BIO 322 FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS &
ANSWERS (RATED A+)
Based on the figure, which statement is false?
a. Darwin recognized that lineages may go extinct.
b. Darwin recognized hybridization as an important means of genetic change.
c. Darwin recognized that not all descendents of an organism's ancestors still exist.
d. Darwin thought that evolution might take thousands of generations.
e. Darwin recognized that rates of evolutionary change may vary among lineages. -
ANSWERb. Darwin recognized hybridization as an important means of genetic
change.
Which of the following is not a benefit of Linnaeus's classification system?
a. It provides biologists with a common set of names for different organisms.
b. It provides names for species according to an ordered scheme.
c. It is hierarchal.
d. It is well suited for describing patterns of relatedness among different taxa.
e. It makes use of colloquial (common) species names. - ANSWERe. It makes use of
colloquial (common) species names.
Why might a species' "optimal" phenotype remain unchanged for long periods of
time, resulting in apparent evolutionary stasis?
a. Gradual environmental change
b. Saltational evolution
c. Directional selection
d. Habitat tracking
e. Passive trends - ANSWERd. Habitat tracking
Cycadophyta is a group of plants with a small number of extant species, that is
nevertheless well known from fossils from the Mesozoic era. Living "cycads" are
nearly identical to fossils. What best explains these "living fossils"?
a. Biological homology
b. Punctuated equilibria
c. Phylogenetic niche conservatism
d. Passive trends
e. Hopeful monsters - ANSWERc. Phylogenetic niche conservatism
The hypothesis of punctuated equilibrium is controversial because
a. it relies on data from the fossil record.
,b. the hypothesis requires that morphological evolution be accompanied by
speciation.
c. evolutionary stasis is rarely observed.
d. different characters evolve at different rates.
e. a combination of directional and balancing selection may be required for
punctuated equilibrium to occur. - ANSWERb. the hypothesis requires that
morphological evolution be accompanied by speciation.
Which of the following is an example of homologous characters?
a. Crocodiles and humans both have forelimbs with five digits.
b. The aquatic larval stage was lost in a lineage of salamanders but was later
regained.
c. Snails and turtles both have strong, hard shells for protection.
d. Parrotfish and parrots (the birds) both have beaklike mouths.
e. Some flies have bright yellow coloring like that of wasps, which provides a false
warning. - ANSWERa. Crocodiles and humans both have forelimbs with five digits.
Which of the following is most likely the result of horizontal gene transfer?
a. The sharing of mitochondrial genes between Homo sapiens and the fungus
Macrolepiota procera
b. The sharing of antibiotic resistance among multiple bacteria species
c. Self-incompatibility genes found in a single plant species
d. β-globin genes shared by members of a taxonomic family
e. Herbicide resistance that is unique to a single strain of weed - ANSWERb. The
sharing of antibiotic resistance among multiple bacteria species
Gene genealogies can vary for different loci. What does this imply for species trees?
a. Accurately estimated gene trees will always give the correct species phylogeny.
b. Species trees require apomorphies in order to be successfully resolved.
c. Adaptive radiations do not occur.
d. Species trees should be constructed using multiple loci (both nuclear and mtDNA).
e. All genes in the genome are subject to similar selective pressures. - ANSWERd.
Species trees should be constructed using multiple loci (both nuclear and mtDNA).
Once the historical relationships among different variant DNA sequences are
inferred, it is possible to
a. construct a morphological phylogeny.
b. perform bootstrap analysis.
c. determine the holotype of a species.
d. construct gene trees (gene genealogies).
e. determine the location of introns in a gene. - ANSWERd. construct gene trees
(gene genealogies).
Which of these are paralogous genes?
a. The result of a gene duplication within a species; for example, a copy of the
original hemoglobin gene has become adapted for slightly different functions within a
mammal species as hemoglobin α and β
b. The result of a speciation event; each derived species has evolved a different
version of the gene, like the difference between hemoglobin α in humans and chimps
,c. Genes located on the same chromosome and that are genetically linked, like
freckles and hair color in humans
d. Genes that have independently evolved the same function in distantly related
organisms, like the hearing gene, Prestin, which allows echolocation in both dolphins
and bats
e. Genes that have changed within a species as a result of adaptive evolution, such
as improvements in the defensins proteins of the human immune system over time -
ANSWERa. The result of a gene duplication within a species; for example, a copy of
the original hemoglobin gene has become adapted for slightly different functions
within a mammal species as hemoglobin α and β
Which of the following is the most important assumption when estimating the time of
divergence between two lineages using a molecular clock?
a. The lineages are each other's closest living relatives.
b. The rate of molecular change is exactly the same for all lineages.
c. The same codon may code for different amino acids in different organisms.
d. The number of nucleotide substitutions observed is actually the number that has
occurred.
e. Nucleotide substitutions are equally likely at all positions in the codon. -
ANSWERd. The number of nucleotide substitutions observed is actually the number
that has occurred.
The human coccyx (tail bone) served a function in our ancestors but is no longer
useful. This is an example of a(n)
a. evolutionary reversal.
b. key innovation.
c. vestigial character.
d. homoplasy.
e. homologous character. - ANSWERc. vestigial character.
Which of the following would not cause complications in inferring a phylogeny?
a. Homoplasy
b. Presence of synapomorphies (shared derived characteristics)
c. Variation in rates of evolution for different taxa
d. Convergent evolution
e. Absence of DNA sequence information for many extinct taxa - ANSWERb.
Presence of synapomorphies (shared derived characteristics)
Which observation (evidence) casts doubt on the validity of Dollo's law?
a. Many insect lineages have lost their wings over the course of evolution.
b. Tooth primordia develop in chicken embryos with certain genetic mutations.
c. Humans are unable to smell as well as our ancestors because we have lost some
olfactory receptors.
d. The wings of birds and bats evolved independently.
e. Penguins use their wings to swim rather than to fly. - ANSWERb. Tooth primordia
develop in chicken embryos with certain genetic mutations.
Convergent evolution is a form of
a. natural selection.
b. homeopathy.
, c. homology.
d. homoplasy.
e. homozygosity. - ANSWERd. homoplasy.
An important principle in evolution states that a species does not evolve as a whole,
but that many of its features evolve quasi-independently. This principle is best
supported by the observation of
a. conservative characters.
b. mosaic evolution.
c. phenotypic integration.
d. convergence.
e. evolutionary reversal. - ANSWERb. mosaic evolution.
The two major branches of mammals—the placentals and the marsupials—followed
independent evolutionary pathways after the breakup of the land mass
Gondwanaland 100 million years ago. While some forms of each group are unique to
each environment, surprisingly similar forms in each of the groups have often
emerged in two or three of the separated continents. This is an example of
a. convergence.
b. homology.
c. gene duplication.
d. polyploidy.
e. parallel evolution. - ANSWERe. parallel evolution.
Which of the following is an accepted rule of species nomenclature?
a. Names do not need to have a particular meaning.
b. The genus and species epithet do not need to agree in gender.
c. The name of a species is always printed in boldface type.
d. Taxonomic names cannot be revised.
e. No two species of animals or plants can bear the same name. - ANSWERe. No
two species of animals or plants can bear the same name.
A monophyletic group (also called a clade) is defined as
a. having shared ancestral character states.
b. a branch point in a phylogenetic tree.
c. having shared derived character states.
d. the set of species derived from one common ancestor.
e. having an ancestral characteristic. - ANSWERd. the set of species derived from
one common ancestor.
A situation in which lineages diverge too rapidly for a phylogeny to be constructed is
called
a. synapomorphy.
b. homoplasy.
c. haplotype divergence.
d. DNA sequence polymorphism.
e. evolutionary radiation. - ANSWERe. evolutionary radiation.
Which statement about evolutionary radiation is false?
a. Species arise in a relatively short time.
ANSWERS (RATED A+)
Based on the figure, which statement is false?
a. Darwin recognized that lineages may go extinct.
b. Darwin recognized hybridization as an important means of genetic change.
c. Darwin recognized that not all descendents of an organism's ancestors still exist.
d. Darwin thought that evolution might take thousands of generations.
e. Darwin recognized that rates of evolutionary change may vary among lineages. -
ANSWERb. Darwin recognized hybridization as an important means of genetic
change.
Which of the following is not a benefit of Linnaeus's classification system?
a. It provides biologists with a common set of names for different organisms.
b. It provides names for species according to an ordered scheme.
c. It is hierarchal.
d. It is well suited for describing patterns of relatedness among different taxa.
e. It makes use of colloquial (common) species names. - ANSWERe. It makes use of
colloquial (common) species names.
Why might a species' "optimal" phenotype remain unchanged for long periods of
time, resulting in apparent evolutionary stasis?
a. Gradual environmental change
b. Saltational evolution
c. Directional selection
d. Habitat tracking
e. Passive trends - ANSWERd. Habitat tracking
Cycadophyta is a group of plants with a small number of extant species, that is
nevertheless well known from fossils from the Mesozoic era. Living "cycads" are
nearly identical to fossils. What best explains these "living fossils"?
a. Biological homology
b. Punctuated equilibria
c. Phylogenetic niche conservatism
d. Passive trends
e. Hopeful monsters - ANSWERc. Phylogenetic niche conservatism
The hypothesis of punctuated equilibrium is controversial because
a. it relies on data from the fossil record.
,b. the hypothesis requires that morphological evolution be accompanied by
speciation.
c. evolutionary stasis is rarely observed.
d. different characters evolve at different rates.
e. a combination of directional and balancing selection may be required for
punctuated equilibrium to occur. - ANSWERb. the hypothesis requires that
morphological evolution be accompanied by speciation.
Which of the following is an example of homologous characters?
a. Crocodiles and humans both have forelimbs with five digits.
b. The aquatic larval stage was lost in a lineage of salamanders but was later
regained.
c. Snails and turtles both have strong, hard shells for protection.
d. Parrotfish and parrots (the birds) both have beaklike mouths.
e. Some flies have bright yellow coloring like that of wasps, which provides a false
warning. - ANSWERa. Crocodiles and humans both have forelimbs with five digits.
Which of the following is most likely the result of horizontal gene transfer?
a. The sharing of mitochondrial genes between Homo sapiens and the fungus
Macrolepiota procera
b. The sharing of antibiotic resistance among multiple bacteria species
c. Self-incompatibility genes found in a single plant species
d. β-globin genes shared by members of a taxonomic family
e. Herbicide resistance that is unique to a single strain of weed - ANSWERb. The
sharing of antibiotic resistance among multiple bacteria species
Gene genealogies can vary for different loci. What does this imply for species trees?
a. Accurately estimated gene trees will always give the correct species phylogeny.
b. Species trees require apomorphies in order to be successfully resolved.
c. Adaptive radiations do not occur.
d. Species trees should be constructed using multiple loci (both nuclear and mtDNA).
e. All genes in the genome are subject to similar selective pressures. - ANSWERd.
Species trees should be constructed using multiple loci (both nuclear and mtDNA).
Once the historical relationships among different variant DNA sequences are
inferred, it is possible to
a. construct a morphological phylogeny.
b. perform bootstrap analysis.
c. determine the holotype of a species.
d. construct gene trees (gene genealogies).
e. determine the location of introns in a gene. - ANSWERd. construct gene trees
(gene genealogies).
Which of these are paralogous genes?
a. The result of a gene duplication within a species; for example, a copy of the
original hemoglobin gene has become adapted for slightly different functions within a
mammal species as hemoglobin α and β
b. The result of a speciation event; each derived species has evolved a different
version of the gene, like the difference between hemoglobin α in humans and chimps
,c. Genes located on the same chromosome and that are genetically linked, like
freckles and hair color in humans
d. Genes that have independently evolved the same function in distantly related
organisms, like the hearing gene, Prestin, which allows echolocation in both dolphins
and bats
e. Genes that have changed within a species as a result of adaptive evolution, such
as improvements in the defensins proteins of the human immune system over time -
ANSWERa. The result of a gene duplication within a species; for example, a copy of
the original hemoglobin gene has become adapted for slightly different functions
within a mammal species as hemoglobin α and β
Which of the following is the most important assumption when estimating the time of
divergence between two lineages using a molecular clock?
a. The lineages are each other's closest living relatives.
b. The rate of molecular change is exactly the same for all lineages.
c. The same codon may code for different amino acids in different organisms.
d. The number of nucleotide substitutions observed is actually the number that has
occurred.
e. Nucleotide substitutions are equally likely at all positions in the codon. -
ANSWERd. The number of nucleotide substitutions observed is actually the number
that has occurred.
The human coccyx (tail bone) served a function in our ancestors but is no longer
useful. This is an example of a(n)
a. evolutionary reversal.
b. key innovation.
c. vestigial character.
d. homoplasy.
e. homologous character. - ANSWERc. vestigial character.
Which of the following would not cause complications in inferring a phylogeny?
a. Homoplasy
b. Presence of synapomorphies (shared derived characteristics)
c. Variation in rates of evolution for different taxa
d. Convergent evolution
e. Absence of DNA sequence information for many extinct taxa - ANSWERb.
Presence of synapomorphies (shared derived characteristics)
Which observation (evidence) casts doubt on the validity of Dollo's law?
a. Many insect lineages have lost their wings over the course of evolution.
b. Tooth primordia develop in chicken embryos with certain genetic mutations.
c. Humans are unable to smell as well as our ancestors because we have lost some
olfactory receptors.
d. The wings of birds and bats evolved independently.
e. Penguins use their wings to swim rather than to fly. - ANSWERb. Tooth primordia
develop in chicken embryos with certain genetic mutations.
Convergent evolution is a form of
a. natural selection.
b. homeopathy.
, c. homology.
d. homoplasy.
e. homozygosity. - ANSWERd. homoplasy.
An important principle in evolution states that a species does not evolve as a whole,
but that many of its features evolve quasi-independently. This principle is best
supported by the observation of
a. conservative characters.
b. mosaic evolution.
c. phenotypic integration.
d. convergence.
e. evolutionary reversal. - ANSWERb. mosaic evolution.
The two major branches of mammals—the placentals and the marsupials—followed
independent evolutionary pathways after the breakup of the land mass
Gondwanaland 100 million years ago. While some forms of each group are unique to
each environment, surprisingly similar forms in each of the groups have often
emerged in two or three of the separated continents. This is an example of
a. convergence.
b. homology.
c. gene duplication.
d. polyploidy.
e. parallel evolution. - ANSWERe. parallel evolution.
Which of the following is an accepted rule of species nomenclature?
a. Names do not need to have a particular meaning.
b. The genus and species epithet do not need to agree in gender.
c. The name of a species is always printed in boldface type.
d. Taxonomic names cannot be revised.
e. No two species of animals or plants can bear the same name. - ANSWERe. No
two species of animals or plants can bear the same name.
A monophyletic group (also called a clade) is defined as
a. having shared ancestral character states.
b. a branch point in a phylogenetic tree.
c. having shared derived character states.
d. the set of species derived from one common ancestor.
e. having an ancestral characteristic. - ANSWERd. the set of species derived from
one common ancestor.
A situation in which lineages diverge too rapidly for a phylogeny to be constructed is
called
a. synapomorphy.
b. homoplasy.
c. haplotype divergence.
d. DNA sequence polymorphism.
e. evolutionary radiation. - ANSWERe. evolutionary radiation.
Which statement about evolutionary radiation is false?
a. Species arise in a relatively short time.
