Chapter 2 Quiz

25 July 2022
4.7 (114 reviews)
30 test answers

Unlock all answers in this set

Unlock answers (26)
question
Evolutionary synthesis is: a. the combination of the theory of evolution and Linnaean taxonomy. b. the concept of evolution through natural selection. c. a combination of the inheritance of acquired characteristics and natural selection. d. a unified theory of evolution that combines genetics with natural selection.
answer
a unified theory of evolution that combines genetics with natural selection.
question
Your history professor is interested in genealogy and tells your class that, on his mother's side, he is descended from the original Amish population, a religious and insular group of people in Pennsylvania who tended to marry within their social circle. He also notes that many members of his extended family have the condition polydactyly, an extra finger or toe. The high frequency of polydactyly in your professor's ancestry is an example of _________________ in the Pennsylvania Amish. a. mutation b. gene flow c. genetic drift d. natural selection
answer
genetic drift
question
Fossils represent the remains of once-living: a. extant species that tell the story of human origins. b. plants that provide proof of catastrophism. c. organisms that demonstrate the age of the earth through the process of uniformitarianism. d. extinct organisms that provide a record of the history of life on the planet.
answer
extinct organisms that provide a record of the history of life on the planet.
question
According to Linnaean taxonomy, humans are in the genus and species a. Homo neanderthalensis. b. Homo habilis. c. Homo sapiens. d. Homo erectus.
answer
homo sapiens
question
Which of the following tenets are part of Darwin's theory of natural selection? a. Species have no predetermined limit on variation. b. All of the choices are correct. c. Advantageous traits increase over time because offspring with these traits survive. d. Populations adapt to different environments over time.
answer
ALL
question
Mendel's plant experiments demonstrated that: a. traits inherited from each parent blended together in the offspring. b. DNA was the molecule carrying the genetic code. c. traits are passed on from parent to offspring as discrete units. d. peas were a poor choice for understanding basic hereditary principles.
answer
traits are passed on from parent to offspring as discrete units.
question
The individual genotypes in a breeding population, taken as a whole, are the: a. DNA. b. phenotype. c. gene pool. d. polygene.
answer
gene pool
question
Darwin observed that adaptations: a. were peripheral to evolutionary change. b. resulted from supernatural forces. c. were physical traits that enhanced survival and reproduction. d. did not vary among Galápagos finches living in different habitats.
answer
were physical traits that enhanced survival and reproduction.
question
Thomas Malthus's contribution to natural selection is the: a. binomial taxonomic system of naming species. b. theory that the earth's old age is based on geologic evidence resulting from cataclysmic events. c. theory that environmental resources increase to population pressures. d. observation that an abundance of food would allow a population to increase geometrically and indefinitely, but there simply is not enough food, so populations are limited by food supply.
answer
observation that an abundance of food would allow a population to increase geometrically and indefinitely, but there simply is not enough food, so populations are limited by food supply.
question
Darwinian evolution proposes that: a. species adapt and change over time based on the environment. b. individuals determine their own biological adaptations. c. species adapt based on individual goals. d. an individual can change within its own lifetime.
answer
species adapt and change over time based on the environment.
question
Darwin believed that ________________ was the primary cause of evolution. a. natural selection b. mutation c. genetics d. fossil evidence
answer
natural selection
question
The scientist who coined the name Homo sapiens for human beings and placed them in a higher taxonomic group (primates) was: a. Robert Hooke. b. Georges Cuvier. c. Carolus Linnaeus. d. Charles Darwin.
answer
Carolus Linnaeus.
question
While home for winter break, you start telling your grandmother about your physical anthropology class. She once heard about a man who became a bodybuilder and then produced muscular children, and she asks you to explain how this could happen. You say that a. this is an example of Lamarckism, which has some kernels of truth about evolution but is not a wholly accurate theory. b. this illustrates Mendel's idea that inherited traits are not blended. c. inheritance of acquired characteristics is a fundamental tenet of Darwin's theory of evolution. d. Malthus theorized that food supply limits population growth, meaning that a bodybuilder will be more successful at procuring food and reproducing.
answer
this is an example of Lamarckism, which has some kernels of truth about evolution but is not a wholly accurate theory.
question
The forces of evolution include: a. natural selection, gene flow, genetic drift, and mutations. b. mutations, genes, and genetic drift. c. gene flow, mutations, chromosomes, and genes. d. natural selection, genes, alleles, and chromosomes.
answer
natural selection, gene flow, genetic drift, and mutations.
question
Gene flow differs from genetic drift because it is the: a. guiding force of evolution. b. random change in a gene or chromosome. c. random change in the frequency of alleles. d. spread of new genetic material from one gene pool to another.
answer
spread of new genetic material from one gene pool to another.
question
Charles Darwin's book On the Origin of Species (1859) was considered an important contribution to modern science because it: a. coined the concept of evolution. b. synthesized information from diverse scientific fields in order to document evolutionary change. c. proposed the use of the scientific method for the first time. d. was immediately and widely accepted by the scientific community as the mechanism for evolutionary change.
answer
synthesized information from diverse scientific fields in order to document evolutionary change.
question
The study of taxonomy was enriched by the work of a. All of the choices are correct. b. Carolus Linnaeus. c. James Hutton. d. Thomas Malthus.
answer
Carolus Linnaeus
question
Adaptive radiation occurs when: a. an individual adapts to varying environments. b. species adapt to environments with high radiation levels. c. several species adapt to one environment. d. one species gives rise to multiple closely related species.
answer
one species gives rise to multiple closely related species.
question
How did Lamarck contribute to the theory of evolution? a. He discovered genetic mutation through experiments with pea plants. b. He proposed a concept known today as gene flow. c. He proposed the first serious model of how traits are passed on from parent to offspring through inheritance of acquired characteristics, though that idea turned out to be incorrect. d. He proposed the concept of natural selection after his voyage to the Galapagos Islands and his study of finches.
answer
He proposed the first serious model of how traits are passed on from parent to offspring through inheritance of acquired characteristics, though that idea turned out to be incorrect.
question
The four forces of evolution are a. natural selection, mutation, gene flow, and demographic change. b. mutation, natural selection, genetic drift, and genotype. c. genetic drift, allele frequency, natural selection, and mutation. d. gene flow, genetic drift, mutation, and natural selection.
answer
gene flow, genetic drift, mutation, and natural selection.
question
The scientist whose work provided the foundation for later understandings of genetics was: a. Charles Darwin. b. John Ray. c. Robert Hooke. d. Gregor Mendel.
answer
gregor mendel
question
This picture shows two variants in ___________ or physical appearance of seven characteristics of the pea plant. a. allele b. genotype c. gene d. phenotype
answer
phenotype
question
The only source of new genetic material is a. mutation. b. blending. c. DNA. d. sexual reproduction.
answer
mutation
question
In coming up with an idea of evolution, Darwin drew on information from a. All of the choices are correct. b. taxonomy and systematics. c. geology and paleontology. d. demography.
answer
ALL
question
The gene for sickle cell anemia is found at a rate of 10 percent in West African blacks, 0 percent in American whites, and 5 percent in the descendants of West African blacks and American whites. Which force of evolution explains this pattern for the gene? a. natural selection b. mutation c. genetic drift d. gene flow
answer
gene flow
question
Darwin observed that adaptations: a. were peripheral to evolutionary change. b. were physical traits that enhanced survival and reproduction. c. resulted from supernatural forces. d. did not vary among Galápagos finches living in different habitats.
answer
were physical traits that enhanced survival and reproduction
question
The specific shape of DNA is known as the a. spiral staircase. b. double helix. c. winding ladder. d. building block.
answer
double helix
question
What were the three key observations made by Darwin that allowed him to deduce that natural selection is a primary driver of evolution? a. The number of adults tends to remain the same over time, individuals vary very little over time, and natural selection works on only the best of those adults in each generation. b. Species change and adapt based on environmental pressure, individuals change within their lifetime, and offspring inherit the changes. c. Organisms produce more offspring than survive, variation exists among members of populations, and advantageous variations increase in relative frequency over time. d. Genetic drift, gene flow, and mutations provide the change necessary in populations that affect future generations.
answer
Organisms produce more offspring than survive, variation exists among members of populations, and advantageous variations increase in relative frequency over time.
question
Which of the following is NOT a cause of evolution in a population? a. mutation b. genetic drift c. gene flow d. inheritance of acquired traits
answer
inheritance of acquired traits
question
The relevance of the theory of uniformitarianism is that it: a. allowed the understanding of evidence of change in the geological past by understanding what we see in the present day. b. demonstrates that the earth is 4.4 billion years old, based on geologic evidence from stratigraphic layers. c. supports the theory of catastrophism. d. proves that changes to the earth were caused by cataclysmic events like earthquakes and floods.
answer
allowed the understanding of evidence of change in the geological past by understanding what we see in the present day.