Which tree is considered worst by the criterion of parsimony?

the one with the least steps (least arrows)

Molecular clocks are based on..

neutral mutations on the molecular level accumulate at an approximately constant rate in an evolutionary lineage

How does the phenomenon of horizontal gene transfer muddle the concept of monophyletic groups?

monophyletic groups are based on the concept that particular group of species descended from a common ancestor. When horizontal gene transfer occurs, not all of the genes in a species ere inherited from the common ancestors

Convergent evolution results in..

none of the above (synapomorphies, symplesiomorphies, molecular homologies, anatomical homologies )

During which eon did life emerge?

Archaen

You use radiometric dating to test the rock layer that a fossil was found in to determine its age. You find that 150 mol of lead-207 are present alongside 10nmol of uranium-235. How old is the fossil?

approximately 2.84 billion years

What are stromatolites?

layered structures of cyanobacteria and calcium carbonate, both living and fossilzed

Which organism is most likely to end up in the fossil record?

a populous snail species found in coastal habitat

Which environmental factor has stayed approximately constant since the formation of earth?

none of the above (climate / temperature, atmospheric oxygen, position of continents)

What is the leading hypothesis for the origin of eukaryotes?

endocytosis in which an archer engulfed an retained a bacterium, ultimately resulting in endosymbiosis and modern eukaryotes

Prior to the current position of the continents, most land was position in such a manner that two supercontinents existed, these were known as...

Laurasian and Gondwana

Use the following data to answer the questions below: in a population of four–o’clock plants, you count 20 red–flowered individuals (homozygous for the red flower allele), 360 pink– flowered individuals (heterozygotes) and 1620 white–flowered individuals (homozygous for the white–flower allele).

What is the allele frequency of the white flower allele?

0.900

Use the following data to answer the questions below: in a population of four–o’clock plants, you count 20 red–flowered individuals (homozygous for the red flower allele), 360 pink– flowered individuals (heterozygotes) and 1620 white–flowered individuals (homozygous for the white–flower allele).

What should the genotype frequency of the red-flowered individuals in the population be, if the population is in Hardy Weinberg Equilibrium?

0.01

Use the following data to answer the questions below: in a population of four–o’clock plants, you count 20 red–flowered individuals (homozygous for the red flower allele), 360 pink– flowered individuals (heterozygotes) and 1620 white–flowered individuals (homozygous for the white–flower allele).

How many red-flowered individuals should the population have, if the population is in Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium?

20

Which condition of the hardy-weinberg equilibrium model is being violated?

None. (natural sel. is occuring, genetic drift is occuring, mating is nonrandom)

1. Life is thought to have originated in four overlapping stages. What is the correct sequence of these stages?
   1. Polymerization into larger molecules.
   2. Polymers enclosed in membranes acquired cellular properties.
   3. Polymers became enclosed in membranes.
   4. Prebiotic production of nucleotides and amino acids.

4, 1, 3, 2

Which macromolecule has been proposed to be the first to be found in protobionts due to its ability to store information, catalyze chemical reactions, and potential for self-replication?

RNA

Miller & Urey's experiments, involving a combination of CH4, H2O, H2, and NH3, and electrical charges, were a test of which hypothesis for the formation of organic molecules on the early earth?

reducing atmosphere hypothesis

What is true of a fossil that is classified as a "transitional form" ?

it has some of the traits of its ancestors an some of the traits of its descendants

An important message from the work of Malthus that influenced Charles Darwin was..

only a fraction of any population will survive and reproduce

what scenario best illustrates the process of natural selection?

a population of mosquitoes develops resistance to a pesticide

Genes encoding the alpha polypeptide chains and the gamma polypeptide chain of the blood protein hemoglobin are derived from a common gene ancestor and both proteins occur in humans (Homo sapiens) as well as chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). The sequence similarity between the alpha chain gene and the gamma chain gene would best be described as __________, while the sequence similarity of each gene in comparison between humans and chimpanzees would be best described as _____________.

paralogous ; orthologous

What mechanism leads to changes in allele frequencies due to random sampling bias?

genetic drift

which phenomenon tends to increase genetic variation in a population, while also tending to decrease the genetic variation among populations?

gene flow

Under the ___________, species are identified based on their unique habitat requirements

ecological species concept

Which scenario is likely to result in sympatric divergence ?

All of the above scenarios

which of the following situations would be most likely to produce a new species?

A group of polyploid individuals arises by an abnormal mitosis. The polyploids can only produce viable offspring by mating with each other.

A population of mountain goats are split because of the formation of a glacier. After 500 years, the glacier melts and the 2 goat populations are free to move between the 2 areas. Under what conditions might a hybrid zone occur?

reproductive isolation is incomplete

How would you best explain the correlation between an increase in Hox genes and an increase in animal body complexity?

An increase in the number of Hox genes allows for greater specialization in different body regions.

The idea that most of the genetic variation found in populations is not subject to natural selection is the basis of:

the neutral theory of evolution

When a species consisting of a single large population slowly evolves over many generations into a single new species, this an example of

anagenesis

A group which includes a common ancestor and all of the species that were derived from it would be called a...

clade

Can two different species that are members of the same clade have more than one common ancestor? Choose the MOST correct answer and explanation.

Yes. Although two species in the same clade have only one most recent common ancestor, they also have a number of older common ancestors that occurred earlier in their evolutionary history.

The early Earth atmosphere is thought to have lacked which of the following gases?

O₂

Protobionts are thought to be the first nonliving structures that evolved into living cells. A critical characteristic of a protobiont that is found in both modern day prokaryotes and eukaryotes is

a boundary membrane that separates external from internal environments

chemical selection occurs...

when a chemical within a mixture has increased compared to other chemicals in the picture due to a unique property

The phenomenon in which one region of the body grows faster than another among different species is called...

heterochrony

An important shift in thought that preceded Darwin’s development of evolutionary theory was...

the increased acceptance of evidence of uniformitarianism in the field of geology

which population is least likely to experience adaptation?

organisms which reproduce by asexual reproduction and have low DNA replication error rates

Which eon preceded organisms?

Hadean

Which grouping is most inclusive?

domain

Which period did not end coincident with a major mass extinction event?

Silurian

In comparing the development of the unwebbed foot of the chicken and webbed foot of a duck, what differences are there in the expression of BMP4 and gremlin?

environmental changes can lead to the modification of traits

Which is not a cellular form found in eukaryotes?

All of the above (unicellular, colonial, filamentous, multicellularity)

which domain contains the organism which resulted in chloroplasts?

bacteria

which phylum contains the organism which resulted in mitochondria ?

proteobacteria

why is "protista" no longer considered a valid taxon?

that grouping of organisms is paraphyletic

what is the function of a heterocyte?

nitrogen fixation

which is true regarding ester bonds in phospholipids?

ester bonds are a character common to both Bacteria and Eukarya

what is the significance of ether bonds in phospholipids?

help Archaea to resist extreme environments

which character is common to bacteria and eukarya?

ester linkages

what is the term for thin, thread-like, flexible spiral shaped bacterial cells?

spirochetes

A bacterium which is pink following a correctly performed Gram-staining procedure is..

Gram-negative and has a thin layer of peptidoglycan

bacteria which can grow in the presence or absence of oxygen are called

aerotolerant anaerobes or facultative anaerobes

which supergroup includes members which have a feeding groove in cell surface?

excavata

which supergroup includes members which have hairy flagella?

stramenopila

a plastid with 4 membranes suggests that it originated by ..

tertiary endosymbiosis

Gametophytes produce..

gametes by mitosis

which is not a common feature of archaea and eukarya?

no answer ; histone, ribosomal proteins, DNA polymerases, RNA polymerases are all common features

You perform a Gram stain on isolates taken from several patients. Which isolate do you recommend be treated using penicillin?

Gram-positve bacillus

which group has members involved in nitrogen fixation?

cyanobacteria and proteobacteria

cyanobacteria have which type of nutrition?

photoautotrophic

which is not one of Koch's postulates?

DNA sequence of the isolate must be deposited in GenBank as a reference sample

Which supergroup includes members which have saclike membranous vesicles under the cell membrane?

Alveolata

which supergroup includes members which typically have filose pseudopodia?

none (excavata, opisthokonta, alveolata, stramenopila)

the clade that includes only the land plants and their closest green algal relative is ..

streptophyta

which phylum has double fertilization?

Anthophyta

which character is not an adaptation to life on land of all land plants ?

none of the above

in which phylum is the sporophyte generation dominant ?

Lycophyta

which phylum has seeds?

none (hepatophyta, anthocerophyta, lycophyta, pteridophyta)

which whorl and flower structures are not correctly matched?

androceium - carpels / pistils

Which is a symplesiomorphy (shared primitive character) of Kingdom Plantae?

plasmodesmata

which is diploid?

sporangia

which is not a character adapted for dispersal ?

all of the above (seeds, spores, pollen, fruits)

if you view a rose bush without flowers, you are seeing the..

sporophyte

in which phylum would you expect to find vascular tissue?

lycophyta

which mechanism does not increase genetic diversity?

gametogenesis

which phylum would you be least likely to encounter during your live-action role playing of Lawrence of Arabian in the Arabian Desert?

Hepatophyta

Which phylum’s members contributed to global cooling resulting in a reduction of its own suitable habitat and species numbers and permitting the rise of species groups better suited to a drier habitat and climate, thereby ending the Carboniferous period?

Pteridophyta

plants permitted which of the following ?

development of soil, and colonization of land by animals

which is a symplesiomorphy of the seed-bearing plant?

vascular tissue

which phylum of spermatophytes is the most diverse in terms of number of existing species?

Anthophyta

which group of gymnosperms is the most diverse in terms of number of existing species?

Coniferophyta

If you see a plant with six petals, six stamens and three carpels, what other characters would you expect to observe on the plant?

one cotyledon

which class of secondary plant compounds contributes to preventing UV damage?

phenolics

which class of secondary plant compounds contributes to preventing damage from animal herbivory by affecting the nervous system of animals ?

alkaloids

clusters of flowers are known as..

inflorescences

the pollen-receptive structure of a flower is the ..

stigma

which group co-evolved and diversified in conjunction with land plants?

fungi, insects, vertebrates (all of the above)

which group is least diverse in extant species?

Ginkgophyta

the alternation of generations seen in plants is also known as a

sporic life cycle

you obtain spores from a fern and plant them where they can germinate and grow into a ..

gametophyte

Movement by alternating contractions of longitudinal and circular muscles against the antagonistic action of a coelom acting as a hydrostatic skeleton is typical of...

Annelida

Spiral cleavage would be expected to be observed in..

rotifera, bryozoa, arthropoda (all of the above)

which pair of clades and synapomorphies are mismatched?

none of the above

tagmatization is observed in ...

Arthropoda

Metamerism is observed in...

Arthropoda and annelida

which clade has flagella but lacks cell walls?

cryptomycota

what is characteristic of the AM fungi ?

endomycorrhizal mutualistic symbiotic relationships with plants

Sexual reproduction in fungi may include a delay between karyogamy and plasmogamy, during which time fungal cells are...

heterokaryotic

which taxon is acoelomate?

turbellaria

which pair is most closely related?

Arthropoda and Nematoda

what characteristic would not be likely associated with the Bilateria?

diploblasty

Which character would likely appear earliest in the evolution of the Bilateria?

cephalization

Which set of characters are likely to be observed in Polyplacophora?

determinate development and spiral cleavage

for which clade is the mushroom the typical fruiting body?

basidiomycota

which clade is implicated in the worldwide decline in amphibian populations?

Chytridiomycota

which clade is least likely to experience nitrogen limitation?

cryptomycota

which clades share most recent common ancestry?

echinodermata and chordata

which is not a synapomorphy of Vertebrata?

no answer (hollow nerve cord, notochord, arch & slits, radial cleavage are all symplesiomorphies)

For which taxon is the water vascular system a synapomorphy?

echinodermata

which clade does not exhibit tagmatization?

myriapoda

a hydrostatic skeleton is present in...

nematoda and annelida

which is a synapomorphy of phylum mollusca?

radula

which is a member of the Lophotrochozoa?

bryozoa

which is the sister group to Metazoa?

Choanomonada

Which is not characteristic of animalia?

muticellularity, extracellular matrix, and chemoheterotrophy are all characteristics of animalia

which share most recent common ancestry?

rotifera and platyhelminthes

in which group would you expect to find mesoderm?

annelida

A pseudocoelom and presence of longitudinal muscles with locomotion by sinusoidal thrashing is typical of...

nematoda

which supergroup is fungi classified as?

none of the above

Gas exchange is accomplished by simple diffusion across the body wall in...

platyhelminthes

an eye anatomically analogous to the vertebrate eye evolved in..

Cephalopoda

which is a member of Ammniota?

none of the above

which is a symplesiomorphy of chordata?

radial cleavage

which is a member of the clade tetrapods?

amphibia

which is not a member of the amniota?

amphibia

a 4-chambered heart is seen in..

mammalia, crocodilia, aves (all of the above)

which is not an adaptation to life on land?

buccal pumping

in which taxon would ommatidia be observed?

hexapoda

which is not a characteristic of Ctenophora?

cnidae

which pair of terms is mismatched?

asexual reproduction -- heterokaryotic

The comparison between Parazoa and Eumetazoa is best described by which of the following statements?

The various kinds of cells of Parazoa do not form permanent associations into tissues or organs whereas Eumetazoa possess true, stable tissues.

which ecological role/life history strategy is not observed among the fungi ?

primary producer

Traditional phylogenies based on morphology and modern phylogenies based on molecular data disagree on the phylogenetic informational value of which character for determining relationships among animal phyla?

acoelomate/ pseudocoelomate/ coelomate condition

If you conducted an experiment in which you took a complete animal and strained it through a fine-mesh cloth so that all its cells separated, then you placed all the cells together and they reunited to form a new animal, to which phylum would that animal likely belong? (This was an actual experiment.)

Phylum Porifera

Which character of Phylum Porifera is suggestive of evidence for relatedness with the protists thought to share most recent common ancestry with Animalia?

choanocyte

which group does not include phylum nematoda?

Lophotrochozoa

In which taxon is the absence of cephalization in adults a secondarily derived characteristic?

Crinoidea

Which vertebrate group would you expect to possess a full set of pharyngeal arches in the adult stage?

Petromyzontidae

which pair of clades has most recent common ancestry ?

Fungi & Nuclearia

which clade does not include phylum Chordata?

no answer (deuterostomia, metazoa, opisthokonta, eumetazoa all include chordata )

If two morphologically dissimilar organisms share a large proportion of similar genomic DNA, it suggests which of the following conclusions?

The two taxa are more closely related than previous conclusions based on morphology.

On average, which type of interaction would you expect to be relatively long in duration and to have high lethality?

parasitoids

On average, which type of interaction would you expect to be short in duration and to have low lethality?

herbivory

what is the most common life strategy?

parasitism

The type of species interaction between two species where one is positively affected and the other is not affected is referred to as an...

commensalism

The situation in which two noxious species evolve to closely resemble each other is...

Mullerian mimicry

"Lekking” is associated with which type of mating system?

polygyny

what is adiabatic cooling ?

Increasing elevation leads to a decrease in air pressure and cooling of air.

patterns of species change and succession are one focus of

community ecology

The biome one would expect to find with with rainfall typically 250-450 cm per year and with temperatures averaging approximately 20-30°C is...

tropical rainforest

The immediate causes of/ explanations for behaviors, such as increases in production of testosterone causing increases in aggression, are called __________ causes.

proximate

Lions in east African safari parks learn to ignore the presence of safari vehicles. This form of learning is

habituation

Pavlov’s experiments with ringing a bell while feeding dogs, resulting in the dogs salivating at the ringing of the bell, even in the absence of food, is an example of...

classical conditioning

Modifications of previous behavior based on experience represent

learning

The mate–guarding hypothesis is an explanation for...

monogamy

Optimal foraging as a form of efficient behavior would ultimately be favored by

natural selection

Airborne chemicals used to attract mates are called...

pheromones

Sexual dimorphism in body size where females are larger than males is expected in...

polyandry

The coefficient of relatedness of a human (Homo sapiens) to a grandparent is...

0.25

Lakes with elevated dissolved nutrients and low water clarity are called ______.

eutrophic

In which of the following regions would you expect to find temperate forests?

45–55°N and 45–55°S

According to Hamilton’s rule (C<rB), a person should die to save the life of

more than 8 first cousins

You are conducting a mark–recapture study to estimate the population size of the Mexican staring frog of Southern Sri Lanka (Bufo mexicana–asiatica). If the number of individuals marked in a first catch = 50, the number of marked recaptures in a second catch = 10, and the total number of individuals in the second catch = 70, what is the estimated total population size?

350

What is the value of I₀?

1.00

What is the value of n₄ ?

62

what is the value of d₀ ?

500

The population described by the life table has what type of survivorship curve?

type II

Parasitism is often a ____________ factor affecting populations.

density-dependent

Inclement weather events are often a ____________ factor affecting populations.

density-independent

Competition is often a ____________ factor affecting populations.

density-dependent

Growth slows down when populations reach carrying capacity because of

competition and resource limitation

Which model of population growth includes the effect of density–dependent resource limitation?

dN/dt = rN [(K–N)/K]

Pine trees shed many needles, which release tannins/ tannic acid into the soil, reducing its suitability for many plant species to grow there, resulting in...

inhibition

Many leguminous plant species are r–selected and good early colonists of disturbed areas. Additionally, legumes form mutualistic symbiotic relationships with the nitrogen–fixing bacteria Rhizobium. Which model of community succession would you expect to be associated with initial colonization by legumes?

facilitation

Which of these types of islands is predicted to have the intermediate equilibrium species richness under the MacArthur – Wilson Equilibrium Theory of Island Biogeography?

small island near mainland and large island far from mainland

Three forested swamps were inventoried for tree species. Trees were identified and counted along a randomly–placed line transect until a sample size of 100 trees was reached. Use the data in the table above to determine which statement(s) are false.

community A has the greatest species richness of all the communities

Using the data in the table above, what is the Shannon diversity index value for Community A?

1.609

Using the data in the table above, what is the species richness for Community A?

5

Using the data in the table above, what is the Jost–transformed Shannon diversity index value for Community A?

5

Which chemical is not present in the atmosphere in gaseous phase?

phosphorus

Which part of the nitrogen cycle involves the process of reducing nitrogen from nitrate (NO3-) to molecular nitrogen (N2)?

denitrification

Given a population size of 500 individuals and a net reproductive rate of 1.2, the population size in the next generation should be...

600

Given a population size of 500 individuals and a per capita rate of increase of 1.2, the change in the population size in the next generation should be...

600

Given a population size of 500 individuals and a per capita rate of increase of 1.2, the population size in the next generation should be...

1100

Given a population size of 500 individuals, a per capita rate of increase of 1.2 and a carrying capacity of 1000, the change in population size in the next generation should be...

300

Which statement regarding biogeochemical cycling is false?

phosphorus availability is largely dependent on biological processes

Which explanation explains all observed patterns of species richness?

none of the above; there is no single universal explanation for observed patterns of species richness

The type of species interaction between two species where is negatively affected and the other is seemingly not affected by the interaction is referred to as an...

amensalism

1. The type of species interaction between two species where neither is affected, either to their respective benefit or detriment, is referred to as an...

neutralism

Robert MacArthur studied different species of songbirds and found that they did not compete strongly, despite living in the same tree canopies, because they specialized on different areas of the canopy, a phenomenon known as...

resource partitioning

in an experiment using Paramecium , cause found if p. caudatum population was driven to extinction

competitive exclusion principle