ch 23 ap bio

 The Darwinian fitness of an individual is measured most directly by

 

 

how long it lives

 

the number of "good genes" it possesses.

 

the number of mates it attracts

 

the number of its offspring that survive to reproduce

 

its physical strength

the number of its offspring that survive to reproduce

Male satin bowerbirds adorn structures that they build, called "bowers," with parrot feathers, flowers, and other bizarre ornaments in order to attract females. Females inspect the bowers and, if suitably impressed, allow males to mate with them. The evolution of this male behavior is due to

 

stabilizing selection

 

sexual selection

 

directional selection

 

disruptive selection

sexual selection

In seedcracker finches from Cameroon, small- and large-billed birds specialize in cracking soft and hard seeds, respectively. If long-term climatic change resulted in all seeds becoming hard, what type of selection would then operate on the finch population?

 

directional selection

 

stabilizing selection

 

sexual selection

 

disruptive selection

directional selection

About which of these did Darwin have a poor understanding?

 

the factors that cause individuals in populations to struggle for survival

 

how a beneficial trait becomes more common in a population over the course of generations

 

that individuals in a population exhibit a good deal of variation

 

that much of the variation between individuals in a population is inherited

 

the sources of genetic variations among individuals

the sources of genetic variations among individuals

You are studying three populations of birds. Population A has ten birds, of which one is brown (a recessive trait) and nine are red. Population B has 100 birds, of which ten are brown. Population C has 30 birds, and three of them are brown.

 

Which population is most likely to be subject to the bottleneck effect?

 

Population B

 

They are all the same

 

Population A

 

Population C.

 

It is impossible to tell from the information given

Population A

Which describes brightly colored peacocks mating more frequently than drab peacocks?

 

disruptive selection

 

artificial selection

 

sexual selection

 

directional selection

 

stabilizing selection

sexual selection

 

There are those who claim that the theory of evolution cannot be true because the apes, which are supposed to be closely related to humans, do not likewise share the same large brains, capacity for complicated speech, and tool-making capability. They reason that if these features are generally beneficial, then the apes should have evolved them as well. Which of these provides the best argument against this misconception?

 

Adaptations are often compromises

 

Advantageous alleles do not arise on demand.

 

A population's evolution is limited by historical constraints

 

Evolution can be influenced by environmental change

Advantageous alleles do not arise on demand.

Which of the following statements best summarizes evolution as it is viewed today?

 

It is goal-directed

 

It represents the result of selection for acquired characteristics

 

It is the descent of humans from the present-day great apes

 

It is synonymous with the process of gene flow.

 

It is the differential survival and reproduction of the most-fit phenotypes

It is the differential survival and reproduction of the most-fit phenotypes

Which statement about the beak size of finches on the island of Daphne Major during prolonged drought is true?

 

Each bird evolved a deeper, stronger beak as the drought persisted

 

The frequency of the strong-beak alleles increased in each bird as the drought persisted

 

Each bird that survived the drought produced only offspring with deeper, stronger beaks than seen in the previous generation

 

Each bird's survival was strongly influenced by the depth and strength of its beak as the drought persisted

 

Each bird developed a deeper, stronger beak as the drought persisted

 

Each bird's survival was strongly influenced by the depth and strength of its beak as the drought persisted

In the wild, male house finches (Carpodus mexicanus) vary considerably in the amount of red pigmentation in their head and throat feathers, with colors ranging from pale yellow to bright red. These colors come from carotenoid pigments that are found in the birds' diets; no vertebrates are known to synthesize carotenoid pigments. Thus, the brighter red the male's feathers are, the more successful he has been at acquiring the red carotenoid pigment by his food-gathering efforts (all other factors being equal).

 

Which of the following terms are appropriately applied to the situation described in the previous question?

 

None of the choices

 

Sexual selection

 

All of the choices

 

Mate choice

 

Intersexual selection

All of the choices

The DNA polymerases of all cellular organisms have proofreading capability. This capability tends to reduce the introduction of

 

extra genes by gene duplication events

 

proofreading capability into prokaryotes

 

chromosomal translocation

 

genetic variation by mutations

genetic variation by mutations

If, on average, 46% of the loci in a species' gene pool are heterozygous, then the average homozygosity of the species should be

 

 46%

 

 23%

 

  There is not enough information to say

 

 92%

 

 54%

54%

The average birth weight for human babies is about 3 kg. Which of the following terms best describes this?

 

stabilizing selection

 

disruptive selection

 

sexual selection

 

directional selection

 

artificial selection

stabilizing selection

Which describes an African butterfly species that exists in two strikingly different color patterns?

 

stabilizing selection

 

disruptive selection

 

sexual selection

 

artificial selection

 

directional selection

disruptive selection

Which of these is a statement that Darwin would have rejected?

 

Environmental change plays a role in evolution

 

The smallest entity that can evolve is an individual organism     

 

Natural populations tend to produce more offspring than the environment can support.

 

Inherited variation in a population is a necessary precondition for natural selection to operate.

 

Individuals can acquire new characteristics as they respond to new environments or situations

The smallest entity that can evolve is an individual organism     

In modern terminology, diversity is understood to be a result of genetic variation. Sources of variation for evolution include all of the following except

 

translocations and mistakes in meiosis

 

recombination at fertilization

 

mistakes in DNA replication

 

recombination by crossing over in meiosis

 

 None of the choices

 None of the choices

What is true of the trait whose frequency distribution in a large population appears in the graph? It has probably undergone

 

sexual selection

 

directional selection

 

disruptive selection

 

random selection

 

stabilizing selection.

stabilizing selection.

Mules are relatively long-lived and hardy organisms that cannot, generally speaking, perform successful meiosis. Consequently, which statement about mules is true?

 

Their offspring have less genetic variation than the parents

 

Mutations cannot occur in their genomes

 

If crossing-over happens in mules, then it must be limited to prophase of mitosis.

 

They have a relative evolutionary fitness of zero.

 

When two mules interbreed, genetic recombination cannot occur by meiotic crossing over, but only by the act of fertilization

They have a relative evolutionary fitness of zero.

You are studying three populations of birds. Population A has ten birds, of which one is brown (a recessive trait) and nine are red. Population B has 100 birds, of which ten are brown. Population C has 30 birds, and three of them are brown.

 

Which population is most likely to be subject to the bottleneck effect?

 

Population A

 

Population B

 

Population C.

 

It is impossible to tell from the information given

 

They are all the same

Population A

Which statement about variation is true?

 

All genetic variation produces phenotypic variation

 

All new alleles are the result of nucleotide variability

 

All phenotypic variation is the result of genotypic variation

 

All nucleotide variability results in neutral variation

 

All geographic variation results from the existence of clines

All phenotypic variation is the result of genotypic variation

In the wild, male house finches (Carpodus mexicanus) vary considerably in the amount of red pigmentation in their head and throat feathers, with colors ranging from pale yellow to bright red. These colors come from carotenoid pigments that are found in the birds' diets; no vertebrates are known to synthesize carotenoid pigments. Thus, the brighter red the male's feathers are, the more successful he has been at acquiring the red carotenoid pigment by his food-gathering efforts (all other factors being equal).

 

The situation as described in the paragraph above should select most directly against males that

 

are capable of defending only moderately sized territories

 

are unable to distinguish food items that are red from those of other colors.

 

are older, but still healthy

 

have no prior experience courting female house finches.

 

have slightly lower levels of testosterone during breeding season than have other males

are unable to distinguish food items that are red from those of other colors.

There are those who claim that the theory of evolution cannot be true because the apes, which are supposed to be closely related to humans, do not likewise share the same large brains, capacity for complicated speech, and tool-making capability. They reason that if these features are generally beneficial, then the apes should have evolved them as well. Which of these provides the best argument against this misconception?

 

A population's evolution is limited by historical constraints

 

Evolution can be influenced by environmental change

 

Advantageous alleles do not arise on demand.

 

Adaptations are often compromises

 

Advantageous alleles do not arise on demand.

Which of these variables is likely to undergo the largest change in value as the result of a mutation that introduces a brand-new allele into a population's gene pool at a locus that had formerly been fixed?

 

Average heterozygosity

 

Nucleotide variability

 

Geographic variability

 

Average number of loci

Average heterozygosity

Arrange the following from most general (i.e., most inclusive) to most specific (i.e., least inclusive):

            1. Natural selection

 2. Microevolution

 3. Intrasexual selection

 4. Evolution

 5. Sexual selection

 

4, 1, 2, 3, 5

1, 4, 2, 5, 3

4, 2, 1, 5, 3

1, 2, 4, 5, 3

4, 2, 1, 3, 5

4, 2, 1, 5, 3

Each of the following has a better chance of influencing gene frequencies in small populations than in large populations, but which one most consistently requires a small population as a precondition for its occurrence?

 

Gene flow

 

Genetic drift

 

Mutation

 

Non-random mating

 

Natural selection

Genetic drift

Cattle breeders have improved the quality of meat over the years by which process?

 

natural selection

 

sexual selection

 

artificial selection

 

stabilizing selection

 

disruptive selection

artificial selection

Which of these is a statement that Darwin would have rejected?

 

Individuals can acquire new characteristics as they respond to new environments or situations

 

Natural populations tend to produce more offspring than the environment can support.

 

The smallest entity that can evolve is an individual organism     

 

Inherited variation in a population is a necessary precondition for natural selection to operate.

 

Environmental change plays a role in evolution

The smallest entity that can evolve is an individual organism     

A proficient engineer can easily design skeletal structures that are more functional than those currently found in the forelimbs of such diverse mammals as horses, whales, and bats. That the actual forelimbs of these mammals do not seem to be optimally arranged is because

 

in many cases, phenotype is not merely determined by genotype, but by the environment as well.

 

natural selection operates in ways that are beyond the capability of the human mind to comprehend.

 

natural selection is generally limited to modifying structures that were present in previous generations and in previous species

 

though we may not consider the fit between the current skeletal arrangements and their functions excellent, we should not doubt that natural selection ultimately produces the best design.

 

natural selection has not had sufficient time to create the optimal design in each case, but will do so given enough time

natural selection is generally limited to modifying structures that were present in previous generations and in previous species

Which definition of evolution would have been most foreign to Charles Darwin during his lifetime?

 

populations becoming better adapted to their environments over the course of generations

 

the gradual change of a population's heritable traits over generations

 

the appearance of new varieties and new species with the passage of time

 

change in gene frequency in gene pools

 

descent with modification

change in gene frequency in gene pools

Which is a true statement concerning genetic variation?

 

It tends to be reduced by the processes involved when diploid organisms produce gametes

 

It arises in response to changes in the environment

 

It is created by the direct action of natural selection

 

A population that has a higher average heterozygosity has less genetic variation than one with a smaller average heterozygosity

 

It must be present in a population before natural selection can act upon the population.

It must be present in a population before natural selection can act upon the population.

Which of these evolutionary agents is most consistent at causing populations to become better suited to their environments over the course of generations?     

 

Gene flow

 

Non-random mating

 

Genetic drift

 

Natural selection

 

Mutation

Natural selection

Which of these is the smallest unit upon which natural selection directly acts?

 

an individual's phenotype

 

a species' gene frequency

 

 an individual's genotype

 

an individual's genome

 

a population's gene frequency

an individual's phenotype

If the original finches that had been blown over to the Galapagos from South America had already been genetically different from the parental population of South American finches, even before adapting to the Galapagos, this would have been an example of

 

genetic drift

 

The founder effect and genetic drift

 

The bottleneck effect and genetic drift

 

bottleneck effect

 

founder effect

The founder effect and genetic drift

The same gene that causes various coat patterns in wild and domesticated cats also causes the cross-eyed condition in these cats, the cross-eyed condition being slightly maladaptive. In a hypothetical environment, the coat pattern that is associated with crossed eyes is highly adaptive, with the result that both the coat pattern and the cross-eyed condition increase in a feline population over time. Which statement is supported by these observations?

 

Phenotype is often the result of compromise.

 

Natural selection reduces the frequency of maladaptive genes in populations over the course of time

 

Polygenic inheritance is generally maladaptive, and should become less common in future generations

 

Evolution is progressive and tends toward a more perfect population.

 

In all environments, coat pattern is a more important survival factor than is eye-muscle tone.

Phenotype is often the result of compromise.

Adult male humans generally have deeper voices than do adult female humans, as the direct result of higher levels of testosterone causing growth of the larynx.

 

If the fossil records of apes and humans alike show a trend toward decreasing larynx size in adult females, and increasing larynx size in adult males, then

 

sexual dimorphism was developing over time in these species

 

intrasexual selection seems to have occurred

 

the "good genes" hypothesis was refuted by these data

 

selection was acting more directly upon genotype than upon phenotype.

 

stabilizing selection was occurring in these species concerning larynx size

sexual dimorphism was developing over time in these species

Arrange the following from most general (i.e., most inclusive) to most specific (i.e., least inclusive):

            1. Natural selection

 2. Microevolution

 3. Intrasexual selection

 4. Evolution

 5. Sexual selection

 

4, 2, 1, 5, 3

 

1, 2, 4, 5, 3

 

4, 2, 1, 3, 5

 

4, 1, 2, 3, 5

 

1, 4, 2, 5, 3

4, 2, 1, 5, 3

Which is a true statement concerning genetic variation?

 

It is created by the direct action of natural selection

 

It arises in response to changes in the environment

 

A population that has a higher average heterozygosity has less genetic variation than one with a smaller average heterozygosity

 

It must be present in a population before natural selection can act upon the population.

 

It tends to be reduced by the processes involved when diploid organisms produce gametes

It must be present in a population before natural selection can act upon the population.

A trend toward the decrease in the size of plants on the slopes of mountains as altitudes increase is an example of  

Group of answer choices

geographic variation

a bottleneck

relative fitness

a cline.

genetic drift

a cline

The recessive allele that causes phenylketonuria (PKU) is harmful, except when an infant's diet lacks the amino acid, phenylalanine. What maintains the presence of this harmful allele in a population's gene pool?

Group of answer choices

 diploidy

heterozygote advantage

balancing selection

stabilizing selection

diploidy

You are maintaining a small population of fruit flies in the laboratory by transferring the flies to a new culture bottle after each generation. After several generations, you notice that the viability of the flies has decreased greatly. Recognizing that small population size is likely to be linked to decreased viability, the best way to reverse this trend is to

Group of answer choices

shock the flies with a brief treatment of heat or cold to make them more hardy

cross your flies with flies from another lab

transfer only the largest flies

reduce the number of flies that you transfer at each generation

change the temperature at which you rear the flies

cross your flies with flies from another lab

In the wild, male house finches (Carpodus mexicanus) vary considerably in the amount of red pigmentation in their head and throat feathers, with colors ranging from pale yellow to bright red. These colors come from carotenoid pigments that are found in the birds' diets; no vertebrates are known to synthesize carotenoid pigments. Thus, the brighter red the male's feathers are, the more successful he has been at acquiring the red carotenoid pigment by his food-gathering efforts (all other factors being equal).

 

During breeding season, one should expect female house finches to prefer to mate with males with the brightest red feathers. Which of the following is true of this situation?

Group of answer choices

There should be directional selection for bright red feathers in males.

None of the choices

Alleles that promote more effective deposition of carotenoid pigments in the feathers of males should increase over the course of generations

All of the choices

Alleles that promote more efficient acquisition of carotenoid-containing foods by males should increase over the course of generations

All of the choices

Which statement about variation is true?

Group of answer choices

All genetic variation produces phenotypic variation

All new alleles are the result of nucleotide variability

All phenotypic variation is the result of genotypic variation

All nucleotide variability results in neutral variation

All geographic variation results from the existence of clines

All new alleles are the result of nucleotide variability