Question 1

Which of the following statements best describes the main difference between Lamarck's and Darwin's explanations for how giraffes evolved long necks?

Accepted Answer

Lamarck believed that acquired characteristics could be inherited, while Darwin believed that natural selection acted on heritable variation.

Question 2

Which of the following is NOT a condition required for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium?

Accepted Answer

Non-random mating

Question 3

A population of 1,000 individuals has 360 individuals with the homozygous recessive genotype (aa). Assuming Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, what is the frequency of the dominant allele (A)?

Use the equations:
$$
q^2$ = \frac{	ext{number of aa}}{	ext{total population}}$$
$$
p + q = 1$$

Accepted Answer

$$q^2$$ = \frac{360}{1000} = 0.36 \implies q = 0.6$$
p = 1 - 0.6 = 0.4$

Question 4

Which of the following is an example of stabilizing selection?

Accepted Answer

Human birth weights being most common in the intermediate range, with very large and very small babies having higher mortality

Question 5

Which of the following best describes the bottleneck effect?

Accepted Answer

A large population experiences a drastic reduction in size due to a random event, resulting in decreased genetic diversity.

Question 6

Which of the following is NOT evidence for evolution?

Accepted Answer

Analogous structures that arise from common ancestry

Question 7

A population of 10,000 people has 9% with blue eyes (recessive trait). What is the expected frequency of heterozygotes (carriers) in the population? Use Hardy-Weinberg equations:
$$
q^2$ = 0.09 \implies q = 0.3$$
$$p = 1 - 0.3 = 0.7$$
$$2pq = 2 	imes 0.7 	imes 0.3 = 0.42$$

Accepted Answer

0.42

Question 8

Which of the following best explains why the recurrent laryngeal nerve in mammals is considered an 'imperfect' adaptation?

Accepted Answer

It takes a longer route than necessary due to evolutionary history, showing evolution works with existing structures.

Question 9

Which of the following is an example of exaptation?

Accepted Answer

Feathers originally used for thermoregulation later being used for flight in birds

Question 10

Which of the following statements about the three-domain system is correct?

Accepted Answer

Archaea are prokaryotic and often live in extreme environments.

Question 11

Which of the following is a postzygotic isolating mechanism?

Accepted Answer

Hybrid infertility

Question 12

Which of the following best describes convergent evolution?

Accepted Answer

Two unrelated species evolve similar traits due to similar environmental pressures.

Question 13

Which of the following is the correct order of taxonomic categories from most specific to least specific?

Accepted Answer

Species, Genus, Family, Order, Class, Phylum, Kingdom, Domain

Question 14

Which of the following is a correct statement about the Miller-Urey experiment?

Accepted Answer

It demonstrated that organic molecules could form under conditions similar to those of early Earth.

Question 15

Which of the following best describes the difference between a cladogram and a phylogenetic tree?

Accepted Answer

A phylogenetic tree's branch lengths indicate time since speciation, while a cladogram's branches are arbitrary.

Question 16

Which of the following is an example of gene flow?

Accepted Answer

Individuals from one population migrate and breed with another population, introducing new alleles.

Question 17

Which of the following is a molecular evidence for evolution?

Accepted Answer

The presence of similar DNA sequences in humans and chimpanzees

Question 18

Which of the following best describes adaptive radiation?

Accepted Answer

The rapid evolution of many new species from a single ancestral species, often when a new habitat is colonized.

Question 19

Which of the following is an example of heterozygote advantage?

Accepted Answer

Individuals with sickle cell trait (heterozygous) are more resistant to malaria.

Unit 7: Natural Selection – Foundations and Mechanisms of Evolution

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