Question 1

The list of alleged human instincts ______.
A) has gotten shorter over the years
B) has gotten longer over the years
C) has remained about the same over the years
D) is longer for pre-industrialized peoples than for those living in industrialized nations

Accepted Answer

As scientific understanding of human behavior has evolved, it has become apparent that many behaviors previously thought to be instinctual are actually learned or socially conditioned. This has resulted in a shorter list of alleged human instincts over the years.

Question 2

The quotation, "Change is the only constant," is attributed to ______.
A) Buckminster Fuller
B) Virgil
C) Lucretius
D) Einstein

Accepted Answer

The quotation "Change is the only constant" is attributed to the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus, but Lucretius, a Roman poet and philosopher, also explored similar themes in his work.

Question 3

The person who demonstrated that the marching of tropical army ants is not intelligent behavior is ______.
A) Schneirla
B) Schneider
C) Schneidman
D) Schneirman

Accepted Answer

The correct name is Schneirla, who conducted experiments to show that the behavior of army ants is based on simple individual interactions rather than coordinated group decision-making or intelligence. The other choices are not associated with this specific research.

Question 4

Modal action patterns are induced by events called ______.
A) genes
B) stimuli
C) releasers
D) reflexes

Accepted Answer

Modal action patterns are a specific sequence of behaviors that are triggered by specific stimuli, which are called releasers. Genes are not events, but rather the genetic material that determines an organism's traits. Stimuli and reflexes are too broad and can refer to any type of response to a stimulus, while releasers specifically refer to the stimuli that trigger modal action patterns.

Question 5

Darwin suggested that natural selection is analogous to
A) breeding.
B) chemical synthesis.
C) history.
D) learning.

Accepted Answer

Darwin suggested that natural selection is analogous to breeding, also known as artificial selection, where humans selectively breed plants or animals for desired traits. This concept helped him develop his theory of natural selection, where nature, rather than humans, selects for beneficial traits.

Question 6

Lee Cronk wrote an article on how evolved behavior can prove nonadaptive when the environment changes. The article was called ________.
A) Old Dogs, Old Tricks
B) The Once and Future King
C) Murder Most Fowl
D) History Recalled

Accepted Answer

The title "Old Dogs, Old Tricks" suggests the idea of outdated behavior, which aligns with the concept of nonadaptive behavior when the environment changes that the article discusses. None of the other answer choices relate to this topic.

Question 7

The rooting of pigs (for worms, larvae, and truffles) is an example of a
A) MAP.
B) reflex.
C) general behavior trait.
D) learned behavior.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The rooting of pigs (for worms, larvae,...

Question 8

Natural selection is illustrated by changes in the coloration of the Peppered Moth resulting from _______.
A) industrial pollution
B) drought
C) loss of habitat
D) long term changes in the hydraulic cycle

Accepted Answer

The industrial pollution caused by soot and other chemicals resulted in the darkening of tree trunks in areas around factories, leading to a higher selection of darker peppered moths that were better camouflaged, while lighter ones became more visible to predators. This provided a clear example of how natural selection could cause a change in the frequency of traits in a population over time.

Question 9

The chief advantage of learning over natural selection as a means of adapting to change is that learning _______.
A) is faster
B) is more enduring
C) is less enduring
D) does not affect all members of a species

Accepted Answer

Learning is generally faster than waiting for natural selection to occur, as individuals can modify their behaviors or learn new skills relatively quickly.

Question 10

The cowbird deposits its eggs in the nests of other birds. This is most likely a ________.
A) reflex
B) modal action pattern
C) general behavior trait
D) learned behavior

Accepted Answer

The cowbird's behavior of depositing its eggs in the nests of other birds is a modal action pattern, which is a series of related acts found in all or nearly all members of a species. This behavior is instinctive and not learned, making it a modal action pattern rather than a reflex, general behavior trait, or learned behavior.

Question 11

Variation and natural selection are the foundations of _______.
A) genetics
B) evolution
C) learning
D) adaptation

Accepted Answer

Variation refers to the differences that exist between individuals within species, while natural selection describes the process by which certain traits become more or less common in a population based on their impact on survival and reproduction. Together, these mechanisms form the basis for evolution, which refers to the gradual changes that occur in a population over time as a result of genetic and environmental influences. While adaptation (D) is related to evolution, it is a more specific term that refers to the process by which organisms become better suited to their environments through natural selection. Learning (C) is not directly related to these processes as it involves the acquisition of knowledge or skills through experience rather than the genetic changes that drive evolution. Finally, genetics (A) is certainly relevant to understanding the mechanisms of variation and inheritance, but it alone does not explain the broader patterns of evolutionary change.

Question 12

Learning is evolved _________.
A) selectivity
B) modifiability
C) biology
D) karma

Accepted Answer

Learning is evolved modifiability, as it involves adapting and changing one's behavior in response to new experiences and environmental stimuli. While selectivity and biology may play a role in shaping learning processes, they are not the defining characteristic of learning. Karma, a concept from some Eastern religions, is not relevant to the scientific understanding of learning.

Question 13

The gollypod, a fictitious aquatic animal, breaks out in a cold sweat whenever exposed to the sun. This reaction is most likely ______.
A) a reflex
B) a fixed action pattern
C) a general behavior trait
D) the result of learning

Accepted Answer

A reflex is an automatic response to a stimulus, which in this case is the sun causing the gollypod to break out in a cold sweat. This does not require learning, is not a fixed action pattern as it is a simple reaction rather than a sequence of actions, and is more specific than a general behavior trait.

Question 14

Work on selective breeding in ___________ over a period of 40 years shows that behavioral characteristics can be selectively bred so that the descendants behave more like a different species than like their own ancestors.
A) ants
B) foxes
C) horses
D) rabbits

Accepted Answer

This statement refers to the famous experiment on selective breeding of foxes in Russia, which started in the 1950s and is still ongoing. The experiment aims to produce a more domesticated version of the silver fox (Vulpes vulpes), similar to a dog, by selecting for traits such as tameness, reduced aggression, and friendliness towards humans. The results have shown that after 40 or more generations of selective breeding, the foxes display not only physical changes (e.g. floppy ears, curly tails) but also behavioral ones, such as whining, tail-wagging, and seeking attention from humans. The offspring also show less fear and more curiosity towards novel objects than unselected foxes. In other words, the selectively bred foxes behave more like domestic dogs than their wild ancestor, even though they are still the same species.

Question 15

The best title for the figure below is _________. 
A) diet and heredity
B) fearfulness and heredity
C) addiction and heredity
D) aggressiveness and heredity

Accepted Answer

The figure shows a comparison of the fearfulness levels in offspring based on whether their parents were fearful or not. This suggests that fearfulness may be genetically inherited, therefore the best title for the figure would be "fearfulness and heredity". The other options are not supported by the information presented in the figure.

Question 16

Evolution is widely accepted except in
A) America.
B) Asia.
C) Europe.
D) Antarctica.

Accepted Answer

While there are certainly individuals in America who do not accept evolution, it is not accurate to say that it is not widely accepted. In fact, the overwhelming majority of scientists and educators in America accept evolution as a fundamental scientific principle. Evolution is generally widely accepted globally.

Question 17

Natural selection is often _______.
A) ahead of the times
B) behind the times
C) up with the times
D) under the times

Accepted Answer

Natural selection is not proactive or anticipatory, it simply selects for traits that are currently advantageous for survival and reproduction in a given environment. Therefore, it could be said that natural selection is "behind the times" in the sense that it is only responding to current conditions rather than predicting or shaping future evolutionary trends.

Question 18

A reflex is ________.
A) any very simple behavior
B) a simple response to a simple event
C) a relationship between an event and a simple response
D) a purely physiological phenomenon

Accepted Answer

A reflex is defined as a relationship between a specific event (stimulus) and a simple, automatic response to that event.

Question 19

Most mutations _______.
A) are not helpful to survival
B) contribute to survival in important ways
C) cause monsterism
D) occur in one-celled organisms

Accepted Answer

Most mutations are not helpful to survival and can actually be harmful, neutral, or have no effect at all. Only a very small percentage of mutations may contribute to survival in important ways. Monsterism is not a scientifically recognized term, and mutations can occur in both one-celled and multicellular organisms.

Question 20

Darwin was influenced by the book, An Essay on the Principle of Population, by
A) Aldous Huxley.
B) Robert FitzRoy.
C) Thomas Huxley.
D) Thomas Malthus.

Accepted Answer

Charles Darwin was heavily influenced by Thomas Malthus' book, An Essay on the Principle of Population, in which Malthus argued that population growth would inevitably outstrip food production, leading to a "struggle for existence" in which only the fittest individuals would survive and reproduce. This idea of a "struggle for existence" became a key concept in Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection.

Quiz 1: Introduction: Learning to Change

The list of alleged human instincts ______.

The quotation, "Change is the only constant," is attributed to ______.

The person who demonstrated that the marching of tropical army ants is not intelligent behavior is ______.

Modal action patterns are induced by events called ______.

Darwin suggested that natural selection is analogous to

Lee Cronk wrote an article on how evolved behavior can prove nonadaptive when the environment changes. The article was called ________.

The rooting of pigs (for worms, larvae, and truffles) is an example of a

Natural selection is illustrated by changes in the coloration of the Peppered Moth resulting from _______.

The chief advantage of learning over natural selection as a means of adapting to change is that learning _______.

The cowbird deposits its eggs in the nests of other birds. This is most likely a ________.

Variation and natural selection are the foundations of _______.

Learning is evolved _________.

The gollypod, a fictitious aquatic animal, breaks out in a cold sweat whenever exposed to the sun. This reaction is most likely ______.

Work on selective breeding in ___________ over a period of 40 years shows that behavioral characteristics can be selectively bred so that the descendants behave more like a different species than like their own ancestors.

The best title for the figure below is _________.

Evolution is widely accepted except in

Natural selection is often _______.

A reflex is ________.

Most mutations _______.

Darwin was influenced by the book, An Essay on the Principle of Population, by