A Few Example Test Questions – BIOL212
APR 2012
Explain why natural selection can or cannot make new genes.
Explain the strengths and weaknesses of the biological species concept.
Which of the following statements about Lamarck is/are accurate?
a) Lamarck thought evolution had occurred.
b) Lamarck’s proposal that individuals evolve by the principle of use and
disuse is well supported by evidence.
c) Lamarck was wholly wrong.
d) Lamarck published his ideas only after Darwin published his.
Which of the following statements can be associated with the concept of the “unity of life”
and which can be associated with the concept of the “diversity of life”?
a) The amino acid sequences of cytochrome c (an enzyme in mitochondria)
differ between humans and chimps by one amino acid.
b) If the gene for human insulin is inserted into bacteria, the bacteria can
make human insulin.
c) Medium ground finches (Geospiza fortis) have beaks that are similar in
shape but smaller than large ground finches (Geospiza magnirostris).
d) The basic forelimb structure of horses and moles is similar.
e) Scientists interested in curing human cancer may study cell division in
yeasts.
Which of the following statements could challenge the evolutionary view of the history of
life on Earth? Be prepared to explain your answer.
a) New mammal fossils are discovered in the oldest rocks on Earth.
b) Coal deposits are found in Antarctica.
c) The mitochondrial DNA of the medium ground finch in the Galápagos is
identical to a bird species in Europe.
d) Both sugar gliders (Australia) and flying squirrels (North America) use flaps
of skin to help them glide from one tree to another.
e) Horse fossils occur in North America even though there were no wild
horses in North America in 1492.
In evolutionary terms, an organism's fitness is measured by its _____.
a) stability in the face of environmental change
b) contribution to the gene pool of the next generation
c) genetic variability
d) mutation rate
e) health
The frequency of cystic fibrosis is extremely low among Asians and Africans. What may
explain the relatively high frequency of cystic fibrosis among Northern Europeans?
a) bottleneck effect
b) founder effect
c) genetic drift
A Few Example Test Questions – BIOL212
APR 2012
d) directional selection
e) balancing selection
Cynotilapia afra, introduced at West Thumbi Island in Lake Malawi in the 1960s, has
split into two genetically distinct populations, located at the north and south ends of the
island. How can scientists determine whether these populations are now different
species, according to the biological species concept?
a) See whether the two populations are morphologically different from each
other: coloring, bone structure, and so on.
b) Determine whether captured individuals from the two different populations
will mate and produce offspring in a laboratory fish tank.
c) Determine whether individuals from one population will interbreed with
individuals from the other population when introduced into each other’s
native habitats.
Cichlids in Lake Victoria are thought to have diversified from a relatively few species to
600 hundred species in about 12,000 years (the last time the lake dried up). What is the
best way to test this hypothesis?
a) Examine the fossil record in lake sediments.
b) Look for morphological characteristics shared among Lake Victoria species
that are distinct from the species present in other lakes.
c) Look for genetic characteristics shared among Lake Victoria species that
are distinct from species present in other lakes.
d) This is not a testable hypothesis.
If the mitochondria and chloroplasts in eukaryotic cells resulted from endosymbiosis,
what feature(s) might we expect these organelles to contain?
a) a plasma membrane, DNA, and ribosomes
b) a plasma membrane, nucleus, and ribosomes
c) nucleus, DNA, and ribosomes
d) a plasma membrane, nucleus, and cilia
e) nucleus, ribosomes, and cilia
Animals that possess homologous structures probably _____.
a) evolved from the same ancestor
b) are headed for extinction
c) by chance had similar mutations in the past
d) are not related
e) have increased genetic diversity
What should animals with radial symmetry be better able to do than those with bilateral
symmetry?
a) move quickly in one direction
b) detect threats from above or below equally well
c) deal effectively with food distributed homogeneously in 360°
d) focused attention in a single direction
A Few Example Test Questions – BIOL212
APR 2012
What is true of modern animal phylogenies?
a) They take no account of an animal’s “body plan.”
b) They portray an animal’s place on the scale of nature (scala naturae).
c) They rely solely on molecular (genetic) data.
d) They are hypothetical.
e) They are immune from error due to homoplasy.
Which of the following would make the most suitable outgroup species for a cladogram
relative to the other species?
a) frog
b) tuna
c) snake
d) penguin
e) bat
Also be sure to look at (& answer) the end of chapter and end of section questions in
Campbell Reese!