History and Nature of Science Flashcards
Select all of the following that are true about natural selection.
- reproductive success of individuals differs
- occurs due to variation in environmental factors
Selection of dairy cows that produce more milk for human consumption is an example of ___ selection, and selection of light-colored moths over dark0colored moths by a bird predator is an example of ___ selection.
artificial; natural
If humans are involved in perpetuating desired traits in organisms, the result is
artificial selection
How did natural selection shape the evolution of finches on the Galapagos Islands?
Birds with different heritable differences were able to better survive and reproduce in different habitats.
The shortened title of the book that Charles Darwin published in 1859 was
On the Origin of Species
Charles Darwin’s book titled On the Origin of Species proposed ___ as an evolutionary mechanism.
natural selection
Select observations and inferences that Charles Darwin made in support of natural selection.
- There is competition among individuals for limited resources.
- Some individuals survive due to their inherited characteristics, making them more likely to reproduce.
- Natural selection can change the characteristics of a population over many generations.
- Organisms are varied and some variations are inherited.
- More individuals are born than can survive to reproduce.
The modern evolutionary synthesis connects natural selection and
genetic variation that arises by mutation
The only way that new genetic variants arise is through ___, which is the raw material of evolution.
mutation
What increases genetic variability within a species through shuffling and reshuffling of parental alleles to produce genetically different offspring?
sexual reproduction
The entire collection of the genes and their alleles in a population is called the gene ___.
pool
Buffon
Closely related species arise from a common ancestor and are changing.
Lyell
Natural process are slow and steady, and the Earth is much older than 6,000 years.
Darwin
Variation exists in a population and new species arise when natural selection acts on the variation.
Lamarck
Repeated use of a body part increases an organism’s abilities, and this change during a lifetime passes to the next generation.
___ is defined as a change in allele frequencies in a population over time.
Evolution
Darwin reasoned that the variety of finch species found on the Galapagos Islands descended from a common ancestor. He used the phrase “descent with ___” to describe gradual genetic changes from the ancestral type.
modification
Select all of the reasonings of Charles Darwin that were influenced by Thomas Malthus’s essay.
- More individuals are born into a population than the habitat can support.
- Some individuals in a population are better able to obtain resources than others.
- There is variation in a population.
Changes in allele frequencies in a population or species that occur over a relatively short time rather than millions of years is an example of
microevolution
To calculate an allele frequency, you should divide the number of copies of that allele by the
total number of alleles in the population
Select the statements about Charles Darwin that are correct.
- Darwin studied similarities and differences among organisms and related them to geological observations.
- Darwin proposed that natural selection could give rise to new species over time.
Inbreeding members of the same species compose a ___.
population
The appearance of a new species of oak tree would be called a(n) ___ event.
macroevolutionary
A(n) ___ does not evolve because alleles do not change; however, a(n) ___ can evolve because allele frequencies can change.
individual; population
Charles Darwin consulted John Gould about the birds that he had collected on the Galapagos Islands. Gould identified 13 distinct types of finches based on the birds’
bills
Descent with modification refers to
evolution
Select all of the following that Charles Darwin observed during his voyage on the Beagle.
- forest plant fossils mixed in with ocean sediments
- land altered by forces, such as earthquakes and erosion
- plants and animals on the Galapagos Islands
Fossils present in ___ layers of rock are older.
lower
As evolutionary theory was being developed prior to the mid-1700s, what fossil evidence conflicted with the idea that the diversity of life was due to creation?
- Fossils showed that species were extinct.
- Different layers of rock contained different groups of fossilized organisms.
- Fossils depicted organisms never seen before.
Select all the ideas that were considered fundamental principles in explaining the diversity of life before the late 1800s.
- Organisms arose by special creation and did not change.
- Members of a particular species are identical in form and capacity.
Which two of the following was Charles Darwin not able to explain or understand with respect to his ideas on natural selection as a force of evolution?
- the source of variation within populations
- how heritable traits were passed from one generation to the next
Select all the correct examples of artificial selection.
- Darwin raised and developed several breeds of pigeons using artificial selection.
- Broccoli, cauliflower, and kale were created by artificial selection of wild mustard.
What did Darwin’s ideas suggest about humans, which was hard for some people at the time to accept?
Humans are just another species subject to natural selection.
What scientist believed that an organism passed the abilities it increased during its lifetime to the next generation?
Lamarck
On what islands did Darwin spend five weeks gathering observations that would later shape his ideas about natural selection and evolution?
Galapagos Islands
Whose essay, describing how factors limit human population size, influenced Charles Darwin’s ideas about variation and survival among individuals in a population?
Thomas Malthus
Independently of Charles Darwin, what other scientist proposed natural selection as a driving force for evolution?
Alfred Wallace
Hawaiian honeycreepers are birds that are found on the Hawaiian Islands. These birds have a common ancestor and have developed a variety of adaptations to help them exploit the many resources on the islands. The diversity of honeycreepers is a result of
evolution
In a population of 1,000 individuals with a gene that has two alleles, there are 2,000 alleles total for this gene. If there are 800 copies of allele a, what is the frequency of allele a in the population?
0.4
Charles Darwin was the first to attempt to explain how the diversity of life arose.
False
Gregor Mendel’s main contribution was to solve the puzzle of
how traits are inherited
