bio 358: practice Questions With Complete Solutions
A crucial question for us is how much complexity needs to be
taken into account if we are to develop a scientific theory of
humans and their origins. There are many potential
organizational levels, culminating in the human body. Which of
the following is the most accurate and complete description of
the contribution of the level of atomic chemistry to the
complexity we must consider? [NOTE: More than one answer
below may be an accurate statement; however, only one is the
best answer.]
a. Less than thirty elements from among the >100 known to
exist contribute a substantial portion of the mass of the human
body.
b. Essentially all the >100 known elements contribute equally to
the mass of the human body.
c. Less than ten elements from among the >100 known to exist
contribute a substantial portion of the mass of the human body.
d. Less than fifty elements from among the >100 known to exist
contribute a substantial portio Correct Answers Answer: C)
Less than ten elements from among the >100 known to exist
contribute a substantial portion of the mass of the human body.
As we proceed to explore the evolution of social behavior
(including uniquely human social behavior) it will prove very
useful to have a clear, maximally simple definition of what all
individual organisms are. Which of the following is the most
accurate and complete description of this definition? [Note that
more than one answer could be a true statement. The correct
answer will describe the organism's nature at the most
fundamental causal level.]
, a. All organisms consist of design information and tools
supporting replication of the bodies of the organism.
b. Simple organisms consist of design information and tools
supporting replication of that information; complex organisms
can have many more, unpredictable properties reflecting the
inherent goals of the universe.
c. All organisms consist of design information and tools
supporting replication of that information, primarily acting to
replicate the individual animal' Correct Answers Answer: C)
All organisms consist of design information and tools supporting
replication of that information, primarily acting to replicate the
individual animal's personal design information.
Humans are different from (at least) some other animals in one
very particular way that we forecast and emphasized in TOPIC
1. This emphasized difference, in turn, was predicted to account
for many of the human properties that will concern us and for
which we need a scientific account. Which of the following is
this central, causal human property?
a. Linguistic sophistication on an unprecedented scale.
b. Social cooperation with close kin conspecifics on a vastly
expanded scale.
c. Cognitive function on an unprecedented scale.
d. Social cooperation with non-kin conspecifics on a vastly
expanded scale. Correct Answers Answer: D) Social
cooperation with non-kin conspecifics on a vastly expanded
scale.
If we are to understand the evolution of human uniqueness (our
goal in this course), it is vital that we understand how the
properties of all organisms emerge as new adaptations evolve.
A crucial question for us is how much complexity needs to be
taken into account if we are to develop a scientific theory of
humans and their origins. There are many potential
organizational levels, culminating in the human body. Which of
the following is the most accurate and complete description of
the contribution of the level of atomic chemistry to the
complexity we must consider? [NOTE: More than one answer
below may be an accurate statement; however, only one is the
best answer.]
a. Less than thirty elements from among the >100 known to
exist contribute a substantial portion of the mass of the human
body.
b. Essentially all the >100 known elements contribute equally to
the mass of the human body.
c. Less than ten elements from among the >100 known to exist
contribute a substantial portion of the mass of the human body.
d. Less than fifty elements from among the >100 known to exist
contribute a substantial portio Correct Answers Answer: C)
Less than ten elements from among the >100 known to exist
contribute a substantial portion of the mass of the human body.
As we proceed to explore the evolution of social behavior
(including uniquely human social behavior) it will prove very
useful to have a clear, maximally simple definition of what all
individual organisms are. Which of the following is the most
accurate and complete description of this definition? [Note that
more than one answer could be a true statement. The correct
answer will describe the organism's nature at the most
fundamental causal level.]
, a. All organisms consist of design information and tools
supporting replication of the bodies of the organism.
b. Simple organisms consist of design information and tools
supporting replication of that information; complex organisms
can have many more, unpredictable properties reflecting the
inherent goals of the universe.
c. All organisms consist of design information and tools
supporting replication of that information, primarily acting to
replicate the individual animal' Correct Answers Answer: C)
All organisms consist of design information and tools supporting
replication of that information, primarily acting to replicate the
individual animal's personal design information.
Humans are different from (at least) some other animals in one
very particular way that we forecast and emphasized in TOPIC
1. This emphasized difference, in turn, was predicted to account
for many of the human properties that will concern us and for
which we need a scientific account. Which of the following is
this central, causal human property?
a. Linguistic sophistication on an unprecedented scale.
b. Social cooperation with close kin conspecifics on a vastly
expanded scale.
c. Cognitive function on an unprecedented scale.
d. Social cooperation with non-kin conspecifics on a vastly
expanded scale. Correct Answers Answer: D) Social
cooperation with non-kin conspecifics on a vastly expanded
scale.
If we are to understand the evolution of human uniqueness (our
goal in this course), it is vital that we understand how the
properties of all organisms emerge as new adaptations evolve.
