Question 1

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

Accepted Answer

Species accumulate differences from their ancestors as they adapt to different environments over generations.

Question 2

Which of the following is NOT a requirement for a population to be in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium?

Accepted Answer

Small population size

Question 3

A population of beetles has two alleles for color: B (black) and b (brown). 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 under Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium?

Accepted Answer

$$0.42$$

Question 4

Which mechanism of evolution is most likely responsible for a sudden reduction in genetic diversity due to a natural disaster?

Accepted Answer

Genetic drift (bottleneck effect)

Question 5

Which of the following statements about mutations is correct?

Accepted Answer

Mutations introduce genetic variation, which is essential for evolution.

Question 6

A population of birds migrates to a new island, and only a few individuals establish a new population. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Founder effect

Question 7

Which of the following best explains why natural selection is considered a nonrandom process?

Accepted Answer

It increases the frequency of alleles that provide a reproductive advantage.

Question 8

Which of the following is an example of directional selection?

Accepted Answer

A population of insects becomes increasingly resistant to a pesticide over several generations.

Question 9

What is the primary difference between microevolution and macroevolution?

Accepted Answer

Microevolution involves changes in allele frequencies within populations, while macroevolution involves broad patterns of evolutionary change above the species level.

Question 10

Which of the following is a source of genetic variation that played a major role in the evolution of mammals' ability to distinguish among many different chemicals?

Accepted Answer

Gene duplication

Question 11

If a population is in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, which of the following statements must be true?

Accepted Answer

Allele and genotype frequencies remain constant from generation to generation.

Question 12

Which of the following is an example of artificial selection?

Accepted Answer

Humans breed wild mustard to produce cabbage, broccoli, and kale.

Question 13

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

Accepted Answer

All copies of every allele at every locus in the whole population.

Question 14

Which of the following is NOT a source of genetic variation in populations?

Accepted Answer

Nonrandom mating

Question 15

A population of lizards is separated by a river, and over time, the two groups accumulate genetic differences. Which evolutionary mechanism is most directly responsible for reducing genetic differences between the two groups if the river dries up and they interbreed again?

Accepted Answer

Gene flow

Question 16

Which of the following is an example of disruptive selection?

Accepted Answer

Both very small and very large galls are favored in a population of gall-making insects, while intermediate sizes are selected against.

Question 17

Which of the following is a correct statement about natural selection?

Accepted Answer

It is the only mechanism that consistently leads to adaptive evolution.

Question 18

In a population of flowers, red color (R) is dominant to white (r). If the frequency of the red allele is $$p = 0.8$$ and the white allele is $$q = 0.2$$, what is the expected frequency of white-flowered plants under Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium?

Accepted Answer

$$0.16$$

Question 19

Which of the following best explains why genetic drift has a greater effect on small populations than on large populations?

Accepted Answer

Random events can cause large changes in allele frequencies in small populations.

Evolution: Descent with Modification and the Foundations of Modern Evolutionary Theory

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