Evolution Introduction MCQs Flashcards
(25 cards)
Which of the following is NOT a fundamental component of HIV’s evolution by natural selection?
a) Replication errors producing mutations.
b) Virions varying in drug resistance.
c) Resistant virions passing their traits to offspring.
d) Virions intentionally adapting to drugs.
e) Resistant virions surviving and reproducing better during treatment.
d) Virions intentionally adapting to drugs.
Why do single-drug therapies for HIV typically fail over time?
a) Patients become immune to the drug.
b) The drug causes new, more virulent mutations in the virus.
c) The virus evolves resistance to the drug through natural selection.
d) The drug becomes ineffective due to environmental factors.
e) The human immune system completely eradicates the virus.
c) The virus evolves resistance to the drug through natural selection.
Individuals carrying the CCR5-Δ32 allele are resistant to HIV infection because:
a) They have a stronger immune system.
b) This allele produces antibodies that destroy HIV.
c) CCR5 encodes a co-receptor that the virus uses to enter cells, and the deletion prevents entry.
d) It makes their cells incompatible with viral replication.
e) The allele directly targets and kills HIV virions.
c) CCR5 encodes a co-receptor that the virus uses to enter cells, and the deletion prevents entry.
Based on phylogenetic analysis, HIV-1 originated from which primate species?
a) Sooty mangabeys.
b) Gorillas.
c) Macaques.
d) Chimpanzees.
e) Baboons
d) Chimpanzees.
Which of the following best describes the transformation of a scientific hypothesis into a scientific theory?
a) A hypothesis becomes a theory simply by being widely accepted.
b) A hypothesis becomes a theory once it is published in a scientific journal.
c) A hypothesis becomes a theory after it stands up to rigorous testing and provides a testable mechanism for observed phenomena.
d) A hypothesis is a theory if it is proposed by a famous scientist.
e) A hypothesis and a theory are interchangeable terms in science.
c) A hypothesis becomes a theory after it stands up to rigorous testing and provides a testable mechanism for observed phenomena.
Aristotle’s “Scala Naturae” contributed to the early view of life by:
a) Proposing a common ancestor for all organisms.
b) Classifying organisms based on their genetic similarities.
c) Ordering organisms linearly from least to most complex, supporting the idea of Special Creation.
d) Suggesting that species could change over time through acquired characteristics.
e) Developing a system of binomial nomenclature
c) Ordering organisms linearly from least to most complex, supporting the idea of Special Creation.
Carolus Linnaeus’s most enduring contribution to biology is:
a) The theory of natural selection.
b) The development of binomial nomenclature for naming species.
c) The discovery of DNA.
d) His ideas on the inheritance of acquired characteristics.
e) His classification of organisms into a linear ladder of complexity.
b) The development of binomial nomenclature for naming species.
Erasmus Darwin’s Zoonomia contained ideas that hinted at Charles Darwin’s future work, specifically by suggesting:
a) The immutability of species.
b) That all warm-blooded animals might have arisen from one living filament and could improve over generations.
c) That catastrophic events were the primary drivers of species change.
d) That species were fixed in their form since creation.
e) The importance of geological uniformitarianism.
b) That all warm-blooded animals might have arisen from one living filament and could improve over generations.
Georges Cuvier’s observations of fossils in different geological strata led him to propose:
a) The theory of genetic drift.
b) That gradual geological processes cause species to change over vast periods.
c) That species appeared and disappeared, possibly due to catastrophic events that destroyed local life forms.
d) The inheritance of acquired characteristics.
e) The idea of a universal common ancestor.
c) That species appeared and disappeared, possibly due to catastrophic events that destroyed local life forms.
How did the geological theories of Hutton and Lyell influence Charles Darwin’s understanding of evolution?
a) They led him to believe that the Earth was very young.
b) They provided evidence for rapid, dramatic changes in species.
c) Their emphasis on gradual processes over deep time supported the idea that species diversification could also take millions of years.
d) They suggested that all geological change was caused by biological activity.
e) They proposed that geological and biological processes were entirely unrelated.
c) Their emphasis on gradual processes over deep time supported the idea that species diversification could also take millions of years.
Which statement accurately describes Jean-Baptiste Lamarck’s theory of evolution?
a) Evolution occurs through natural selection acting on random genetic mutations.
b) Organisms evolve by inheriting acquired characteristics from use or disuse of organs, striving towards perfection.
c) Species are immutable and do not change over time.
d) Catastrophic events are the main drivers of evolutionary change.
e) Evolution is primarily driven by genetic drift.
b) Organisms evolve by inheriting acquired characteristics from use or disuse of organs, striving towards perfection.
Which observation by Charles Darwin in the Galápagos Islands was crucial to the development of his theory of evolution?
a) The presence of identical species on all islands.
b) The absence of any unique species on the islands.
c) The distinct shell shapes of tortoises on different islands, adapted to their specific environments.
d) The discovery of ancient human civilizations.
e) The uniform climate across all islands.
c) The distinct shell shapes of tortoises on different islands, adapted to their specific environments.
Thomas Malthus’s An Essay on the Principle of Population influenced Darwin by highlighting the concept of:
a) Unlimited population growth in all species.
b) The importance of artificial selection.
c) Competition for resources among individuals, which applies to natural populations.
d) The role of catastrophic events in limiting population size.
e) The idea that all individuals in a population are identical.
c) Competition for resources among individuals, which applies to natural populations
Alfred Russel Wallace’s contribution to the theory of evolution is significant because:
a) He was the first to propose the concept of genetic mutation.
b) He independently developed a hypothesis of natural selection similar to Darwin’s, prompting Darwin to publish.
c) He discovered the structure of DNA.
d) He provided the first evidence of fossils.
e) He proved Lamarck’s theory of acquired characteristics.
b) He independently developed a hypothesis of natural selection similar to Darwin’s, prompting Darwin to publish
In On The Origin of Species, Darwin explained the “match between organisms and their environment” as a result of:
a) Divine intervention.
b) Individuals consciously changing to fit their surroundings.
c) Natural Selection, leading to “descent with modification”.
d) Random chance with no underlying mechanism.
e) Geological uniformitarianism acting on species directly.
c) Natural Selection, leading to “descent with modification”
Thomas Malthus’s essay influenced Darwin primarily by:
a) Explaining the concept of genetic mutation.
b) Highlighting the principle of competition for limited resources within populations.
c) Demonstrating that species are fixed and do not change.
d) Providing evidence for common descent.
e) Showing how artificial selection works.
b) Highlighting the principle of competition for limited resources within populations.
Darwin’s studies on artificial selection, particularly with pigeons, provided evidence for:
a) The spontaneous generation of new species.
b) The immutability of traits within a species.
c) That significant variation exists within species and can be selected for, leading to new forms.
d) The rapid extinction of less fit individuals.
e) The direct inheritance of acquired characteristics.
c) That significant variation exists within species and can be selected for, leading to new forms.
Who independently developed a theory of natural selection similar to Darwin’s, prompting Darwin to finally publish his major work?
a) Jean-Baptiste Lamarck.
b) Georges Cuvier.
c) Thomas Malthus.
d) Alfred Russel Wallace.
e) Carolus Linnaeus.
d) Alfred Russel Wallace.
What was the central argument of Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species?
a) That all life was created in its present form.
b) That organisms evolve through acquired characteristics.
c) That “descent with modification” via Natural Selection explains life’s unity, diversity, and adaptation to environment.
d) That species change only through catastrophic events.
e) That evolution is a goal-oriented process towards perfection.
c) That “descent with modification” via Natural Selection explains life’s unity, diversity, and adaptation to environment.
Which of the following is NOT a core component of natural selection?
a) Variation in traits within a population.
b) Traits being heritable.
c) Individuals adapting consciously to their environment during their lifetime.
d) Differential survival and reproduction among individuals.
e) A change in the frequency of advantageous traits in the population over generations.
c) Individuals adapting consciously to their environment during their lifetime.
In evolutionary biology, a “population” is defined as:
a) All individuals of a species on Earth.
b) A group of individuals of different species living in the same area.
c) A group of individuals of the same species living in the same area at the same time, capable of interbreeding.
d) All organisms that share a common ancestor.
e) A collection of diverse organisms within a specific ecosystem.
c) A group of individuals of the same species living in the same area at the same time, capable of interbreeding.
An inherited trait that increases an organism’s chance of survival and reproduction in a particular environment is called a(n):
a) Mutation.
b) Adaptation.
c) Fitness gain.
d) Genetic drift.
e) Phenotypic plasticity.
b) Adaptation.
In evolutionary terms, what does “fitness” primarily refer to?
a) An individual’s physical strength or athletic ability.
b) An individual’s relative reproductive success.
c) The lifespan of an individual.
d) The ability of an individual to consume the most resources.
e) An individual’s dominance in a social hierarchy.
b) An individual’s relative reproductive success.
Which statement represents a common misconception about evolution?
a) Populations evolve over generations.
b) Evolution is driven by natural selection.
c) Individuals adapt to their environment during their lifetime.
d) Genetic variation is essential for evolution.
e) Fitness is about reproductive success.
c) Individuals adapt to their environment during their lifetime.
