Question 1

The function of BMP4 is to ____________ while the function of gremlin is to __________ BMP4.
A)cause apoptosis;inhibit the function of
B)induce mitosis;amplify expression of
C)inhibit growth;amplify expression of
D)induce mitosis;inhibit the function of
E)cause apoptosis;act as a catalyst for

Accepted Answer

BMP4 is involved in inducing apoptosis, and gremlin acts to inhibit the function of BMP4, making choice A correct.

Question 2

Sympatric speciation differs from allopatric speciation because in sympatric speciation
A)a population becomes geographically isolated.
B)two populations of the same species merge to form a single population.
C)polyploidy must first arise.
D)hybrid zones form.
E)there are no physcial barriers against interbreeding.

Accepted Answer

Sympatric speciation occurs without geographical isolation and there are no physical barriers preventing interbreeding. Instead, it typically involves some form of reproductive isolation, such as mating preferences, genetic changes, or niche differentiation, that causes a population to diverge and eventually form a new species. Polyploidy, a type of mutation that increases chromosome number, can also be a mechanism of sympatric speciation, but it is not necessary for it to occur.

Question 3

To prepare for a hiking trip in the Appalachian mountains,you buy several field guides for the region from a used bookstore.You notice that the older guides list a single species of tiger swallowtail butterfly,Papilio glaucus,and an Appalachian morph of this species.However,the newest guide list two separate species,P.glaucus and P.appalachiensis.The authors of this guide state that the biological species concept was used in determining their classifications.What do you think led them to list two separate species of tiger swallowtail?
A)The discovery that P.glaucus and P.appalachiensis interbreed in the wild.
B)The discovery that P.glaucus and P.appalachiensis have a genomic similarity of 99%.
C)The discovery that P.glaucus and P.appalachiensis do not interbreed in the wild.
D)The discovery that P.glaucus and P.appalachiensis have distinct differences in wing coloration.
E)The discovery that P.glaucus and P.appalachiensis feed on different host plants.

Accepted Answer

The fact that the authors used the biological species concept suggests that they were looking at the reproductive compatibility of the two populations. If they concluded that P. glaucus and P. appalachiensis do not interbreed in the wild, this would provide strong evidence that they are distinct species, even if they look similar morphologically.

Question 4

Based on the figure below,what statement could you make about the development of human versus chimpanzee skulls. 
A)The human and chimp skulls develop similarly until adulthood,when human jaw development slows down relative to the chimpanzee.
B)The human and chimp skulls develop similarly until the infant stage,when human jaw development slows down relative to the chimpanzee.
C)The human and chimp skulls develop similarly until the infant stage,when human cranium development slows down relative to the chimpanzee.
D)The human and chimp skulls develop similarly during the fetal stage,after which point chimpanzee cranium growth outpaces humans.

Accepted Answer

The figure shows the growth trajectory of human and chimpanzee skulls from birth to adulthood. It demonstrates that the development of human and chimpanzee skulls is similar until the infant stage, after which the human jaw development slows down relative to the chimpanzee. Therefore, option B is the correct statement.

Question 5

You discover a new species of lily that has 10 chromosomes (2n=10).Genetic testing reveals that it arose from the interbreeding of two other species of lilies,one of which has 12 chromosomes (2n=12),and one of which has 8 chromosomes (2n=8).What is the correct term for the new lily species?
A)autopolyploid
B)allopolyploid
C)allodiploid
D)allotetrapoloid

Accepted Answer

The answer of You discover a new species of lily...

Question 6

A tick population in a rural,wooded area uses deer as its primary host species.Eventually,humans begin to move into the area,bringing their pets along with them.Certain individuals within the tick population start to use dogs as their primary hosts,and eventually start to prefer dogs over deer.Other individuals continue to use deer for their primary host.Could this difference in host preference lead to speciation? Why or why not? Select all that aplly.
A) Yes,because temporal isolation could occur due to differences in host quality.
B) No,because the ticks inhabit the same region and therefore experience the same mechanisms of evolution.
C) Yes,because the ticks' host preference may be inherited,leading to an accumulation of genetic differences between ticks that use deer and ticks that use dogs.
D) No,because one of the hosts will lead to higher fitness and the ticks that prefer the other host will be eradicated.
E) No,because speciation cannot occur without geographic separation.

Accepted Answer

A) Temporal isolation could occur if the ticks' activity patterns change to match those of their preferred hosts, which might have different active periods. This could reduce the chances of interbreeding between ticks that prefer different hosts. C) If the preference for different hosts is genetically determined, ticks that prefer different hosts might mate preferentially with others that share the same preference, leading to an accumulation of genetic differences over time. This process, known as reproductive isolation, is a key mechanism in speciation.

Question 7

Your senior thesis project involves working out the taxonomy of Florida skinks.To accomplish this,you examine skink specimens for morphological differences,compare nucleotide and amino acid sequences,and observe the skinks' reproductive behavior and habitat types.Once you have completed the taxonomy and written the thesis,you give it to your professor for comments.She tells you that you did a great job and should try to get your work published! However,she suggests you indicate in the introduction what species concept you used to make your classifications.What statement would you add?
A)Taxonomic determinations were made based on the ecological species concept.
B)Taxonomic determinations were made based on the biological species concept.
C)Taxonomic determinations were made based on the evolutionary lineage species concept.
D)Taxonomic determinations were made based on the general lineage species concept.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Your senior thesis project involves working out...

Question 8

In comparing the development of the unwebbed foot of the chicken and webbed foot of a duck,what differences are there in the expression of
BMP4 and gremiln?
A)Chicken feet only express BMP4 while duck feet only express gremiln.
B)BMP4 is expressed similarly in both chicken and duck feet,while gremlin is only expressed in duck feet.
C)Gremlin is expressed similarly in both chicken and duck feet,while BMP4 is only expressed in between chicken digits.
D)Both BMP4 and gremlin are expressed similarly in chicken and duck feet.
E)BMP4 is expressed similarly in both chicken and duck feet,while gremlin is not expressed between the digits of chicken feet.

Accepted Answer

BMP4 is expressed in the developing limbs of both chickens and ducks to promote the formation of digits. However, the difference in webbing is due to the expression of gremlin, which inhibits BMP4 activity. In ducks, gremlin is expressed between the digits, allowing webbing to form by preventing the apoptosis (cell death) that would normally separate the digits, as seen in chickens where gremlin is not expressed between the digits.

Question 9

Approximately 3.5 million years ago the Isthmus of Panama formed.This new landmass severed the connection between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.An ancestral fish population (porkfish)was split in two by this event;the two populations no longer interbreed and are two distinct species.This type of speciation is called
A)allopatric speciation.
B)parapatric speciation.
C)hybridization.
D)sympatric speciation.
E)sexual selection due to ecological variation.

Accepted Answer

Allopatric speciation occurs when a physical barrier, like a new landmass, separates a population into two geographically isolated groups. Over time, the two populations accumulate genetic differences that prevent interbreeding, leading to the formation of two distinct species. In this case, the formation of the Isthmus of Panama separated the porkfish population into two groups that could no longer interbreed, leading to allopatric speciation.

Question 10

Two species of three-spined stickleback fish live in a single lake in British Columbia.They are closely related but occupy different niches.They exist nowhere else.These species most likely arose by sympatric speciation from a single species of three-spined stickleback.

Accepted Answer

Sympatric speciation occurs when a new species arises from a single ancestral species while still living in the same geographic location. In this case, the two species of three-spined stickleback fish occupying different niches within the same lake likely arose by sympatric speciation from a single ancestral species. Therefore, the statement is true.

Question 11

What field of biology compares the development of organisms in order to better understand mechanisms of evolutionary change?
A)Pattern formation.
B)Embryology.
C)Cell biology.
D)Evolutionary developmental biology.
E)Darwinism.

Accepted Answer

Evolutionary developmental biology, also known as Evo-Devo, is a field of biology that focuses on comparing the development of different organisms, including embryos, to understand the mechanisms that drive evolutionary change. This field combines principles from evolutionary biology, developmental biology, genetics, and other disciplines to study the ways in which genes and developmental pathways can influence the evolution of traits and morphologies over time. By studying the developmental pathways that produce different structures in different organisms, scientists can gain insights into how these structures have evolved and changed over time.

Question 12

The phenomenon in which one region of the body grows faster than another among different species is called
A)pattern formation.
B)apoptosis.
C)cell migration.
D)phenotypic variation.
E)heterochrony.

Accepted Answer

Heterochrony is a type of evolutionary change that involves alterations in the timing or rate of development, leading to differences in the size, shape, and proportion of body structures among related species. In particular, heterochrony can produce variations in relative growth rates, such that some body parts grow faster or slower than others during development, resulting in divergent morphologies. Thus, E is the correct choice. A, B, C, and D are not accurate descriptions of this phenomenon, although they are related to other aspects of embryonic development and evolution.

Question 13

A population of mountain goats are split because of the formation of a glacier.After 500 years the glacier melts and the two goat populations are free to move between the two areas.Under what conditions might the populations be able to occasionally interbreed?
A)Both pre- and post-zygotic isolating mechanisms have arisen.
B)Reproductive isolation is incomplete.
C)Pre-zygotic isolating mechanisms have arisen.
D)Post-zygotic isolating mechanisms have arisen.
E)Gene flow between the two populations does not occur.

Accepted Answer

If reproductive isolation is incomplete, then it is possible for the two goat populations to occasionally interbreed. This means that some individuals from one population may mate with individuals from the other population, producing viable offspring. However, it may not occur consistently enough to result in the full merging of the two populations. Pre- and post-zygotic isolating mechanisms would prevent interbreeding altogether, while lack of gene flow would prevent any interbreeding from occurring at all.

Question 14

How would you best explain the relationship between number of Hox genes and animal body complexity?
A)Different Hox genes are expressed in different regions of the body.
B)Hox genes have duplicated several times during animal evolution,but they are not responsible for an increase in body plan complexity.
C)An increase in the number of Hox genes allows for greater specialization in different body regions.
D)An increase in the number of Hox genes meant that fewer regulatory genes could be controlled in a species.
E)As the number of Hox genes increases,the number of genes encoding proteins for appendage development decreases.

Accepted Answer

Hox genes play a vital role in the development of animal body plans. They are expressed in different regions of the developing embryo and control the identity and differentiation of body structures. An increase in the number of Hox genes provides greater versatility and specialization in different regions of the body, leading to an increase in the complexity of animal body plans. This is commonly observed in evolutionary transitions where animals with more Hox genes have a more complex body plan compared to those with fewer genes. Thus, option C is the most appropriate, as it explains the relation between the number of Hox genes and animal body complexity.

Question 15

Which gene is correctly matched with its evolutionary significance?
A)The Hox genes - evolution of body plans.
B)The BMP4 gene - evolution of lungs.
C)The gremlin gene - evolution mating songs.
D)The Hox genes - development of skull shape.
E)The BMP4 gene - evolution of polyploidy.

Accepted Answer

The Hox genes play an essential role in the evolution of body plans by regulating the development of the anterior-posterior axis in animals.

Answer: B
 The BMP4 gene is involved in the development of lungs and helps in the evolution of respiratory systems in animals.

Answer: D
 The Hox genes are also responsible for the development of skull shape in animals by regulating the growth of various craniofacial structures.

Answer: C and E are incorrect options as there is no substantial evidence linking the gremlin gene to the evolution of mating songs or the BMP4 gene to the evolution of polyploidy.

Quiz 20: Origin of Species and Macroevolution

The function of BMP4 is to __ while the function of gremlin is to BMP4.

Sympatric speciation differs from allopatric speciation because in sympatric speciation

Based on the figure below,what statement could you make about the development of human versus chimpanzee skulls.

You discover a new species of lily that has 10 chromosomes (2n=10) .Genetic testing reveals that it arose from the interbreeding of two other species of lilies,one of which has 12 chromosomes (2n=12) ,and one of which has 8 chromosomes (2n=8) .What is the correct term for the new lily species?

In comparing the development of the unwebbed foot of the chicken and webbed foot of a duck,what differences are there in the expression of BMP4 and gremiln?

Two species of three-spined stickleback fish live in a single lake in British Columbia.They are closely related but occupy different niches.They exist nowhere else.These species most likely arose by sympatric speciation from a single species of three-spined stickleback.

What field of biology compares the development of organisms in order to better understand mechanisms of evolutionary change?

The phenomenon in which one region of the body grows faster than another among different species is called

A population of mountain goats are split because of the formation of a glacier.After 500 years the glacier melts and the two goat populations are free to move between the two areas.Under what conditions might the populations be able to occasionally interbreed?

How would you best explain the relationship between number of Hox genes and animal body complexity?

Which gene is correctly matched with its evolutionary significance?