Question 1

Which of the following best describes convergent evolution, as illustrated by the evolution of legless lizards and snakes?

Accepted Answer

It is the process by which unrelated organisms independently evolve similar traits due to adaptation to similar environments.

Question 2

In binomial nomenclature, which of the following is the correct way to write the scientific name for humans?

Accepted Answer

$$Homo sapiens$$

Question 3

Which taxonomic group is the most inclusive?

Accepted Answer

Domain

Question 4

A phylogenetic tree represents which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A hypothesis about evolutionary relationships among species

Question 5

Which of the following statements about phylogenetic trees is FALSE?

Accepted Answer

The order of taxa at the branch tips represents the sequence of evolution.

Question 6

Which of the following is an example of a monophyletic group?

Accepted Answer

A group that includes an ancestral species and all its descendants

Question 7

Which of the following best distinguishes homology from analogy?

Accepted Answer

Homology is similarity due to shared ancestry; analogy is similarity due to convergent evolution.

Question 8

Which of the following is a shared derived character for all snakes?

Accepted Answer

Loss of limbs

Question 9

When constructing a phylogenetic tree, what is the principle of maximum parsimony?

Accepted Answer

The tree that requires the fewest evolutionary events is preferred.

Question 10

Which of the following is a potential problem with using molecular clocks to estimate evolutionary time?

Accepted Answer

Not all genes evolve at a constant rate.

Question 11

Horizontal gene transfer can complicate the construction of phylogenetic trees. Which of the following is NOT a mechanism of horizontal gene transfer?

Accepted Answer

Sexual reproduction

Question 12

Which of the following statements about the three-domain system is correct?

Accepted Answer

Both Bacteria and Archaea are composed entirely of single-celled prokaryotes.

Question 13

A researcher is comparing DNA sequences between two species. She finds that the sequences are very similar except for a single nucleotide insertion in one species. What is the most likely consequence of this insertion?

Accepted Answer

It will shift the entire sequence, causing extensive mismatch between the sequences.

Question 14

Which of the following is true regarding the use of outgroups in phylogenetic analysis?

Accepted Answer

Characters found in both the outgroup and the ingroup are assumed to be ancestral.

Question 15

Which of the following best explains why the kingdom Protista is considered obsolete?

Accepted Answer

It includes members that are more closely related to plants, fungi, or animals than to other protists.

Question 16

A scientist uses a molecular clock to estimate the divergence time between two species. She finds 40 nucleotide substitutions between their genes. If the rate of substitution is 2 substitutions per million years, what is the estimated divergence time?

Accepted Answer

$$\frac{40}{2} = 20$$ million years

Question 17

Which of the following is a shared ancestral character when considering only mammals?

Accepted Answer

Presence of a backbone

Question 18

Which of the following is a real-world application of phylogenetic analysis?

Accepted Answer

Identifying the species origin of whale meat sold in markets

Question 19

Which of the following statements about molecular clocks is correct?

Accepted Answer

The number of nucleotide substitutions in related genes is assumed to be proportional to the time since they last shared a common ancestor.

Chapter 20: Phylogeny – Investigating the Evolutionary History of Life

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