Scientific Thinking and Evolution Quiz

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Questions and Answers

What is scientific thinking and how does it work?

Scientific thinking is a structured way of finding information on observable events in nature. It works through making observations, formulating hypotheses, making predictions, and conducting experiments.

How does a hypothesis differ from a theory or a prediction?

A hypothesis is a suggested prediction of a possible correlation among two things. A theory is a tested, proven explanation for a set of factors, and predictions can lead to hypotheses and potentially theories through testing.

What does it mean to control an experiment?

Controlling an experiment means to manage all variables in a study ensuring only the independent variable is changed while all other factors are kept constant.

Compare and contrast superstitions, anecdotal observations, and pseudoscience.

Superstitions are unjustified beliefs in supernatural causation, anecdotal observations are convenient but not based on careful study, and pseudosciences are misconceptions. Signup and view all the answers

With more and more observations that support a hypothesis, can you eventually say it is true?

False Signup and view all the answers

What is evolution and how does it occur? (Name the four ways and give an example)

Evolution is a gradual change to a better or more complex form and it occurs when there is a change in allele frequency within a population. The four ways are genetic drift, natural selection, mutation, and gene flow. An example is farmers getting more milk from cows by breeding the top 20% of milk-producing cows. Signup and view all the answers

What is natural selection?

Natural selection is when a species changes to better fit its environment, requiring variability, heritability, and differential reproductive success. Signup and view all the answers

What ideas and observations influenced Darwin?

Darwin noticed patterns among the finches on the Galapagos Islands, including variations, similarities between fossils and living species, offspring overproduction, competition for resources, and the inheritance of traits. Signup and view all the answers

Why does artificial selection almost always work?

Artificial selection works because it involves humans choosing specific traits for breeding, similar to natural selection, which also requires variability, heritability, and differential reproductive success. Signup and view all the answers

How is genetic drift related to Mendel’s first law?

Genetic drift is related to Mendel’s first law because both involve the random distribution of alleles within a population. Signup and view all the answers

What is sexual selection and why does it lead to trade-offs? Include an example.

Sexual selection is a type of evolution where a species has more reproductive success when exhibiting certain exaggerated traits, leading to trade-offs between reproductive success and survival. An example is peacocks with large, colorful feathers. Signup and view all the answers

What is the norm of reaction and how does the slope describe the relation between genotype and phenotype?

The norm of reaction is the set of all phenotypic expressions possible for a given genotype under different environmental conditions. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Scientific Thinking

Scientific thinking is a structured process for understanding observable natural events. It involves making observations, formulating hypotheses, making predictions, and conducting experiments.
A hypothesis is a suggested explanation for a possible correlation between factors, while a theory is a tested and proven explanation for a set of phenomena.
Controlling an experiment involves managing all variables, ensuring only the independent variable is altered to isolate the effect of that variable.
Superstitions, anecdotal observations, and pseudoscience are all examples of unscientific thinking.
Supporting evidence strengthens a hypothesis, but it can never be completely proven true as knowledge evolves.

Evolution and Natural Selection

Evolution occurs through changes in allele frequency within a population. This can happen through genetic drift, natural selection, mutation, and gene flow.
Natural selection favors traits that increase an organism's survival and reproduction in their specific environments. This requires variability in traits, heritability of those traits, and differential reproductive success.
Darwin's observations of finches on the Galapagos Islands, similarities between fossils and living species, offspring overproduction, competition for resources, and the inheritance of traits influenced his theory of evolution.
Artificial selection works similarly to natural selection because it involves choosing organisms with specific traits to breed, ensuring those traits are passed down, even if the trait selection is determined by humans rather than nature.
Genetic drift is related to Mendel's first law as both involve the random distribution of alleles within a population.
Sexual selection, a type of evolution, favors traits that increase reproductive success even if those traits decrease survival. This results in trade-offs between survival and reproduction, like the exaggerated feathers of male peacocks that attract mates but also make them more vulnerable to predators.

Nature, Nurture and Norm-of-Reaction

The norm of reaction is the range of phenotypic expressions possible for a given genotype under different environmental conditions.
The slope of the norm of reaction graph illustrates the relationship between genotype and phenotype. A steeper slope indicates a greater influence of the genotype on the phenotype, while a flatter slope indicates a greater influence of the environment.

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Description

Test your understanding of scientific thinking and the principles of evolution and natural selection. This quiz covers key concepts like hypotheses, theories, and genetic changes in populations. Challenge yourself to distinguish between scientific and unscientific reasoning.