8.1 Introduction to Evolution [Mastery Check]

Instructions

This is part 2 (of 2) for the Intro to Evolution assignment. Make sure you already completed Part 1 (practice) before starting this one!

This is the "Mastery Check" part of this assignment. Your answers to these questions will be graded for accuracy, and will not give you the option to check your answers before submitting like the practice assignment did. Make sure you are happy with all of your answers before you submit!

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What did Charles Darwin notice about the finch populations in the Galapagos islands?

they were all of the same species and had the same traits as one another

they were the same species as those found in Australia and South America

they were different species, although they were similar, and had different traits from one another based on their diets

they were unrelated to one another, but became more and more similar to each other since they lived in the same islands together

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Darwin was influenced by many different people, some scientists and some not. Below are some examples of things that Darwin may have considered or ways that he may have applied the ideas of these other people to the work he was doing.

Match each person to the reasoning or conclusion that best matches with their work.

These aren't descriptions of their work, but are ways someone might try to apply their ideas in a biology context.

Draggable item		Corresponding Item
James Hutton		animals have to compete for resources with other animals around them

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A caterpillar species lives on the ground in a forest. Most of the caterpillars are green, including Sam (one particular caterpillar). Sam is living his life happily on the forest floor, until the climate of the area shifts slightly, causing low grasses in the forest to no longer survive. The only effect this has on these caterpillars is that the ground is no longer green - instead, it is now brown.

What will most likely happen to Sam?

he will have a much higher fitness than other caterpillars in the population who happen to be brown-colored

he will conduct artificial selection, to artificially raise his fitness levels and survive

he will change his color to brown, so that he can adapt to the brown ground and survive better

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Charles Darwin's theory of evolution requires....

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In order for a trait to be considered an "adaptation", it must...

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After many generations, an insect species in the United States evolved, becoming resistant to a particular pesticide that was being widely used.

This most likely occurred because....

the pesticide likely killed off another insect species that was competing with this species

widespread use of the pesticide selected for insects that were better able to survive & reproduce

exposure to the pesticide caused each insect to become more resistant to it

farmers were likely artificially selecting for insects that survived the pesticide the best

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Which of the following scenario(s) describes intrasexual selection occurring?

Male Southern elephant seals are significantly larger than females of the same species, sometimes up to 5 times as large! Just before the reproductive season, males will arrive at the beaches and establish their territories, often fighting one another to establish dominance. Eventually, females then arrive on the beaches. Males will then continue to fight one another as needed, to defend, control, and expand their "harems" (groups of females in an area that mate with the male in that area). 

In seahorses, females are often brightly colored, while males are quite dull in comparison. Seahorse mating is one example in nature where the male parent is the one in control of nurturing and "housing" the developing offspring (in a pouch with placenta-like structures!) This is somewhat less common in nature, and as a result of this "sex role reversal", the males of the species are pickier, and will choose females to mate with who display traits they prefer (like bright body colorations). 

In Trinidad in the Caribbean, many guppy fish live in streams. While they are related to one another, you can often see distinct physical differences between species depending on which particular stream they inhabit. In some of these streams, crayfish (predators of guppies) are common, while other streams lack crayfish entirely. As a result, guppy species in streams with crayfish often have a dull greenish-brown coloration, while guppies that live in streams without crayfish have a variety of colorations, including bright reds and oranges. 

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In evolutionary theory, individuals with a higher "fitness" are those that...

are more intelligent than other members of the same species

produce more surviving offspring than other members of the same species

experience less frequent mutations than other members of the same species

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We know that when an animal (ex. deer) reproduces sexually, their offspring will have genetic variations, meaning they may have some genotypic and phenotypic differences as compared to their parents, siblings, or other members of the same species.

What is most TRUE about these variations?

some of the variations will be helpful, while others may be harmful

all of the variations will be harmful to those individuals

all of the variations will be helpful to those individuals

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Which of the following statements best describes the process of natural selection in a population?

Some individuals have genetic differences that make them more likely to survive and reproduce in their environment.

All individuals develop traits to match changes to their environment.

Some individuals respond to their environment by mutating to make themselves more likely to survive.

All individuals learn to adapt to specific changes that occur slowly in their environment.

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A new bacteria begins to infect wheat plants across the United States. This bacteria, when it infects a plant, significantly slows the growth of the plant, and makes it very difficult for the plant to reproduce. To protect the wheat plants, scientists decide to insert a gene into the genome of the wheat plants. This gene is borrowed from another plant species; it codes for the production of a protein that is toxic to these particular bacteria, but is harmless to plants and animals.

What will most likely happen within the bacteria's population over time?

The bacteria will produce new genes and will become less common.

The bacteria that can reproduce asexually will become more common.

The bacteria with resistance to the toxin will survive to reproduce and will become more common.

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Which of the following scenarios would NOT be able to result in allopatric speciation?

A  mutation causes some monkeys within a population to not be able to mate with certain monkeys in that population

A scientist grows bacteria in different petri dishes

A human construction company diverts a river. The river now begins to form in the middle of a previously open plain. The population of snakes that live there is split in half.

A large storm hits an island, causing some of the island's iguana population to wash into the ocean. They are able to safely float to a nearby island.

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Which of the following statements best expresses the concept of punctuated equilibrium?

Evolutionary changes consist of rapid bursts of speciation alternating with long periods in which species remain essentially unmodified.

Random mating ensures that the proportions of genotypes in a population remain unchanged from generation to generation.

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The differences in cricket calls among sympatric species of crickets are examples of...

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A population of giraffes lives in an area where the only food grows on high tree branches. Over many generations, these giraffes develop long necks to reach the branches. This is an example of:

Stabilizing selection

Artificial selection

Directional selection

Disruptive selection

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A population of snails lives near a large factory. Close to the factory, the ground and air are several degrees warmer due to hot air exhausted from the building. Because of this, snails that live near the building breed in early May while those farther away from the building do not breed until June. Which statement below is most accurate?

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Which of the following is most likely to be responsible for causing the great number of species we see on earth in the past and today?

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Which of the following scenarios represents coevolution occurring?

A certain bird species regularly eats monarch butterflies. As a result, over many years, monarch butterflies have evolved to look slightly different. Then, over many years, the bird species' eyesight evolves to better distinguish between monarch butterflies and other butterflies.

Bees have evolved to see yellow and blue colors extremely well and have increased the number of hairs on their bodies. Flowers have evolved to have increasingly bright and vibrant yellow and blue colorings.

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Your answer must be 1-2 full sentences in order to receive full credit.

Why are there so many different definitions for what a "species" is? Why haven't biologists decided on a single, correct definition?

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