Evolution and Natural Selection Quiz

Natural selection.

Heritability means that certain traits can be passed from parents to offspring, which is essential for natural selection to occur.

There is no evidence to support the inheritance of acquired characteristics.

<p>Wallace independently formulated a theory of evolution by natural selection, supporting Darwin's ideas.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Competition for limited resources results in only the most adapted individuals surviving to reproduce.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>A large ratio of models to mimics decreases predation, but if mimics become too common, predators learn to target them.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Intraspecific sexual communication and thermoregulation.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>It examines how organisms maximize their net rate of energy gain in their foraging activities.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Organisms encounter prey of unequal value, influencing their choices based on the potential energy gain from the prey encountered.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Mimics require the presence of models to gain significant protection from predators.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>They allow mimic species to adopt various warning signals, enhancing their survival by confusing predators.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>These species may operate in environments with little or no light to reflect colors, diminishing the utility of coloration.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Food resources vary spatially, temporally, in quality, and in terms of accessibility.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The variable 'r' represents the intrinsic rate of population growth, calculated as the number of individuals added (R) divided by the total population size (N), which equals $16/1000 = 0.016$.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>If r &gt; 0, the population experiences exponential growth; if r = 0, the population is at equilibrium; and if r &lt; 0, the population size decreases over time.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Carrying capacity (K) is the maximum population size that an environment can sustain, and it is significant because it influences growth rates based on resource availability.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The logistic growth model incorporates carrying capacity (K) into the growth equation, leading to a decrease in growth rate as the population approaches K, unlike the exponential model which assumes unlimited resources.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>African elephants can illustrate exponential growth even with slow birth rates and late maturity due to favorable reproductive conditions in their environment.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Limiting factors such as food, shelter, and water reduce the resources available to individuals, ultimately decreasing the intrinsic rate of population growth (r).</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>When the carrying capacity is temporarily exceeded, some organisms, such as certain female animals, may store food reserves to support the larger population until resources are depleted.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Thomas Malthus noted in 1798 that population growth is checked by limited resources, leading to struggles for subsistence which ultimately limit population size.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Industrial melanism refers to the phenomenon where species evolve darker colors in response to industrial pollution. In peppered moths, the carbonaria morph (brown moth) became more common after 1850 in polluted areas, replacing the lighter typica morph.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The grey morph of Timema cristinae faces higher predation when on plants, while the green morph has higher predation rates on the ground. This is because each morph is better camouflaged in its respective habitat.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Limitations of crypsis include the need for selecting a proper background for concealment, which restricts insect mobility, and the requirement for secondary defenses if primary defenses fail. These factors can limit their habitat range.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Müllerian mimicry occurs when two or more unpalatable or harmful species evolve to resemble each other. An example includes various species of aposematic insects that share similar warning colorations.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Batesian mimicry is when a harmless species evolves to resemble a harmful or poisonous species for protection. For example, some palatable cockroaches mimic the appearance of unpalatable beetles.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Peckhamian mimicry involves a predator mimicking its prey to avoid detection. An example is a spider resembling its ant prey, allowing it to approach and capture it without alarming the prey.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Crypsis is more advantageous for rare species because it increases their chances of evading detection, especially if predators cannot easily learn or remember which species are harmful. This reduces predation risks.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Aposematic coloration serves as a warning signal to predators, indicating that the species is unpalatable or harmful. In Müllerian mimicry, multiple species sharing this warning coloration enhance each other's survival through improved predator recognition.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Higher nutrient levels in Calluna lead to increased natality in grouse populations, while overgrazing can decrease natality due to nutrient lock-up in bird bodies.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Territory size influences population regulation through effects on natality and mortality, with larger territories often leading to lower breeding success.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>DDFs are biotic factors that regulate population size, such as high density leading to decreased Calluna quality and increased competition for resources.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>High grouse density can lead to lower Calluna quality, resulting in poor nutrition and higher chick mortality rates.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Trichostrongylus tenius can spread more readily in high-density populations, potentially impacting grouse health and survival.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Abiotic and biotic factors shape environmental conditions that can compel animals to live in groups, though grouping does not always indicate social behavior.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Stable populations maintain equilibrium through regulation, whereas non-equilibrium populations are unstable and subject to fluctuations.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Understanding population variations helps in designing conservation strategies, managing natural resources, and addressing pest control in agriculture.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>In low predator environments, males are selected for bright coloration to attract females.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>High predator pressure favors males with dull and smaller spots to enhance survival and ensure they can mate.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Variation, heritability (offspring resemble parents), and a non-random relationship between phenotype and fitness.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>An adaptation is a phenotypic variant that results in the highest fitness in a given environment.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Guppy populations in predator-rich environments showed a decrease in the number of spots compared to those in predator-poor environments.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Each guppy population exhibits adapted phenotypes reflective of the local balance of sexual and predation selection.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Endler created a unique population with mixed spot variations that differed from natural populations when bred together.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>In environments where prawns are the sole predators, guppies developed larger red spots because prawns cannot see red, allowing them to attract mates without risk.</p> Signup and view all the answers