Question 1

Which of the following best explains why Darwin concluded that animals on the Galapagos Islands originated from South America but became modified on each island?

Accepted Answer

The animals and plants on the Galapagos were similar to South American forms but showed unique variations on each island.

Question 2

Which of the following is NOT a necessary condition for natural selection to occur, according to Darwin's mechanism?

Accepted Answer

All variation in a population is heritable.

Question 3

A population of fish is exposed to a toxin that kills individuals with a dominant allele. According to Hardy-Weinberg principles, what happens to the frequency of the dominant allele ($$D) $$over time?

Accepted Answer

$$D$$ will decrease according to $$D = 1 - s.$$

Question 4

Which scenario best illustrates frequency-dependent selection?

Accepted Answer

A rare mouth-handedness allele in cichlids becomes more fit as it becomes less common.

Question 5

Which of the following is an example of intrinsic reproductive isolation?

Accepted Answer

Two species of frogs breed at different times of the year.

Question 6

Which of the following best describes the difference between allopatric and sympatric speciation?

Accepted Answer

Allopatric speciation requires geographic isolation, while sympatric speciation occurs within the same geographic area.

Question 7

Which of the following is a synapomorphy used in cladistics?

Accepted Answer

A shared, derived characteristic unique to a clade.

Question 8

Which property of water allows insects like water striders to walk on its surface?

Accepted Answer

Surface tension

Question 9

A freshwater fish is placed in a hypertonic saltwater tank. What will most likely happen to its cells?

Accepted Answer

Water will move out of the cells, causing them to shrink.

Question 10

Why do large animals have a lower mass-specific metabolic rate than small animals?

Accepted Answer

Their volume increases faster than their surface area, limiting exchange rates.

Question 11

Which of the following is a fitness trade-off observed in nature?

Accepted Answer

A lizard species produces more eggs, but each egg is of lower quality.

Question 12

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of Domain Bacteria?

Accepted Answer

Nucleus and membrane-bound organelles

Question 13

Which evidence supports the endosymbiotic theory for the origin of mitochondria and chloroplasts?

Accepted Answer

They have their own DNA and bacterial-like ribosomes.

Question 14

Which of the following is a key evolutionary innovation that allowed gymnosperms to dominate during the Mesozoic era?

Accepted Answer

Production of pollen and seeds

Question 15

Which of the following best describes the role of the loop of Henle in the mammalian kidney?

Accepted Answer

It creates an osmotic gradient that concentrates urine.

Question 16

A marine fish is placed in freshwater. Which of the following physiological changes is most likely to occur?

Accepted Answer

It will actively excrete excess water and absorb more salt.

Question 17

Which nitrogenous waste is most energy-intensive to produce but conserves the most water?

Accepted Answer

Uric acid

Question 18

Which of the following best explains why birds have a more efficient respiratory system than mammals?

Accepted Answer

Birds have a unidirectional airflow and cross-current gas exchange in their lungs.

Question 19

During an action potential in a neuron, which sequence of events occurs?

Accepted Answer

Na$$^+$$ channels open, causing depolarization, then K$$^+$$ channels open, causing repolarization.

Question 20

Which of the following is an example of negative feedback in homeostasis?

Accepted Answer

After a meal, increased blood glucose triggers insulin release, which lowers blood glucose.

Comprehensive Study Notes: Evolution, Taxonomy, Water & Animal Physiology

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