Question 1

Which of the following best describes the four stages hypothesized for the origin of life on Earth?

Accepted Answer

Synthesis of small organic molecules, joining of these molecules into macromolecules, packaging of molecules into protocells, and origin of self-replicating molecules.

Question 2

Stanley Miller and Harold Urey's experiment supported the Oparin-Haldane hypothesis by demonstrating that:

Accepted Answer

Organic molecules could form spontaneously under conditions thought to resemble those of early Earth.

Question 3

Which molecule is most likely to have been the first genetic material, and why?

Accepted Answer

RNA, because it can both store genetic information and catalyze chemical reactions.

Question 4

Why can't carbon-14 dating be used for all fossils, and what alternative method is used for older fossils?

Accepted Answer

Carbon-14 decays too quickly for old fossils; uranium-lead dating is used for older fossils.

Question 5

What is the primary evidence in the fossil record for the 'oxygen revolution' caused by cyanobacteria?

Accepted Answer

The presence of banded iron formations, indicating increased atmospheric oxygen.

Question 6

Which of the following events occurred most recently in the history of life on Earth?

Accepted Answer

Colonization of land by plants, fungi, and animals

Question 7

Which of the following is NOT a line of evidence supporting the endosymbiotic theory?

Accepted Answer

Mitochondria and chloroplasts are found in all prokaryotes.

Question 8

Which mass extinction event is associated with the extinction of the dinosaurs and what was its likely cause?

Accepted Answer

Cretaceous; asteroid impact

Question 9

What is an adaptive radiation, and why do they often follow mass extinctions?

Accepted Answer

A rapid increase in the number of species; because new ecological niches become available.

Question 10

Which of the following best defines a clade?

Accepted Answer

A group of organisms that share a common ancestor and all its descendants.

Question 11

Which two domains of life include all prokaryotes?

Accepted Answer

Bacteria and Archaea

Question 12

What is the Hardy-Weinberg equation, and what does it describe?

Accepted Answer

$$p^2 + 2pq$$ + $$q^2 = 1$; it describes the expected genotype frequencies in a non-evolving population.

Question 13

In a population of 500 plants, 35% show the recessive phenotype (rr). Using the Hardy-Weinberg equation, how many individuals are expected to be heterozygous (Rr)?

Accepted Answer

227

Question 14

Which of the following is an example of a post-zygotic reproductive barrier?

Accepted Answer

Reduced hybrid fertility

Question 15

Which of the following best explains why individuals do not evolve, but populations do?

Accepted Answer

Evolution involves changes in allele frequencies, which occur in populations over generations.

Question 16

Which of the following is an example of convergent evolution?

Accepted Answer

Wings of bats and wings of birds

Question 17

Which of the following is a mechanism that can change allele frequencies in a population?

Accepted Answer

Natural selection, genetic drift, and gene flow

Question 18

What is the difference between homology and analogy, and which is useful in constructing phylogenies?

Accepted Answer

Homology is similarity due to shared ancestry and is useful in phylogenies; analogy is similarity due to convergent evolution.

Question 19

Which of the following best describes the biological species concept?

Accepted Answer

A group of populations whose members have the potential to interbreed and produce viable, fertile offspring.

Question 20

Which process can result in sympatric speciation in plants and is characterized by the presence of extra sets of chromosomes?

Accepted Answer

Polyploidy

AP Biology Unit 7: Natural Selection, Evolution, and Phylogeny Study Guide

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