Question 1

Which of the following best describes the biological species concept?

Accepted Answer

Species are defined by their ability to interbreed and produce viable, fertile offspring.

Question 2

A population of frogs is separated by a newly formed river, preventing them from interbreeding. What type of speciation is most likely to occur?

Accepted Answer

Allopatric speciation

Question 3

Which mechanism of reproductive isolation occurs when the genital structures of two insect species do not fit together, preventing successful mating?

Accepted Answer

Mechanical isolation

Question 4

Why can't the biological species concept be applied to fossil species?

Accepted Answer

Reproductive isolation cannot be evaluated in fossils.

Question 5

Which of the following is a limitation of the morphospecies concept?

Accepted Answer

It cannot identify cryptic species that differ in non-morphological traits.

Question 6

A botanist discovers a plant with twice the normal number of chromosomes, resulting from an error in meiosis. What is this an example of?

Accepted Answer

Autopolyploidy

Question 7

Which of the following best describes a monophyletic group in the phylogenetic species concept?

Accepted Answer

An ancestral population plus all of its descendants

Question 8

In sympatric speciation, what is the most likely cause of reproductive isolation?

Accepted Answer

Disruptive selection based on different ecological niches

Question 9

Which of the following is an example of postzygotic isolation?

Accepted Answer

Hybrid offspring do not survive or reproduce

Question 10

If two populations of birds develop different mating songs and no longer interbreed, which type of isolation is this?

Accepted Answer

Behavioral isolation

Question 11

Which species concept is most likely to recognize more species than the others due to its reliance on evolutionary history and synapomorphies?

Accepted Answer

Phylogenetic species concept

Question 12

A hybrid zone forms between two populations of butterflies. Over time, hybrids have lower fitness than either parent species. What evolutionary process is most likely to occur?

Accepted Answer

Reinforcement

Question 13

Which of the following equations represents the total number of chromosome sets in an autopolyploid organism, if the base number is $n$ and the organism has $k$ sets?

Accepted Answer

$N = k 	imes n$

Question 14

A population of fish in a lake is split into two by a drought, creating two smaller lakes. Over time, the fish in each lake evolve independently. What is this process called?

Accepted Answer

Vicariance

Question 15

Which of the following is NOT a prezygotic isolation mechanism?

Accepted Answer

Hybrid inviability

Question 16

If two plant species hybridize and produce offspring with chromosomes from both parents, what is this process called?

Accepted Answer

Allopolyploidy

Question 17

Which of the following best explains why the morphospecies concept may misclassify polymorphic species?

Accepted Answer

Polymorphic species may be classified as more than one species due to variation in morphology.

Question 18

Which of the following is a synapomorphy used to identify a monophyletic group in mammals?

Accepted Answer

Milk-producing glands

Question 19

A researcher is studying a group of lizards that look identical but have different mating calls. Which species concept would best help identify them as separate species?

Accepted Answer

Biological species concept

Question 20

Which of the following scenarios would most likely result in sympatric speciation?

Accepted Answer

A mutation causes some individuals in a population to exploit a new food source, leading to reproductive isolation.

Speciation: Concepts, Mechanisms, and Processes

Study Guide - Practice Questions

Study Guide - Flashcards