Question 1

Which of the following best describes Darwin's concept of 'descent with modification'?

Accepted Answer

Species change over generations, giving rise to new species that share a common ancestor.

Question 2

Which of the following is an example of artificial selection?

Accepted Answer

Humans breeding dogs to enhance herding behavior.

Question 3

Which of the following is a correct scientific species name according to binomial nomenclature?

Accepted Answer

Homo sapiens

Question 4

Which of the following best explains why natural selection acts on individuals but evolution acts on populations?

Accepted Answer

Natural selection affects the survival and reproduction of individuals, but only populations show changes in allele frequencies over generations.

Question 5

A population of beetles has the following genotype frequencies: $$p^2 = 0.36$, 2pq = 0.48$, q^2$ = 0.16. $$According to the Hardy-Weinberg equation, what are the allele frequencies of $$p$$ and $$q$$?

Accepted Answer

$$p = 0.6$$, $$q = 0.4$$

Question 6

Which of the following is NOT a condition required for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium?

Accepted Answer

Small population size

Question 7

A population of birds experiences a sudden flood that drastically reduces its numbers. The surviving population has different allele frequencies than the original. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Bottleneck effect

Question 8

Which of the following best distinguishes homologous structures from analogous structures?

Accepted Answer

Homologous structures share a common ancestry but may have different functions; analogous structures have similar functions but evolved independently.

Question 9

Which of the following is an example of disruptive selection?

Accepted Answer

Both small and large beak sizes are favored over medium beak sizes in a bird population.

Question 10

Which of the following best describes the biological species concept?

Accepted Answer

A species is a group of populations whose members can interbreed and produce viable, fertile offspring.

Question 11

Which of the following is a postzygotic barrier to reproduction?

Accepted Answer

Reduced hybrid fertility

Question 12

Which event is most closely associated with the 'oxygen revolution' in Earth's history?

Accepted Answer

The accumulation of atmospheric oxygen due to photosynthetic prokaryotes

Question 13

Which of the following is a direct consequence of continental drift on the diversity of life?

Accepted Answer

Formation of new ecological niches and speciation due to geographic isolation

Question 14

Which of the following is NOT a way humans are contributing to the current (6th) mass extinction?

Accepted Answer

Natural asteroid impacts

Question 15

Which of the following best explains how adaptations arise and persist in a population?

Accepted Answer

Adaptations arise randomly; if they increase survival and reproduction, they become more common through natural selection.

Question 16

Which of the following best describes the principle of maximum parsimony in phylogenetic tree construction?

Accepted Answer

The tree that requires the fewest evolutionary changes is preferred.

Question 17

Which hierarchical classification is correct for Eukarya, from broadest to most specific?

Accepted Answer

Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species

Question 18

Which tool do scientists use to estimate evolutionary change by comparing DNA sequences?

Accepted Answer

Molecular clock

Question 19

Horizontal gene transfer is important in biological diversity because it:

Accepted Answer

Allows genes to move between unrelated species, increasing genetic diversity.

Question 20

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates allopatric speciation?

Accepted Answer

A population of insects splits into two groups by a mountain range, and over time, they evolve into separate species.

Evolution and the History of Life: Study Guide for BIOL 1407 Chapters 22–26

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