Evolution and Classification (10%) Flashcards
A theory fails to meet the criteria of scientific methodology if
(A) it is unpopular
(B) it contradicts other theories
(C) it has not been conclusively proved
(D) it has not been stated in mathematical terms
(E) no experiments can be designed to test it
(E) no experiments can be designed to test it
correct
All of the following geologic time intervals are characterized correctly EXCEPT
(A) Cambrian period...age of birds (B) Carboniferous period...age of amphibians (C) Devonian period...age of fishes (D) Cenozoic era...age of mammals (E) Mesozoic era...age of dinosaurs
(A) Cambrian period…age of birds
Analogous structures are less useful in determining evolutionary patterns among organisms than homologous structures for which of the following reasons?
(A) Analogous structures are more complex than homologous structures.
(B) Analogous structures form vestigial structures, and homologous structures do not.
(C) Analogous structures are subject to mutation, unlike homologous structures.
(D) Analogous structures are derived from the same embryological tissues, so they provide little information.
(E) Analogous structures reflect adaptation to the environment, and homologous structures reflect evolutionary ancestry.
(E) Analogous structures reflect adaptation to the environment, and homologous structures reflect evolutionary ancestry.
Which of the following best describes antibiotic resistance?
(A) It is a condition that causes humans to become resistant to antibiotics.
(B) It is caused by overuse of antibiotics, which allows for selection of resistant bacteria.
(C) It causes organisms to contract viral infections.
(D) It is a problem only in developing countries.
(E) It is a treatment for infections that results in a resistant immune system in an organism.
(B) It is caused by overuse of antibiotics, which allows for selection of resistant bacteria.
A population of seed-eating birds exhibits variation in the size of their beaks, with a mean beak size of 12 mm. Beak size is a heritable character that affects the size of seeds a bird may consume (e.g., larger beaks can crack larger seeds). After a drought, plants that produce smaller seeds are rare, but plants that produce larger seeds are still common.
Which of the following evolutionary mechanisms will most influence the beak size of the bird population after a drought?
(A) Genetic drift (B) Gene flow (C) Natural selection (D) Sexual selection (E) Mutation
(C) Natural selection
If the frequency of PTC tasters in a population is 91%, what is the frequency of the allele for non-tasting PTC?
(A) 9% (B) 30% (C) 90% (D) 70% (E) none of the above
(B) 30%
Reason: If the frequency of PTC tasters in a population is 91%, then the frequency of PTC non-tasters is 9% (the total of both must be 100%). The 9% figure represents the q squared (q2). So, to figure out q, we take a square root of 9%, or .09, which is .30 or 30%.
p2 + 2pq + q2 = 1
Two geographically isolated populations of foxes experience genetic drift and mutations over time, and eventually they can no longer interbreed successfully. This is an example of which type of speciation:
(A) allopatric (B) sympatric (C) adaptive (D) punctuated (E) none of the above
(A) allopatric
The classification characteristics that define the genus of an animal or a plant are usually more general than those defining
(A) a class (B) an order (C) a species (D) a family (E) a phylum
(C) a species
In the name Homo sapiens, the word sapiens refers to the
(A) species (B) family (C) class (D) genus (E) order
(A) species
Which of the following animals is most closely related to the cheetah?
(A) Chicken (B) Alligator (C) Frog (D) Squirrel (E) Eagle
(D) Squirrel
This period is believed that early animal life evolved from protists at this time:
(A) Cambrian period
(B) Ordovician period
(C) Devonian period
(D) Ediacaran period
(D) Ediacaran period
This period is known as the age of amphibians:
(A) Cambrian period
(B) Ordovician period
(C) Devonian period
(D) Carboniferous period
(D) Carboniferous period
This period is known as the age of fish:
(A) Cambrian period
(B) Ordovician period
(C) Devonian period
(D) Carboniferous period
(C) Devonian period
This era is known as the age of dinosaurs:
(A) Cenozoic era
(B) Mesozoic era
(C) Paleozoic era
(B) Mesozoic era
This period marks the most rapid evolution of new animal phyla and animal diversity in Earth’s history. Echinoderms, mollusks, worms, arthropods, and chordates arose during this period.
(A) Cambrian period
(B) Ordovician period
(C) Devonian period
(D) Carboniferous period
(A) Cambrian period
This era is known as the age of mammals:
(A) Cenozoic era
(B) Mesozoic era
(C) Paleozoic era
(A) Cenozoic era
The end of the _____ period (_____ era) was marked by the largest mass extinction event in Earth’s history, a loss of roughly 95 percent of the extant species at that time.
(A) Jurassic (period), Mesozoic (era)
(B) Tertiary (period), Cenozoic (era)
(C) Permian (period), Paleozoic (era)
(D) Triassic (period), Mesozoic (era)
(C) Permian (period), Paleozoic (era)
Earliest human fossils are thought to be _____ million years old.
(A) 1.8 million
(B) 5.3 million
(C) 10.8 million
(D) 30.5 million
(A) 1.8 million
_____ is the existence of structures in two different species that share a common ancestry.
(A) Homology
(B) Convergent Evolution
(C) Analogy
(D) Divergent Evolution
(A) Homology
_____ is the existence of structures in two different species that share a common function but not a common ancestry.
(A) Homology
(B) Convergent Evolution
(C) Analogy
(D) Divergent Evolution
(C) Analogy
Convergent evolution is a kind of evolution wherein organisms evolve structures that have similar (_____) structures or functions in spite of their evolutionary ancestors being very dissimilar or unrelated.
(A) Homologous
(B) Analogous
(C) Convergent
(D) Divergent
(B) Analogous
Mechanisms of Evolution: Some individuals within a population are better suited for survival under given environmental conditions. The common term for this is:
(A) Differential Reproduction
(B) Mutation
(C) Genetic Drift
(D) Natural Selection
(D) Natural Selection
Mechanisms of Evolution: _____ is the term to describe individuals who are better suited for survival and are also more likely to successfully reproduce. This strengthens the frequency of expression of “desirable” traits across a population over time.
(A) Differential Reproduction
(B) Mutation
(C) Genetic Drift
(D) Natural Selection
(A) Differential Reproduction
Mechanisms of Evolution: This describes a random alteration of change in a DNA sequence:
(A) Differential Reproduction
(B) Mutation
(C) Genetic Drift
(D) Natural Selection
(B) Mutation
