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Ch. 13 - Understanding Race
Belk, Maier - Biology: Science for Life 6th Edition
Belk, Maier6th EditionBiology: Science for LifeISBN: 9780135214084Not the one you use?Change textbook
All textbooksBelk, Maier 6th EditionCh. 13 - Understanding RaceProblem 10
Chapter 13, Problem 10

The tendency of individuals to choose mates who are like themselves is called
a. Natural selection
b. Sexual selection
c. Assortative mating
d. The founder effect
e. Random mating

Verified step by step guidance
1
Understand the concept of mate selection: In biology, mate selection refers to the process by which individuals choose their partners for reproduction. This can be influenced by various factors such as physical traits, genetic compatibility, or behavioral characteristics.
Review the term 'assortative mating': Assortative mating is a non-random mating pattern where individuals tend to choose partners who are phenotypically similar to themselves. This can include traits like height, skin color, or even cultural preferences.
Compare the other options: a) Natural selection refers to the process where organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and reproduce. b) Sexual selection is a subset of natural selection focusing on traits that increase an individual's chances of mating. d) The founder effect refers to genetic drift that occurs when a small group of individuals establishes a new population. e) Random mating implies no preference for specific traits in mate selection.
Eliminate incorrect options: Based on the definitions, natural selection, sexual selection, the founder effect, and random mating do not specifically describe the tendency to choose mates similar to oneself.
Conclude that the correct term for the tendency to choose mates who are like oneself is 'assortative mating'.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Assortative Mating

Assortative mating is a mating pattern where individuals select partners based on specific traits, leading to a higher likelihood of mating with those who share similar characteristics. This can enhance genetic similarities within a population and influence evolutionary processes by affecting allele frequencies.
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Non-Random Mating

Natural Selection

Natural selection is a fundamental mechanism of evolution, where individuals with advantageous traits are more likely to survive and reproduce. This process leads to the gradual adaptation of species to their environments, shaping the genetic makeup of populations over time.
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Natural Selection

Sexual Selection

Sexual selection is a form of natural selection that arises from the preference of one sex for certain characteristics in potential mates. This can lead to the development of traits that may not necessarily enhance survival but increase mating success, such as elaborate plumage in birds.
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Sexual Selection
Related Practice
Textbook Question

The biological definition of 'race' corresponds to all of the following except:

a. The genealogical species concept

b. The idea that subgroups within the same species can be distinguished from each other by ancestry

c. There is a natural hierarchy of groups within a species from 'lowest' to 'highest' forms

d. It should be possible to identify races on the basis of shared allele frequencies among populations

e. Races within a species are not reproductively isolated from each other.

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Textbook Question

All of the following statements support the hypothesis that humans cannot be classified into biological races except:

a. There is more genetic diversity within a racial group than average differences between racial groups.

b. Alleles that are common in one population in a racial group may be uncommon in other populations of the same race.

c. Geneticists can use particular SNP alleles to identify the ancestral group(s) of any individual human.

d. There are no alleles found in all members of a given racial group.

e. There is genetic evidence of mixing among human populations occurring thousands of years ago until the present.

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Textbook Question

The similarity in skin color among different human populations appears to be primarily the result of:

a. Natural selection

b. Convergent evolution

c. Which biological race they belong to

d. A and B are correct

e. A, B, and C are correct

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Textbook Question

Phylogenies are created based on the principle that all species descending from a recent common ancestor .

a. Should be identical

b. Should share characteristics that evolved in that ancestor

c. Should be found as fossils

d. Should have identical DNA sequences

e. Should be no more similar than species that are less closely related

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