Evolution Exam 1 (PCB 4674)
FSU
Questions and Answers
Verified Solutions Latest Update
,Evolution Exam 1 (PCB 4674) FSU
Verified Questions and Answers Latest Version
1. Which of the following is NOT one of Darwin’s four postulates of evolution by
natural selection?
A. Individuals within populations are variable.
B. Survival and reproduction are non-random.
C. Acquired traits are inherited by the next generation.
D. Variation is passed on to offspring.
Answer: C
Rationale: Darwin’s postulates focus on natural variation, heritability, and differential
reproductive success; the inheritance of acquired traits was Lamarck’s idea.
2. In a phylogenetic tree, a group that includes an ancestor and all of its
descendants is called:
A. Paraphyletic
B. Monophyletic
C. Polyphyletic
D. Homoplastic
Answer: B
Rationale: A monophyletic group, or clade, consists of an ancestral species and all its
descendants.
, 3. Which process is the ultimate source of all new genetic variation?
A. Natural Selection
B. Mutation
C. Genetic Drift
D. Gene Flow
Answer: B
Rationale: While selection and drift change allele frequencies, only mutation creates
entirely new alleles.
4. The biological fitness of an individual is best measured by:
A. Its physical strength and speed.
B. Its ability to resist disease.
C. Its lifespan.
D. The number of offspring it contributes to the next generation.
Answer: D
Rationale: In evolutionary terms, fitness is defined by reproductive success relative to
others in the population.
5. Which of the following is an example of a vestigial structure?
A. The wing of a bird.
B. The flipper of a whale.
C. The tailbone in humans.
D. The eye of an eagle.
Answer: C
Rationale: Vestigial structures are remnants of features that served a function in the
organism’s ancestors but are no longer functional.
FSU
Questions and Answers
Verified Solutions Latest Update
,Evolution Exam 1 (PCB 4674) FSU
Verified Questions and Answers Latest Version
1. Which of the following is NOT one of Darwin’s four postulates of evolution by
natural selection?
A. Individuals within populations are variable.
B. Survival and reproduction are non-random.
C. Acquired traits are inherited by the next generation.
D. Variation is passed on to offspring.
Answer: C
Rationale: Darwin’s postulates focus on natural variation, heritability, and differential
reproductive success; the inheritance of acquired traits was Lamarck’s idea.
2. In a phylogenetic tree, a group that includes an ancestor and all of its
descendants is called:
A. Paraphyletic
B. Monophyletic
C. Polyphyletic
D. Homoplastic
Answer: B
Rationale: A monophyletic group, or clade, consists of an ancestral species and all its
descendants.
, 3. Which process is the ultimate source of all new genetic variation?
A. Natural Selection
B. Mutation
C. Genetic Drift
D. Gene Flow
Answer: B
Rationale: While selection and drift change allele frequencies, only mutation creates
entirely new alleles.
4. The biological fitness of an individual is best measured by:
A. Its physical strength and speed.
B. Its ability to resist disease.
C. Its lifespan.
D. The number of offspring it contributes to the next generation.
Answer: D
Rationale: In evolutionary terms, fitness is defined by reproductive success relative to
others in the population.
5. Which of the following is an example of a vestigial structure?
A. The wing of a bird.
B. The flipper of a whale.
C. The tailbone in humans.
D. The eye of an eagle.
Answer: C
Rationale: Vestigial structures are remnants of features that served a function in the
organism’s ancestors but are no longer functional.
