Evolutionary Biology

1. Evolutionary biology is a scientific discipline that explores the processes underlying the diversity of life on Earth. It involves studying how organisms change over time through genetic variation, natural selection, and other mechanisms such as genetic drift and gene flow. By examining the patterns and mechanisms of evolution, evolutionary biologists seek to understand the history of life on our planet, as well as predict how species may adapt to changing environments in the future. Evolutionary biology provides insights into the interconnectedness of all living things and helps us appreciate the remarkable adaptations that have allowed life to persist and thrive in a constantly changing world.

What is natural selection?

A) The change in an organism due to artificial breeding.
B) Process by which individuals with advantageous traits are more likely to survive and reproduce.
C) The process of organisms adapting to their environment.
D) The process of identical organisms competing for resources.

2. Who is considered the 'father of evolution'?

A) Gregor Mendel
B) Charles Darwin
C) Alfred Russel Wallace
D) Jean-Baptiste Lamarck

3. Which term describes the process by which unrelated species evolve similar traits?

A) Convergent evolution
B) Co-evolution
C) Divergent evolution
D) Adaptive radiation

4. What is a gene pool?

A) The total genetic diversity found within a population.
B) The sum total of all genetic mutations in a species.
C) The genetic makeup of an individual.
D) The collection of all genes in an organism.

5. Which scientist proposed the theory of punctuated equilibrium as a model of evolution?

A) Richard Dawkins
B) James Hutton
C) Stephen Jay Gould
D) Peter and Rosemary Grant

6. Which type of selection favors individuals at both extremes of a trait's range?

A) Directional selection
B) Disruptive selection
C) Sexual selection
D) Stabilizing selection

7. What is the name of the process by which a new species originates?

A) Evolution
B) Mutation
C) Adaptation
D) Speciation

8. Which scientist proposed the theory of natural selection independently of Charles Darwin?

A) Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
B) Alfred Russel Wallace
C) Thomas Malthus
D) Ernst Mayr

9. What does the term 'allele frequency' refer to?

A) The total number of genes in an individual.
B) The rate at which mutations occur in a species.
C) The proportion of a specific allele in a population.
D) The number of chromosomes in an organism.

10. Which process involves the movement of genes between populations?

A) Gene flow
B) Genetic drift
C) Mutation
D) Disruptive selection

11. What is the source of genetic variation that natural selection acts upon?

A) Gene flow
B) Recombination
C) Mutations
D) Genetic drift

12. Which scientist proposed the idea of inheritance of acquired characteristics?

A) Gregor Mendel
B) Alfred Russel Wallace
C) Charles Darwin
D) Jean-Baptiste Lamarck

13. What is the term for an individual's ability to survive and reproduce in a particular environment?

A) Evolution
B) Adaptation
C) Speciation
D) Fitness

14. What is the term for the selective breeding of plants and animals to promote the occurrence of desirable traits?

A) Directed evolution
B) Artificial selection
C) Genetic engineering
D) Natural selection

15. Which type of isolation occurs when two species breed at different times of the year?

A) Reproductive isolation
B) Geographic isolation
C) Behavioral isolation
D) Temporal isolation

16. In evolutionary terms, what does the term 'fitness' refer to?

A) The lifespan of an organism.
B) The ability of an individual to survive and reproduce in its environment.
C) The number of offspring produced by an organism.
D) The physical strength of an organism.

17. What is the term for a DNA sequence that codes for a specific trait?

A) Genome
B) Chromosome
C) Gene
D) Allele

18. Which type of selection favors intermediate variants of a trait?

A) Disruptive selection
B) Stabilizing selection
C) Directional selection
D) Sexual selection

19. Which scientist proposed the theory of genetic drift?

A) Thomas Hunt Morgan
B) J.B.S. Haldane
C) Theodosius Dobzhansky
D) Sewall Wright

20. What is the term for the evolution of two or more species that have a close ecological relationship?

A) Speciation
B) Coevolution
C) Adaptive radiation
D) Sexual selection

21. Which type of inheritance pattern involves the interaction of multiple genes to determine a trait?

A) Polygenic inheritance
B) Cytoplasmic inheritance
C) Epistasis
D) Mendelian inheritance

22. Which scientist is known for developing the theory of punctuated equilibrium along with Stephen Jay Gould?

A) George C. Williams
B) E.O. Wilson
C) Ernst Mayr
D) Niles Eldredge

23. Which type of evolution involves the rapid diversification of a single ancestral species into multiple new species?

A) Adaptive radiation
B) Parallel evolution
C) Divergent evolution
D) Convergent evolution

24. What term describes the accumulation of differences between distinct populations that can lead to the formation of new species?

A) Adaptation
B) Speciation
C) Divergence
D) Convergence

25. Which theory proposes that evolution occurs in sudden, rapid bursts separated by long periods of stasis?

A) Orthogenesis
B) Lamarckism
C) Punctuated equilibrium
D) Gradualism

26. What is the principle of common descent in evolution?

A) Genetic variation is maintained through sexual reproduction.
B) All organisms share a common ancestor.
C) Natural selection acts on individuals within a population.
D) Different species evolve similar traits independently.

27. Which evolutionary biologist proposed the concept of 'The Selfish Gene'?

A) Stephen Hawking
B) Stephen Jay Gould
C) Richard Dawkins
D) Ernst Mayr

28. Which of the following is an example of postzygotic isolation?

A) Behavioral isolation
B) Mechanical isolation
C) Temporal isolation
D) Hybrid inviability

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