Question 1

Which of the following best describes the two-step process of speciation?

Accepted Answer

Genetic isolation followed by genetic divergence

Question 2

According to the biological species concept, which of the following is the main criterion for identifying species?

Accepted Answer

Reproductive isolation

Question 3

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

Accepted Answer

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

Question 4

A population of plants undergoes a chromosomal mutation that doubles its chromosome number, resulting in a new tetraploid population. What type of speciation event is this?

Accepted Answer

Sympatric speciation by autopolyploidy

Question 5

Which of the following is an example of prezygotic isolation?

Accepted Answer

Individuals of different species do not mate due to different courtship displays

Question 6

Why is speciation by polyploidy particularly common in plants?

Accepted Answer

Polyploids have higher levels of heterozygosity and can tolerate self-fertilization

Question 7

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates allopatric speciation by vicariance?

Accepted Answer

A river forms and splits a population of rodents into two isolated groups

Question 8

Which of the following is a disadvantage of the phylogenetic species concept?

Accepted Answer

Few well-estimated phylogenies are currently available

Question 9

In a hybrid zone, what is the likely outcome if hybrid offspring have lower fitness than either parent species?

Accepted Answer

Reinforcement of divergence

Question 10

Which of the following best describes the role of disruptive selection in sympatric speciation?

Accepted Answer

It selects for individuals with extreme traits, leading to divergence within the same geographic area

Question 11

A new species of sunflower arises from hybridization between two previously diverged species, and the hybrid is able to survive in a drier habitat than either parent. Which process does this illustrate?

Accepted Answer

Formation of a new species through hybridization

Question 12

Which of the following is NOT a criterion used by the biological species concept?

Accepted Answer

Morphological similarity

Question 13

Which of the following is an example of postzygotic isolation?

Accepted Answer

Hybrid offspring of two species of horses and donkeys are sterile

Question 14

Which of the following statements about monophyletic groups is correct?

Accepted Answer

A monophyletic group consists of an ancestral population plus all of its descendants

Question 15

Which of the following best explains why the biological species concept cannot be applied to fossil species?

Accepted Answer

Fossil species cannot be observed for reproductive isolation

Question 16

Which of the following is a real-world example of allopatric speciation by dispersal?

Accepted Answer

Formation of new finch populations on the Galápagos Islands

Question 17

If two populations come into contact and freely interbreed, what is the most likely outcome?

Accepted Answer

Fusion of the populations

Question 18

Which of the following is a key advantage of the phylogenetic species concept?

Accepted Answer

It can be applied to any type of population, including fossil and asexual species

Question 19

Which of the following best describes reinforcement in the context of speciation?

Accepted Answer

Natural selection favors traits that prevent interbreeding between diverged populations

Speciation: Mechanisms and Concepts

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