BIO A 355 EXAM QUESTIONS WITH ACCURATE
ANSWERS
Three fundamentals needed for a trait to evolve via natural selection? - ANSWER 1)
Variation in the trait
2) Consequences (in survival and reproduction) associated with variations in the trait
3) Heritability of the trait
T/F: Darwin knew how heredity worked - ANSWER False
Nesse and Williams: How is human physiology viewed? - ANSWER Unbelievably complex
and precise, but has many examples of crude design
What is a proximate explanation? - ANSWER Whatever mechanism that enables an
organism to exhibit a behavior
What is an ultimate explanation? - ANSWER Think in terms of evolutionary design - how
and why did that behavior come to be?
What is an example of a disease or common ailment that Nesse and Williams attribute to
novel environments? - ANSWER Heart disease
What are novel environments? - ANSWER Environments that social evolved or were
constructed in too short time for our bodies to adapt - generally speaking, human design
or engineered ecosystems
Why can't humans evolve to have their nostrils somewhere on their neck? - ANSWER
Because evolution is an incremental process that can't make huge jumps
,What is a phylogenetic constraint? - ANSWER In a nutshell, an organism cannot evolve
new features of their body that are grossly different from their "body plan" that is
already existing - humans cannot grow wings, for example. Remember: phylogeny
means the evolutionary history of an organism
What is meant by "fittest"? - ANSWER The individual with the highest reproductive
success. Fitness only concerns this.
Beaver tree harvesting behavior (Nesse and Williams reading) is an example of? -
ANSWER How we can predict and test aspects of biology using evolutionary logic
What is energy for individuals? - ANSWER Limited, and must be differentially allocated
to the different elements that make up life history
T/F: life histories show variation - ANSWER True
What is life history theory? - ANSWER A theory that explains variation in reproductive
and developmental strategies across species - focuses more on life cycles than specific
structures or behaviors
What are 4 key life history traits? - ANSWER 1. Growth rate
2. Maturity
3. Adult body size
4. Reproduction
What are the two key principles of the life history theory? - ANSWER 1. Extrinsic
mortality
2. Senescence
T/F: Life histories have fitness consequences - ANSWER True
, T/F: Life histories are heritable - ANSWER True
T/F: Life histories evolve via natural selection - ANSWER True
What are some examples of life history trade-offs? - ANSWER 1. Current vs. future
reproduction
2. number vs. quality of offspring
3. fecundity vs. lifespan
4. age vs. size at maturity
What are some evolutionary explanations for senescence? - ANSWER 1. Death is an
adaptation for the good of the group (energetically costly to care for those old and
dying, and they no longer serve to perpetuate the species)
2. genes that show senescence show antagonistic pleiotropy (beneficial effects early in
life but adverse consequences later)
3. the Thrifty Gene hypothesis (genes have become disadvantageous now that we live
longer lives)
Compared to other animals, humans tend to have what? - ANSWER Longer childhood
phases
Information in DNA can code for what? - ANSWER A protein, as well as rRNA, tRNA, and
siRNA
What is a TRUE Paleolithic diet? - ANSWER Many different diets based on locally
available plants and animals in diverse ecologies
T/F: Bipedal locomotion is less energetically efficient than quadrupedal locomotion -
ANSWER False
According to Leonard, the hallmarks of human evolution were what? - ANSWER The
ANSWERS
Three fundamentals needed for a trait to evolve via natural selection? - ANSWER 1)
Variation in the trait
2) Consequences (in survival and reproduction) associated with variations in the trait
3) Heritability of the trait
T/F: Darwin knew how heredity worked - ANSWER False
Nesse and Williams: How is human physiology viewed? - ANSWER Unbelievably complex
and precise, but has many examples of crude design
What is a proximate explanation? - ANSWER Whatever mechanism that enables an
organism to exhibit a behavior
What is an ultimate explanation? - ANSWER Think in terms of evolutionary design - how
and why did that behavior come to be?
What is an example of a disease or common ailment that Nesse and Williams attribute to
novel environments? - ANSWER Heart disease
What are novel environments? - ANSWER Environments that social evolved or were
constructed in too short time for our bodies to adapt - generally speaking, human design
or engineered ecosystems
Why can't humans evolve to have their nostrils somewhere on their neck? - ANSWER
Because evolution is an incremental process that can't make huge jumps
,What is a phylogenetic constraint? - ANSWER In a nutshell, an organism cannot evolve
new features of their body that are grossly different from their "body plan" that is
already existing - humans cannot grow wings, for example. Remember: phylogeny
means the evolutionary history of an organism
What is meant by "fittest"? - ANSWER The individual with the highest reproductive
success. Fitness only concerns this.
Beaver tree harvesting behavior (Nesse and Williams reading) is an example of? -
ANSWER How we can predict and test aspects of biology using evolutionary logic
What is energy for individuals? - ANSWER Limited, and must be differentially allocated
to the different elements that make up life history
T/F: life histories show variation - ANSWER True
What is life history theory? - ANSWER A theory that explains variation in reproductive
and developmental strategies across species - focuses more on life cycles than specific
structures or behaviors
What are 4 key life history traits? - ANSWER 1. Growth rate
2. Maturity
3. Adult body size
4. Reproduction
What are the two key principles of the life history theory? - ANSWER 1. Extrinsic
mortality
2. Senescence
T/F: Life histories have fitness consequences - ANSWER True
, T/F: Life histories are heritable - ANSWER True
T/F: Life histories evolve via natural selection - ANSWER True
What are some examples of life history trade-offs? - ANSWER 1. Current vs. future
reproduction
2. number vs. quality of offspring
3. fecundity vs. lifespan
4. age vs. size at maturity
What are some evolutionary explanations for senescence? - ANSWER 1. Death is an
adaptation for the good of the group (energetically costly to care for those old and
dying, and they no longer serve to perpetuate the species)
2. genes that show senescence show antagonistic pleiotropy (beneficial effects early in
life but adverse consequences later)
3. the Thrifty Gene hypothesis (genes have become disadvantageous now that we live
longer lives)
Compared to other animals, humans tend to have what? - ANSWER Longer childhood
phases
Information in DNA can code for what? - ANSWER A protein, as well as rRNA, tRNA, and
siRNA
What is a TRUE Paleolithic diet? - ANSWER Many different diets based on locally
available plants and animals in diverse ecologies
T/F: Bipedal locomotion is less energetically efficient than quadrupedal locomotion -
ANSWER False
According to Leonard, the hallmarks of human evolution were what? - ANSWER The
