Evolution and Natural Selection Overview

They are characterized by their ability to shed an exoskeleton through a process called molting.

Whales act as 'ecosystem engineers' by transporting nutrients from the deep sea to the surface, which stimulates phytoplankton growth.

Higher level taxonomic diversity means that the loss of a single species can lead to the disappearance of entire taxonomic groups.

<p>True.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Ecosystem services are the direct and indirect benefits that ecosystems provide to humans.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Batesian mimicry occurs when a harmless species evolves to imitate the appearance of a harmful species to avoid predation.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Müllerian mimicry involves two or more unpalatable or toxic species that resemble each other, reinforcing their avoidance by predators.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The Amish population descended from a small group of German immigrants, leading to limited genetic variation and a higher frequency of certain inherited disorders.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Laron syndrome, a form of dwarfism caused by a genetic mutation, is found among these populations.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Asexual reproduction is more advantageous in a stable environment with no competitors or predators.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Benefits of asexual reproduction include faster population growth and the energy savings from not needing to find a mate.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Ellis-van Creveld syndrome involves short stature, polydactyly, and dental and heart abnormalities.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Isolation limits genetic mixing, leading to a higher prevalence of certain traits or disorders due to the small initial gene pool.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Archaea are ancient prokaryotes that share characteristics with both bacteria and eukaryotes, such as having histones and introns, while lacking a nucleus.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Malaria is caused by Plasmodium falciparum, which belongs to the phylum Apicomplexa.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The life cycle includes sexual reproduction in the mosquito host and multiple asexual reproduction stages in the vertebrate host, culminating in the explosion of red blood cells to release progeny.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Fungi have cell walls made of chitin and are heterotrophic, digesting food extracellularly and absorbing it.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Certain human diseases, such as malaria and candidiasis, are caused by eukaryotic organisms like protists and fungi.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Fungi serve various ecological roles, including decomposers, parasites, mutualists, and commensals.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Phylogenetic studies show that fungi are more closely related to animals than to plants.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>All land plants utilize chlorophyll a and b for photosynthesis.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>A molecular clock is a figurative tool used to measure evolutionary time by estimating the rate of neutral mutations in DNA.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Organisms that diverged recently have fewer nucleotide differences, while those that diverged long ago have many more.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Natural selection is the process where organisms better adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Stabilizing selection favors individuals with average or moderate traits, enhancing their chances of survival and reproduction.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Diversifying selection favors multiple extreme phenotypes within a population, promoting genetic diversity.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Natural selection is not perfection, progress, harmony in nature, or a justification for human actions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Natural selection involves competition for resources, which can lead to both conflict and cooperation among organisms.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Peppered moths are an example of natural selection, specifically directional selection.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Sexual reproduction increases genetic diversity, making it harder for parasites or predators to adapt to a single host genotype.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Vrijenhoek found that sexually reproducing Mexican Poeciliid fish survived parasites more successfully than asexually reproducing populations.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>LUCA stands for Last Universal Common Ancestor, and it represents the most recent common ancestor of all currently living organisms.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>No, LUCA was not the first life; there were likely many forms of life before or around the same time as LUCA.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Molecular evidence suggests LUCA may have thrived in high-temperature environments as a thermophile.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>LUCA is thought to have used methanogenesis as one of the most ancient forms of metabolism.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>LUCA is inferred to have had DNA as its primary genetic material, shared by all modern life forms.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Archaea are one of the three domains of life, characterized by their unique biochemical and genetic features.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Bryophytes are non-vascular plants like liverworts, mosses, and hornworts, lacking specialized tissue for water transport, unlike seedless vascular plants which have vascular tissue.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Vascular tissue allows plants to efficiently transport water and nutrients, enabling them to grow taller; examples include seedless vascular plants like ferns and gymnosperms like conifers.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Gymnosperms produce naked seeds not enclosed in fruits, whereas angiosperms produce seeds enclosed within fruits and are the most diverse group of land plants.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>In protostomes, the first opening of the embryo becomes the mouth, while in deuterostomes, it becomes the anus, with the mouth forming later.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Examples of deuterostomes include fish and sea stars, while examples of protostomes include earthworms and clams.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The main challenge is illegal logging, which reduces forest cover crucial for the butterflies' survival during winter.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The group Ecdysozoa contains more than half of all animal species on Earth.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The decree did not take into consideration the local communities of Otomi and Mazahua people, who have historically used the land.</p> Signup and view all the answers