Scientific Method and Evolutionary Biology Quiz

Play an AI-generated podcast conversation about this lesson

What is the next step in the scientific method after rejecting or failing to reject hypotheses?

Draw conclusions

Develop new hypotheses

Refine hypothesis and repeat (correct)

Publish results

In a scientific experiment, what is the purpose of having a treatment group and a control group?

To ensure no changes occur during the experiment

To compare the effects of the manipulated variable (correct)

To keep all variables constant

To introduce randomness into the experiment

In the context of kin selection, why is relatedness asymmetry important for determining social behavior?

It leads to competition within families

It promotes genetic mutations

It influences how individuals help their closest relatives (correct)

It ensures equal distribution of resources

According to the information provided on worker policing, which prediction aligns with the scenario where workers eat other workers' eggs?

Workers are more related to sister’s sons than to queen’s sons in colonies with one singly mated queen Signup and view all the answers

What does the treatment vs control comparison aim to achieve in a scientific experiment?

Demonstrate causal relationships Signup and view all the answers

In the scientific method, what role does experimentation play in testing hypotheses?

To evaluate the validity of hypotheses Signup and view all the answers

What is the main focus of the text?

The hypothesis and experiments concerning forager honey bees Signup and view all the answers

In the context of honey bees, what is a 'caste' referring to?

The age group of the honey bee Signup and view all the answers

What was the hypothesis proposed by Amdam and coauthors regarding forager honey bees?

Foragers down regulate their immune system as they age Signup and view all the answers

Based on the text, what was NOT observed in forager honey bees as part of the experiments conducted?

Enhanced immune response compared to other castes Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary reason proposed in the text for foragers to down regulate their immune system?

To reduce costs to the colony Signup and view all the answers

Which term best describes the unique roles performed by different castes in honey bee colonies?

Specialization Signup and view all the answers

What was the main observation made in Ratnieks and Visscher's experiment regarding worker eggs?

Worker eggs were smaller and more misshapen compared to queen eggs. Signup and view all the answers

What was the outcome of the worker egg viability (%) as shown in the graph from Ratnieks and Visscher's study?

40% Signup and view all the answers

Based on the results of worker policing in various species, what does the fact that even clonal species participate in worker policing suggest?

Relatedness to sisters' sons is more important than to the queen in worker policing. Signup and view all the answers

'Kin selection: Relatedness asymmetry' implies:

Workers are more related to their sisters' offspring than to their own offspring. Signup and view all the answers

What was the main finding regarding worker policing via kin selection in the studies referenced after Ratnieks and Visscher's experiment?

Genetic relatedness asymmetry affects worker policing strategies. Signup and view all the answers

What does the kin selection hypothesis predict regarding eggs laid by the queen and the workers in a superorganism colony?

Queen eggs should have higher viability than worker eggs. Signup and view all the answers

What is the main issue with the experimental setup in Ratnieks and Visscher 1989 mentioned in the text?

The animals were raised in an artificial incubator instead of a real nest. Signup and view all the answers

What is meant by an 'experimental artifact' in the context of the text?

A result that is dependent on an artificial situation and is not useful in the real world. Signup and view all the answers

What is the key message regarding correlation and causation highlighted in the text?

Just because something happens with a pattern matching your expectation doesn't mean it caused it. Signup and view all the answers

Based on the text, how can researchers determine the importance of characteristics like loudness, size, and color in lek mating?

By conducting experiments comparing the mating success of males with different characteristics. Signup and view all the answers

In the context of superorganism colonies, what would be a valid conclusion if worker eggs had higher viability than queen eggs?

The kin selection hypothesis is not supported. Signup and view all the answers

Why were proxies or bioassays used to measure the immune system in the study?

The basic pattern to be explained was difficult to measure directly. Signup and view all the answers

What components of the immune system were measured as proxies in the study?

Immune cells and gene expression of immune genes. Signup and view all the answers

Why did foragers have the strongest immune systems according to the study results?

Because their immune system worked differently and they already had the necessary proteins. Signup and view all the answers

What was concluded about science based on the study's findings?

Science involves many retractions and consensus emerges slowly. Signup and view all the answers

What role did experiments with pathogens play in the study?

They helped measure survivorship, gene expression, and metabolic activity. Signup and view all the answers