Test Bank for Essentials of Biological Anthropology, 4th Edition, Clark Spencer Larsen

Test Bank for Essentials of Biological Anthropology, 4th Edition, Clark Spencer Larsen CHAPTER 02: Evolution: Constructing a Fundamental Scientific Theory MULTIPLE CHOICE 1. Adaptive radiation occurs when: a. one species gives rise to multiple closely related species. b. several species adapt to one environment. c. species adapt to environments with high radiation levels. d. an individual adapts to varying environments. ANS: A DIF: Easy OBJ: Explain Darwin's main contribution(s) to the theory of evolution TOP: Evolution: constructing a fundamental scientific theory MSC: Remembering 2. Charles Darwin’s book On the Origin of Species (1859) was considered an important contribution to modern science because it: a. coined the concept of evolution. b. synthesized information from diverse scientific fields in order to document evolutionary change. c. was immediately and widely accepted by the scientific community as the mechanism for evolutionary change. d. proposed the use of the scientific method for the first time. ANS: B DIF: Moderate OBJ: Explain Darwin's main contribution(s) to the theory of evolution TOP: What was Darwin’s contribution to the theory of evolution? MSC: Remembering 3. Uniformitarianism is the theory that: a. the earth is very old, based on geologic evidence from stratigraphic layers in Scotland. b. the natural processes operating today are the same as the natural processes that operated in the past. c. the uniformity of species is derived from the common ancestor of all species. d. processes such as earthquakes are evidence supporting catastrophism as proposed by Lamarck. ANS: B DIF: Moderate OBJ: Define the five major scientific disciplines from which Darwin drew to create his theory of evolution and explain the principles in each that contributed to his ideas TOP: Geology: reconstructing Earth’s dynamic history MSC: Remembering 4. Why is the work of Alfred Russell Wallace considered when discussing the theory of evolution? a. He was an English naturalist who had arrived at many of the same conclusions as Darwin through his own research. b. His work is not considered, as he was mistakenly credited with the theory of natural selection. c. He was a British dog breeder who worked on artificial selection experiments in the same way Mendel worked on sweet peas to determine inheritance. d. He was the most prominent scientist of the time who opposed Darwin’s work on evolution. ANS: A DIF: Easy OBJ: Define the five major scientific disciplines from which Darwin drew to create his theory of evolution and explain the principles in each that contributed to his ideas TOP: Darwin’s contemporaries and competition: Wallace MSC: Understanding 5. The relevance of the theory of uniformitarianism is that it: a. supports the theory of catastrophism. b. proves that changes to the earth were caused by cataclysmic events like earthquakes and floods. c. allowed the understanding of evidence of change in the geological past by understanding what we see in the present day. d. demonstrates that the earth is 4.4 billion years old, based on geologic evidence from stratigraphic layers. ANS: C DIF: Moderate OBJ: Define the five major scientific disciplines from which Darwin drew to create his theory of evolution and explain the principles in each that contributed to his ideas TOP: Geology: reconstructing Earth’s dynamic history MSC: Understanding 6. Thomas Malthus’s contribution to natural selection is the: a. binomial taxonomic system of naming species. b. theory that the earth’s old age is based on geologic evidence resulting from cataclysmic events. c. observation that an abundance of food would allow a population to increase geometrically and indefinitely, but there simply is not enough food, so populations are limited by food supply. d. theory that environmental resources increase to population pressures. ANS: C DIF: Moderate OBJ: Define the five major scientific disciplines from which Darwin drew to create his theory of evolution and explain the principles in each that contributed to his ideas TOP: Demography: influences on population size and competition for limited resources MSC: Remembering 7. Darwinian evolution proposes that: a. species adapt and change over time based on the environment. b. an individual can change within its own lifetime. c. species adapt based on individual goals. d. individuals determine their own biological adaptations. ANS: A DIF: Moderate OBJ: Explain Darwin's main contribution(s) to the theory of evolution TOP: Evolution: constructing a fundamental scientific theory MSC: Understanding 8. James Hutton is associated primarily with: a. adaptation. c. uniformitarianism. b. catastrophism. d. principles of heredity. ANS: C DIF: Easy OBJ: Define the five major scientific disciplines from which Darwin drew to create his theory of evolution and explain the principles in each that contributed to his ideas TOP: The theory of evolution: the context for Darwin MSC: Remembering 9. Darwin drew on information from the following five scientific disciplines: a. geology, physical anthropology, taxonomy and systematics, demography, and evolutionary biology. b. geology, paleontology, taxonomy and systematics, geography, and evolutionary biology. c. geology, paleontology, taxonomy and systematics, demography, and biology. d. geology, paleontology, taxonomy and systematics, demography, and evolutionary biology. ANS: D DIF: Moderate OBJ: Define the five major scientific disciplines from which Darwin drew to create his theory of evolution and explain the principles in each that contributed to his ideas TOP: The theory of evolution: the context for Darwin MSC: Remembering 10. According to Darwin, natural selection operates at the level of: a. individuals. c. populations. b. genes. d. species. ANS: A DIF: Easy OBJ: Explain Darwin's main contribution(s) to the theory of evolution TOP: Darwin’s natural selection theory as primary mechanism of evolution MSC: Understanding 11. The English demographer whose work on population growth greatly influenced Darwin’s thinking on population adaptation was: a. Jean-Baptiste de Lamarck. c. Thomas Malthus. b. Georges Cuvier. d. Charles Lyell. ANS: C DIF: Easy OBJ: Define the five major scientific disciplines from which Darwin drew to create his theory of evolution and explain the principles in each that contributed to his ideas TOP: Demography: influences on population size and competition for limited resources MSC: Remembering 12. How was Darwin influenced by Thomas Malthus’s work on population growth? a. Darwin was interested in Malthus’s examination of population changes in pea plants. b. Darwin was influenced by Malthus’s work on demography and population responses to food availability. c. Darwin liked the concept of Latin taxonomic classification as it pertained to human groups. d. Darwin was greatly influenced by research on acquired characteristics. ANS: B DIF: Moderate OBJ: Define the five major scientific disciplines from which Darwin drew to create his theory of evolution and explain the principles in each that contributed to his ideas TOP: Demography: influences on population size and competition for limited resources MSC: Understanding 13. How did Lamarck contribute to the theory of evolution? a. He discovered genetic mutation through experiments with pea plants. b. He proposed the concept of natural selection after his voyage to the Galapagos Islands and his study of finches. c. He proposed the first serious model of how traits are passed on from parent to offspring through inheritance of acquired characteristics, though that idea turned out to be incorrect. d. He proposed a concept known today as gene flow. ANS: C DIF: Easy OBJ: Define the five major scientific disciplines from which Darwin drew to create his theory of evolution and explain the principles in each that contributed to his ideas TOP: Evolutionary biology: explaining the transformation of earlier life-forms into later life-forms MSC: Understanding ESSAY 1. Discuss four key individuals who helped Darwin formulate the theory of natural selection. ANS: Hutton, Lyell, Malthus, Linnaeus, Lamarck, Ray, Erasmus Darwin, and Cuvier could all be included for the discussion to be correct. Their contributions should also be correctly identified to receive full credit. DIF: Difficult OBJ: Define the five major scientific disciplines from which Darwin drew to create his theory of evolution and explain the principles in each that contributed to his ideas TOP: Concept check MSC: Analyzing 2. Why was Darwin’s 1859 published theory of natural selection not widely accepted by his peers? What later scientific advance was critical to the subsequent broad acceptance of natural selection as a major force in evolutionary change? ANS: Darwin’s theory lacked a mechanism for the inheritance of desirable characteristics. Gregor Mendel discovered the principles of inheritance—that is, the basis for understanding how traits are transmitted from parent to offspring. Mendel’s discovery that traits are passed as discrete units (genes) laid the foundation for our understanding of chromosomes and of population genetics. DIF: Difficult OBJ: Explain the role of Mendelian inheritance in the evolutionary synthesis TOP: Mechanisms of inheritance MSC: Analyzing 3. What are some of the important scientific discoveries that laid the groundwork for Darwin’s theory of evolution? ANS: Scientists working in geology, paleontology, taxonomy and systematics, demography, and what is now evolutionary biology had shown that the earth is old and has changed over its history; that fossils represent remains of once-living, sometimes extinct organisms and provide a record of the history of life; that life evolves over time; that groups of related species provide insight into evolutionary history; and that the number of adults in a population tends to remain the same over time. DIF: Difficult OBJ: Define the five major scientific disciplines from which Darwin drew to create his theory of evolution and explain the principles in each that contributed to his ideas TOP: The theory of evolution: the context for Darwin MSC: Remembering 4. What is the significance for evolutionary theory of Darwin’s analysis of the Galápagos finches? Provide at least one example in your answer. ANS: The diversity of the various finch populations lent support to the idea that over time natural selection could transform a single common ancestral form into a variety of descendant species. This phenomenon is referred to as adaptive radiation. Each descendant species had adapted to its particular habitat; for example, the ground finch had evolved a more robust beak to accommodate a diet including hard objects such as seeds. DIF: Difficult OBJ: Understand the importance of Darwin’s voyage around the world to the development of the theory of evolution TOP: What was Darwin’s contribution to the theory of evolution? MSC: Analyzing This study source was downloaded by from CourseH on 05-21-2022 13:10:27 GMT -05:00 5. Discuss the forces of evolution and their role in evolution. ANS: Natural selection, gene flow, genetic drift, and mutations are all acceptable answers. DIF: Moderate OBJ: Define each of the four forces of evolution and provide examples for them TOP: Evolution: constructing a fundamental scientific theory MSC: Analyzing