Contemporary Biology Test 2

Questions and Answers

What is the difference between dispersal and vicariance?

Dispersal involves the movement of the organism, whereas vicariance involves a change in the environment.

Speciation involving a geographic separation of populations from a parent species and subsequent evolution is called?

Allopatric speciation

What characteristic of mules supports the conclusion that horses and donkeys are different species?

Mules are infertile

Which condition involves a cell, or organism, having an extra set of chromosomes?

Polyploidy Signup and view all the answers

Which condition would result in allopatric speciation taking place more quickly?

Greater distance between the two groups Signup and view all the answers

What is the term used to describe 'a group of actually or potentially interbreeding individuals'?

Species Signup and view all the answers

What term best fits the situation where a population of iguanas lands on a Caribbean island and becomes separated from the original population?

Speciation Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following are allopolyploids?

Cotton plants Signup and view all the answers

What variable increases the likelihood of allopatric speciation taking place more quickly?

Longer distance between divided groups Signup and view all the answers

_______ occurs when individuals of two different species reproduce to form a viable offspring.

Alloploidy Signup and view all the answers

Which situation would most likely lead to allopatric speciation?

A flood causes the formation of a new lake. Signup and view all the answers

What term is used to describe speciation without geographic separation?

Sympatric speciation Signup and view all the answers

The Hawaiian honeycreeper illustrates an example of?

Adaptive radiation Signup and view all the answers

What is the ultimate source of all genetic variation in a population?

Random mutation Signup and view all the answers

In which conditions will the allele frequency of a species remain constant from one generation to another?

Random mating Signup and view all the answers

The effects of genetic drift are most apparent in small populations.

True Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following situations will lead to natural selection?

All of these Signup and view all the answers

Which statement most accurately represents what geneticists refer to as fitness?

The measure of an organism's ability to survive and produce offspring. Signup and view all the answers

In relation to natural selection, evolution is the?

Outcome Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following can be used to know whether a population is evolving?

The Hardy-Weinberg equation Signup and view all the answers

What does the genetic history of the Afrikaner population of Dutch settlers in South Africa provide evidence of?

Founder effect Signup and view all the answers

_______ can occur when an individual travels from one geographic location to another and joins a different population of the species.

Gene flow Signup and view all the answers

Galápagos medium ground finches are found on Santa Cruz and San Cristóbal islands. What mechanism can alter the allele frequencies through occasional travel between the islands?

Gene flow Signup and view all the answers

With respect to evolution, a disaster that randomly kills a large portion of the population is known as?

The bottleneck effect Signup and view all the answers

Why does genetic drift occur?

Alleles in each generation are a random sampling of genes from the previous generation. Signup and view all the answers

What is mutation?

It is a change in the DNA sequence of the gene. Signup and view all the answers

In which of the following pairs do both evolutionary processes introduce new genetic variation into a population?

Mutation and gene flow Signup and view all the answers

What alleles are impacted by genetic drift?

All alleles Signup and view all the answers

The forelimbs of many vertebrates, such as human arms and forelegs of horses, are quite similar. What does this illustrate?

Homology Signup and view all the answers

Shared derived characters are?

Those that are distinct from the traits of the last common ancestor. Signup and view all the answers

The wings of bats and dragonflies are homologous structures.

False Signup and view all the answers

The scientific name for a wild horse is Equus ferus. Equus is the name, while ferus is the name.

genus; species Signup and view all the answers

What genus does the California wildrose belong to?

Rosa Signup and view all the answers

A group of organisms at any particular level of classification is called a?

Taxon Signup and view all the answers

Binomial nomenclature is?

Naming system that gives an organism a two-word name. Signup and view all the answers

Taxonomy is?

Science of naming and grouping organisms. Signup and view all the answers

Genus is?

A group of similar species. Signup and view all the answers

Sister taxa are?

Two lineages stemming from the same branch point. Signup and view all the answers

In which of the following levels would there generally be the largest number of shared characteristics among organisms of that level?

Family Signup and view all the answers

A dog and a rabbit belong to the same class, Mammalia. This means they are also in the same?

Phylum and kingdom Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is the correct representation of the scientific name for a cat?

Felis catus (italicized) Signup and view all the answers

When constructing a phylogenetic tree, if you were to apply parsimony, you would?

Construct a tree with the fewest evolutionary changes, either genetically or morphologically. Signup and view all the answers

If two organisms share common morphological features, they are considered to be related.

False Signup and view all the answers

Cladograms constructed on evidence from molecular systematics is based on?

DNA sequencing Signup and view all the answers

A group of organisms at any particular level of classifications is called a:

Taxon Signup and view all the answers

A dog and rabbit belong to the same class, Mammalia. This means they are also in the same?

Phylum and kingdom Signup and view all the answers

What is the best method for determining the relationship of closely related groups?

Studying rapidly evolving DNA sequences Signup and view all the answers

The wings of bats and dragonflies are homologous structures.

False Signup and view all the answers

A wolf and a cat belong to the same order, Carnivora. This means they also belong in the same?

Class and Phylum Signup and view all the answers

In which of the following levels would there generally be the largest number of shared characteristics among organisms of that level?

Family Signup and view all the answers

A(n) _______ species is a species that faces extinction in all or part of its range.

Endangered Signup and view all the answers

Pest control is an ecosystem service that supports human agriculture.

True Signup and view all the answers

Biodiversity in every taxonomic group of organisms increases as latitude increases.

False Signup and view all the answers

Biodiversity tends to increase?

Towards the equator Signup and view all the answers

Grizzly bears relocating north in response to climate change, thereby occupying polar bear habitat is an example of?

Range shift Signup and view all the answers

High numbers of ________ are contained in biodiversity hotspots.

Endemic species Signup and view all the answers

Clearing a forest, or replacing prairies with pasture lands, and crop fields is an example of what type of threat to biodiversity?

Habitat loss Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following are reasons why most exotic species introductions into an ecosystem fail?

Poor adaptation to the ecosystem Signup and view all the answers

When does an exotic species become an invasive species?

When it threatens native species through resource competition or disease. Signup and view all the answers

Biodiversity hotspots are?

Regions with the potential for high levels of extinction Signup and view all the answers

The diversity that enables living things to adapt and survive environmental changes is called?

Genetic diversity Signup and view all the answers

The Irish potato blight would not have been severe if the potatoes had?

More genetic diversity Signup and view all the answers

Which of these statements best describes a keystone species?

Their disappearance will collapse or significantly change the entire ecosystem. Signup and view all the answers

Desert ecosystems are especially threatened by exotic species.

False Signup and view all the answers

What is species-area relationship?

Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Concepts of Dispersal and Speciation

Dispersal refers to the movement of organisms, while vicariance is due to environmental changes affecting species distribution.
Allopatric speciation occurs when geographic separation leads to population divergence.
Hybrid fertility is a key differentiator of species; mules, hybrids of horses and donkeys, are infertile.

Genetic Mechanisms and Evolutionary Processes

Polyploidy involves a cell or organism having extra sets of chromosomes, facilitating speciation.
Allopatric speciation is accelerated by greater geographical distances separating populations.
Sympatric speciation occurs without geographic separation, while adaptive radiation is exemplified by Hawaiian honeycreepers.

Evolutionary Genetics and Natural Selection

Random mutations are the ultimate source of genetic variation within populations.
Genetic drift impacts all alleles, being more pronounced in small populations due to random sampling effects.
Fitness in genetics measures an organism's reproductive success in surviving and producing offspring.

Taxonomy and Classification

Binomial nomenclature assigns a two-part name (genus and species) to organisms, e.g., Equus ferus for wild horses.
Taxon refers to a group of organisms at any classification level, with genus signifying groups of similar species.
Cladograms based on molecular systematics utilize DNA sequencing for understanding evolutionary relationships.

Biodiversity and Conservation

Biodiversity hotspots are regions critical for conservation, containing high endemic species and potential risk for extinction.
Habitat loss from activities like deforestation or agriculture poses a significant threat to biodiversity.
Invasive species threaten native populations when competing for resources or spreading diseases.

Environmental Responses and Species Dynamics

Range shifts occur when species migrate in response to changing environmental conditions, such as climate change.
Genetic diversity enhances a population's ability to adapt to environmental changes, aiding survival.
Keystone species are crucial for ecosystem stability; their loss can lead to significant ecological shifts.

Specific Definitions and Clarifications

Endangered species face extinction risks within part or all of their range.
The species-area relationship posits that larger areas tend to support more species, crucial for conservation planning.
The Irish potato blight illustrated the risk of low genetic diversity, leading to vulnerabilities in crops.

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Test your knowledge with these flashcards covering key concepts from Contemporary Biology. This quiz includes questions on dispersal, vicariance, and speciation, helping you understand important biological processes. Perfect for reviewing essential terms and definitions.

Contemporary Biology Test 2

Questions and Answers

What is the difference between dispersal and vicariance?

Speciation involving a geographic separation of populations from a parent species and subsequent evolution is called?

What characteristic of mules supports the conclusion that horses and donkeys are different species?

Which condition involves a cell, or organism, having an extra set of chromosomes?

Which condition would result in allopatric speciation taking place more quickly?

What is the term used to describe 'a group of actually or potentially interbreeding individuals'?

What term best fits the situation where a population of iguanas lands on a Caribbean island and becomes separated from the original population?

Which of the following are allopolyploids?

What variable increases the likelihood of allopatric speciation taking place more quickly?

_______ occurs when individuals of two different species reproduce to form a viable offspring.

Which situation would most likely lead to allopatric speciation?

What term is used to describe speciation without geographic separation?

The Hawaiian honeycreeper illustrates an example of?

What is the ultimate source of all genetic variation in a population?

In which conditions will the allele frequency of a species remain constant from one generation to another?

The effects of genetic drift are most apparent in small populations.

Which of the following situations will lead to natural selection?

Which statement most accurately represents what geneticists refer to as fitness?

In relation to natural selection, evolution is the?

Which of the following can be used to know whether a population is evolving?

What does the genetic history of the Afrikaner population of Dutch settlers in South Africa provide evidence of?

_______ can occur when an individual travels from one geographic location to another and joins a different population of the species.

Galápagos medium ground finches are found on Santa Cruz and San Cristóbal islands. What mechanism can alter the allele frequencies through occasional travel between the islands?

With respect to evolution, a disaster that randomly kills a large portion of the population is known as?

Why does genetic drift occur?

What is mutation?

In which of the following pairs do both evolutionary processes introduce new genetic variation into a population?

What alleles are impacted by genetic drift?

The forelimbs of many vertebrates, such as human arms and forelegs of horses, are quite similar. What does this illustrate?

Shared derived characters are?

The wings of bats and dragonflies are homologous structures.

The scientific name for a wild horse is Equus ferus. Equus is the ______ name, while ferus is the ______ name.

What genus does the California wildrose belong to?

A group of organisms at any particular level of classification is called a?

Binomial nomenclature is?

Taxonomy is?

Genus is?

Sister taxa are?

In which of the following levels would there generally be the largest number of shared characteristics among organisms of that level?

A dog and a rabbit belong to the same class, Mammalia. This means they are also in the same?

Which of the following is the correct representation of the scientific name for a cat?

When constructing a phylogenetic tree, if you were to apply parsimony, you would?

If two organisms share common morphological features, they are considered to be related.

Cladograms constructed on evidence from molecular systematics is based on?

A group of organisms at any particular level of classifications is called a:

A dog and rabbit belong to the same class, Mammalia. This means they are also in the same?

What is the best method for determining the relationship of closely related groups?

The wings of bats and dragonflies are homologous structures.

A wolf and a cat belong to the same order, Carnivora. This means they also belong in the same?

In which of the following levels would there generally be the largest number of shared characteristics among organisms of that level?

A(n) _______ species is a species that faces extinction in all or part of its range.

Pest control is an ecosystem service that supports human agriculture.

Biodiversity in every taxonomic group of organisms increases as latitude increases.

Biodiversity tends to increase?

Grizzly bears relocating north in response to climate change, thereby occupying polar bear habitat is an example of?

High numbers of ________ are contained in biodiversity hotspots.

Clearing a forest, or replacing prairies with pasture lands, and crop fields is an example of what type of threat to biodiversity?

Which of the following are reasons why most exotic species introductions into an ecosystem fail?

When does an exotic species become an invasive species?

Biodiversity hotspots are?

The diversity that enables living things to adapt and survive environmental changes is called?

The Irish potato blight would not have been severe if the potatoes had?

Which of these statements best describes a keystone species?

Desert ecosystems are especially threatened by exotic species.

What is species-area relationship?

Study Notes

Concepts of Dispersal and Speciation

Genetic Mechanisms and Evolutionary Processes

Evolutionary Genetics and Natural Selection

Taxonomy and Classification

Biodiversity and Conservation

Environmental Responses and Species Dynamics

Specific Definitions and Clarifications

Studying That Suits You

Description

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