Question 1

Which of the following best describes Aristotle's concept of the 'scale of nature'?

Accepted Answer

A hierarchical arrangement of organisms from simple to complex, with humans at the top and minerals at the bottom.

Question 2

Which evolutionary mechanism is the only one that generates new alleles in a population by chance?

Accepted Answer

Mutations

Question 3

What is the primary difference between typological thinking and population thinking in evolutionary biology?

Accepted Answer

Typological thinking assumes species are static and unchanging, while population thinking recognizes variation and change over time.

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT one of Darwin's four postulates for evolution by natural selection?

Accepted Answer

All individuals in a population survive and reproduce equally.

Question 5

A population of finches on an island experiences a drought, resulting in only large, tough seeds being available. Over time, the average beak depth increases. Which type of natural selection is this an example of?

Accepted Answer

Directional selection

Question 6

Which statement about natural selection is a common misconception?

Accepted Answer

Natural selection leads to perfection in organisms.

Question 7

Which Hardy-Weinberg assumption, if violated, is most likely to result in genetic drift?

Accepted Answer

Large population size

Question 8

Why is natural selection considered a non-random process?

Accepted Answer

It favors individuals with traits that increase fitness in a given environment.

Question 9

Which of the following best defines evolutionary fitness?

Accepted Answer

The ability of an individual to produce surviving, fertile offspring relative to others in the population.

Question 10

Which scenario illustrates gene flow as an evolutionary mechanism?

Accepted Answer

A population of birds migrates to a new area and breeds with the local population, introducing new alleles.

Question 11

Which of the following is an example of a vestigial trait?

Accepted Answer

Reduced hip bones in whales

Question 12

If a population of insects develops resistance to a pesticide over several generations, which evolutionary mechanism is most directly responsible?

Accepted Answer

Natural selection

Question 13

Which type of natural selection reduces genetic variation by favoring the average trait and selecting against both extremes?

Accepted Answer

Stabilizing selection

Question 14

A population of fish in a lake is split into two groups by a newly formed land barrier. Over time, the allele frequencies in the two groups diverge. Which evolutionary mechanism is most likely responsible for this divergence?

Accepted Answer

Genetic drift

Question 15

Which of the following statements about mutations is correct?

Accepted Answer

Mutations are random and can generate new alleles in a population.

Question 16

Which of the following is NOT a misconception about natural selection?

Accepted Answer

Natural selection changes populations, not individuals.

Question 17

In the context of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, which equation represents the expected genotype frequencies for a population with two alleles, $p$ and $q$?

Accepted Answer

$p^2 + 2pq + q^2 = 1$

Question 18

Which evolutionary mechanism is most likely to lead to speciation when populations are geographically isolated?

Accepted Answer

Genetic drift

Question 19

Which of the following best explains why natural selection does not always lead to 'perfect' organisms?

Accepted Answer

There are always fitness trade-offs and constraints due to genetics, history, and environment.

Question 20

Which scenario best illustrates disruptive selection?

Accepted Answer

A population of birds where individuals with either very small or very large beaks survive better than those with medium-sized beaks.

Evolution by Natural Selection: Historical Context and Mechanisms

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