Which of these statements about Natural Selection is correct?
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1 point
Traits that negatively affect survival are more likely to be common in the population.
The fittest organisms are better able to survive and reproduce in an environment.
Populations tend to produce fewer individuals than the environment can support.
Stable environments help shift populations' genetic variance toward a new trait.
What information can fossils provide to our understanding of biology?
1 point
Fossils can be used to verify common ancestry.
Fossils can be used to determine all causes of extinction.
Fossils can be used to provide an exact timeline of organisms.
Fossils can be used to predict future environmental conditions.
An archaeologist uncovers some bones the he suspects belonged to a relative of today's modern horse. What is the Best method of testing this belief?
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1 point
Perform a cytochrome c comparison of the two subjects.
Create a model of bones from similar burial sites.
Perform a DNA comparison of the two subjects.
Create a model showing the two organisms side by side.
The picture shows 14 species of finches from the Galapagos islands that are likely descended from a single species. Which explanation best describes the biodiversity of the finches.
*
1 point
Captionless Image
The finches migrated from different areas.
The finches descended from different ancestors.
The finches adapted to different climates.
The finches adapted to different food sources.
Which statement provides the best argument form why bird and butterfly wings evolved to have similar function but differ in structure.
*
1 point
This is an example of embryological structures.
This is an example of vestigial structures.
This is an example of analogous structures.
This is an example of homologous structures.
Which statement best explains why two different plant species have the same two types of chlorophyll present?
1 point
Both plants share a common ancestor.
Both plants produce asexually.
Both plants are flowering plants.
Both plants live in the same location.
Look at the following image of parts of a whale. In humans, the pelvis and femur, or thigh bone, are involved in walking. What is true of the pelvis and femur in living whales.
1 point
They are examples of fossils.
They are vestigial structures.
They are acquired traits.
They are examples of natural variation.
Which statement best explains why the influenza vaccine must be updated every year?
1 point
Some years, the influenza vaccine is not as strong as in others.
Some years, the influenza vaccine kills the virus, while in other years it does not.
The influenza virus adapts and mutates every year, so new vaccines must be produced.
The influenza vaccine does not necessarily stimulate the immune system to produce antigens.
Adaptations in a population may lead to evolution of new species. Which word is associated with the process of evolution?
1 point
change
continuity
extinction
stabililty
Some weed species have developed the ability to resist pesticides. How does the theory of evolution by natural selection help to explain this ability?
1 point
Captionless Image
The weeds chose pesticide resistant variations because their survival depended on it.
Due to genetic variation, some weeds in the population had the ability to resist pesticides.
As the weeds evolved, natural selection resulted in an unfavorable variation in the a population.
In any population of weeds, some weeds will naturally be immune to all kinds of pesticides.
The diagram shows the speciation of finches from different islands in the Galapagos Islands, as observed by Charles Darwin. Which statement best explains the pattern of biodiversity in the finch population.
1 point
Captionless Image
The finches are at various life stages.
The finches migrated from different places.
The finches do not have a common ancestor.
The finches do not have the same food sources.
A scientist noted that, over a period of 10 years, a Florida beetle species gradually become resistant to an insecticide. Which statement best explains this is terms of natural selection?
1 point
The insecticide mutated the beetles exposed to the biggest doses.
Some beetles used the insecticide as a source of food.
Beetles learned to avoid the spray and passed this knowledge of their offspring.
Those beetles with the natural resistance to the insecticide had the most offspring.
The fittest organisms are better able to survive and reproduce in an environment.
The correct answers to the questions are as follows:
1. The fittest organisms are better able to survive and reproduce in an environment.
Explanation: Natural selection favors traits that enhance an organism's survival and reproductive success. The fittest organisms, which possess these advantageous traits, are more likely to survive and pass on their genes.
2. Fossils can be used to verify common ancestry.
Explanation: Fossils provide evidence of past organisms and their characteristics. By comparing fossils of different species, scientists can determine if they share common ancestors and track their evolutionary history.
3. Perform a DNA comparison of the two subjects.
Explanation: DNA comparison is the most accurate method for testing the genetic similarity between two organisms. By analyzing the DNA sequences, scientists can determine if the bones belong to a relative of today's modern horse.
4. The finches adapted to different food sources.
Explanation: The biodiversity of the finches in the image is best explained by the fact that they adapted to different food sources on the Galapagos islands. Each species developed specific beak shapes and sizes to efficiently feed on different types of food available on their respective islands.
5. This is an example of analogous structures.
Explanation: Bird wings and butterfly wings have similar functions (flying), but their structures are different. This is an example of analogous structures, where different species have independently evolved similar traits to adapt to similar environmental pressures.
6. Both plants share a common ancestor.
Explanation: The presence of the same two types of chlorophyll in two different plant species indicates that they share a common ancestor. These chlorophyll types likely evolved in the common ancestor and were maintained in both lineages.
7. They are vestigial structures.
Explanation: The pelvis and femur in living whales are vestigial structures, which means they have lost their original functions over the course of evolution. In whales, the pelvis and femur have become functionless remnants of their ancestors' hind limbs.
8. The influenza virus adapts and mutates every year, so new vaccines must be produced.
Explanation: Influenza viruses have high mutation rates, leading to the emergence of new strains each year. The influenza vaccine needs to be updated annually to include protection against the prevalent strains and ensure its effectiveness.
9. change
Explanation: Evolution is associated with the process of change over time. Through natural selection, genetic mutations, and other mechanisms, populations and species evolve and acquire new traits that increase their fitness in their environments.
10. Due to genetic variation, some weeds in the population had the ability to resist pesticides.
Explanation: Within a weed population, there is genetic variation, which means there are naturally occurring individual plants with traits that make them resistant to pesticides. When exposed to pesticides, these resistant individuals survive and reproduce, passing on their resistant traits to future generations.
11. The finches migrated from different places.
Explanation: The speciation of finches observed by Charles Darwin in the Galapagos Islands is best explained by the finches migrating from different places (islands). Each island had different environmental conditions, leading to the development of distinct finch species adapted to the specific island habitats.
12. Those beetles with the natural resistance to the insecticide had the most offspring.
Explanation: Natural selection favors individuals with traits that provide an advantage in their environment. In this case, the beetles with natural resistance to the insecticide were able to survive and reproduce more successfully than those without resistance. Over time, the resistant trait becomes more prevalent in the population.
Which of these statements about Natural Selection is correct?
The fittest organisms are better able to survive and reproduce in an environment.
What information can fossils provide to our understanding of biology?
Fossils can be used to verify common ancestry.
An archaeologist uncovers some bones that he suspects belonged to a relative of today's modern horse. What is the best method of testing this belief?
Perform a DNA comparison of the two subjects.
The picture shows 14 species of finches from the Galapagos islands that are likely descended from a single species. Which explanation best describes the biodiversity of the finches?
The finches adapted to different food sources.
Which statement provides the best argument for why bird and butterfly wings evolved to have similar function but differ in structure?
This is an example of convergent evolution, or analogous structures.
Which statement best explains why two different plant species have the same two types of chlorophyll present?
Both plants share a common ancestor.
Look at the following image of parts of a whale. In humans, the pelvis and femur, or thigh bone, are involved in walking. What is true of the pelvis and femur in living whales?
They are vestigial structures.
Which statement best explains why the influenza vaccine must be updated every year?
The influenza virus adapts and mutates every year, so new vaccines must be produced.
Adaptations in a population may lead to the evolution of new species. Which word is associated with the process of evolution?
change
Some weed species have developed the ability to resist pesticides. How does the theory of evolution by natural selection help to explain this ability?
Due to genetic variation, some weeds in the population had the ability to resist pesticides.
The diagram shows the speciation of finches from different islands in the Galapagos Islands, as observed by Charles Darwin. Which statement best explains the pattern of biodiversity in the finch population?
The finches do not have a common ancestor.
A scientist noted that, over a period of 10 years, a Florida beetle species gradually became resistant to an insecticide. Which statement best explains this in terms of natural selection?
Those beetles with the natural resistance to the insecticide had the most offspring.