Question 1

Which of the following best illustrates an evolutionary adaptation in a population of insects exposed to a new pesticide?

Accepted Answer

A mutation arises that allows some insects to survive the pesticide, and these survivors reproduce more successfully.

Question 2

Which statement best contrasts Lamarck's and Darwin's explanations for how giraffes came to have long necks?

Accepted Answer

Lamarck proposed that giraffes stretched their necks and passed this trait to offspring; Darwin argued that natural selection favored giraffes with longer necks.

Question 3

Which of the following is NOT one of Darwin's observations that led to his theory of natural selection?

Accepted Answer

All individuals in a population survive and reproduce equally.

Question 4

Which modern evidence most directly supports the idea that humans and chimpanzees share a recent common ancestor?

Accepted Answer

The presence of similar DNA sequences in both species.

Question 5

Which of the following best describes the gene pool of a population?

Accepted Answer

All the alleles present in all individuals of a population.

Question 6

A population of 1000 butterflies has two alleles for wing color: B (black) and b (white). If the frequency of B is $$p = 0.7$$ and the frequency of b is $$q = 0.3$$, what is the expected frequency of heterozygotes ($$Bb) $$under Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium?

Accepted Answer

$$0.42$$

Question 7

Which of the following evolutionary mechanisms is most likely to decrease genetic variation within a small, isolated population?

Accepted Answer

Genetic drift

Question 8

Which scenario best illustrates gene flow?

Accepted Answer

A few individuals migrate from one population to another, introducing new alleles.

Question 9

Which of the following is an example of stabilizing selection?

Accepted Answer

Birds with extremely long or short wings are less likely to survive, so most birds have intermediate wing lengths.

Question 10

Which of the following mechanisms of evolution is the only one that consistently leads to adaptive evolution?

Accepted Answer

Natural selection

Question 11

A population of rabbits is in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium for a gene with two alleles, $$A$$ and $$a. If $$the frequency of $$a is$$ $$0.4$$, what is the expected frequency of $$AA$$ individuals?

Accepted Answer

$$0.36$$

Question 12

Which of the following best describes the modern synthesis in evolutionary biology?

Accepted Answer

The combination of Darwin's theory of natural selection with Mendelian genetics.

Question 13

Which of the following is most likely to increase genetic variation in a population?

Accepted Answer

Mutation

Question 14

In a population of lizards, males with the brightest coloration attract more mates and produce more offspring. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Sexual selection

Question 15

Which of the following is NOT a source of evidence for evolution?

Accepted Answer

Nonrandom mating

Question 16

Which of the following scenarios best demonstrates disruptive selection?

Accepted Answer

A population of snails where both very light and very dark shells are favored over intermediate colors.

Question 17

Which mechanism of evolution is most likely to preserve genetic variation in a population?

Accepted Answer

Gene flow

Question 18

Which of the following best defines biological fitness?

Accepted Answer

The number of offspring an organism leaves in the next generation relative to others.

Question 19

A small group of finches colonizes a new island. Over generations, their allele frequencies differ significantly from the original population. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Founder effect

Question 20

Which of the following is most likely to result from nonrandom mating?

Accepted Answer

Increased frequency of homozygotes in the population

Chapter 13: How Populations Evolve – Study Guide

Study Guide - Practice Questions

Study Guide - Flashcards