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?
- a. Natural Selection
b. The Circle of Life
c. Descent with Modification
d. Evolution
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%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 MutationDifferences 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 determinismDarwin 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 AfricaOf 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 otherThe 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 importantWhat 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 LifeWhich 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 ReproductionHow 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.What is adult-persistent lactase an example of?
-
a. Adaptation
b. Variation
c. Gene Therapy
d. None of thesePeter and Rosemary Grant have studied what type of bird since 1973?
- a. Jays
b. Finches
c. Robins
d. CardinalsFollowing 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 darkenedWhich 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.Approximately how many of your genes to you share in common with your cousins?
- a. 1/8
b. 1/4
c. 1/2
d. 1/16Selection for behaviors that help your relatives survive and reproduce is known as:
- a. Group mentality
b. Family values
c. Kin selection
d. Natural selectionWhat is the first major cause of genetic change in populations?
- a. Random mutation
b. Natural selection
c. Environmental change
d. EugenicsWhat is the process of random changes in the frequency of an allele called?
- a. Founder's effect
b. Natural selection
c. Genetic drift
d. EvolutionFitness, 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 generationThe phenomenon of one species branching off from an existing species is called what?
- a. Genetic drift
b. Speciation
c. Natural selection
d. Founder's effectAccording 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 dietWhich 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 asexuallyWhich of the following is not a stage of speciation?
- a. Genetic Isolation
b. Genetic Divergence
c. Primary Contact
d. Secondary ContactOver 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 contactWhat percentage of Americans accept evolution?
- a. 20%
b. 40%
c. 60%
d. 80%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 is accurate if we view evolution both as a pattern and a process?
Which of the following statements best describes evolution? Populations change genetically from one generation to the next.
So, the correct answer is 'Individuals with the most favorable traits survive and reproduce'
Which of the following statements is most accurate in comparing scientific theories and scientific hypotheses? Scientific theories are supported by, and make sense of, many observations, whereas scientific hypotheses are narrow, testable ideas.
Darwin drew two inferences from two observations. Observation #1: Members of a population often vary in their inherited traits. Observation #2: All species can produce more offspring than the environment can support, and many of these offspring fail to survive and reproduce.