Question 1

Any change in allele frequencies in a gene pool is called ____.
A)natural selection
B)macroevolution
C)microevolution
D)mutation
E)artificial selection

Accepted Answer

Microevolution refers to small-scale changes in allele frequencies within a population over time, which can be caused by genetic drift, gene flow, and natural selection. Natural selection, artificial selection, and mutation are all mechanisms that can contribute to microevolution, but they are not the term used to describe the overall change in allele frequencies. Macroevolution, on the other hand, refers to larger-scale evolutionary changes, such as speciation and the diversification of major groups over time.

Question 2

_____ are hot spots for the evolution of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and their spread to humans due to excessive use of antibiotics.
A)Hospitals
B)Laboratories
C)Farms
D)Doctor's offices
E)Landfills

Accepted Answer

Farms, particularly those that raise livestock, use a large amount of antibiotics in their practices. This can lead to the evolution of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the animals, which can then spread to humans through the consumption of contaminated meat or contact with contaminated environments.

Question 3

Individuals, such as veterinarians, who work closely with farm animals treated with antibiotics tend to carry ____ as a result. A)lethal bacteria B)bacteria vulnerable to all antibiotics C)bacteria vulnerable to some antibiotics D)bacteria resistant to Flavomycin but not vancomycin E)more antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Accepted Answer

Working closely with farm animals treated with antibiotics can increase the likelihood of being exposed to and carrying antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Therefore, individuals like veterinarians may carry more antibiotic-resistant bacteria as a result of their work.

Question 4

____ increases the frequency of adaptive mutations in a population over time.
A)Fitness
B)Natural selection
C)Artificial selection
D)Adaptive radiation
E)Macroevolution

Accepted Answer

Natural selection is the process by which individuals with advantageous traits are more likely to survive and reproduce, passing on these traits to their offspring. This can lead to an increase in the frequency of adaptive mutations in a population over time.

Question 5

What is the best definition of a population?
A)a group of individuals of two different species that interact with each other
B)a group of interbreeding individuals from different geographical regions
C)a group of potentially interbreeding individuals of the same species regardless of where they live
D)a collection of different species living in the same area at the same time
E)a group of interbreeding individuals of the same species in a given area

Accepted Answer

A population is defined as a group of interbreeding individuals of the same species in a specific area, which aligns with choice E.

Question 6

Which of the following is most likely the result of a neutral mutation?
A)fingerprint patterns
B)larger brains
C)standing upright
D)digestion of cellulose
E)fur

Accepted Answer

Neutral mutations are those that do not affect the fitness of an organism. Fingerprint patterns are determined by genetic factors, but they do not have a significant impact on an individual's survival or reproduction. Therefore, a change in fingerprint patterns would likely be the result of a neutral mutation. Larger brains, standing upright, digestion of cellulose, and fur would all have significant impacts on an organism's fitness and would not be the result of a neutral mutation.

Question 7

Traits with more than two distinct forms are ____.
A)polymorphic
B)dimorphic
C)codominant
D)heterozygous
E)homozygous

Accepted Answer

A trait with more than two distinct forms is considered polymorphic. "Poly" means many and "morphic" refers to forms or variations.

Question 8

How are new combinations of alleles introduced into chromosomes?
A)independent assortment in meiosis I
B)crossing over in meiosis I
C)breeding between the dominant individuals in the population
D)breeding between the recessive individuals in the population
E)independent assortment at meiosis II

Accepted Answer

Crossing over in meiosis I results in new combinations of alleles on the chromosomes. Independent assortment in meiosis I and II can also result in new combinations of alleles, but crossing over is the most direct way. Breeding between dominant or recessive individuals does not necessarily introduce new combinations of alleles, as those individuals may already have homozygous genotypes.

Question 9

Natural selection drives changes in allele frequencies by influencing traits with a ____ basis.
A)genetic
B)non-genetic
C)asexual
D)lethal
E)intermediate

Accepted Answer

Natural selection acts on inherited genetic variation, therefore changes in allele frequencies are based on genetics.

Question 10

In 2000, 87% of the wild rat populations in Stadtlohn, Germany was resistant to the poison bromadiolone. This indicates that ____was/were commonly used as a rat poison(s)here, and the rat's resistance is an example of ____ selection.
A)warfarin; directional
B)bromadiolone; directional
C)both warfarin and bromadiolone; disruptive
D)neither warfarin nor bromadiolone; stabilizing
E)bromadiolone; disruptive

Accepted Answer

The high resistance of wild rat populations to the poison bromadiolone suggests that it was commonly used as a rat poison in Stadtlohn, Germany. The directional selection occurred because the rats with the highest resistance to the poison were more likely to survive and reproduce, passing on their resistant genes to their offspring.

Question 11

All of the alleles in a population make up the ____.
A)species richness
B)species abundance
C)genome
D)gene pool
E)species diversity

Accepted Answer

The gene pool refers to all of the alleles (different forms of genes) in a population. A population is a group of individuals of the same species that live in the same area and interbreed, so their gene pool includes all of the genetic variation present in the population. Species richness refers to the number of different species in a community, species abundance refers to the relative number of individuals of a particular species in a community, genome refers to the complete set of DNA (including all of the genes) in an organism, and species diversity refers to the variety of species in a community.

Question 12

What is the original source of new alleles?
A)crossing over
B)independent assortment
C)fertilization
D)mutation
E)mitosis

Accepted Answer

Mutation is the original source of new alleles. Mutations are random changes in the DNA sequence that can create new versions of genes, leading to the formation of new alleles. These mutations can be caused by various factors such as radiation, chemicals, errors during DNA replication, or random mistakes in copying the genetic code.

Question 13

Mutations that result in the death of the individual are known as ____.
A)beneficial
B)lethal
C)random
D)spontaneous
E)neutral

Accepted Answer

Mutations that result in the death of the individual are known as lethal mutations. This is because the mutation is so severe that it prevents the organism from surviving. Beneficial mutations, on the other hand, improve the fitness or survival of an organism, while neutral mutations have no effect on the organism. Random and spontaneous mutations are terms used to describe the occurrence of mutations without any specific cause or reason.

Question 14

An allele's abundance within a population is referred to as ____ frequency.
A)allele
B)mutation
C)ratio
D)population
E)gene

Accepted Answer

An allele's abundance within a population is referred to as allele frequency.

Question 15

Fatter sociable weaver birds spend more time foraging where they are vulnerable to predation, are more attractive to predators, and are less likely to escape an attack. Conversely, thin birds risk starvation. Therefore, sociable weaver of an intermediate weight have a selective advantage. This is an example of ____ selection.
A)frequent
B)directional
C)disruptive
D)stabilizing
E)mutational

Accepted Answer

Stabilizing selection is the type of natural selection that favors the intermediate variants, while eliminating both extremes. In this case, the intermediate weight of sociable weaver birds is favored as it reduces the risk of predation while avoiding starvation. This results in the stabilization of the population towards the intermediate weight.

Question 16

With ____ selection, the frequency of a favored allele will increase as a phenotypic variation becomes more adaptive.
A)directional
B)stabilizing
C)disruptive
D)frequent
E)mutational

Accepted Answer

Directional selection favors individuals with traits at one end of the phenotype distribution, leading to an increase in the frequency of the allele associated with that trait. This is because the favored trait provides a selective advantage in specific environmental conditions, increasing the survival and reproduction of individuals with that trait, and the genes associated with it. Stabilizing selection, on the other hand, favors individuals with intermediate traits, leading to a reduction in the frequency of extreme alleles. Disruptive selection favors individuals with extreme traits, leading to an increase in the frequency of both extreme alleles. Frequent selection is not a recognized term in biology, and mutational selection refers to natural selection acting on new mutations, rather than on existing variation.

Question 17

In sexually reproducing species, genetic variations are not passed onto offspring via ____.
A)mutation
B)crossing over
C)independent assortment
D)fertilization
E)mitosis

Accepted Answer

Mitosis is the process of cell division that results in the production of two daughter cells that are genetically identical to the parent cell. It does not involve the mixing of genetic material from two different individuals, and therefore does not contribute to genetic variation in sexually reproducing species. Instead, genetic variation arises through processes such as mutation, crossing over, independent assortment, and fertilization.

Question 18

Environmental pressures result in a(n)____ of adaptive alleles.
A)decrease in the frequency
B)increase in the frequency
C)assortment
D)removal
E)migration

Accepted Answer

Environmental pressures can result in certain traits or alleles being more advantageous for survival and reproduction. This can lead to an increase in the frequency of those adaptive alleles in the population over time.

Question 19

A 2013 investigation found "worrisome" amounts of ____ in 97% of the chicken meat in stores across the United States.
A)bacteria
B)antibiotics
C)viruses
D)vancomycin
E)DNA

Accepted Answer

The answer of A 2013 investigation found "worrisome" amounts of...

Question 20

A ____ mutation changes the DNA sequence but has no impact on the fitness of the individual.
A)beneficial
B)lethal
C)random
D)neutral
E)deleterious

Accepted Answer

A neutral mutation has no effect on the fitness of an individual because it occurs in a non-coding region of DNA or changes a coding region but does not alter the resulting amino acid sequence in a protein. These mutations are neither beneficial nor deleterious to the organism's survival and reproductive success.

Quiz 12: Processes of Evolution

Any change in allele frequencies in a gene pool is called ____.

_____ are hot spots for the evolution of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and their spread to humans due to excessive use of antibiotics.

Individuals, such as veterinarians, who work closely with farm animals treated with antibiotics tend to carry ____ as a result.

____ increases the frequency of adaptive mutations in a population over time.

What is the best definition of a population?

Which of the following is most likely the result of a neutral mutation?

Traits with more than two distinct forms are ____.

How are new combinations of alleles introduced into chromosomes?

Natural selection drives changes in allele frequencies by influencing traits with a ____ basis.

In 2000, 87% of the wild rat populations in Stadtlohn, Germany was resistant to the poison bromadiolone. This indicates that was/were commonly used as a rat poison(s) here, and the rat's resistance is an example of selection.

All of the alleles in a population make up the ____.

What is the original source of new alleles?

Mutations that result in the death of the individual are known as ____.

An allele's abundance within a population is referred to as ____ frequency.

With ____ selection, the frequency of a favored allele will increase as a phenotypic variation becomes more adaptive.

In sexually reproducing species, genetic variations are not passed onto offspring via ____.

Environmental pressures result in a(n) ____ of adaptive alleles.

A 2013 investigation found "worrisome" amounts of ____ in 97% of the chicken meat in stores across the United States.

A ____ mutation changes the DNA sequence but has no impact on the fitness of the individual.