Deck 14: Darwin and Evolution

Question 1

One species forming multiple new species is called __________.

A) natural selection
B) speciation
C) adaptation
D) biogeography
E) artificial selection

Answer 1

B
Explanation: Speciation is the formation of new species from older species. Natural selection is the process by which speciation occurs.

Question 2

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.

Answer 2

E
Explanation: Darwin's primary mission about the HMS Beagle had nothing to do with the development with the theory of evolution. It was to expand the Navy's knowledge of natural resources that may benefit Great Britain.

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

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 showed how the human population grows faster than the food supply and that death and famine were inevitable.

Question 5

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, thorn-less, 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, rex, himalayan, american shorthair, etc.

Question 6

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 different process today compared to what occurred in the past.

Question 7

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.

Question 8

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."

Question 9

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

A) that catastrophism occurred at a uniform rate.
B) that the inheritance of acquired characteristics was true.
C) that the Earth must be very old.
D) that uniformitarianism was false.
E) that diversity of life was constant through time.

Question 10

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

A) these organisms are unrelated but have similar adaptations.
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.

Question 11

The sugar glider in Australia and the flying squirrel in North America are both small mammals with large expanses of loose skin between their fore- and hind-limbs allowing them to glide from tree to tree within their respective forest habitats. These two species are distantly 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.

Question 12

Georges Cuvier and his fellow catastrophists believed that

A) species were fixed although they did change through time in response to catastrophes that occur.
B) when species became extinct to a local catastrophe, organisms from surrounding areas moved in to repopulate the area.
C) fossil strata showing change through time was explained by evolution.
D) species were not fixed and that they adapted in response to catastrophes that occur.
E) catastrophes could not explain the changes in species seen through the fossil strata.

Question 13

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

Question 14

(p. Learning Outcome: 14.01.01 Summarize the contributions of Cuvier and Lamarck to the study of evolutionary change.

Question 15

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.

Question 16

Following Lamarck's ideas, if a person were to lose their arm in an accident, then that person's children would

A) inherit one arm.
B) inherit two arms.
C) inherit three arms.
D) inherit one arm, larger and stronger than their parent.
E) inherit two arms, each slightly smaller than the parent's single arm.

Question 17

Tortoises in the Galapagos 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

Question 18

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

Question 19

What does it mean when it is said that humans and apes share common descent?

A) Humans descended from apes.
B) Apes descended from humans.
C) Apes and humans descended from the same common ancestor.
D) Apes and humans are the same.
E) Apes and humans did not descend from a common ancestor.

Question 20

(p. Learning Outcome: 14.02.01 Explain how the fossil record, biogeography, comparative anatomy, development, and biochemistry support the hypothesis of common descent.

Question 21

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.

Question 22

Interpreting this figure, Which of the following is a similarity between Lamark's proposal for evolution and that of Darwin?

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 23

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

Question 24

Environmental catastrophes are a requirement of natural selection.

Question 25

The species of finches, tortoises, cacti, iguanas, and many others that are found on the Galápagos Islands are found 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.

Question 26

If a finch population with heritable, variable beak size and shape arrived on an island on which only large seeds were available as a source of food, describe the natural selection process 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 thus more likely 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.

Question 27

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

Question 28

If a population lacks variation (fixed), no individual has any advantageous trait, and the environment changes for the worse. What will most likely happen to the population in terms of natural selection?

A) The entire population will still survive and adapt to the new environment.
B) A portion of the population will still survive and adapt to the new environment.
C) The entire population will go extinct.
D) Artificial selection will occur since natural selection can not.
E) Some individuals in the population will automatically mutate in response to the environmental change so that variation will exist.

Question 29

(p. Learning Outcome: 14.01.04 Distinguish between natural and artificial selection.

Question 30

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.

Question 31

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

A) homologous structures.
B) analogous structure.
C) identical structures.
D) vestigial structures.
E) not comparable in any way.

Question 32

What do fossils of transitional links illustrate?

A) All life is related.
B) Shared characters of two distinct groups show that those groups are related.
C) Convergent evolution occurred in ancient past.
D) Natural selection happened long ago just as it does today.
E) All transitional links are now extinct.

Question 33

The forelimbs of manatees, penguins, seals, and sea turtles are all flipper shaped. This is an example of

A) convergent evolution to a structure permitting movement in water.
B) natural selection to a structure permitting movement in water.
C) adaptations to eating fish.
D) inheriting a common trait from a recent common ancestor.
E) selective breeding for the flipperlike forelimbs by humans.

Question 34

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.

Question 35

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 out-competed the placental mammals in Australia.
E) Australian mammals have a different common ancestor than mammals elsewhere in the world.

Question 36

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

Question 37

When comparing chick and pig embryos, the similar eyes, pharyngeal pouches, and post-anal tails are evidence of ___________.

A) analogy
B) convergent evolution
C) common ancestry
D) biogeography
E) artificial selection

Question 38

Analogous structures are evidence of common ancestry.

Question 39

Through observing the variation in snails, which individuals would you predict would most easily hide from predators if this population existed in 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 40

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

A) monkeys in the Old World do 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.

Question 41

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.

Question 42

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.

Question 43

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 44

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

Question 45

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

Question 46

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.

Question 47

Natural selection results in

A) increased genetic variation.
B) a decreased population size.
C) an increase in population size.
D) offspring being better adapted to their current environment.
E) offspring being better adapted to a future environment.

Question 48

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 49

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.

Question 50

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.