History of Evolution

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Questions and Answers

Which concept, proposed by Hutton, suggests that geological changes occur gradually over extended periods?

Catastrophism
Gradualism (correct)
Punctuated equilibrium
Uniformitarianism

Lamarck's hypothesis of evolution included the idea of 'inheritance of acquired characteristics'. Which example illustrates this concept?

Giraffes developing longer necks over time due to stretching to reach higher vegetation, and their offspring inheriting longer necks (correct)
Finches on the Galapagos Islands having different beak shapes based on available food sources
A bonsai tree's offspring having perfectly trimmed leaves due to the parent plant's trimming
Bacteria developing resistance to antibiotics through genetic mutations

Cuvier's work with vertebrate fossils led to insights about geological strata. How did his observations contribute to understanding Earth's history?

By providing evidence for the principle of uniformitarianism, suggesting Earth is shaped by slow-moving forces
By revealing patterns of change in fossil records across different rock layers (correct)
By supporting the idea that life forms are immutable and do not change over time
By confirming the concept of 'use and disuse' in evolutionary adaptation

Lyell's Principles of Geology popularized which concept that significantly influenced Darwin's thinking?

Uniformitarianism – the idea that the Earth is shaped by slow-moving forces still in operation today (C) Signup and view all the answers

Darwin's observations on the HMS Beagle voyage were crucial to developing his theory. What key finding directly influenced his concept of natural selection?

The observed variation in species, species adaptations, and interactions with the environment (A) Signup and view all the answers

In the context of natural selection, what role does the environment play?

It serves as a filter, determining which heritable traits are more likely to be passed on (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which scenario exemplifies natural selection leading to the emergence of an entire new species?

A population adapting to new environmental conditions or moving to a different environment (A) Signup and view all the answers

The evolution of pesticide resistance in a pest population is an example of natural selection. How does this process typically occur?

Pests with pre-existing resistance alleles are more likely to survive and reproduce (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is a key difference in how Darwin and Lamarck would explain the long necks of giraffes?

Darwin proposed that giraffes with slightly longer necks had a survival advantage, while Lamarck suggested that giraffes acquired longer necks through stretching and passed this trait on (A) Signup and view all the answers

How does horizontal gene transfer contribute to antibiotic resistance in bacteria, and why is this a concern for designing effective antibiotics?

It allows bacteria to quickly acquire favorable traits from other bacteria, making it harder to design effective antibiotics (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary difference between artificial selection and natural selection?

Natural selection is guided by environmental factors, while artificial selection is guided by human preferences (C) Signup and view all the answers

Certain whale species have reduced hind leg bones that no longer serve a function. These structures are examples of what?

Vestigial structures (C) Signup and view all the answers

Similar bone structures are found in the forelimbs of humans, cats, whales, and bats, but these limbs have different functions. What evolutionary concept explains these similarities?

Homology (A) Signup and view all the answers

Sugar gliders in Australia and flying squirrels in North America both evolved the ability to glide, despite belonging to different evolutionary lineages. What evolutionary process explains this similarity?

Convergent evolution (A) Signup and view all the answers

How is molecular homology used to determine evolutionary relationships between species?

By comparing similarities in DNA structure and amino acid sequences of proteins (A) Signup and view all the answers

How does the study of biogeography contribute to our understanding of evolution?

By providing insights into the past and present geographic distributions of species (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which type of phylogenetic group includes the most recent common ancestor and all its descendants?

Monophyletic group (A) Signup and view all the answers

How are analogies different from homologies, and why are analogies not used to develop phylogenetic trees?

Analogies are due to convergent evolution, while homologies are due to shared ancestry; analogies are not used to develop phylogenetic trees (B) Signup and view all the answers

In a phylogenetic tree, what does a branch point represent?

A common ancestor from which two or more lineages diverged (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is a key difference between ancestral and derived characters when constructing phylogenetic trees?

Ancestral characters arose before a split from a common ancestor; derived characters arose after a split (C) Signup and view all the answers

According to the principle of maximum parsimony, how do scientists select the best phylogenetic tree?

By selecting the tree with the fewest evolutionary changes and the simplest explanation (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which statement best describes how molecular clocks are used in evolutionary biology?

They measure the number of changes in a genome over time (C) Signup and view all the answers

Why is it important to use genes that are selectively neutral when using molecular clocks?

Natural selection can alter the rate of evolution in non-neutral genes (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of population genetics?

Studying allele distributions and genetic variation within a population (A) Signup and view all the answers

If a drought leads to fewer small, soft seeds and more large, hard seeds, how does this change illustrate natural selection in finches?

The average beak size in the finch population increases over time as those with larger beaks have better reproductive success (A) Signup and view all the answers

Why is genetic variation necessary for evolution to occur?

It provides raw material for natural selection to favor certain traits (A) Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes continuous traits from discrete traits?

Continuous traits have a range of intermediate forms, while discrete traits have distinct categories (A) Signup and view all the answers

What does average heterozygosity measure within a population, and why is it important for evolution?

The average percentage of heterozygous loci; it indicates available genetic variation (B) Signup and view all the answers

How do nonheritable variations influence evolution within a population?

They do not contribute to or influence evolution (C) Signup and view all the answers

How can rapid reproduction rates affect genetic variation in bacteria?

Rapid reproduction rates allow genetic changes, such as mutations, to quickly amplify within a population because there more replication events (B) Signup and view all the answers

Different caribou populations in the Yukon live in the same area but rarely interbreed. What does this illustrate?

Reproductive isolation without geographic isolation (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following accurately describes the concept of a gene pool?

All copies of every allele at every locus in all members of a population (B) Signup and view all the answers

What does it mean if a population is in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium?

The allelic frequencies of the population are not changing from one generation to the next (A) Signup and view all the answers

What conditions must be met for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium to hold?

Stable environment, random mating, no gene flow, no mutations, and a large population (C) Signup and view all the answers

If a population is not in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, what can we infer?

One or more of the conditions for equilibrium are not being met, and the population is evolving (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which mechanisms amplify positive mutations or alter allele frequencies?

Genetic drift, gene flow, and natural selection (A) Signup and view all the answers

How does the founder effect differ from the bottleneck effect?

The founder effect occurs when a small group colonizes a new area; the bottleneck effect occurs when the size of a population is reduced dramatically (B) Signup and view all the answers

How does gene flow counteract the effects of natural selection?

By transfering the original traits and thus allele frequencies when there are fertile individuals (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which selection type results in more than two species from a selective process, and results in simultaneous selection about two extremes.

Disruptive/diversifying selection (B) Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Evolution

Change in trait frequency in a population over generations.

Plato's Philosophy

Life is unchanging; Eternal, perfect world beyond senses; Created by God.