population.
Adaptive characteristics in some individuals make them more likely to survive and reproduce.

When only a few individuals survive unfavorable times, thereby losing the majority of genotypes in the next generation, it is called
industrial melanism.
a founder effect.
vestigial structures.
natural selection.
a bottleneck effect.

What is the term used to describe the accumulation of small changes in the allele frequencies of a gene pool of a species over time?
genetic drift
founder effect
mutation rate
microevolution
directional selection

During sympatric speciation
mutations begin to appear, making the subpopulations distinctly different.
wide phenotype differences disappear between subpopulations.
reproductive isolation between certain subpopulations occurs.
evolution ceases for a time.
a geographic separation occurs between certain subpopulations.

he observation by ________ that human reproductive potential would rapidly outstrip available food and living space was an important concept adopted by Darwin in formulating his theory of natural selection.
Thomas Malthus
Aleksandr Oparin
Sidney Fox
Stanley Miller
Graham Cairns-Smith

Within a population, plants that produce a toxin that kills plant-eating insects are more likely to survive and reproduce than plants that do not produce the toxin. This would be an example of ___.
random mating
natural selection
the founder effect
a bottleneck
gene flow

Which of the following would NOT be an example of sexual selection?
a female frog who produces more eggs that other females
female peacocks preferring males with the largest, most colorful tails
a zebra stallion chasing away smaller, weaker males so that controls the territory with the best food and water
female robins mating with the male who sings the "prettiest" song

Which variable increases the likelihood of allopatric speciation taking place more quickly?
lower rate of mutation
longer distance between divided groups
increased instances of hybrid formation
equivalent numbers of individuals in each population

___ is a change in the allele frequencies of a population over time.
Microevolution
Genetic equilibrium
Phylogenetics
Allopatric speciation

Which of the following would NOT be a cause of sympatric speciation?
geographic separation
adaptations to using different food resources in the same habitat
polyploidy

When two species evolve in different directions from a common point, it is called ___.
inheritance of acquired characteristics
convergent evolution
divergent evolution
gene flow
vicariance