Quiz
BIOL 106 Midterm
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Questions in this quiz (90)
1 Who is the author of the "entangled bank" quote on page vi of the course text The Tangled Bank by Carl Zimmer?
- AAlfred Russell Wallace
- BCharles Darwin
- CGeorge Gaylord Simpson
- DCarl Linnaeus
- EWilliam Smith
2 What does the "entangled bank" represent to its author?
- Athe bank of the Truckee River.
- Bthe bank at Sand Harbor on Lake Tahoe
- Ca complex set of ecological interrelationships among plants, birds, insects, worms and other living things.
- Dplants, birds, insects and worms become physically entangled with one another.
- Eplants and animals evolve only during wars.
3 What publication is the "entangled bank" quoted from?
- AAlfred Russell Wallace's article on evolution in 1859
- BPanda's Thumb
- CBible
- DOn the Origin of Species
4 Which of the following laws regarding nature does is not cited in this passage "entangled bank"?
- Agrowth with reproduction
- Bvariability and divergence of character of living forms
- Cthe energy contained in light increases with its electromagnetic frequency
- Dratio of increase leading to struggle for life
- Eextinction
5 How does Zimmer summarize evolution in Chapter One of The Tangled Bank?
- Aseparate creation of plants and animals
- Bdescent with modification
- Corigin of all current life forms from other solar systems.
- Dsteady progress toward a particular goal of life forms
- Eprocess of perfecting all life forms
6 Which of the following does NOT provide evidence for evolution?
- Alaboratory experiments on changes in fast growing organisms such as bacteria
- Bfossils
- Ccomparisons among living species to identify similar traits and common ancestors
- Dsimilarities and differences in the DNA sequences in genomes of living organisms
- Eobservations on the surface of Mars
7 Which of the following provided Charles Darwin with evidence that whales descended from land mammals?
- AUnlike fish that breathe with gills whales have lungs and must rise to the surface of the water to breath.
- BWhales have vestigial remnants of legs imbedded where the legs of land mammals would be; fish have no such structures.
- CWhales give birth to live young; most fish lay eggs.
- DWhales have long muscles that run horizontally down the body, unlike fish that have vertical, segmented muscles.
- EAll of the above evidence was interpreted by Charles Darwin to support the idea that whales evolved from land mammals.
8 Which of the following is more recent evidence that whales evolved from land mammals that Charles Darwin who lived in the 19th century could not have known?
- AWhale DNA genetic sequences are closely related to those of artiodactyls, a group of hoofed land mammals that includes camels, cattle, goats and hippopotamuses.
- BUnlike fish that breathe with gills whales have lungs and must rise to the surface of the water to breath.
- CWhales have vestigial remnants of legs imbedded where the legs of land mammals would be; fish have no such structures.
- DWhales give birth to live young; most fish lay eggs.
- EWhales have long muscles that run horizontally down the body, unlike fish that have vertical, segmented muscles.
9 Which of the following provides evidence to modern scientists to support the hypothesis that whales evolved from land mammals to freshwater mammals to marine mammals?
- Athe presence of horizontal tail flukes rather than a vertical tail characteristic of sharks and fish.
- Blarge, carnivorous teeth
- Cthe changing ratio in ancient whale fossils in the ratio of light to heavy oxygen from that found in freshwater to that found in seawater
- Dthe presence of lungs
- EWhales give birth to live young.
10 What is the best description of whales?
- AWhales were designed to live in salt water.
- BWhales were created to live in salt water.
- CWhales will always live in salt water.
- DWhales evolved from land mammals in the past and evolution has shaped many aspects of their biology, including their ability to live in salt water.
- EThroughout the history of whales they have always lived in salt water.
11 How is study of science defined?
- AScience is based on hypotheses that are unsupported by experimental evidence.
- BScience is based on the use of evidence to construct testable explanations and predictions of natural phenomenon.
- CScience is based on the ability to turn back time.
- DScience is based on creationist beliefs and intelligent design.
- EObservation and experimental empirical evidence is not important to science.
12 How is a theory defined in terms of science?
- AA theory is merely speculation on the part of scientists.
- BA theory is the same thing as a hyporthesis.
- CA theory does not explain patterns in empirical data but merely reports the data as determined by scientists.
- DA theory is an overarching set of principles that explain a major aspect of the natural world and is supported by a large collection of experimental, empirical evidence.
- EOnce established a theory cannot be changed by additional evidence.
13 What is the relationship of a hypothesis to a theory?
- AA hypothesis is identical to a theory.
- BA hypothesis is an untested idea or concept, perhaps part of a theory that needs to be tested with observations and experiments.
- CA hypothesis is always true.
- DHypotheses are never tested with experimentation and empirical evidence.
- ETheories are not established through experimentation on hypotheses.
14 How do scientists make progress in understanding natural phenomenon like why Ginkgoes lose their leaves?
- AScientists philosophize as to why Ginkgoes lose their leaves; other scientists accept their philosophical ideas.
- BScientists only study why Ginkgoes lose their leaves.
- CHypotheses about why Gingkoes lose their leaves are always true.
- DScientists make progress in explaining why Gingkoes lose their leaves by establishing and testing hypotheses.
- EScientific hypotheses are always proven correct by empirical evidence.
15 What is unique about the theory of evolution as compared to other scientific theories such as Newton's theory of gravitation, the theory of plated tectonics, or the germ theory of disease?
- AThere is no difference in the many scientific theories.
- BEvolutionary theory is characterized by a consideration of many different size scales and complexity, from molecular DNA to organismic and ecosystem function.
- CThe modern theory of evolution has not changed since it was described by Darwin in the 19th century.
- DEvolutionary theory is not based on experimental, empirical evidence because it is a philosophical concept.
- EEvolutionary theory in unable to make sense of the complexity and many different size scales that compose it.
16 Which of the following statements is not consistent with Platt's procedure demonstrating a strong inference:
- AFormulate a series of alternative hypotheses
- BChoose the hypothesis that best fits with your "gut" feeling as to its correctness.
- CSet up a series of experiments to test these hypotheses, each experiment should rule out one hypothesis.
- DCarry out the experiments as clearly as possible.
- EEliminate the hypotheses that failed and return to formulating more hypotheses until you are left with a verifiable hypothesis.
17 What did Hedges discover when he compared the reliability of physics, a "hard science" to psychology, a "soft science".'
- APhysics is completely reliable because all of its theorems are true.
- BPsychology is unreliable because its theorems are complex and cannot be proven to be true.
- CResearch results in physics are not more consistent than those of social sciences like psychology.
- DBoth psychology and physics show inconsistent and unreliable research results.
- EBoth psychology and physics possess very similar data to support the consistency of their research results.
18 Which of the following activities are essential to "doing science"?
- Aperforming "thought" experiments
- Bsystematic observations and the construction and testing of hypotheses
- Cproving hypotheses correct with telepathy
- Dproving that the universe began with the "big bang"
- EScience only predicts future events based on theories and not historical events from the past.
19 Which of the following is a description of astrology:
- AAstrology is a "hard science"
- BAstrology is a "soft science".
- CAstrology is a "pseudoscience".
- DAstrology can successfully predict future events.
- EAstrology is based upon systematic observations and careful testing of hypotheses.
20 Which of the following is considered a science?
- Aalchemy
- Bastrology
- Cpalmistry
- Dchemistry
- Eparapsychology
21 What does Dario Maestripieri state about the nature of science in the epilogue to Games Primates Play?
- AHumans did not evolve from primate ancestors.
- BScience provided reassurance to people that all stories have happy endings.
- CScience supports philosophical, moral and religious justifications in human societies.
- DEvolutionary biology hypotheses support a certain quality of life.
- EScience cannot establish moral absolutes involving human nature as it evolved from a primate ancestor.
22 Match the Greek philosopher with a principal characteristic or description: Animaxander
- ALife arose from delicate membranes. The more of the sun's heat the membranes received the more complex they became.
- BThe Ladder of Being
- CLiving organisms were created randomly and then adapted as randomly created structures were not useful. Only the best-adapted of living things survived.
- DSchool of Greek philosophy that believed that nature was ethical and that life was deterministic and cyclical.
23 Match the Greek philosopher with a principal characteristic or description: Aristotle
- ALife arose from delicate membranes. The more of the sun's heat the membranes received the more complex they became.
- BThe Ladder of Being
- CLiving organisms were created randomly and then adapted as randomly created structures were not useful. Only the best-adapted of living things survived.
- DSchool of Greek philosophy that believed that nature was ethical and that life was deterministic and cyclical.
24 Match the Greek philosopher with a principal characteristic or description: Empedocles
- ALife arose from delicate membranes. The more of the sun's heat the membranes received the more complex they became.
- BThe Ladder of Being
- CLiving organisms were created randomly and then adapted as randomly created structures were not useful. Only the best-adapted of living things survived.
- DSchool of Greek philosophy that believed that nature was ethical and that life was deterministic and cyclical.
25 Match the Greek philosopher with a principal characteristic or description: Stoics
- ALife arose from delicate membranes. The more of the sun's heat the membranes received the more complex they became.
- BThe Ladder of Being
- CLiving organisms were created randomly and then adapted as randomly created structures were not useful. Only the best-adapted of living things survived.
- DSchool of Greek philosophy that believed that nature was ethical and that life was deterministic and cyclical.
26 Which of the following is true about the understanding of Greek philosophers about the creation of life and/or evolution?
- ASome Greek philosophers made valiant efforts to prove that life forms changed through natural selection.
- BNo Greek philosophy on nature stated that existing species could undergo change through natural selection.
- CGreek philosophers believed that the earth was created in 4004 B.C.
- DThe "Ladder of Being" described the evolutionary origin of humans.
- EAristotle addressed the origin of life in his writings.
27 Which of the following concepts did not come from Georges Louis Leclerc, the Comte de Buffon, as a result of his philosophy of nature?
- AThe earth is between 165,000 and 500,000 years old.
- BSpecies do change over time in response to a changing environment.
- COriginal species were produced spontaneously when the earth was young and still hot.
- DAs the earth cooled species could no longer arise spontaneously.
- EMan, other primates and all animals were related and made one family of organisms.
28 What useful tool do modern evolutionary scientists possess that Darwin didn't know about to determine the age of rocks?
- Athe science of using paleontology or fossils to determine the age of rocks
- Bthe science of estimating the age of rocks through a determination of the half-lives of the mineral radioactive elements in the rocks
- Csedimentary geology
- Dthe science of determining relative ages of rocks by using stratigraphy
- Ethe rate at which the earth radiates heat
29 Which of the following statements involving dead organisms is NOT true?
- AAll dead organisms become fossilized.
- BFossils form when an organisms tissues are replaced with minerals.
- CFossils may not show a complete organism.
- DOrganisms may form carbon or lignite deposits after dying rather than fossilize.
- EFossils may preserve cellular structure.
30 Almost all fossils form:
- Athrough the replacement of tissue by minerals in a water environment.
- Bin sedimentary rock.
- Cthrough volcanic action.
- Dcoal and petroleum deposits.
- Ewhen hard tissues such as teeth and bone become entrapped within rocks.
31 What radioactive element in the discussion of radioactive clocks in the The Tangled Bank is used to determine the age of rocks?
- ARubidium
- BCarbon
- CUranium
- DThorium
- ELead
32 Petto, in Scientists Confront Intelligent Design and Creationism, determined the age of the Milky Way Galaxy as?
- A6, 000 years old
- B104, 000 years old
- C3.80 billion years old
- D4.55 billion years old
- E13.5 billion years old
33 Georges Leclarc, the Comte de Buffon, extended the age of the earth from 4, 000 to 6, 000 years old to 168, 000 years old. Why was this important to Charles Darwin's theory of evolution?
- AThe time extension provided sufficient time for organisms to evolve.
- BThe time extension was necessary for the formation of fossils.
- CThe time extension was necessary for the formation of rocks.
- DThe additional time provided more time for organisms to be created.
- EThe additional time provided sufficient time for the earth to cool to a temperature that would allow organisms to survive.
34 Georges Cuvier, a pioneer French paleontologist, established what important evolutionary concept important for Darwin's theory of evolution?
- Anatural selection
- Bextinction
- Cfossilization
- Dsexual selection
- Eadaptation
35 Which of the following men was the first to believe that more complex organisms developed from simpler organisms?
- AAristotle
- BGeorges Leclarc, the Comte de Buffon
- CGeorges Cuvier
- DJean de Monet, the Chevalier de Lemarck
- EJames Hutton
36 Early English geologists including James Hutton and William Smith
- Aviewed the earth as being slowly transformed by natural forces.
- Bdiscovered the first fossils
- Cwrote about natural selection and adaptation.
- Ddiscovered the age of the earth.
- Eestablished a "tree of life".
37 Following a family tradition Darwin first trained as a
- Aphysician.
- Btheologian.
- Cgeologist.
- Dbiologist.
- Eauthor.
38 Darwin was employed aboard the H.M.S. Beagle as the ship's:
- Acaptain.
- Bfirst mate.
- Cunofficial naturalist.
- Dcompanion to the ship's captain.
- EAnswers c and d only.
39 Darwin was almost ready to publish The Origin of Species twenty-three years after returning to England aboard the Beagle when he received a letter from __________. This letter contained a mechanism for evolution much like that expressed by Darwin.
- AThomas Huxley, also known as "Darwin's Bulldog".
- BGeorges Cuvier, an early paleontologist.
- CJames Hutton, a Scottish geologist who originated the concept of uniformitarianism.
- DJames Lyell, an English geologist whose book, The Principles of Geology, accompanied Darwin aboard the Beagle.
- EAlfred Russell Wallace.
40 Charles Darwin died
- Ain 1882 and was buried in Westminster Abbey.
- Bin 1859.
- Cin 1871, after the publication of The Descent of Man.
- Din 1836 after he graduated with honors from the University of Cambridge.
- Ein 1900 after his research on genetics was discovered and published.
41 According the Raven what did the great majority of people believe during Darwin's time?
- AMost people believed in Darwin's theory of evolution.
- BMost people believed that organisms were repeatedly created by spontaneous generation.
- CMost people believed in Wallace's theory of evolution rather than Darwin's theory.
- DMost people believed that humans evolved from monkeys.
- EMost people believed that organisms and their individual structures were created from the direct actions of a Divine Creator.
42 According to Raven, what was the source of evidence that Darwin collected or observed aboard the H.M.S. Beagle?
- AFossil evidence of change in organisms like armadillos, geographical evidence of distributions of organisms on different continents, distribution of species on oceanic islands like the Galapagos.
- BAristotle's "tree of life" organization of simple to more complex species
- CThe structure of different barnacles found in the lagoons of fringing coral reefs in the South Pacific
- DDistribution of organisms between Southeast Asia and Australo-pacific islands east of the Lombok Strait.
- EDistribution of organisms and fossil forms found in the Cape Verde Islands in the Atlantic Ocean
43 What land animal in the Galapagos Islands provided Darwin with a clear example of structural adaptations?
- Amarine iguanas
- Bpenguins
- Ctortoises
- Darmadillos
- Eglyptodonts
44 What was the importance of Thomas Malthus's ideas on population and resource increases to Charles Darwin?
- AMalthus helped Charles Darwin clarify his ideas on the evolution of specific adaptations such as the size and shape of finch beaks.
- BMalthus's writings suggested to Charles Darwin the importance of natural selection to evolution.
- CMalthus was Charles Darwin's fellow researcher on experiments proving natural selection.
- DMalthus provided Charles Darwin with the concept of natural selection.
- EDarwin used Malthus's experimental data on carnivorous plants to publish Insectivorous Plants in 1875.
45 What was Darwin's response to his exposure to a variety of new experiences and life forms while travelling aboard the H.M.S. Beagle?
- ADarwin recognized evolutionary change, constructed his theory of evolution and wrote The Origin of Species while travelling on the Beagle.
- BDarwin did not realize the implications of his observations in South America and start to construct the concept of evolution until between 1837 and 1842 after returning from his voyage aboard the Beagle.
- CDarwin worked with another naturalist aboard the Beagle, Robert McCormick, to write The Origin of Species.
- DDarwin used only his observations aboard the Beagle to write The Origin of Species after he returned from the Beagle voyage.
- EDarwin never did recognize the importance of his naturalist studies aboard the Beagle but rather constructed a number of maps of the coast of South America.
46 According to Ernst Mayr what was (were) the major achievement(s) of Charles Darwin?
- ADarwin refuted the individual creation of each species.
- BDarwin introduced the idea that humans were not special products of creation but evolved according to principles of evolution.
- CDarwin established the concept that all of life descended from a common ancestor.
- DDarwin refuted the Victorian notion of a perfectly designed and ordered natural world and substituted a concept of the struggle for survival.
- EDarwin established all of the above major concepts.
47 What was the major purpose of the voyage of the H.M.S. Beagle?
- AThe major purpose of the voyage of the Beagle was to collect fossils.
- BThe major purpose of the voyage of the Beagle was to produce improved navigational charts for British ships around South America.
- CThe major purpose of the voyage of the Beagle was to observe the geology of the Galapagos Islands.
- DThe major purpose of the voyage of the Beagle was to be the first to circumnavigate the earth from east to west.
- EThe major purpose of the voyage of the Beagle was to collect bird specimens from South America.
48 In the final twenty three years of his life,
- ADarwin never published anything other than The Origin of Species.
- BDarwin published several additional books including The Descent of Man and The Power of Movement in Plants in 1880.
- CDarwin continued to do research on variations in domesticated animals, carnivorous plants and flowers.
- DDarwin was extremely busy as a commercial farmer in rural England to earn money to support himself and his family.
- EAnswers b and c only are correct.
49 What was Darwin's approach to scientific study and the philosophy of science?
- ADarwin was strictly an observer of natural history.
- BDarwin kept a careful diary of his travels and experiments but never interpreted any of the results.
- CDarwin followed the scientific method that was well established in his time. This method was termed determinism and described all natural events as based on physical laws.
- DDarwin was an excellent observer, formed hypotheses from his observations and experimented to support his hypotheses. Darwin also was a theoretical scientist who speculated on challenging problems in natural history.
- EDarwin was similar to many other scientists of his era in that he speculated on many theoretical ideas inherent in the Victorian philosophy of science. Many of these theoretical ideas were not supported by observation or experimentation.
50 Which of the following statements best describes Darwin's religious beliefs?
- ACharles Darwin's ancestors were ministers, Darwin studied theology at Cambridge in preparation for the ministry and always possessed Christian religious beliefs.
- BCharles Darwin was an atheist who did not believe in a higher power.
- CCharles Darwin was always a scientist and never possessed strong religious beliefs.
- DCharles Darwin was converted from Christianity to evolutionism during the voyage of the H.M.S. Beagle.
- ECharles Darwin was very superstitious and believed in the occult.
51 Charles Darwin was the first to propose:
- Athat evolution occurs.
- Ba mechanism for how evolution occurs.
- Cthat the earth is older than 6,000 years
- Da mechanism for evolution supported by evidence.
- Ea way of using artificial selection as a means of domesticating animals.
52 Coadaptation may be defined as:
- Athe evolution of species on different continents.
- Bthe adaptation of individuals within one species to a specialized environment.
- Cdiverging speciation within one species to form two unrelated, new species.
- Dnatural selection of a particular set of adaptations in a population that gives rise to a completely new species.
- Ethe modification through descent of two or more closely related species so that they become interdependent and evolve together.
53 Natural selection is defined as
- Athe ability of some individuals who are better adapted to their environment to produce more offspring than poorer adapted individuals.
- Bthe adoption of the physical characteristics of the parent by their offspring.
- Cthe inability of poorly adapted individuals to produce offspring.
- Dthe cloning of individuals to produce exact copies.
- Eresulting in the extinction of the selected organisms.
54 Darwin's relationship to laws of inheritance can best be described as:
- ADarwin discovered the laws of inheritance.
- BDarwin was not knowledgeable of the laws of inheritance; the laws of genetics did not become better known until 40 years after the publication of The Origin of the Species.
- CDarwin discovered DNA.
- DDarwin was the father of genetics and discovered the laws of genetic inheritance.
- EDarwin discovered molecular mutations were the basis for individual to individual variability necessary for natural selection.
55 Why does Darwin state: "These individual differences are of the highest importance for
- ADarwin's concept of natural selection depended upon the presence of individual to individual variability in a population.
- BDarwin never observed variability in domestic animals.
- CAnimal breeders selected animals at random from a population to breed.
- DDarwin believed that all natural selection functioned on domestic varieties that were then released into the wild.
- EVariation and, therefore, natural selection, only occurred in sheep and cattle.
56 Which of the following did Darwin say showed the greatest variation?
- AFemales of a species showed the greatest variation while males showed no variation.
- BDarwin stated that wide ranging, much diffused, and common species vary the most while species of the larger genera in any country vary more than the species of the smaller genera.
- CCattle showed the greatest variation when compared to sheep.
- DThere is no variation between individuals of a species.
- ELarger genera tend to become smaller through natural selection.
57 What is the ecological definition of a population?
- AA population includes only one individual.
- BA population includes individuals of many different species interacting within a defined geographical area.
- CPopulations include only animal species and humans.
- DA population includes both organisms and the nonliving environment where they inhabit.
- EA population consists of individuals of one species that interact within a defined geographical area.
58 What did both Thomas Malthus, an English economist contemporary with Darwin, and Charles Darwin believe about the increase in populations?
- APopulations of all organisms grew slowly.
- BPopulations of all organisms grew at an arithmetic rate of increase.
- CHuman populations grow rapidly but populations of all other organisms grow slowly.
- DPopulations of all organisms, particularly humans, grow rapidly at a geometric rate.
- EOnly plant populations of weedy plants grow rapidly in the presence of abundant moisture and sunlight.
59 Competition to survive is the most severe between:
- Aindividuals of the same species that live in the same geographical area.
- Bindividuals of different species in a community.
- Cindividuals that live in different geographically isolated habitats.
- Dpopulations that live in different geographically isolated habitats.
- Ecommunities of different populations in the same geographical area.
60 Natural selection, according to Charles Darwin, included the concepts of::
- Avariation in individuals, rapid increase in population size, and differential reproduction between differently adapted individuals in a population.
- Bvariation in neighboring population sizes and competition between different species in different geographical locations.
- Ccloning in individuals and equal ability to reproduce among all the clones.
- Dvariation and competition in populations of different species in a community.
- Ethe creation of specially adapted populations in the same geographical location.
61 Darwin's definition of natural selection included which of the following concepts?
- AAll individuals in a population have an equal chance of surviving a reproducing.
- BNatural selection only occurs in prey animals.
- CIndividuals having any advantage over other individuals would have the best chance of surviving and reproducing while injurious variations will be destroyed before they reproduce.
- DAll variations from a parental type will be rigidly destroyed.
- EOnly plant populations exhibit variation upon which natural selection works.
62 What is sexual selection according to Charles Darwin?
- ASexual selection only occurs in females.
- BSexual selection is the same as the struggle for existence.
- CSexual selection occurs as organisms select mates according to certain physical characteristics.
- DSexual selection always supports the acquisition of characteristics that assist the organism to survive, as well as, find mates.
- ESexual selection is the same as artificial selection.
63 How does "intercrossing" or interbreeding impact the rate of natural selection?
- AInterbreeding allows variations to be shared among organisms and, therefore, retards the impact of natural selection.
- BThe rate of natural selection accelerates with interbreeding.
- CInterbreeding is used in artificial selection to produce new, distinct varieties of plants and animals.
- DOceanic islands produce new, endemic species, because of interbreeding with mainland forms.
- EInterbreeding has the same impact as isolating mechanisms in determining the rate of natural selection.
64 Two great laws existed in Darwin's time and were supported by many other naturalists such as Cuvier. These laws were the "Unity of Life" which stated that organisms in the same taxonomic species were alike and the "Conditions of Existence" which stated that organisms were adapted to their environment. Darwin argued that:
- Anatural selection did not support either of these laws but rather replaced them.
- Bthe concept of natural selection fully supported both of these laws.
- Cnatural selection agreed with unity of life through the concept of common descent but did not support the conditions of existence law.
- Dnatural selection did not support the unity of life because of the wide diversity of organismal forms.
- Enatural selection did not support the conditions of existence because it impacts all organisms regardless of their adaptations.
65 One of the great difficulties that worried Darwin in providing factual support for the concept of natural selection was:
- Athe failure of artificial selection in producing different domesticated breeds of animals.
- Bthe absence of sufficient time for natural selection to occur.
- Cthe absence of transitional forms in the fossil record for many diverse adaptations.
- Dthe absence of any evidence of vestigial organs.
- Ethe presence of forms, like viruses, that arose from spontaneous generation.
66 What did Darwin refer to as the immutability of species and was it supported by natural selection?
- AImmutability of species was the popular belief in Darwin's time that species never change; it was supported by natural selection.
- BNatural selection supported the special creation of all organisms and they are immutable, that is, never change.
- CNatural selection was the idea that species changed through time to adapt to their environment; the immutability of species was a concept that supported special creation and the unchanged continuation of all life.
- DDarwin believed in the immutability of all species of organisms.
- EThe immutability of species was a new concept in Darwin's time; Darwin's concept of natural selection was part of the concept of the immutability of species.
67 Darwin refers to the production and extinction of species as opposed to special creation. Which of the following statements best describes the process of extinction?
- AExtinction refers to the dying out or termination of a species.
- BExtinction occurs when unused organs become vestigial.
- CSpecial creation includes the concept of extinction of species.
- DDarwin believed that very few species ever become extinct.
- EOnly cataclysms like a great flood cause extinction of species.
68 What is a homologous structure?
- AHomologous structures are similar in their function but very different in their anatomy, An example is an insect's wing and a bird wing
- BHomologous structures are similar in their structure but can be very different in their functions. An example is a bird's wing and a dolphin flipper.
- CA homologous structure is one which was formerly of use to the animal but currently has no useful function.
- DThe presence of a homologous structure leads to extinction.
- EHomologous structures are always involved in sexual selection.
69 Darwin describes the concept of natural selection using which of the following processes in their correct order?
- Aoverproduction, variation, competition for resources to reproduce
- Bcompetition, sexual selection, reproduction
- Cartificial selection, breeding, reproduction
- Dspecial creation of species, reproduction, species immutability
- Eoverproduction, loss of transitional forms, gaps in the fossil record
70 What does Darwin mean in the following quote about natural selection: "---works at improving each organic being"?
- ANatural selection makes each organic being more beautiful.
- BNatural selection improves the mating process through sexual selection.
- CNatural selection functions to improve the adaptive fit between a population of organisms and their environment.
- DNatural selection makes every individual organism more competitive than their neighbors.
- EAn individual organism is naturally selected over their neighbors for improvement of their function in the environment.
71 What did Darwin believe about evolution prior the voyage of the Beagle?
- ADarwin believed in natural selection.
- BDarwin believed in the immutability of species.
- CDarwin believed in special creation.
- DDarwin believed in the gradual process of speciation.
- EAnswers b and c are both correct about Darwin's beliefs prior to the voyage of the Beagle.
72 When did Darwin return to England from the voyage of the H.M.S. Beagle?
- A1809
- B1836
- C1844
- D1859
- E1882
73 When did Charles Darwin publish "On the Origin of Species"?
- A1809
- B1836
- C1844
- D1859
- E1882
74 Which of the following three fields contributed most to our modern understanding of evolution?
- Ageology, genetics and paleoanthropology
- Bsociology, psychology and political science
- Cmathematics, physics and chemistry
- Dreligion, philosophy and logic
- Ehumanities, cultural anthropology and language
75 The "central organizing principle of life on earth" today as described by Thomas Hayden, Theodosius Dobzhansky and other famous biologists is:
- Agenetics.
- Bmolecular biology.
- Cecology.
- Dbotany.
- Eevolution.
76 Which of the following is NOT a principle concept of Darwinian evolutionary theory?
- ASpecies are immutable and do not change over time.
- BAll life is related.
- CSpecies change over time in response to natural selection.
- DNew forms replace those that came before.
77 Why didn't Darwin immediately publish his findings from the voyage of the Beagle?
- ADarwin needed to find employment as a minister to earn money.
- BDarwin waited for Alfred Russell Wallace publish his findings on evolution first.
- CDarwin wanted to do further investigation on his ideas developed during and just after the voyage of the Beagle before publishing.
- DDarwin was collaborating during and after the Beagle voyage with Alfred Russell Wallace.
- EDarwin was not interested in following up on his concept of natural selection developed during the voyage of the H.M.S. Beagle.
78 Why was the age of the earth, 4,000 to 6,000 years old, in Darwin's time a major unexplained difficulty in Darwin's support of his theory of evolution?
- ADarwin and his contemporaries thought that evolutionary change required more time.
- BThe young age of the earth supported the concept of special creation.
- CDarwin was never really able to reconcile the young age of the earth and the time he supposed was necessary for evolutionary change.
- DAll of the above answers are correct.
79 Which of the following concepts was Charles Darwin familiar with during his lifetime?
- ABreeders are able to select for certain desirable characteristics in domestic animals.
- BThe molecule of heredity is DNA.
- CThe field of comparative genomics which is the analysis of sets of genetic information from different species.
- DThe field of evolutionary developmental biology, or "evo-devo" which examines the genetic processes involved in development of the fertilized egg.
- EA genes code for proteins.
80 Why did Darwin have difficulty in convincing other scientists of his time that natural selection applied also to human evolution?
- AThese scientists did not accept the concept of natural selection for any organism.
- BDarwin fully explained his theory of human evolution in the Origin of Species in 1859,
- CBenjamin Disraeli, who was prime minister of England in Darwin's era, supported human evolution.
- DDNA evidence in genomic studies in the 19th century did not support human evolution.
- EIn Darwin's time there was a lack of fossil evidence of intermediary forms between distant human ancestors and modern humans.
81 A scientific theory is predicated on which of the following?
- AA hunch supported by little or no data
- BA question that has been asked and is supported by a significant amount of experimentation and facts
- CA scientific question that has been asked but no evidence has been collected
- DA random idea that has not been scientifically explored.
82 Charles Darwin traveled for 5 years in South America collecting information about speciation and natural selection
- ATrue
- BFalse
83 Whales are thought to have evolved back into the oceans by what piece of evidence?
- AHair
- BAppendages
- CTail shape
- DSize
84 How does evolution "Really Work" based upon the following answers?
- ABy adaptation of an organism over time and natural selection
- BBy random selection of animals among a population
- CBy an ancient ancestor acting upon an individual today.
- DCommon DNA
85 Charles Darwin's theory of evolution was uniformly rejected by whom for what reasons?
- AReligious figures because there was no real evidence
- BBy religious figures because the evidence was thought to be illegally gained
- CBy theology because it violated Genesis
- DThe Roman Catholic church because the evidence did support Genesis
86 What branch of science most fully supports the theory of evolution?
- AMedicine
- BGeography
- CChemistry
- DPaleontology
87 What percentage of DNA do humans and chimpanzees have in common?
- A91%
- B98%
- C84%
- D96%
88 What is the ''central tenet" that explains the theory of evolution?
- APopulations produce far more organisms than can survive
- BOrganisms change through their life span
- CChange occurs rapidly
- DNatural Selection working on individual organisms
89 Can scientific theories be changed as new evidence is discovered?
- ATrue
- BFalse
90 Charles Darwin most explicitly was influenced by?
- AGeology
- BReligion
- CZoology
- DChemistry
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- Quiz on BIOL 106 Midterm, created by Go Conqr on 25/03/2023.
- Author
- Go Conqr
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- English
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