Lecture 1

Question 1

what do Filter feeders eat

Answer 1

suspended particles from water

Question 2

define Quantitative trait

Answer 2

Traits where the phenotype can be measured
on a continuous scale

Question 3

define qualitative trait

Answer 3

the phenotype is measured on a
categorical scale. eg blood

Question 4

is height qualitative or quantitative?

Answer 4

Quantitative

Question 5

define Morphological traits

Answer 5

Traits where the phenotype has to
do with the shape, structure,
colour, pattern, or size of an
individual/species

Question 6

define Behavioural traits

Answer 6

Traits where the phenotype has to
do with the behaviour of an
individual/species

Question 7

define Life history traits

Answer 7

Traits related to timing of
development and reproduction;
longevity; number/size of
offspring

Question 8

Is height a morphological, behavioural, or a life history trait

Answer 8

morphological

Question 9

is bird migration a morphological, behavioural, or a life history trait

Answer 9

behavioral

Question 10

is number of elephant offspring per year morphological, behavioural, or a life history trait

Answer 10

life history

Question 11

what is a Heritable trait

Answer 11

Traits with phenotypes that are
genetically inherited from biological
parents (DNA)

Question 12

what is Heritability a measure of

Answer 12

how important genetics are to determining
a trait

Question 13

Phenotypes for traits that are highly heritable will be more likely to
look like what

Answer 13

the phenotype of biological parents – regardless of
environment

Question 14

~79% of variation we see in human height is due to what

Answer 14

genetic differences

Question 15

Peter Dinklage (famous for his role as Tyrion Lannister
in Game of Thrones) has a genetic condition called
achondroplasia. Achondroplasia accounts for most cases of dwarfism, where individuals experience
impaired bone and limb growth. Which of the following is the most accurate way to classify achondroplasia?

A. Achondroplasia is a quantitative trait, because it affects height.
B. Achondroplasia is not heritable.
C. Achondroplasia is a qualitative trait.
D. Achondroplasia is both quantitative and qualitative

Answer 15

C. Achondroplasia is a qualitative trait.

Question 16

define Phenotypic plasticity

Answer 16

When the exact same genotype produces
different phenotypes under different environments

Question 17

what is this an example of?
Same plant with same genetics is grown in shade vs light and ends up different bc of environment

Answer 17

Phenotypic plasticity

Question 18

define sexual dimorphism

Answer 18

vary between biological sexes in a species

Question 19

what is a dioecious species

Answer 19

species that have separate males and females

Question 20

Researchers at the Syndenham River were interested in quantifying
mussel biodiversity – which required identifying different mussel species.
What types of traits are most useful for identifying different species of
mussels?

A. Traits that display phenotypic plasticity
B. Traits that are sexually dimorphic
C. Traits that are heritable
D. Traits that are shared by different species
E. All traits are equally useful for distinguishing between mussel species

Answer 20

C. Traits that are heritable

Question 21

what is taxonomic hierarchy based on

Answer 21

ancestry

Question 22

Biological units
of organization range from

Answer 22

Biosphere to Molecular

Question 23

what does Biodiversity usually refers to

Answer 23

the total number of different species

Question 24

Biological traits are the __________ ___________ of an individual that
manifest in different ways

Answer 24

observable characteristics

Question 25

Evolution is the process that results in what

Answer 25

changes in the proportion of heritable traits
within populations from one generation to the next

Question 26

what are the four forces/mechanisms that drive evolutionary changes

Answer 26

Natural Selection
Mutation
Genetic drift
Gene flow

Question 27

define adaptations

Answer 27

Traits that provide a “fit” between an
organism and its environment

Question 28

natural selection leads to

Answer 28

adaptation

Question 29

Finches with deeper beaks are better able to what

Answer 29

eat large/hard
seeds than finches with shallow beaks

Question 30

Rosemary and Peter Grant study what

Answer 30

a population of finches
on Daphne Island since
1973

Question 31

Offspring beak depths are similar to what

Answer 31

that of their parents

Question 32

If beak depth is heritable, then the next
generation of finches will what

Answer 32

resemble the
previous generation of finches that
survived and reproduced

Question 33

what are Darwin’s Postulates

Answer 33

1. Phenotypic variation exists within a population
2. Differential reproduction/survival occurs based on that
   phenotypic variation
3. That variation is genetically heritable

Question 34

what does it mean when these postulates are true?

Answer 34

natural selection is occurring

Question 35

Which of the following is the best description for why average
beak depth increased in the finch population?
A. Each finch in the population had offspring that had deeper beaks than usual.
B. Finches invested more energy toward growing deeper beaks, which
helped them survive, and then passed these deeper beaks onto their
offspring.
C. Finches with shallower beaks were less likely to survive compared to
finches with deeper beaks.
D. The increase in beak depth occurred by random chance – it would have been equally likely for beaks to become shallower.

Answer 35

C. Finches with shallower beaks were less likely to survive compared to
finches with deeper beaks.

Question 36

Mutations occur when a change takes place within an individual’s genes.
While most mutations do not impact phenotype (they are silent),
mutations occasionally arise that do alter phenotype. Which of the
following is true about mutation rates in medium ground finches and
the drought on Daphne island?
A. Finches started experiencing more new mutations as a result of the
drought on Daphne island.
B. New mutations for deeper beaks arose more often as a response to
the drought and ensuing change in seed size.
C. New mutations for shallower beaks arose less often as a response
to the drought
D. Neither mutation rates or the probability that a mutations influence
beak depth changed as a result of the drought.
E. A, B, and C

Answer 36

D. Neither mutation rates or the probability that a mutations influence
beak depth changed as a result of the drought

Question 37

Fitness explains what

Answer 37

evolutionary success of certain organisms

Question 38

Directional selection

Answer 38

distribution of a trait moves in a single
direction eg finches during drought

Question 39

Stabilizing selection

Answer 39

Genetic variants that lead to ‘extremes’
(e.g., deep beaks OR shallow beaks)
become less common in the population
over time

Question 40

Disruptive selection

Answer 40

Genetic variants that lead to average beak
depth become less common in the
population over time – selection favors genetic variants that lead to the ‘extremes’