Question 1

Which of the following best defines biological fitness in the context of evolution?

Accepted Answer

The ability of an individual to produce surviving fertile offspring relative to other individuals in a population.

Question 2

According to the principles of natural selection, which of the following is necessary for evolution to occur in a population?

Accepted Answer

Heritable variation must exist among individuals.

Question 3

Which statement best describes the result of selection in a population over generations?

Accepted Answer

Selected traits will increase in frequency in the population from one generation to the next.

Question 4

If a population of beetles has a heritable trait for shell color, and birds preferentially eat beetles with lighter shells, what is the most likely evolutionary outcome?

Accepted Answer

The frequency of darker shell color will increase.

Question 5

Which of the following equations best represents the change in allele frequency due to selection in a population?

Accepted Answer

$\Delta p = s \cdot p \cdot q$

Question 6

What is the definition of adaptation in evolutionary biology?

Accepted Answer

A heritable trait that increases an individual's fitness in a given environment.

Question 7

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates differential reproductive success?

Accepted Answer

Some individuals produce more surviving fertile offspring than others due to heritable traits.

Question 8

In a population, if a heritable trait leads to increased reproductive success, what is the expected consequence over time?

Accepted Answer

The trait will increase in frequency.

Question 9

Which of the following is NOT a requirement for natural selection to occur?

Accepted Answer

All individuals must have identical fitness.

Question 10

A population of rabbits has a gene for fur length. If longer fur increases survival in cold climates, what evolutionary process is most likely to occur?

Accepted Answer

Natural selection will increase the frequency of longer fur.

Question 11

Which of the following best describes the concept of selection in evolutionary biology?

Accepted Answer

The differential reproduction as a result of heritable variation.

Question 12

If a trait is not heritable, what impact will selection have on its frequency in the next generation?

Accepted Answer

The trait's frequency will remain unchanged by selection.

Question 13

Which of the following is an example of adaptation?

Accepted Answer

A heritable change in beak shape that improves feeding efficiency.

Question 14

Which process is responsible for the increase in frequency of selected traits in a population?

Accepted Answer

Natural selection.

Question 15

If $p$ is the frequency of a dominant allele and $q$ is the frequency of a recessive allele in a population, which equation represents the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 16

Which of the following is a consequence of differential reproductive success in a population?

Accepted Answer

Certain heritable traits become more common over generations.

Question 17

A scientist observes that a certain plant species produces more seeds when it has a specific leaf shape. What evolutionary concept does this illustrate?

Accepted Answer

Biological fitness.

Question 18

Which of the following best explains why not all offspring survive to reproduce?

Accepted Answer

Limited resources and competition lead to differential survival.

Question 19

Which of the following is an example of a trait that could be subject to natural selection?

Accepted Answer

A heritable resistance to a disease.

Question 20

If a population is not experiencing selection, what is the expected outcome for allele frequencies?

Accepted Answer

Allele frequencies will remain constant.

Natural Selection and Evolutionary Mechanisms

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