Natural Selection and Evolutionary Biology Flashcards

A set of practice questions based on lecture notes covering Darwinian evolution, natural selection mechanisms, and evidence for common ancestry.

After Darwin concluded his voyage on the Beagle, he proposed that the process of natural selection was the mechanism for what?

evolution

Natural selection adjusts the shape of the beaks among Darwin's finches in response to what environmental factor?

the available food supply

What is the term for the evolution of similar forms in different lineages when exposed to the same selective pressures?

convergent evolution

What does the recently discovered tetrapod ancestor Tiktaalik roseae represent?

a transitional form

Which developmental homologies in humans suggest evolution from other vertebrates?

gill slits and tail

What are features called that provide a selective advantage because they improve the organism's ability to survive and reproduce?

adaptations

What are structures called which are derived from the same body part in a recent common ancestor but may have different appearances and functions?

homologous structures

The wings of birds and bats are examples of structures that resemble each other and have similar function, but are the result of parallel evolution in separate lineages. These structures are called?

analogous structures

many organisms possess structures that have no apparent function, but they resemble functional structures of recent ancestors. These are examples of

vestigial structures

the central issue in population genetics is

genetic variation

the total of all genes and alleles in a population is called

gene pool

a decrease in genetic variability caused by a drastic reduction in a population size is called

the bottleneck effect

balanced polymorphism for sickle-cell anemia is a classic example of

heterozygote advantage

according to hardy-weinberg equilibrium the genotypes in a population will remain constant from generation to generation if certain assumptions are met. they include

a very large and randomly mating population, no mutation and no migration, no selection

the bright red color of male cardinals is the result of

se*ual selection

the movement of alleles between populations is called

gene flow

the type of selection in which extreme phenotypes are less fit than the optimal intermediate phenotype is called

stabilizing selection

in a population of mice, 36 are black either the genotype BB, 48 are gray with the genotype Bb, and 16 are white with the genotype bb. What is the frequency of b?

0.4 or 40%

a population of 100 goldfish in hardy-weinberg equilibrium has 25 recessive black individuals. how many orange heterozygous are there?

50

when negative frequencey dependent selection occurs

the less common genotype will become more common

which of the following characteristics are found in a biological species?

members are genetically similar, members interbreed with other members producing fertile offspring, members do not usually mate outside the species, sterile offspring usually result from mating outside the species

the type of speciation that results from geographic of two populations resulting in divergence is called

allopatric speciation

if populations within a common area split into species, the process is known as

sympatric speciation

in the southeastern U.S., two species of wild lettuce (lactuca) do not usually form hybrids, because they bloom at different seasons. The means of isolation appears to be

temporal

a classic example of adaptive radiation is seen in

amish people and Hawaiian honeycreepers

the model that assumes that evolution proceeds with slow successive change in a given evolutionary line is referred to as

gradualism

the field of biology concerned with describing, naming and classifying organisms is

taxonomy

the study of biological diversity and evolutionary relationships is

systematics

in some plants, the abrupt production of new species through hybridization is the result of

polyploidy

in the taxonomic hierarchical system for grouping organisms, the next higher group to a family is

order

the eukaryotic supergroup that includes the grey wold is the

opisthokonta

the division of a species into two or more species is termed

cladogenesis

eukaryotic cells acquired mitochondria and chloroplasts by

endosymbiosis

the binomial system of class-action of organisms was developed by

Linnaeus

a monophyletic group contains

a recent common ancestor and all descendants

shared primitive characters are also called

symplesiomorphies

the most ancient type of organisms on earth originated

3.5 billion years ago

cell movement in archaeology and bacteria is enables by the

prokaryotic flagella

when certain bacteria are exposed to harsh conditions, they can form thick-walled long-lived structures called

endospores

certain bacteria are the only organisms that are capable of fixing atmospheric

nitrogen

bacteria and archaea undergo a reproductive process that produces cells are identical. this process is called

binary fission

a slimy coat that helps some disease bacteria to evade the defenses systems of their host and also holds together colonial microorganisms is called

mucilage

which of the following is not a shape seen in prokaryotes

isovibrios

gram-negative bacteria, a capsule surrounds the cell wall. it is made up of

lipopolysaccharide

heterotrophic bacteria and archaea that must obtain organic molecules for both energy and a carbon source are called

chemoheterotrophs

autotrophic bacteria and archaea that are able to use energy obtained from chemical modification of inorganic compounds to synthesize organic compounds are called

chemoautotrophs

bacteria cause all the following human diseases except

malaria

some prokaryotes twitch or glide across surfaces using hair-like outgrowths, which are shorter than flagella. these are called

pili

the kingdom Protista is

paraphyletic

flagella in the Protista can be used to

propel the organism through water, collect food, propel reproductive cells through water

the supergroup excavate is characterized by

a feeding groove and mitochondria with disc-shaped cristae

which of the following does not occur in euglena

cilia

the immediate ancestors of land plants were

streptophyte green algae

amoebas move from place to place by means of

pseudopodia

the supergroup that including the brown algae known as giant kelp is the

stramenopila

organisms that are characterized by having two very different types of nuke within their cells, small micronuclei and larger micronuclei are the

ciliphora

the parasite that is responsible for causing sleeping sickness is a

kinetoplastid

individual amoebae inhabitant a nutrient rich substrate until their food runs out. At this point they aggregate into a single moving mass, which ultimately becomes a fruiting body. these organisms are

slime molds

protists that are able to use both photoautotrophy and phagotrophy or osmotrophy to obtain organic nutrients are called

mixotrophs