1.
This natural philosopher proposed that
evolution resulted from the inheritance of acquired characteristics - for example, giraffe offspring acquired longer necks because their parents stretching to reach higher leaves.
Correct Answer
A. Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
Explanation
Lamarck proposed a theory of evolution made possible by inheritance of acquired characteristics. This has long been assumed to be wholly incorrect, yet recent genetic evidence suggests that it may actually occur at the cellular level in some instances.
2.
Differences between members
of a population will most likely be passed on to future generations
if they are:
Correct Answer
B. Due to genetic changes and result in favorable variations
Explanation
Inherited characteristics that differ between parent and offspring are the result of genetic mutations or during meiosis. If these characteristics are favorable, these adaptations will help the organism survive within its population.
3.
An example of a pair of
analogous structures is:
Correct Answer
A. The wing of an insect and the wing of a bat
Explanation
Analagous structures share similar physical function without sharing common ancestry. In this instance, both bat and insect wing share a common function - flight - yet their development and ancestry are highly unrelated.
4.
In the early stages of development,
embryos of dogs, pigs, and humans resemble one another. This
observation
suggests that these animals have:
Correct Answer
D. A common ancestry
Explanation
Similar developmental patterns suggest common ancestry - ancient body plans from past ancestors continue to serve as required 'foundations' in the developing modern organisms.
5.
Biological evolution is
best described as:
Correct Answer
A. A process of change in a population through time
Explanation
Darwinian evolution occurs as a result of the production of variation providing a diversity of phenotypic difference among individuals in a population. Those individuals with favored adaptations pass on their genes to the next generation.
6.
When penicillin was first introduced,
it was very effective in destroying the bacteria that cause gonorrhea.
Today, certain varieties of this bacterium are resistant to penicillin.
Which statement best describes the appearance of these resistant
varieties?
Correct Answer
D. Penicillin killed the susceptible bacteria, while naturally resistant varieties survived and reproduced
Explanation
This is also known as directional selection - a single region of a distribution of phenotype is favored, and the normal distribution of phenotypic variation is shifted in a single direction (in this case, the population shifts to those organisms with the genetic predisposition to penicillin resistance).
7.
In a certain area of undisturbed
layers of rock, fossils of horseshoe crabs are found in the upper layer,
and a lower layer contains fossils of trilobites. Trilobites are
extinct aquatic anthropoids resembling modern horseshoe crabs.
This information suggests:
Correct Answer
C. Horseshoe crabs may have evolved from trilobites
Explanation
Recall that evolutionarily older animals are placed (typically) in areas of the rock strata (layers) that are below the newer (more recent) fossils.
8.
The relationship between a plant
and its pollinator is an example of which of the following patterns
of evolution:
Correct Answer
B. Coevolution
Explanation
Coevolution is a continuous process - earlier plant and pollinators likely did not have as extreme a phenotype as the currently do, and future plant/pollinators may continue to evolve in such a predictable direction (however, other selective factors may work against such a proposition)
9.
Saint Bernards and Chihuahuas
(two breeds of domestic dogs) cannot mate normally due to great
differences
in size. Thus, they are reproductively isolated to some extent.
Which type of isolating mechanism is operating here?
Correct Answer
D. Mechanic
Explanation
In this example, the reproductive organs of the two dog varieties are simply too different in size to allow for copulation to take place. Nevertheless, invitro fertilization may still allow an impregnated female Bernard to give birth to such a mix.
10.
Dolphins and sharks share
very similar body forms, but in terms of common ancestry, are separated
by more than 400 million years of evolution. The pattern of evolution
demonstrated by the shark and dolphin is called:
Correct Answer
B. Convergent evolution
Explanation
Recall that converging means coming to the same point from two different routes - in this case, both the shark (a fish) and a dolphin (a mammal) arrive at the same overall body form to efficiently propel themselves through the water. They share a similar environment, which imposes specific physical conditions that a single body plan appears to be most suitable (and therefore, both animals share this plan because of common selective forces).