Biology Questions
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Gradualism and punctuated equilibrium area. two ends of the continuum of the rate of evolutionary change over time.b. mutually exclusive views about how all evolutionary change takes place.c. mechanisms of reproductive isolation.d. None of the choices is correct.
In Darwin's finches,a. occurrence of wet and dry years preserves genetic variation for beak size.b. increasing beak size over time proves that beak size is inherited.c. large beak size is always favored.d. All of the choices are correct.
Adaptive radiationa. is the result of enriched uranium used in power plants.b. is the evolution of closely related species adapted to use different parts of the environment. c. results from genetic drift.d. is the outcome of stabilizing selection favoring the maintenance of adaptive traits.
The elaborate tail feathers of a male peacock evolved because theya. improve reproductive success of males and females.b. improve male survival.c. reduce survival.d. None of the choices is correct.
Prezygotic isolationa. always involves mechanisms that prevent interbreeding of members of different species.b. includes the death of a zygote shortly after fertilization.c. occurs only in plants.d. becomes stronger as the result of reinforcement.
Relative fitnessa. refers to the survival rate of one phenotype compared to that of another.b. is the physical condition of an individual's siblings and cousins.c. refers to the reproductive success of a phenotype.d. None of the choices is correct.
Artificial selection experiments in the laboratory such as in figure 21.5 are an example ofa. stabilizing selection.b. negative frequency-dependent selection.c. directional selection.d. disruptive selection.
The possession of fine fur in 5-month human embryos indicatesa. that the womb is cold at that point in pregnancy.b. that humans evolved from a hairy ancestor.c. that hair is a defining feature of mammals.d. that some parts of the embryo grow faster than others.
Convergent evolution is often seen among species on different islands becausea. island populations are usually smaller and more affected by genetic drift.b. disruptive selection occurs commonly on islands.c. island species are usually most closely related to species in similar habitats elsewhere.d. when islands are first colonized, many ecological resources are unused, allowing descendants of a colonizing species to diversify and adapt to many different parts of the environment.
Reproductive isolation isa. a result of individuals not mating with each other.b. a specific type of postzygotic isolating mechanism.c. required by the biological species concept.d. None of the choices is correct.
The evolution of modern horses (Equus) is best described asa. the constant change and replacement of one species by another over time.b. a complex history of lineages that changed over time, with many going extinct.c. a simple history of lineages that have always resembled extant horses.d. None of the choices is correct.
Artificial selection is different from natural selection becausea. artificial selection is not capable of producing large changes.b. artificial selection does not require genetic variation.c. natural selection cannot produce new species.d. breeders (people) choose which individuals reproduce based on desirability of traits.
Convergent evolutiona. is an example of stabilizing selection.b. depends on natural selection to independently produce similar phenotypic responses in different species or populations. c. occurs only on islands.d. is expected when different lineages are exposed to vastly different selective environments.
Darwin's finches are a noteworthy case study of evolution by natural selection because evidence suggestsa. they are descendants of many different species that colonized the Galápagos.b. they radiated from a single species that colonized the Galápagos.c. they are more closely related to mainland species than to one another.d. None of the choices is correct.
Gaps in the fossil recorda. demonstrate our inability to date geological sediments.b. are expected since the probability that any organism will fossilize is extremely low.c. have not been filled in as new fossils have been discovered.d. weaken the theory of evolution.
Assortative matinga. affects genotype frequencies expected under Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium.b. affects allele frequencies expected under Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium.c. has no effect on the genotypic frequencies expected under Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium because it does not affect the relative proportion of alleles in a population.d. increases the frequency of heterozygous individuals above Hardy-Weinberg expectations.
Many factors can limit the ability of natural selection to cause evolutionary change, includinga. a conflict between traits favored by reproduction and survival.b. lack of genetic variation.c. pleiotropy.d. All of the choices are correct.
When the environment changes from year to year and different phenotypes have different fitness in different environments,a. natural selection will operate in a frequency-dependent manner.b. the effect of natural selection may oscillate from year to year, favoring alternative phenotypes in different years.c. genetic variation is not required to get evolutionary change by natural selection. d. None of the choices is correct.
Peppered moths are an example of what type of selection? (Disruptive, stabilizing, directional)
Carbon-14 decays to nitrogen-14 with a half-life of approximately 5700 years. After 57,000 years, approximately what fraction of the initial carbon-14 would be left in an organic sample?