Question 1

Which of the following best describes the biological species concept?

Accepted Answer

A species is a group of populations whose members have the potential to interbreed in nature and produce viable, fertile offspring.

Question 2

Which of the following is an example of a prezygotic barrier to reproduction?

Accepted Answer

Blue-footed boobies only mating after a unique courtship display

Question 3

A population of birds is separated by the formation of a canyon. Over time, the two groups develop different mating calls and do not recognize each other as mates when brought back together. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Allopatric speciation followed by behavioral isolation

Question 4

Which of the following equations correctly represents the formation of a tetraploid (4n) cell from a diploid (2n) cell due to autopolyploidy?

Accepted Answer

$$2n \rightarrow 4n$$

Question 5

Which scenario best illustrates habitat isolation as a prezygotic barrier?

Accepted Answer

Apple maggot flies and blueberry maggot flies feed and lay eggs on different fruits.

Question 6

Why is the biological species concept not applicable to asexual organisms?

Accepted Answer

Asexual organisms do not interbreed, so reproductive isolation cannot be assessed.

Question 7

Which of the following is a likely outcome if hybrids are less fit than parent species in a hybrid zone?

Accepted Answer

Reinforcement of reproductive barriers

Question 8

A mule is produced by mating a male donkey and a female horse. The mule is robust but sterile. This is an example of which postzygotic barrier?

Accepted Answer

Reduced hybrid fertility

Question 9

Which of the following best explains why polyploidy is more common in plants than in animals?

Accepted Answer

Plants can reproduce asexually and tolerate changes in chromosome number.

Question 10

Which of the following is an example of temporal isolation?

Accepted Answer

Two species of skunks mate in different seasons.

Question 11

In the context of speciation, what is the main difference between allopatric and sympatric speciation?

Accepted Answer

Allopatric speciation involves geographic isolation, while sympatric speciation does not.

Question 12

Which of the following is a real-world example of sympatric speciation driven by habitat differentiation?

Accepted Answer

Apple maggot flies evolving after switching hosts from hawthorn to apple

Question 13

Which of the following best describes the process of reinforcement in hybrid zones?

Accepted Answer

Natural selection increases reproductive isolation between species.

Question 14

Which of the following is a limitation of the morphological species concept?

Accepted Answer

It relies on subjective criteria for distinguishing species.

Question 15

A hybrid plant species has a diploid number equal to the sum of the diploid numbers of its two parent species. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Allopolyploidy

Question 16

Which of the following best describes the pattern of punctuated equilibria in the fossil record?

Accepted Answer

Species appear suddenly, persist unchanged, and then disappear.

Question 17

Which of the following is a likely consequence if environmental change causes the range of two closely related species to overlap?

Accepted Answer

A new hybrid zone may form, allowing gene flow between the species.

Question 18

Which of the following is an example of mechanical isolation as a prezygotic barrier?

Accepted Answer

Two species of snails cannot mate because their shells spiral in opposite directions.

Question 19

Which of the following best explains why gene flow between populations holds a species together genetically?

Accepted Answer

Gene flow prevents genetic divergence by mixing alleles between populations.

Question 20

Which of the following is a real-world example of postzygotic isolation due to hybrid breakdown?

Accepted Answer

Hybrids between certain strains of cultivated rice are vigorous and fertile, but their offspring are small and sterile.

The Origin of Species: Mechanisms and Concepts of Speciation

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