Exam 3

A large population may occasionally shrink to a small size. at this point in time tremendous sampling error may be introduced. what do we call this

continuous drift

intermittent drift

founder effect

intermittent drift

what does the N symbol represent in the equations we have been considering recently?

the census size of the population

the effective breeding size of the population

the number of individuals migrating

the rate of mutation

the census size of the population

which of the following evolutionary forces is thought to provide the overall “directional force in the evolutionary process?”

drift

mutation

migration

selection

selection

the evidence that evolutionary rates are highest in non-transcribed DNA, in relatively functionless polypeptides, and for third codon positions of coding regions are data that are considered to be inconsistent with the neutral theory of molecular evolution.

true or false

false

why is protein electrophoresis considered to underestimate the true level of genetic variability within a population. it generally fails to…

detect changes at the third codon position

detect charge changes in proteins

detect size changes in proteins

detect changes at the third codon position

A cornerstone of the theory of evolution by gradual change is that the rate of evolution is absolutely limited by the amount of genetic variation in the evolving population

true or false

true

the neutral theory of molecular evolution asserts that most intraspecific variability at the molecular level is maintained by a balance of which two factors?

mutation and extinction

drift and selection

mutation and selection

mutation and drift

mutation and extinction

according to Kimura when are the highest rates of evolution achieved?

when populations are small

when all mutations are neutral

when generation times are short

when there is a sudden change in environment

when all mutations are neutral

which of the following evolutionary forces is most powerful when 4NeS»»»»»1

drift or selection

selection

in the adaptive landscape, what do each of the infinite numbers of points on the theoretical terrain represent?

an individual organism

a theoretical genotype

a population

a species

a theoretical genotype

in which type of population is a mutation with a slightly advantageous effect most likely to increase.

large population

small population

large population

in which type of population is a deleterious allele most likely to increase?

large population

small population

the question is flawed, deleterious alleles cannot increase in frequency

small population

which combination of evolutionary forces is most likely to drag a population off of one adaptive peak and onto another higher adaptive peak?

selection and migration

selection and gene flow

drift followed by migration

drift followed by selection

drift followed by selection

In the adaptive landscape, what does the relative height of the peaks represent.

fitness

selection

adaptation

mutation

fitness

which of the following conditions, according to Sewell Wright, is most likely to result in increased adaptation of a species to its environment?

a small number of local races spread over a small portion of the adaptive landscape with low level of gene flow connecting them

a large number of local races spread over a large portion of the adaptive landscape with high levels of gene flow connecting them

a large number of local races spread over a large portion of the adaptive landscape with low levels of gene flow connecting them

a large number of local races spread over a large portion of the adaptive landscape with low levels of gene flow connecting them

a type of fitness also referred to as viability?

absolute fitness

individual fitness

relative fitness

individual fitness

the type of fitness typically referred to by evolutionary geneticists?

absolute fitness

individual fitness

relative fitness

relative fitness

the type of fitness that is usually assigned to a genotype?

absolute fitness

individual fitness

relative fitness

absolute fitness

how is the selection coefficient related to fitness?

s= 1- w2

s= w2-1

s= w2/1

s= 1/w2

s= 1- w2

if a trait strongly covaries with relative fitness it will change a lot from one generation to the next. if it does not strongly covary with relative fitness, it will not change a lot. which of the following two terms does this statement define?

fundamental theorem of natural selection

secondary theorem of natural selection

secondary theorem of natural selection

the mean relative fitness of a population either increase or does not change under natural selection. which of the following two terms does this statement define?

fundamental theorem of natural selection

secondary theorem of natural selection

fundamental theorem of natural selection

the neutral theory of molecular evolution denies the existence of natural selection and maintains that all evolutionary change in the result of genetic drift

true or false

false

most population geneticists support the idea that the shift of co-adapted gene complexes from one adaptive peak to another is facilitated by a small population size

true or false

false

who developed the fundamental theorem of natural selection

wright

hennig

fisher

mayr

gould

fisher

the natural theory of molecular evolution holds which of the following statements to be true?

the vast majority of substitutions that occur at the molecular level are caused by random fixation of neutral mutations

most intraspecific variability at the molecular level is selectively neutral

while advantageous mutations may occur, they are so rare that they can be ignored in quantitative considerations

all of the above

all of the above

when a few individuals or only one reproductively competent individual start a new population, and this population differs in allele frequency from the parent population we refer to this as which of the following?

peripheral isolation

consanguinous mating

founder effect

founder effect

who was Kimuras idol when he was growing up

Sewell Wright

J.B.S. Haldene

R.A. Fisher

Sewell Wright

the observation that big evolutionary changes usually result from exploitation of a new ecological niche is referred to by Kimura as “liberation from selective constraint”? Kimura goes on to state that this is a major cause of which of the following processes in evolution?

Allopatric Speciation

Genetic Drift

Niche Collapse

Macroevolution

Macroevolution

according to fisher, can selection as an isolated evolutionary process act to reduce fitness?

yes

no

no

at position 1138 of the cytochrome b gene, most fist possess a C nucleotide residue while humans posses a G residue. what type of homology do these two character states exhibit?

false homology

serial homology

synapomorphy

serial homology

at position 1139 of the cytochrome b gene, rainbow darters and orangethroat darters (which are sister species) both possess a C nucleotide reside while all other species of darters possess a T. what type of homology does the C nucleotide residue represent for rainbow and orangethroat darters

false homology

serial homology

synapomorphy

synapomorphy

A group that contains an ancestor and some but not all descendant taxa is best known as which of the following

monophyletic group

paraphyletic group

polyphyletic group

paraphyletic group

which of the following was not one of Willi Hennig’s five basic ideas that began a major revolution in phylogenetics

the relationships lending to the cohesion of living and extinct organisms are genealogical (blood) relationships

such relationships exist for individuals within populations, between populations, and between species

the best general classification of organisms is one that exactly reflects the genealogical relationships among these organisms

the genealogical relationships among populations and species may be recovered (discovered) by grouping the organisms based on similarity of appearance

the genealogical relationships among populations and species may be recovered (discovered) by grouping the organisms based on similarity of appearance

a species or higher monophyletic taxon that is examined in the course of a phylogenetic study to determine which of two character states is apomorphic and which is plesiomorphic

sister group

polar group

out group

polyphyletic group

out group

characters that display similarity but are thought to have arisen independently either from independent characters or from the same character at different times

homologous

homoplasy

plesiomorphy

adaptation

homoplasy

the theory of punctuated equilibrium postulates that most evolutionary change occurs rapidly in localized populations in concert with the acquisition of reproductive isolation

true or false

true

phyletic gradualism is the viewpoint that evolution takes place by a series of gradual transitions, of one type to another, over long periods of time under the influence of genetic drift

true or false

false

phyletic gradualism predicts that evolutionary change occurs in only a small portion of the ancestral population, and that once the new species forms it gradually expands into the range of the ancestral species

true or false

false

the theory of punctuated equilibrium predicts that a fossil record with many gaps is an inaccurate (incomplete) representation of the history of evolutionary change within a group.

true or false

False

the model of speciation invoked in the theory of punctuated equilibrium

sympatric speciation

stasipatric speciation

reductive speciation

peripheral isolates speciation

peripheral isolates speciation

most population genetic data supports the idea that the frame shift of co-adapted gene complexes is facilitated by small population size

true or false

false

there is a large amount of empirical data suggesting that evolution (understood as a change in allele frequency) can occur without speciation

true or false

true

saltational evolutionary change refers to change by an “evolutionary leap”, as opposed to a gradual type of change that proceeds through a series of intermediates

true or false

true

small genetic changes can have profound effects on phenotype. particularly if they are genetic changes that alter which of the following? choose best answer

amino acids associated with the active site in enzymes that catalyze reactions in glycolysis

the way in which non-enzymatic proteins fold into their final 3D structure

the shape of bones in the cranium of the organism

the timing of developmental events during embryogenesis

the timing of developmental events during embryogenesis

matsuda argued that environmental influences on which system are the driving force that lead to phenotypic change

endocrine

reproductive

feeding

endocrine

who developed the shifting balance theory of evolution?

fisher

Mayr

Simpson

wright

goldschmidt

goldschmidt

who came up with the idea of the hopeful monster?

fisher

Mayr

Simpson

wright

goldschmidt

goldschmidt