Question 1

Dog breeders maintain the purity of breeds by keeping dogs of different breeds apart when they are fertile. What type of reproductive isolation is this?

Accepted Answer

Habitat (ecological) isolation

Question 2

Males of different species of the fruit fly *Drosophila* that live in the same parts of the Hawaiian Islands have different elaborate courtship rituals. These rituals involve fighting other males and making stylized movements that attract females. What type of reproductive isolation does this represent?

Accepted Answer

Behavioral isolation

Question 3

When two species of fungus—*Neurospora crassa* and *Neurospora intermedia*—are crossed, they produce fewer viable ascospores than either species produces when mating with their own species. What is this an example of?

Accepted Answer

Hybrid inviability (postzygotic isolation)

Question 4

A researcher notices that in a certain moth species, some females prefer to feed and lay eggs on domesticated solanaceous plants like potatoes and tomatoes. Other females prefer to feed and lay eggs on wild solanaceous plants such as *Datura*. Both male and female moths primarily use scent to find these plants from afar. Females tend to mate where they feed, and the researcher finds a genetic basis for scent preference in these moths. Based on the above information, what type of speciation might be occurring in this moth species?

Accepted Answer

Sympatric speciation

Question 5

There is an island in the middle of a large river that houses a large population of ants. Damming of the river causes the island to flood and only the highest points of the island are now above water. The ants cannot swim, so are now in multiple isolated populations. What type of speciation might be occurring in these ants?

Accepted Answer

Allopatric speciation

Question 6

In a hypothetical situation, a certain species of flea feeds only on pronghorn antelopes. In the western United States, pronghorns and cattle often associate with one another in the same open rangeland. Some of these fleas develop a strong preference for cattle blood and mate only with other fleas that prefer cattle blood. The host mammal can be considered as the fleas’ habitat. If this situation persists, and new species evolve, this would be an example of ________.

Accepted Answer

Sympatric speciation

Question 7

Given a phylogenetic tree, what is the outgroup?

Accepted Answer

The group that shares a common ancestor with the study group but is not part of the study group

Question 8

Which of the following best describes a monophyletic group?

Accepted Answer

A group that includes an ancestor and all of its descendants

Question 9

Which of the following is an example of homoplasy?

Accepted Answer

The presence of a streamlined body in both dolphins and ichthyosaurs due to similar environmental pressures

Question 10

Which principle is used to select the best phylogenetic tree when multiple trees are possible?

Accepted Answer

Parsimony

Question 11

Flowers are considered homologous structures in angiosperms because:

Accepted Answer

They are inherited from a common ancestor that had flowers

Question 12

Which of the following is a synapomorphy for mammals?

Accepted Answer

Presence of hair

Question 13

Why is the presence of SINE genes in both whales and hippos considered strong evidence for their close relationship?

Accepted Answer

SINE genes are rare and unlikely to be shared by chance

Question 14

Which of the following is NOT a limitation of the fossil record?

Accepted Answer

DNA sequence bias

Question 15

If a phylogenetic tree based on morphological data places whales as the outgroup to artiodactyls, but DNA data places whales and hippos as sister taxa, which principle would you use to decide between the two trees?

Accepted Answer

Parsimony

Question 16

Which of the following best describes a paraphyletic group?

Accepted Answer

A group that includes an ancestor and some, but not all, of its descendants

Question 17

Which of the following is an example of a derived trait (synapomorphy) in mammals?

Accepted Answer

Presence of hair

Question 18

Which of the following statements about Hox genes is correct?

Accepted Answer

Hox genes are homologous in insects and vertebrates

Question 19

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates convergent evolution?

Accepted Answer

The presence of similar body shapes in dolphins and ichthyosaurs due to adaptation to aquatic environments

Speciation and Phylogenies: Mechanisms and Analysis in Evolutionary Biology

Study Guide - Practice Questions

Study Guide - Flashcards