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150 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Which mechanism for evolution was proposed by Lamarck?
A. evolution by the impact of crossing over B. evolution by inheritance of acquired characteristics C. evolution by natural selection D. evolution by accumulation of mutations E. evolution by punctuated equilibrium |
B. evolution by inheritance of acquired characteristics
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Which of the following statements about early ideas of evolution is (are) true?
A. Aristotle thought that species evolved. B. Charles Darwin came up with the idea that species evolve. C. Lamarck suggested the idea of natural selection. D. Darwin sailed around the Earth over a five-year period and gathered information that greatly influenced his thinking about evolution. E. All of the choices are correct. |
D. Darwin sailed around the Earth over a five-year period and gathered information that greatly influenced his thinking about evolution.
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Which of the following is the study of the geographic distribution of species on Earth?
A. biogeography B. paleontology C. comparative anatomy D. comparative embryology |
A. biogeography
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What do we call scientists who study fossils?
A. comparative anatomists B. molecular biologists C. geographers D. comparative embryologists E. paleontologists |
E. paleontologists
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A challenge to traditional (pre-1860) ideas about species came from embryology, where it was discovered that _____.
A. the more advanced the animal, the more slowly it develops B. embryos of dissimilar organisms, such as sharks and humans, resemble each other C. mutations have a far more dramatic effect on embryos than on adult organisms D. the embryological development of advanced plants and advanced animals is identical E. all animals develop similar embryonic gills |
B. embryos of dissimilar organisms, such as sharks and humans, resemble each other
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Which one of the following was an assumption of Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection?
A. Traits are inherited as discrete particles. B. Earth is very young. C. Populations produce more offspring than their environment can support. D. Organisms cooperate for limited resources. E. Organisms are similar in many ways. |
C. Populations produce more offspring than their environment can support.
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There is a group of small fish living in a lake with a sandy bottom. Most of the fish are light brown, but about 10% are mottled. These fish are normally prey for large birds that live on the shore. A construction company dumps a load of gravel in the bottom of the lake, giving it a mottled appearance. Which of these statements presents the most accurate prediction?
A. The proportion of mottled fish will increase over time. B. In two generations, all the fish will be mottled. C. There is no way to guess the result. D. As the mottled fish are eaten, more will be produced to fill the gap. E. The ratios will not change. |
A. The proportion of mottled fish will increase over time.
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Natural selection _____.
A. and evolution cannot be directly observed B. is more of a creative process than an editing process. C. is independent of time or place. D. relies upon variation among individuals in a population. E. all of the above |
D. relies upon variation among individuals in a population.
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According to current evolutionary theory, which of the following is true?
A. Populations are the units of evolution. B. Only certain animal species are sexual. C. Evolution is independent of genetics. D. Segregation and independent assortment explain evolution of the individual and not the species. E. All of the choices are correct. |
A. Populations are the units of evolution.
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The relationship of the genome to an organism is the same as that of the _____ to a population.
A. species B. gene C. gene pool D. mutation E. variation |
C. gene pool
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According to the Hardy-Weinberg formula, the frequencies of alleles in a population will remain constant if _____ is the only process that affects the gene pool.
A. mutation B. genetic drift C. sexual reproduction D. microevolution E. natural selection |
C. sexual reproduction
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In evolutionary terms, an organism's Darwinian fitness is measured by its _____.
A. health B. contribution to the gene pool of the next generation C. mutation rate D. genetic variability E. stability in the face of environmental change |
B. contribution to the gene pool of the next generation
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Blue poppies native to China are grown at a plant-breeding center in California, where those with the thickest leaves survive and reproduce best in the drier climate. This evolutionary adaptation of the poppies to their new environment is due to _____.
A. genetic drift B. stabilizing selection C. directional selection D. neutral variation E. diversifying selection |
C. directional selection
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The population of American Bison used to number in the millions of animals. Hunting and other problems greatly decreased the number of bison to about 1,000 animals. But today, the numbers are recovering to estimates of more than 200,000 animals. This crash in the population of bison and recent recovery is a good example of _____. A. genetic drift
B. the bottleneck effect C. the founder effect D. gene flow E .stabilizing selection |
B. the bottleneck effect
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Imagine that a new population of humans is established on a new planet from ten randomly selected people in your biology class. Over thousands of years, the descendants of those ten people reproduce and prosper, but do not reflect well the diversity of humans on Earth. This change in the diversity of people on the new planet is an example of _____.
A. genetic drift B. the bottleneck effect C. the founder effect D. gene flow E. stabilizing selection |
C. the founder effect
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Which of the following is a true statement about Charles Darwin?
A. He was the first to discover that living things can change, or evolve. B. He based his theory on the inheritance of acquired characteristics. C. He worked out the principles of population genetics. D. He proposed natural selection as the mechanism of evolution. E. He was the first to realize that Earth is billions of years old. |
D. He proposed natural selection as the mechanism of evolution.
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At the time Darwin voyaged on HMS Beagle, the popularly accepted theory in Europe that explained the origin of Earth's plants and animals held that the various species _____.
A. evolved from nonliving materials by spontaneous generation B. had been created by divine intervention a few thousand years before C. had evolved from now-extinct organisms D. evolved from a single species that had survived the biblical flood E. were all related to one another |
B. had been created by divine intervention a few thousand years before
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Which one of the following statements best reflects Darwin's view of human evolution?
A. Humans are descended from monkeys. B. Humans are the product of artificial selection. D. Humans and apes have a common ancestor. E. Humans are not a product of evolution. F. Humans are more abundant than any other animal species. |
D. Humans and apes have a common ancestor.
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Fossils are most likely to be found in _____.
A. glaciers B. volcanic rock C. sedimentary rock D. igneous rock E. volcanic archipelagos, such as the Galápagos and Hawaiian Islands |
C. sedimentary rock
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An important challenge to traditional (pre-1860) ideas about species was the observation that seemingly dissimilar organisms, such as hummingbirds, humans, and whales, have similar skeletal structures. This most directly suggested to biologists that _____.
A. only the best-adapted organisms can survive B. advantageous changes can be passed along to offspring C. most evolution occurs rapidly following a mass extinction D. dissimilar organisms might have evolved from a distant, common ancestor E. all of the above |
D. dissimilar organisms might have evolved from a distant, common ancestor
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Animals that possess homologous structures probably _____.
A. are headed for extinction B. evolved from the same ancestor C. have increased genetic diversity D. by chance had similar mutations in the past E. are not related |
B. evolved from the same ancestor
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The approach to evolution that involves the study of similar structures that appear during the development of different organisms is known as the study of _____.
A. comparative anatomy B. comparative embryology C. biogeography D. molecular biology E. cladistics |
B. comparative embryology
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The bones of the wings of bats are homologous to the bones of the _____ of their ancestors.
A. jaws B. front limbs C. brain case D. ribs E. hind limbs |
B. front limbs
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All known organisms transcribe genetic information to protein molecules via the same genetic code. This finding strongly supports the hypothesis that _____.
A. there is only one possible way to encode information in a macromolecule B. life arose through spontaneous generation C. all organisms are descended from a single common ancestor D. the genetic code will never be broken E. none of the above |
C. all organisms are descended from a single common ancestor
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Evidence from molecular biology supports the theory of evolution by showing that _____.
A. homologous proteins have arisen separately in many different animal groups B. closely related animal species have similar geographic distributions C. closely related organisms have more similar DNA and proteins D. closely related organisms have similar stages of development E. none of the above |
C. closely related organisms have more similar DNA and proteins
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Biologists have noticed that most human beings enjoy sex. How would they explain this in evolutionary terms?
A. If sex were not enjoyable, the human species would have died out. B. Early humans who enjoyed sex most had the most babies. C. Only body structures evolve, not behavior, so enjoyment cannot evolve. D. This was due to a random mutation, so it did not affect evolution. E. Biologists are baffled by the phenomenon of sex. |
B. Early humans who enjoyed sex most had the most babies.
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Assume there are two varieties of mice, brown and gray, living on an island. They are the prey for the hawks on the island. They are distributed through rocky areas in the north part of the island and across the fields in the south part. Which of the following is predicted by natural selection?
A. If they stay as a mixed population, they will remain mixed because the two varieties will not interbreed with each other. B. Since brown mice blend better with the ground and gray mice blend better with the rocks, these are the ones that will be missed by the hawks and the mouse distribution will tend to indicate this. C. Hawks find the mice by movement, so it will not matter. D. The hawks will starve to death because they get confused. E. A mouse population that starts as a random mixture will never adapt to the environment. |
B. Since brown mice blend better with the ground and gray mice blend better with the rocks, these are the ones that will be missed by the hawks and the mouse distribution will tend to indicate this.
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"Differential success in reproduction" is just another way of saying _____.
A. natural selection B. mutation C. variation D. recombination E. genetic drift |
A. natural selection
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Which one of the following statements most closely agrees with the theory of evolution by means of natural selection, as put forth by Darwin?
A. Only the best-adapted organisms will survive. B. Humans arose from chimpanzees. C. Organisms mutate under unfavorable conditions to become better adapted. D. Organisms deliberately evolve the structures they need to survive. E. Organisms better adapted to their immediate environment are most likely to survive and reproduce. |
E. Organisms better adapted to their immediate environment are most likely to survive and reproduce.
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"Natural selection" and "evolution" are two terms that are sometimes confused, even by freshman biology students. What is the relation between natural selection and evolution?
A. They are the same thing. B. Any phenomenon that causes evolution is natural selection. C. Natural selection is one of several mechanisms of evolution. D. When natural selection is occurring, evolution is not, and vice versa. E. None of the above is correct. |
C. Natural selection is one of several mechanisms of evolution.
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In natural selection, _____ determines which phenotypes are successful.
A. chance B. the environment C. sample size D. genetic drift E. human intervention |
B. the environment
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Which of the following is a requirement for natural selection?
A. excess numbers of individuals B. variation in individuals C. heritable traits D. greater numbers of offspring from the better adapted E. all of the above |
E. all of the above
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If members of a population have traits that are both heritable and variable among individuals, then _____.
A. advantageous traits may become more widespread in subsequent generations B. no evolutionary change is likely to occur over time C. only mutations can cause change over time D. the environment will have no influence on phenotypes E. genes will have no influence on an organism's physical appearance |
A. advantageous traits may become more widespread in subsequent generations
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When they were first sold, aerosol insecticides were highly effective in killing flies and mosquitoes. Today, some 30 years later, a much smaller proportion of these insects die when sprayed. The reason fewer insects are being killed is that _____.
A. mosquitoes that survive spraying develop an immunity to the insecticide B. many mosquitoes today are descendants of mosquitoes with insecticide-resistant characteristics C. mosquitoes are deliberately adapting themselves to this man-made change in the environment D. the original spraying has caused a permanent mutation, giving the insects genetic resistance to the spray E. none of the above |
B. many mosquitoes today are descendants of mosquitoes with insecticide-resistant characteristics
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According to the modern synthesis of evolutionary theory, which of the following is true?
A. Populations are the units of evolution. B. Only certain animal species are sexual. C. Evolution is independent of genetics. D. Segregation and independent assortment explain evolution of the individual and not the species. E. All of the above are correct. |
A. Populations are the units of evolution.
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The major weakness of Darwin's theory (as it existed in 1859) was that it could not explain _____.
A. why species become extinct B. why different parts of the world have different plants and animals C. why vestigial structures exist D. how advantageous traits can be passed to offspring E. All of the above could be explained by Darwin's theory. |
D. how advantageous traits can be passed to offspring
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A population is _____.
A. all living organisms on Earth B. the number of humans per unit area C. organisms of different species that live together D. a group of individuals of the same species occupying a given area E. the number of organisms in a particular habitat |
D. a group of individuals of the same species occupying a given area
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The smallest unit that can evolve is a _____.
A. species B. genotype C. gene D. population E. morph |
D. population
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What is the term for a change in the relative frequencies of alleles in a population over several generations?
A. gene pool B. independent assortment C. macroevolution D. reservoir E. microevolution |
C. macroevolution
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Members of the same population _____.
A. share a common gene pool B. cannot interbreed under natural conditions C. share the same genotype D. are in reproductive isolation from one another E. none of the above |
A. share a common gene pool
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In the Hardy-Weinberg formula, p2 represents _____.
A. the total alleles in the gene pool B. the frequency of heterozygous dominants in the gene pool C. the frequency of homozygous recessives in the gene pool D. all of the possible phenotypes in the gene pool E. the frequency of homozygous dominants in the gene pool |
E. the frequency of homozygous dominants in the gene pool
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In the Hardy-Weinberg theorem, 1 represents _____.
A. the sum of the frequencies of all the alleles of a particular gene that exists in a gene pool B. the frequency of heterozygous dominants in the gene pool C. the frequency of homozygous recessives in the gene pool D. all the possible phenotypes in the gene pool E. the frequency of homozygous dominants in the gene pool |
A. the sum of the frequencies of all the alleles of a particular gene that exists in a gene pool
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Approximately one out of every 2,500 Caucasians in the United States is born with the recessive disease cystic fibrosis. According to the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium equation, approximately how many people are carriers?
A. 1 in 50 B. 96 in 100 C. 1 in 25 D. 1 in 10 E. none of the above |
C. 1 in 25
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Suppose that, with regard to a particular genetic locus with two alleles, A and a, we know that 60% of the alleles in the gene pool of a particular large population are A. Suppose further that we observe this population for five generations, during which we know that no mutation, selection, or migration has occurred. After this period, the frequency of the a allele is expected to be _____.
A. 0.6 B. 0.4 C. 0.25 D. 0.16 E. 0.5 |
B. 0.4
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Which of the following conditions is (are) required for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium?
A. a large population B. no migration of individuals or gametes in or out of the population C. no mutations altering the gene pool D. no sexual selection E. all of the above |
E. all of the above
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If a population is in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and remains in equilibrium, which of the following will be true?
A. Allelic and genotypic ratios will gradually change from one generation to the next. B. The relative frequencies of three genotypes (AA, Aa, aa) will gradually become stabilized at 1. C. Sexual organisms will evolve. D. Asexual organisms will not evolve. E. There will be no mutations. |
E. There will be no mutations.
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Which of the following is the best example of gene flow?
A. A polyploid plant develops. B. Genes are shuffled by the crossing over of chromosomes during meiosis. C. An earthquake results in the formation of a canyon, splitting a population of toads apart. D. Wind blows pollen from one population of plants to another, and cross-fertilization occurs. E. All the mutations in a population were neutral. |
D. Wind blows pollen from one population of plants to another, and cross-fertilization occurs.
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If an earthquake hit a small island so that all but a tiny group of lizards were eliminated and the survivors spread out over the island and the population increased, this would be an instance of _____.
A. the founder effect B. the bottleneck effect C. gene flow D. mutation E. nonrandom mating |
B. the bottleneck effect
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The original source of all genetic variation is _____.
A. mutation B. meiosis C. a need for new traits D. natural selection E. recombination |
A. mutation
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The evolutionary effects of genetic drift are greatest when _____.
A. the population size is large B. intra-specific competition is intense C. the population size is small D. intra-specific competition is weak E. sexual selection occurs |
C. the population size is small
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A geneticist studied a grass population growing in an area of erratic rainfall and found that plants with alleles for curled leaves reproduced better in dry years, and plants with alleles for flat leaves reproduced better in wet years. This situation would _____.
A. cause genetic drift in the grass population B. preserve the variability in the grass population C. lead to directional selection in the grass population D. lead to uniformity in the grass population E. cause gene flow in the grass population |
B. preserve the variability in the grass population
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Bacteria can adapt to changes in the environment by means of mutation alone because _____.
A. they are so small B. their populations are very isolated from one another C. a bacterium is much more likely to mutate than a larger organism D. they multiply so rapidly E. their populations are so large |
D. they multiply so rapidly
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Each of us is part of the ongoing evolution of the human species. Which of the following occurrences would have the greatest impact on the future biological evolution of the human population?
A. You work out every day so that you stay physically fit and healthy. B. A mutation occurs in one of your skin cells. C. You move to Hawaii, the state with the longest life expectancy. D. A mutation occurs in one of your sperm or egg cells. E. You encourage your children to develop their intellectual abilities. |
D. A mutation occurs in one of your sperm or egg cells.
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Critics like to point out that the theory of evolution is flawed because it is based on random changes: mutations. They say that a random change in an organism (or a car or a TV set) is likely to harm it, not make it function better. What logical statement refutes these critics?
A. Fossils prove without a doubt that mutations drive evolution. B. Mutation is random; natural selection is not. C. Mutation has little to do with evolution. D. This is a weak spot in the theory that remains to be worked out. E. Mutations are not random. |
B. Mutation is random; natural selection is not.
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Tay Sachs disease, which is lethal, results from having the homozygous recessive condition of the responsible gene. Which one of the following statements is true?
A. Because homozygous recessive individuals die, the recessive allele will eventually be lost from the population. B. Only homozygous dominant individuals will be able to survive and reproduce. C. Heterozygous individuals will survive and be able to pass the recessive allele on to their offspring. D. In the heterozygous condition, the dominant allele will overcome the recessive allele and only the dominant allele will be passed on to offspring. E. Homozygous dominant individuals will be more likely to reproduce than heterozygous individuals. |
C. Heterozygous individuals will survive and be able to pass the recessive allele on to their offspring.
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The severe reduction in genetic variability seen in the endangered cheetah is probably attributable to _____.
A. natural selection B. mutation C. having gone through at least one bottleneck D. gene flow E. none of the above |
C. having gone through at least one bottleneck
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Which of the following statements best describes how the process of natural selection works to change allele frequencies?
A. The best-adapted organisms will leave behind more offspring. B. A small population size encourages genetic diversity. C. The best-adapted organisms will survive. D. Allele frequencies will change in response to changes in population size. E. Beneficial mutations will arise in response to a new environment. |
A. The best-adapted organisms will leave behind more offspring.
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In a population of bears, which is most likely to be considered to have the greatest Darwinian fitness?
A. the biggest bear B. the bear having the largest number of mutations C. the bear that blends in with its environment the best D. the strongest, fiercest bear E. the bear that leaves the most descendants |
E. the bear that leaves the most descendants
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Birds with average-sized wings survived a severe storm more successfully than other birds in the same population with longer or shorter wings. This illustrates _____.
A. the founder effect B. stabilizing selection C. artificial selection D. gene flow E. disruptive selection |
B. stabilizing selection
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A population of squirrels is preyed on by small hawks. The smaller squirrels can escape into burrows. The larger squirrels can fight off the hawks. After several generations, the squirrels in the area tend to be very small or very large. What process is responsible for this outcome?
A. stabilizing selection B. directional selection C. disruptive selection D. artificial selection E. Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium |
C. disruptive selection
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In a large population of randomly breeding individuals, the frequency of a recessive allele is initially 0.3. There is no migration and no selection. Humans enter this ecosystem and selectively hunt individuals showing the dominant trait. When the gene frequency is reexamined at the end of the year, _____.
A. the frequency of the homozygous dominants will go down, the frequency of the heterozygous genotype will go up, and the frequency of the homozygous recessives will remain the same B. the frequency of the homozygous dominants will go down, the frequency of the heterozygous genotype will remain the same, and the frequency of the homozygous recessives will go up C. the frequency of the homozygous dominants will go up, the frequency of the heterozygous genotype will go down, and the frequency of the homozygous recessives will go down D. the frequency of the homozygous dominants will go up, the frequency of the heterozygous genotype will go down, and the frequency of the homozygous recessives will go up E. the frequency of the individuals who express the dominant phenotype will go down and the frequency of homozygous recessive individuals will go up |
E. the frequency of the individuals who express the dominant phenotype will go down and the frequency of homozygous recessive individuals will go up
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Antibiotic resistance in bacteria is an example of which of the following?
A. stabilizing selection B. directional selection C. disruptive selection D. Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium E. none of the above |
B. directional selection
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Stabilizing selection _____.
A. favors intermediate variants in a population B. prevents mutations from occurring C. occurs when some individuals migrate to an area with different environmental conditions D. can take place only in species exhibiting sexual dimorphism E. occurs only in plants |
A. favors intermediate variants in a population
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Scientists have warned doctors of the danger of their increasing use of antibiotics (for instance, penicillin) for treating minor illnesses. They are concerned because _____.
A. humans will become tolerant to the effects of drugs B. excessive use of these drugs leads to a diminished sensitivity to them C. strains of microorganisms that are resistant to these drugs will be selected D. the drugs will be metabolized more quickly by our bodies, decreasing their effectiveness E. none of the above |
C. strains of microorganisms that are resistant to these drugs will be selected
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What subdiscipline of biology unites all of biology into a single science?
A) biotechnology B) medicine C) ecology D) agriculture E) evolution |
E) evolution
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Natural selection can be defined as ______.
A) the accumulation of random mutations B) changes in gene frequencies attributable to chance C) the production of more offspring than can survive in a given environment D) the relationships among all organisms E) descent with modification |
E) descent with modification
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Natural selection ______.
A) results in evolutionary adaptation B) is the result of sampling error C) is a very rare phenomenon D) does not affect allelic frequencies E) prepares organisms for future changes in the environment |
A) results in evolutionary adaptation
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The first basic idea of evolution can be traced back to ______.
A) ancient Greeks about 2,500 years ago B) Aristotle C) Lamarck D) Darwin E) Buffon |
A) ancient Greeks about 2,500 years ago
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The first basic idea of evolutionary adaptation can be traced back to _____.
A) ancient Greeks about 2,500 years ago B) Aristotle C) Lamarck D) Darwin E) Buffon |
C) Lamarck
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The voyage of the Beagle ______.
A) was to identify the fastest route from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean B) lasted almost two years C) turned into a tremendous opportunity for Darwin to collect fossils and living plants from around the world D) ended sadly with the sinking of the ship off of the coast of Australia, almost four years into its journey E) none of the above |
C) turned into a tremendous opportunity for Darwin to collect fossils and living plants from around the world
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During his trip on the Beagle, Darwin found that ______.
A) plants and animals living in temperate regions were most similar to each other, regardless of the continent on which they were found B) plants and animals living on a continent seemed more closely related to each other than to plants and animals living in similar regions on other continents C) fossils found on a particular continent were clearly not related to the plants and animals living on that continent today D) plants and animals were similar on every continent and in every type of region E) none of the above |
B) plants and animals living on a continent seemed more closely related to each other than to plants and animals living in similar regions on other continents
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While on the Beagle, Darwin was influenced by a book by Charles Lyell that suggested that Earth was ______ and sculpted by geologic processes that ______ today.
A) old . . . continue B) old . . . no longer occur C) young . . . continue D) young . . .no longer occur E) none of the above |
A) old . . . continue
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What did Darwin find in South America that suggested that the Andes mountains were gradually lifted up over millions of years?
A) bird fossils at the top of mountains in Argentina B) dinosaur bones in the Amazon basin C) sea snails high up in the Andes mountains D) impressions of ocean waves at the top of a mountain E) none of the above |
C) sea snails high up in the Andes mountains
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In The Origin of Species, Darwin argued that the mechanism of descent with modification was _____.
A) artificial selection B) spontaneous generation C) inheritance of acquired characteristics D) uniformitarianism E) none of the above |
E) none of the above
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Which of the following is a component of the fossil record?
A) the distribution of murid rodents in Australia and Asia B) the similarity of the forelimbs of cats and bats C) molecular sequences D) dinosaur footprints E) the similarity of the forelimbs of sharks and penguins |
D) dinosaur footprints
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The oldest known fossils are from about ______ years ago. A) 3.5 billion
B) 6,000 C) 4.0 million D) 3.0 trillion E) 1.0 billion |
A) 3.5 billion
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______ is the study of fossils.
A) Geology B) Paleontology C) Morphology D) Biogeography E) Gerontology |
B) Paleontology
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Your family is taking a long driving vacation across the midwestern and western United States. As you travel, you notice that the flowers, birds, and trees of the Midwest and the Rocky Mountains are very different. As you ponder why, you remember that such differences in the distribution of species are part of the field of ______.
A) paleontology B) anthropology C) geology D) biogeography E) morphology |
D) biogeography
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Homology is evidence of ______. A) directional selection
B) convergent evolution C) diversifying selection D) genetic drift E) common ancestry |
E) common ancestry
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Which of the following are most likely to be homologous? A) the forelimb of a dog and the hindlimb of a cat
B) the forelimb of a dog and the forelimb of a cat C) wings of a butterfly and wings of a sparrow D) the mouth of a mosquito and the beak of a hummingbird E) the wings of a dragonfly and the wings of a hawk |
B) the forelimb of a dog and the forelimb of a cat
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The similarity of the embryos of fish, frogs, birds, and humans is evidence of ______.
A) analogy B) diversifying selection C) common ancestry D) genetic drift E) convergent evolution |
C) common ancestry
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Which one of the following is not addressed by the study of evolutionary relationships using molecular biology?
A) forelimb structure B) nucleotide sequences of DNA C) metabolic pathways D) amino acid sequences of proteins E) the genetic code |
A) forelimb structure
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Natural selection results in ______.
A) increased genetic variation B) offspring better adapted to a future environment C) a decrease in the size of a population D) offspring adapted to their current environment E) an increase in the size of a population |
D) offspring adapted to their current environment
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Which of the following is NOT a requirement of natural selection?
A) differential reproductive success B) overproduction of offspring C) genetic variation D) catastrophic events E) inheritance |
D) catastrophic events
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Your physician gives you a prescription for an antibiotic. You take the antibiotic until you are feeling better and decide to save the remaining doses for future use. What is the likely result of your behavior?
A) You are making yourself immune to that antibiotic. B) By using less of the antibiotic, you decrease the exposure of bacteria to that antibiotic and thus help to make sure that the antibiotic will remain effective when used in the future. C) You are saving yourself from having to pay money to renew the prescription when, at some time in the future, you again need that antibiotic. D) You are contributing to that antibiotic being less effective the next time it is used. E) By decreasing your reliance on antibiotics you are promoting the health of your immune system. |
D) You are contributing to that antibiotic being less effective the next time it is used.
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Which one of the following statements is true?
A) Natural selection works on variation already present in a population. B) Sexual recombination decreases variation. C) Exposure to antibiotics causes bacteria to change and become resistant. D) Organisms evolve structures that they need. E) None of the statements are true. |
A) Natural selection works on variation already present in a population.
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Research on flat-tailed horned lizards demonstrated that natural selection favored lizards that ______.
A) ran the fastest when exposed to bright sunlight B) buried themselves the quickest when startled C) searched for ants hidden under logs D) had the longest horns on the rear of the skull E) none of the above |
D) had the longest horns on the rear of the skull
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The modern synthesis was a fusion of ______.
A) population ecology and genetics B) molecular biology and comparative anatomy C) genetics and evolutionary biology D) biogeography and comparative embryology E) the fossil record and genetics |
C) genetics and evolutionary biology
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Which of the following is a population?
A) the termites infesting your house along with the microorganisms living in their guts B) all of the termites currently alive C) all of the termites that have ever lived D) all organisms living in your house E) the termites infesting your house |
E) the termites infesting your house
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27) The smallest unit of evolution is the ______.
A) species B) order C) population D) phylum E) class |
C) population
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Which of the following is likely to be the result of polygenic inheritance?
A) freckles B) an extra finger C) human height D) ABO blood type E) hemophilia (an X-linked recessive trait) |
C) human height
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A particular species of land snail has a shell that may be brown, yellow, or pink. How would you explain this situation?
A) Shell color is determined by polygenic inheritance. B) Shell color has not been affected by natural selection. C) Shell color exhibits a continuous distribution. D) These snails are polymorphic for shell color. E) Shell color is the result of convergent evolution |
D) These snails are polymorphic for shell color.
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Which one of the following can create new alleles?
A) sexual recombination B) natural selection C) sexual reproduction D) mutation E) genetic drift |
D) mutation
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Any particular mutation is most likely to ______.
A) occur when it is needed B) increase reproductive success C) be the result of sexual recombination D) be harmful E) have no effect on reproductive success |
D) be harmful
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All of the alleles of all of the genes within a population defines that populationʹs ______.
A) gene pool B) genotype C) heterozygosity D) polymorphism E) gene flow |
A) gene pool
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If the frequency of a dominant allele is 0.7, what is the frequency of the recessive allele? A) 0.09
B) 0.49 C) 0.21 D) 0.30 E) 0.42 |
D) 0.30
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In the Hardy-Weinberg formula, what does p2 represent? A) frequency of the dominant allele
B) frequency of heterozygotes C) frequency of the recessive allele D) frequency of the homozygous dominants E) frequency of the heterozygous recessives |
D) frequency of the homozygous dominants
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In the Hardy-Weinberg formula, what does 2pq represent?
A) frequency of the dominant allele B) frequency of heterozygotes C) frequency of the recessive allele D) frequency of the homozygous dominants E) frequency of the heterozygous recessives |
B) frequency of heterozygotes
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The presence of freckles is due to a dominant allele. Four percent of the individuals in a particular population lack freckles. Use the Hardy-Weinberg formula to calculate the percentage of individuals in this population who are homozygous dominant for freckles.
A) 32% B) 20% C) 4% D) 64% E) 80% |
D) 64%
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Which of the following is a characteristic of a population at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium?
A) The population is subject to natural selection. B) There are no mutations in the population. C) Genetic drift is occurring. D) Gene flow in and out of the population occurs. E) None of the choices are correct. |
B) There are no mutations in the population.
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Genetic drift is the result of ______.
A) overpopulation B) chance C) a large gene pool D) differential reproductive success E) environmental variation |
B) chance
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Which one of the following will prevent genetic drift? A) Gene flow is absent.
B) There is genetic variation. C) There is mutation. D) Variation in a particular trait is heritable. E) The population size is large. |
E) The population size is large.
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After surviving a bottleneck, a population recovers to the point where it consists of as many individuals as it did prior to the bottleneck. Which of the following statements is most likely to apply to this population?
A) The postbottleneck population exhibits less genetic variation than the prebottleneck population. B) The bottleneck subjected the population to stabilizing selection. C) The postbottleneck population has less of a chance of going extinct than did the prebottleneck population. D) The postbottleneck population exhibits more genetic variation than the prebottleneck population. E) The postbottleneck population has the same probability of going extinct as did the prebottleneck population. |
A) The postbottleneck population exhibits less genetic variation than the prebottleneck population.
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The founder effect differs from a population bottleneck in that the founder effect ______.
A) requires a small population B) is a type of natural selection C) can only occur on an oceanic island colony D) involves the isolation of a small colony of individuals from a larger population E) affects an entire population |
D) involves the isolation of a small colony of individuals from a larger population
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Which of the following is the most likely explanation for a particular human population with a higher incidence of polydactyly (extra fingers/toes) than the human population as a whole?
A) directional selection B) diversifying selection C) founder effect D) stabilizing selection E) bottleneck effect |
C) founder effect
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Gene flow is accomplished by ______.
A) migration B) sexual recombination C) mutation D) natural selection E) genetic drift |
A) migration
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The original source of genetic variation that serves as the raw material for natural selection is ______.
A) mutation B) genetic drift C) gene flow D) sexual recombination E) random fertilization |
A) mutation
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What does Darwinian fitness measure?
A) physical health B) longevity C) physical strength D) reproductive success E) population size |
D) reproductive success
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Which of the following is an example of directional selection?
A) The birth weight at which newborn humans are most likely to survive and the average weight of newborn humans are about the same. B) There is an increase in antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. C) There is an increase in the number of different breeds of dog. D) In different parts of Africa, a tasty butterfly species mimics different distasteful butterfly species. E) A catastrophe wipes out nearly 99% of a population. |
B) There is an increase in antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria.
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Which of the following is an example of disruptive selection?
A) The birth weight at which newborn humans are most likely to survive and the average weight of newborn humans are about the same. B) There is an increase in antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. C) There is an increase in the number of different breeds of dog. D) In different parts of Africa, a tasty butterfly species mimics different distasteful butterfly species. E) A catastrophe wipes out nearly 99% of a population. |
D) In different parts of Africa, a tasty butterfly species mimics different distasteful butterfly species.
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Which of the following is most likely to lead to the evolution of two different species?
A) directional selection B) bottleneck effect C) stabilizing selection D) anagenesis E) disruptive selection |
E) disruptive selection
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Which of the following is most likely to decrease genetic variation?
A) directional selection B) mutation C) stabilizing selection D) sexual recombination E) diversifying selection |
C) stabilizing selection
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Which of the following is an example of stabilizing selection?
A) The birth weight at which newborn humans are most likely to survive and the average weight of newborn humans are about the same. B) There is an increase in antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. C) There is an increase in the number of different breeds of dog. D) In different parts of Africa, a tasty butterfly species mimics different distasteful butterfly species. E) A catastrophe wipes out nearly 99% of a population. |
A) The birth weight at which newborn humans are most likely to survive and the average weight of newborn humans are about the same.
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In the African tropics, the maintenance of the sickle-cell allele in the human population can be attributed to ______.
A) stabilizing selection B) genetic drift C) directional selection D) the bottleneck effect E) diversifying selection |
A) stabilizing selection
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52) Some biologists urge the collection of the few remaining individuals of some of the most threatened amphibian species, to preserve them if they become extinct in the wild. If such captive breeding programs could produce thousands of individuals from just a few of the remaining survivors, the species will still be threatened because of ______.
A) a bottleneck effect B) the founder effect C) mutations D) natural selection E) artificial selection |
A) a bottleneck effect
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When most populations of a wide-ranging amphibian species are lost and the few remaining populations are widely separated, we expect to see that ______.
A) artificial selection becomes a greater factor in microevolution B) the founder effect becomes increasingly important C) mutations become less important in the evolution of the species D) gene flow between populations is reduced E) microevolution no longer occurs |
D) gene flow between populations is reduced
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Chytridiomycosis is a fungal disease first identified in 1998 as a cause of massive amphibian deaths. In some severely impacted populations, a few individuals have survived, perhaps because of some natural resistance. If these resistant individuals continue to survive and prosper, new resistant populations might emerge. This would be an example of ______.
A) genetic drift B) natural selection C) artificial selection D) the founder effect E) sexual selection |
B) natural selection
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The Galápagos Islands are off the west coast of ______.
A) Brazil B) Colombia C) Canada D) Ecuador E) Portugal |
D) Ecuador
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Darwinʹs observations while with the Beagle led him to wonder ______.
A) about the origin of species B) why God created so many species C) why there were so few finch species D) why marine tortoises lived so long E) why he agreed to go on the voyage |
A) about the origin of species
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What term is used to refer to structures that have a similar origin or ancestry even though they may be very different in appearance?
A) convergent B) comparable C) analogous D) divergent E) homologous |
E) homologous
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In sexually reproducing organisms, the events of ______ do NOT contribute to an increase in genetic variation.
A) prophase I B) random fertilization C) metaphase I D) crossing over E) All of these events contribute to an increase in genetic variation. |
E) All of these events contribute to an increase in genetic variation.
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What is genetic drift?
A) chance changes in the gene pool of a small population B) the entry of alleles into a population due to immigration C) changes in the gene pool of a population due to differential reproductive success D) a change in allelic frequencies due to mutation E) the loss of alleles from a population due to emigration |
A) chance changes in the gene pool of a small population
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Which of the following is true about Charles Darwin? A. He was the first to discover that living things can change, or evolve. B. He based his theory on the inheritance of acquired traits. C. He proposed natural selection as the mechanism of evolution. D. He was the first to realize that the Earth is more than 6,000 years old.
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C. He proposed natural selection as the mechanism of evolution.
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The process of ________ and ________ generate variation, and ________ produces adaptation to the environment. A. sexual reproduction...natural selection...mutation B. mutation... sexual reproduction...genetic drift C. genetic drift...mutation...sexual reproduction D. mutation... natural selection...sexual reproduction E. mutation...sexual reproduction...natural selection
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E. mutation...sexual reproduction...natural selection
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As a mechanism of evolution, natural selection can be most closely equated with A. random mating B. genetic drift C. unequal reproductive success D. gene flow
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C. unequal reproductive success
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Which of the following statements is (are) true about a population in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium? (more than one may be true) A. The population is quite small B. The population is not evolving C. Gene flow between population and surrounding populations does occur. D. Natural selection is not occurring
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B. The population is not evolving C. Gene flow between population and surrounding populations does occur. D. Natural selection is not occurring
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A process in which organisms with certain inherited characteristics are more likely to survive and reproduce than other organisms with other characteristics; unequal reproductive success.
A. homology B. modern synthesis C. natural selection D. genetic drift |
C. natural selection
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A group of interacting individuals belonging to one species and living in the same geographic area at the same time.
A. gene pool B. population C. community D. generation |
B. population
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A population's increase in the frequency of traits suited to the environment.
A. sexual dimorphism B. microevolution C. directional selection D. evolutionary adaptation |
D. evolutionary adaptation
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Descent with modification; genetic change in a population or species over generations; the heritable changes that have produced Earth's diversity of organisms.
A. gene flow B. stabilizing selection C. modern synthesis D. natural selection E. evolution |
E. evolution
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The study of the geographic distribution of species.
A. homology B. habitology C. biogeography D. embryology |
C. biogeography
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The ordered sequence of fossils as they appear in rock layers, marking the passing of geologic time.
A. fossil sequence B. fossil record C. fossil order D. fossiloution |
B. fossil record
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The comparison of body structures in different species.
A. comparative embryology B. comparative genetics C. comparative anatomy D. homology |
C. comparative anatomy
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The anatomical similarity due to common ancestry.
A. homology B. bottleneck effect C. gene flow D. modern synthesis |
A. homology
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A structure of marginal, if any, importance to an organism. These structures are historical remnants of structures that had important functions in ancestors.
A. evolutionary structures B. vestigial structures C. anatomic structures D. fossil structures |
B. vestigial structures
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A branching diagram that reflects a hypothesis about evolutionary relationships between groups of organisms.
A. evolutionary diagram B. Hardy-weinberg diagram C. family tree D. evolutionary tree |
D. evolutionary tree
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A comprehensive theory of evolution that incorporates genetics and includes most of Darwin's ideas, focusing on populations as the fundamental units of evolution.
A. biogenetic synthesis B. natural genetic selection C. modern synthesis D. gene pool selection |
C. modern synthesis
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All the genes in a population at any one time.
A. gene pool B. genetic drift C. gene soup D. genetic variation |
A. gene pool
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The condition describing a non-evolving population (one that is in genetic equilibrium).
A. bottleneck effect B. stabilizing selection C. Hardy-Weinberg equation D. Sexual dimorphism |
C. Hardy-Weinberg equation
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A change in a population's gene pool over a succession of generations; evolutionary changes in species over relatively brief periods of geologic time.
A. gene flow B. genetic evolution C. directional selection D. microevolution |
D. microevolution
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A change in the gene pool of a population due to chance.
A. genetic evolution B. gene flow C. genetic drift D. gene synthesis |
C. genetic drift
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Genetic drift resulting from a drastic reduction in population size.
A. founder effect B. bottleneck effect C. sexual dimorphism D. evolutionary adaptation |
B. bottleneck effect
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The genetic drift resulting from the establishment of a small, new population whose gene pool differs from that of the parent population.
A. founder effect B. hillbilly effect C. bottleneck effect D. genetic variation |
A. founder effect
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The gain or loss of alleles from a population by the movement of individuals or gametes into or out of the population.
A. disruptive selection B. gene flow C. genetic drift D. directional selection |
B. gene flow
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The contribution an individual makes to the gene pool of the next generation relative to the contribution of other individuals in the population.
A. sexual selection B. individual variation C. microevolution D. relative fitness |
D. relative fitness
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Natural selection that acts in favor of the individuals at one end of a phenotypic range.
A. directional selection B. sexual selection C. stabilizing selection D. disruptive selection |
A. directional selection
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Natural selection that favors extreme over intermediate phenotypes.
A. directional selection B. sexual selection C. stabilizing selection D. disruptive selection |
D. disruptive selection
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Natural selection that favors intermediate variants by acting against extreme phenotypes.
A. directional selection B. sexual selection C. stabilizing selection D. disruptive selection |
C. stabilizing selection
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A form of natural selection in which individuals with certain characteristics are more likely than other individuals to obtain mates.
A. sexual dimorphism B. sexual selection C. individual variation D. relative fitness |
B. sexual selection
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Distinction in appearance based on secondary sexual characteristics, noticeable differences not directly associated with reproduction or survival.
A. sexual selection B. relative fitness C. sexual dimorphism D. individual variation |
C. sexual dimorphism
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