BIOL 214 Exam 1 2020/2021

BIOL 214 Exam 1 2020/2021 1. Define evolution a. Transmutation b. Change over time c. Descent with modification d. Heritable change in phenotype of a population over generations. 2. During a study session about evolution, your study partner remarks, "The giraffe stretched its neck while reaching for higher leaves; its offspring inherited longer necks as a result." How should you respond to this student? a. “I agree. You are a genius”. b. “I agree because all adaptations have survival value”. c. “I do not think so because characteristics acquired during an organism's life are generally not passed on through genes”. d. “I do not think so because not every giraffe needs to reach higher leaves”. e. “You are an idiot”. 3. Over evolutionary time, some species of cave-dwelling salamanders have lost their eyes. How can natural selection account for these losses? a. Natural selection cannot account for the loss of a characteristic, only the gain of a characteristic. b. Natural selection accounts for these losses by the principle of use and disuse. c. Under particular circumstances that persisted for generations, selection favored salamanders with smaller eyes until some had no eyes. d. The ancestors of these salamanders experienced mutations that caused them to lose their eyes and forced them to find new habitats. 4. When we say that an individual organism has a greater fitness than another individual, we specifically mean that the organism a. lives longer than others of its species. b. competes for resources more successfully than others of its species. c. mates more frequently than others of its species. d. utilizes resources more efficiently than other species occupying similar niches. e. leaves more viable offspring than others of its species. 5. A certain species of land snail exists as either a cream color or a solid brown color. Intermediate individuals are relatively rare. Which of the following terms best describes this? a. artificial selection b. directional selection c. stabilizing selection d. disruptive selection e. sexual selection