Deck 14: Darwin and Evolution

Question 1

Critical to the theory of evolution, Darwin needed to include an idea that was not generally accepted by scientists or society at that time. That idea was that

A) catastrophism occurred at a uniform rate.
B) the inheritance of acquired characteristics was true.
C) the Earth must be very old.
D) uniformitarianism was false.
E) diversity of life was constant through time. Darwin had to conclude that the Earth was very old in order for there to be enough time for species to evolve.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Prior to Darwin, people considered variation among individuals as "imperfections" that served no particular purpose.

Answer 2

True
Explanation: Darwin viewed variation as an essential part of the natural selection process. Prior to Darwin, people considered variation among individuals as "imperfections" and that they served no particular purpose.

Question 3

Which of the following is not a step in the process of natural selection?

A) Members of a population possess heritable variations.
B) The population produces more offspring than the environment can support.
C) Individuals who have favorable traits survive and reproduce more than those individuals lacking such traits.
D) People select which individuals breed and which ones do not.
E) Over multiple generations of reproducing, a larger proportion of the population will have those favorable traits and thus adaptation has occurred.

Answer 3

D
Explanation: Natural selection involves a population with heritable variations in which some traits are favorable over others. The individuals with favorable traits produce more offspring than those without those favorable traits and therefore a higher proportion of the population will possess favorable traits. When humans get involved in this selection process, it is termed "artificial selection."

Question 4

Lyell's theory of uniformitarianism stated that

A) new and different processes are continually shaping the Earth in new and different ways.
B) the processes that shape the Earth today are the same process that have always shaped the Earth.
C) the processes that shape the Earth occur at a constant rate.
D) the processes that shape the Earth slow down over time.
E) the processes that shape the Earth occur uniformly around the globe. Lyell's theory of uniformitarianism stated that the processes that shape the Earth occur at a uniform rate.

Question 5

Fitness refers to

A) the variation in traits within the population.
B) reproductive success.
C) mutations that benefit an organism's survival.
D) the physical health of an individual.
E) the physical health of a population. The number of offspring produced by an individual is a measure of that individual's fitness. Those that are most fit produce the most offspring.

Question 6

What influence did the writings of Thomas Malthus have on Darwin's ideas of natural selection?

A) Malthus described the reproduction of elephants to Darwin.
B) Malthus explained how variation was maintained within populations.
C) Malthus illustrated that some individuals possessed favorable traits while others did not.
D) Malthus wrote a detailed history of artificial selection examples.
E) Malthus proposed that the human population grows faster than the food supply, meaning that death and famine are inevitable. The socioeconomist Thomas Malthus described that the human population grew faster than the food supply and death and famine were inevitable. Darwin applied this concept to organisms that overproduce and struggle to survive in an environment with limited resources.

Question 7

Which is not an important characteristic of the Galápagos Islands in the context of Darwin's theory of evolution?

A) The islands were too far from mainland South America for most terrestrial plants and animals to colonize.
B) The organisms on the islands were different from those observed in South America.
C) The organisms on the islands were similar to those observed in South America.
D) The organisms on the islands varied from island to island.
E) The multiple islands all had an identical environment.

Question 8

Darwin's primary mission on the HMS Beagle was to

A) develop the theory of evolution.
B) observe natural selection in action.
C) gather data on geologic processes from around the world.
D) describe as many different new species as possible.
E) expand the Navy's knowledge of natural resources around the world.

Question 9

Which of the following concepts would not have been supported by Georges Cuvier?

A) that the Earth was only a few thousand years old
B) that the Earth and its organisms were divinely created
C) that the Earth and its organisms slowly changed through time
D) local catastrophes caused the extinction of many species
E) that species were "fixed" Cuvier developed the idea of catastrophism. He believed that species were fixed, local catastrophes caused mass extinctions, and the region was repopulated by species from surrounding areas.

Question 10

The wing of a penguin and the wing of an eagle are

A) homologous structures.
B) analogous structures.
C) identical structures.
D) vestigial structures.
E) not comparable in any way. The forelimbs of all vertebrates are homologous since they are inherited from a common ancestor, regardless of the superficial appearance of the structures.

Question 11

The presence of vestigial organs supports evidence of evolution because

A) the vestigial organ is unique to one species.
B) the vestigial organ is similar to a functional organ in a related species, having been passed down from a common ancestor.
C) both the vestigial organ and the functional organ perform the same function.
D) the vestigial organ could not have been passed down from an ancestor.
E) the vestigial organs represent variation in a species. Vestigial organs are organs that are not useful to the organism but are still part of its anatomy. An ancestor possessed the organ at a time when it served an important function. As the environment changed, the organ was no longer needed for survival, but organisms still inherit the structure.

Question 12

The sugar glider in Australia and the flying squirrel in North America are both small mammals with large expanses of loose skin between their forelimbs and hindlimbs, allowing them to glide from tree to tree within their respective forest habitats. These two species are not evolutionarily related but are very similar in their overall appearance. Darwin's explanation for their similarity is that

A) both are descendants from a recent common ancestor.
B) each have adapted in very similar ways to similar habitats.
C) the similarity of the two unrelated species is simply coincidence.
D) the two species were created to have similarities.
E) the two species must be related to possess such like qualities. Unrelated species living in widely separated, yet similar habitats have each independently evolved comparable adaptations for survival and therefore have similar appearances. This is called convergent evolution since two species have converged on a similar adaptive form to solve similar environmental pressures.

Question 13

Lyell's Principles of Geology was the first text to give evidence that the Earth

A) was created a few thousand years ago.
B) did not change over time.
C) was actually much younger than previously believed.
D) was undergoing slow and continuous cycles of erosion and uplift.
E) was undergoing a different process compared to what occurred in the past.

Question 14

Analogous structures are always evidence of common ancestry.

Question 15

Which of the following is not an example of artificial selection?

A) different breeds of dogs: poodle, basset hound, Chihuahua, Great Dane, etc.
B) different varieties of roses: yellow, pink, red, thornless, climbing, etc.
C) different types of tomatoes: roma, beefsteak, grape, cherry, etc.
D) different styles of potatoes: fried, mashed, baked, etc.
E) different breeds of cats: Siamese, Persian, Himalayan, American shorthair, etc. Artificial selection is the process of humans choosing which individuals reproduce based on traits they wish to see increased in future generations. All of the options are examples of artificial selection except D). All these styles of potatoes are simply different ways of preparing the same vegetable.

Question 16

Bacteria that cause ear infections have increased their resistance to antibiotics over time. Which of the following is the selective agent?

A) bacteria
B) increased resistance
C) antibiotics
D) the human ear
E) the ear infection Antibiotics are considered the selective agent because they kill nonresistant bacteria while resistant bacteria survive.

Question 17

Tortoises in the Galápagos possessed neck lengths unique to each island. Neck lengths appear to be an adaptation to which selective agent?

A) ease in finding pools of drinking water
B) type of vegetation available to eat
C) reproductive barriers used to produce offspring
D) defense against predators
E) male competition for females The neck length of tortoises on the various islands evolved in response to the vegetation available to eat. Some islands had only tall growing cacti while others had cacti growing low to the ground.

Question 18

Broccoli, kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts, Chinese cabbage, and cauliflower were all derived from the single wild species. This diversity is a result of

A) adaptation.
B) natural selection.
C) biogeography.
D) artificial selection.
E) speciation. Artificial selection is the process of humans selecting those individuals possessing traits that they wish to see more prominent in the next generation, and allowing only those to reproduce. The result is the selective breeding for various traits leading to an assortment of types produced from a single common ancestor.

Question 19

Wings of insects and birds are results of convergent evolution. This means that

A) insects must have evolved from birds.
B) these organisms share a recent common ancestor and so have similar adaptations.
C) these organisms have different adaptations to different environments.
D) insects and birds have each independently evolved structures that serve the same function flight) but have done so in very different ways.
E) the insects and birds must be related to possess such similar qualities. Unrelated species, each with very different structures allowing a common behavior flight), have independently evolved such adaptations. This is called convergent evolution since two species have converged on a similar solution to a common environmental issue. Here, flight is a highly advantageous mode of travel and both birds and insects have evolved ways to accomplish it.

Question 20

Although Lamarck hypothesized that adaptations to the environment did occur, he also believed that

A) mass extinctions did not occur.
B) offspring inherited characteristics that were acquired by their parents during their lifetime.
C) similar organisms do not share common ancestors.
D) humans descended from apes.
E) natural selection was the source of all diversity. Lamarck hypothesized that evolution occurs due to the inheritance of acquired characteristics.

Question 21

Why are Australian mammals all marsupial while mammals on other continents are mostly placental?

A) The marsupial anatomy is better adapted to the environments of Australia than is the anatomy of placental mammals.
B) The placental anatomy is better adapted to the environments of North and South America than is the anatomy of marsupial mammals.
C) When the continents separated from one another, marsupials on Australia did not have the placental competitors that were present in the Americas.
D) Marsupials outcompeted the placental mammals in Australia.
E) Australian mammals have a different common ancestor than mammals elsewhere in the world. When the continents separated from one another through continental drift, marsupials on Australia did not have the placental competitors that were present in the Americas. The mix of plants and animals determine the course of evolution.

Question 22

Which type of snail would be best suited to hide from predators if this population existed in a variable mixed patches of light and dark areas) environment?

A) The dark-colored snails would most easily hide from predators.
B) The light-colored snails would most easily hide from predators.
C) The multicolored variable) snails would most easily hide from predators.
D) All snails would equally hide well from predators anywhere in the environment.
E) All snails would equally be obvious to predators anywhere in the environment.

Question 23

The theory of evolution is supported by multiple sources of evidence described by many different people, and by a variety of fields of study.

Question 24

What do transitional fossils illustrate?

A) All life is related.
B) Shared ancestral traits.
C) Convergent evolution occurred in the ancient past.
D) Natural selection happened long ago just as it does today.
E) All transitional links are now extinct. Transitional fossils possess traits of two distinct groups illustrating that the two groups evolved from this common ancestor.

Question 25

As you hike up a mountain, you realize that the plants and animals present at the base are not the same as those at the top. This observation is the basis of

A) natural selection.
B) biogeography.
C) comparative anatomy.
D) geology.
E) paleontology. Observing that plants and animals are distributed differently among varying environments is the basis for the science of biogeography.

Question 26

Which one of the following statements is true?

A) Organisms always evolve the characteristics they need to survive.
B) Some individuals within the population must die for natural selection to occur.
C) Darwin used molecular biology as evidence of evolution.
D) Natural selection can only work on variation that already exists.
E) Convergent evolution produces homologous structures. Natural selection can only operate on existing variation.

Question 27

Natural selection results in

A) increased genetic variation.
B) a decreased population size.
C) an increase in population size.
D) offspring that is better adapted to their current environment.
E) offspring that is better adapted to a future environment. The result of natural selection is that offspring are better adapted to their current environment than were their parents.

Question 28

The molecule cytochrome c supports the theory of evolution as biochemical evidence. Which of the following is not part of that evidence?

A) Cytochrome c has evolved multiple times among many species.
B) Cytochrome c has the same function in all organisms.
C) The genetic code for cytochrome c differs among species.
D) Cytochrome c is found in a variety of organisms from yeast to humans.
E) Cytochrome c plays a role critical to survival. Cytochrome c sequence comparisons show evolution in that this molecule has a common function important for cellular metabolism and it is present in many species but is variable among them. This pattern illustrates that cytochrome c evolved once in an ancestor and was passed to all of its descendents with modification through time unique to each species.

Question 29

Given the comparative study of embryology, it is concluded that genes controlling embryonic development are essentially the same.

Question 30

Many people refer to Alfred Russel Wallace as the "father of biogeography." Which of the following contributions led Wallace to achieve this title?

A) Wallace described the idea of evolution at the same time as Darwin.
B) Wallace had traveled around the world and collected specimens.
C) Wallace coined the term "survival of the fittest."
D) Wallace described a sharp line dividing Australian species from Asian species.
E) Wallace prompted Darwin to publish the book On the Origin of Species. Alfred Russel Wallace achieved the title "father of biogeography" due to his work in the Malay Archipelago, where he discovered the "line" that separated Australian species from Asian species inhabiting the islands.

Question 31

When hiking high in the mountains, you find fossil marine shells lying about. This provides evidence that

A) someone brought the shells to the top of the mountain.
B) shelled marine animals live on the top of mountains.
C) very high ocean waves brought the shells to the top of the mountain.
D) the mountain top was once under the ocean and has been uplifted.
E) marine animals are not restricted to living in the ocean. Observing marine fossils on mountaintops indicate that the land used to be underwater and has subsequently been uplifted.

Question 32

Environmental catastrophes are a requirement of natural selection.

Question 33

The fact that DNA is the molecule containing the genetic code for all life on Earth is a part of

A) comparative anatomical evidence.
B) comparative embryological evidence.
C) biochemical evidence.
D) biogeographical evidence.
E) evidence of artificial selection. DNA, the molecule containing the genetic code for all life on Earth, is one of many examples of biochemical evidence of evolution.

Question 34

A finch population with heritable variation in beak size arrives on an island where only large seeds are available as a food source. Describe the process of natural selection that would follow.

A) Finches with smaller beaks would grow larger beaks so that they could eat the large seeds. All birds will reproduce and the frequency of large beaks within the population will increase.
B) Finches with larger beaks will more easily eat the large seeds and are thus more likely to survive and produce offspring with similarly large beaks. The frequency of large beaks within the population will increase.
C) All of the finches with small and medium beaks will soon die; all of the finches with large beaks will survive. The frequency of large beaks within the population will increase.
D) Finches with smaller beaks would grow larger beaks so that they could eat the large seeds. Only these birds that grew larger beaks will reproduce and the frequency of large beaks within the population will increase.
E) Finches with larger beaks will more easily eat the large seeds and not need to reproduce. On an island where only large seeds are available for food, those birds with large beaks will more easily manipulate the food, outcompete those birds with smaller beaks, and have more time to reproduce. Birds with smaller beaks must work harder obtaining food and thus have less time to reproduce. The next generation of birds will be comprised mostly of birds with larger beaks.

Question 35

Interpreting this figure, which of the following is a similarity between Lamarck's proposal for evolution and Darwin's proposal?

A) Both scenarios begin with a population of giraffes that contains variation.
B) Both scenarios expose the giraffes to an environmental pressure or challenge).
C) Both scenarios involve only an individual, not a population.
D) Both scenarios involve differential reproductive success.
E) Both scenarios involve giraffes of equal fitness.

Question 36

Monkeys in the New World the Americas) have prehensile tails, strong flexible tails that grip branches and operate much like another hand. Old World Africa and Asia) monkeys do not have such a tail. The explanation for this is

A) monkeys in the Old World did not need a prehensile tail and therefore did not evolve one.
B) monkeys in the New World needed a prehensile tail and therefore evolved one.
C) the prehensile tail evolved in New World monkeys after the Americas separated from Africa and Asia.
D) the Americas are much older than Africa and Asia. There has not been enough time to evolve a prehensile tail in Africa and Asia.
E) a catastrophe occurred in the Old World that killed all prehensile tail monkeys leaving only non-prehensile tailed monkeys to survive. Monkeys evolved when the continents were connected. However, the prehensile tail evolved in New World monkeys after the Americas separated from Africa and Asia. What evolves on one continent does not automatically evolve on other continents.

Question 37

The artificial selection of different breeds of dogs is an example of speciation.

Question 38

Many species of finches, tortoises, cacti, and iguanas are found on the Galápagos Islands and nowhere else in the world. Which physical attribute of these islands has not played a role in permitting such unique life forms to evolve?

A) There is geographic isolation from mainland species.
B) Multiple islands exist.
C) Food is plentiful and diverse on every island.
D) The islands are small compared to the South American mainland.
E) Each island has its own unique environment. Island clusters such as the Galápagos offer opportunities for multiple species to evolve since they are isolated, small, have different environments, and food is often either scarce or different from that available on the mainland.

Question 39

When comparing chick and pig embryos, the similar eyes, pharyngeal pouches, and postanal tails are evidence of

A) analogy.
B) convergent evolution.
C) common ancestry.
D) biogeography.
E) artificial selection. The presence of similar structures among embryos of various species is evidence that all species inherited such traits from a common ancestor that also possessed these traits.

Question 40

The similarity of the fossil glyptodont to the living, modern armadillo is an example of comparative anatomy.

Question 41

What characteristics of Archaeopteryx tell us that it is a link to reptiles and birds?

A) feathers
B) tail with vertebrae
C) teeth
D) teeth and a tail with vertebrae
E) feathers and teeth Archaeopteryx possessed feathers considered bird characteristics) and teeth which are not present in today's birds but are typical of reptiles). A tail with vertebrae is also a reptilian characteristic.

Question 42

Refer to the figure shown here. Which of the following would not have been a selective agent or pressure that could lead to the reduction in hindlimbs through time?

A) The animal's body size was too heavy to support the weight on land and hindlimbs were no longer useful.
B) More emphasis was placed on flexing the backbone than on paddling with hindlimbs for swimming.
C) Appendages cause resistance, or drag, when moving through water.
D) Before moving into the ocean, smaller legs were advantageous to escaping predators on land.
E) With the increased size of the tail and its use in swimming, the hindlimbs were not as necessary.

Question 43

Darwin and Wallace both concluded that species evolve through the process of natural selection. What similar experiences and information helped them both reach the same conclusion?

A) Both supported the ideas of Cuvier.
B) Both were familiar with the writings of Lyell.
C) Both traveled the world and collected specimens for museums in England.
D) Both were naturalists.
E) Both collected specimens from islands in the Malayan Archipelago. Darwin was an untrained naturalist, while Wallace was an English-trained biologist. Both were well read in the works of Lyell and Malthus, traveled the world collecting specimens for museums, and spent a large amount of time on islands.

Question 44

Which of the following cannot be determined from the fossil record?

A) Geologic uplift has occurred.
B) Transitional fossils exist.
C) Diversity has changed through time.
D) Evidence of prior natural disasters/catastrophes exist.
E) Evidence of every species that ever existed. The fossil record can show geologic changes, transitional fossils, that diversity has changed through time, and evidence of prior natural disasters. However, the fossil record is not complete-not every species is represented.