Which of the following statements is accurate if we view evolution both as a pattern and a process?

1. The theory that explains how all living organisms are related and how existing species adapt to their environments and new species arise—the central unifying theme of biology—is called what?

   Inhaltsverzeichnis Show

   • Which of the following statements best describes the theory of evolution?
   • Which of the following statements best describes evolution by natural selection?
   • Which of the following statements is most accurate in comparing scientific theories?
   • What are Darwin's 2 important inferences about patterns of evolution?
   a. Natural Selection
   b. The Circle of Life
   c. Descent with Modification
   d. Evolution
   

2. If you can eat ice cream without any unpleasant side-effects, you're part of what percentage of the population?

   a. 10%
   b. 25%
   c. 50%
   d. 75%
   

3. For the percentage of the population able to break down lactose in adulthood, what is the genetic cause of this ability?

   a. Dominant Mutation
   b. Gene therapy
   c. Variation
   d. Recessive Mutation
   

4. Differences in skin color, the ability to metabolize alcohol, and cholesterol levels are just a few examples of:

   a. Variation
   b. Mutation
   c. Gene therapy
   d. Genetic determinism
   

5. Darwin found that the rain forest species in South America were more similar to which other species?

   a. Rain forest species of Asia
   b. Rain forest species of Africa
   c. Non-rain forest species of South America
   d. Non-rain forest species of Africa
   

6. Of the following, which is the best predictor of relatedness?

   a. Living in proximity
   b. Sharing a similar habitat
   c. Having a similar diet
   d. Living farm from each other
   

7. The fact that during Darwin's lifetime he changed his mind with regards to species changing over time illustrates which important fact about scientific inquiry?

   a. Data must be shared
   b. Experiments must be repeatable
   c. Evidence trumps belief and prior views
   d. Peer review is important
   

8. What is the mechanism whereby individuals with certain heritable traits have an increased chance of surviving and producing offspring?

   a. Natural selection
   b. Descent with modification
   c. Evolution
   d. The Circle of Life
   

9. Which of the following is not an observable fact of nature on which natural selection is based?

   a. Sustenance
   b. Variation
   c. Inheritance
   d. Differential Survival and Reproduction
   

10. How might a mutation by which adults continue to produce the enzyme that breaks down lactose be evolutionarily beneficial?

    a. There is no benefit to retaining the ability to break down lactose.
    b. The enzyme that breaks down lactose also increases the overall efficiency of the digestive system.
    c. In times of famine, those able to break down lactose might have a better chance of survival.
    d. The enzyme that breaks down lactose also helps fight malaria.
    

11. What is adult-persistent lactase an example of?

    a. Adaptation
    b. Variation
    c. Gene Therapy
    d. None of these
    

12. Peter and Rosemary Grant have studied what type of bird since 1973?

    a. Jays
    b. Finches
    c. Robins
    d. Cardinals
    

13. Following a drought in the late 1970s, what observation did the Grants make with regards to the population they were studying?

    a. Average beak depth increased
    b. Wing span increased
    c. Life expectancy decreased
    d. Feather color darkened
    

14. Which of the following statements regarding evolution is true?

    a. Evolution anticipates future changes in environment and allows organisms to adapt accordingly.
    b. There is a distinct origin and end goal.
    c. There is no overall direction, simply a response to local conditions.
    d. It is typically observable in a single generation.
    

15. Approximately how many of your genes to you share in common with your cousins?

    a. 1/8
    b. 1/4
    c. 1/2
    d. 1/16
    

16. Selection for behaviors that help your relatives survive and reproduce is known as:

    a. Group mentality
    b. Family values
    c. Kin selection
    d. Natural selection
    

17. What is the first major cause of genetic change in populations?

    a. Random mutation
    b. Natural selection
    c. Environmental change
    d. Eugenics
    

18. What is the process of random changes in the frequency of an allele called?

    a. Founder's effect
    b. Natural selection
    c. Genetic drift
    d. Evolution
    

19. Fitness, in evolutionary terms, refers to:

    a. How much an organism weighs
    b. The amount of oxygen an organism absorbs
    c. The amount of weight an organism can lift
    d. The number of genes passed on to the next generation
    

20. The phenomenon of one species branching off from an existing species is called what?

    a. Genetic drift
    b. Speciation
    c. Natural selection
    d. Founder's effect
    

21. According to the biological species concept, by what criterion are organisms considered to be part of the same species?

    a. The ability to interbreed
    b. Sharing a certain percentage of DNA
    c. Similar features and habitat
    d. Same diet
    

22. Which of the following represents a shortcoming of the biological species concept?

    a. All of these
    b. Dogs and wolves are different species, but can interbreed
    c. Many plant species interbreed regularly
    d. Many single-celled organisms produce asexually
    

23. Which of the following is not a stage of speciation?

    a. Genetic Isolation
    b. Genetic Divergence
    c. Primary Contact
    d. Secondary Contact
    

24. Over thousands of years, as a result of changing weather patterns and seismic activity, a new river forms. In terms of speciation, which stage of speciation could a new landform like the river contribute to?

    a. Genetic divergence
    b. Genetic isolation
    c. Primary contact
    d. Secondary contact
    

25. What percentage of Americans accept evolution?

    a. 20%
    b. 40%
    c. 60%
    d. 80%
    

26. Which of the following is a possible dangerous outcome of co-opting evolution to support social and political ideology?

    a. Justification of aggression
    b. All of these
    c. Justification of exploitative versions of capitalism
    d. Justification of ethnic cleansing
    

Which of the following statements best describes the theory of evolution?

Which of the following statements best describes evolution by natural selection?

Which of the following statements is most accurate in comparing scientific theories?

What are Darwin's 2 important inferences about patterns of evolution?