Super Important Exam Questions

Which type of natural selection is most strongly associated with sympatric speciation?

Disruptive selection.

Can speciation happen without natural selection?

Yes. Genetic drift and other processes can contribute to reproductive isolation and speciation.

Does natural selection always lead to speciation?

No. Populations can adapt through natural selection while remaining the same species.

Does evolution always lead to speciation?

No. Evolution can occur without populations becoming reproductively isolated.

What must ultimately develop for speciation to occur?

Reproductive isolation between populations.

Which mechanisms of evolution are random vs. nonrandom?

Genetic drift is random; natural selection is nonrandom with respect to fitness.

Which evolutionary mechanism is adaptive?

Natural selection.

Which two mechanisms are generally considered non-adaptive?

Genetic drift and gene flow.

What is the difference between evolution and natural selection?

Evolution is the change in allele frequencies over generations; natural selection is one mechanism that can cause those changes.