Sample Midterm Questions BIOC54 2024
1. Interobserver reliability testing is important for the collection of reliable, meaningful
behavioural observation data. Which of the following can interobserver reliability testing
NOT do?
(a) suggest that your ethogram may need revising
(b) provide you with the probability (percent agreement) that your data supports your
original hypothesis
(c) indicate that there are limitations with the observation method that you have chosen
to use (continuous vs. instantaneous)
(d) reveal that there may be irregularities in the way that different observers have been
taught to identify and code behaviours
(e) Interobserver reliability testing can do all of the above.
Answer: b
2. Which is an example of a “Darwinian puzzle”?
(a) Salmon (fish) can smell a few molecules of chemicals in the stream in which they were
born.
(b) Adult birds feel startled (scared) when lightly touched.
(c) If unrelated eggs are added to a bird’s nest, the adult birds often rear them successfully
along with their own chicks.
(d) Bats can catch moths in complete darkness thanks to their ability to hear echoes from
their own cries.
(e) None of the above are Darwinian puzzles.
Answer: c
3. When someone says that there is a gene for a behaviour, they most likely mean that
(a) the gene is solely responsible for the development of that behaviour.
(b) individuals with different forms of that gene exhibit different behaviours.
(c) the environment does not affect the development that behaviour.
(d) the behaviour is unlikely to respond to selection, since there is no variation in the
species.
(e) the behaviour is very simple.
Answer: b
,4. Gene knockout experiments have been done to
(a) show that offspring do not necessarily have to exhibit the same behaviour as their
parents.
(b) create two categories of individuals that differ with respect to a single gene.
(c) test whether a given behaviour controlled by that gene contributes to the reproductive
success of individuals.
(d) demonstrate that DNA is the molecule of heredity.
(e) test how much variation in a phenotypic trait is due to environmental variance.
Answer: b
5. “Sexual “selection is often separated from “natural” selection in that
(a) the traits under sexual selection can be environmentally influenced, unlike those that
are the product of natural selection.
(b) hereditary differences among phenotypes are required for natural selection to occur,
but not for sexual selection to occur.
(c) sexual selection can produce traits that harm the survival of the entire species,
whereas natural selection acts to preserve the species over the long term.
(d) natural selection affects a broader spectrum of traits than sexual selection, which acts
only on individual differences in the ability to gain access to mates.
(e) All of the above.
Answer: d
6. “If female lizards with reddish throats produce more eggs than females with orangish
throats, then the reddish throat is an evolved adaptation.” This statement
(a) is true, because this species has variation, a critical requirement for the evolution of
adaptations by natural selection.
(b) is false, because females with orangish throats could still have more offspring that live
to reproduce than females with reddish throats.
(c) is true, because females with reddish throats will produce offspring with reddish
throats.
(d) is false, because there is no guarantee that females with reddish throats are the best
for the long-term preservation of this species.
(e) could be true or false, because we cannot tell without knowing whether reddish
females outnumber orangish females in this species.
Answer: b
,7. Males of many species of bowerbirds build structures called “bowers” made of twigs,
sticks, feathers and whatever other materials they can find. Which of the following has
NOT been found correlated with well-decorated bowers?
(a) males with relatively bigger brains
(b) females who are startled less
(c) males with fewer ectoparasites
(d) males with greater mating success
(e) males with larger nuptial gifts
Answer: e
8. Species in which sexual size dimorphism exists tend to
(a) have evolved alternative mating strategies such as “female mimicry”.
(b) be sex-role reversed.
(c) have a female-biased Operational Sex Ratio.
(d) have both sexes involved in both components of sexual selection (intra-sex
competition and inter-sex mate choice).
(e) be polygamous.
Answer: e
, For questions 9 and 10, refer to the following figure:
9. Colonial swallows and ground-nesting gulls both exhibit predator mobbing behavior, while
solitary nesting swallows and kittiwakes do not. Which relationship indicated on the
phylogeny illustrates convergent evolution?
(a) A
(b) B
(c) C
(d) None of the above.
(e) All of the above.
Answer: b
10. Which relationship indicated on the phylogeny illustrates divergent evolution?
(a) A
(b) B
(c) C
(d) None of the above.
(e) All of the above.
Answer: c
1. Interobserver reliability testing is important for the collection of reliable, meaningful
behavioural observation data. Which of the following can interobserver reliability testing
NOT do?
(a) suggest that your ethogram may need revising
(b) provide you with the probability (percent agreement) that your data supports your
original hypothesis
(c) indicate that there are limitations with the observation method that you have chosen
to use (continuous vs. instantaneous)
(d) reveal that there may be irregularities in the way that different observers have been
taught to identify and code behaviours
(e) Interobserver reliability testing can do all of the above.
Answer: b
2. Which is an example of a “Darwinian puzzle”?
(a) Salmon (fish) can smell a few molecules of chemicals in the stream in which they were
born.
(b) Adult birds feel startled (scared) when lightly touched.
(c) If unrelated eggs are added to a bird’s nest, the adult birds often rear them successfully
along with their own chicks.
(d) Bats can catch moths in complete darkness thanks to their ability to hear echoes from
their own cries.
(e) None of the above are Darwinian puzzles.
Answer: c
3. When someone says that there is a gene for a behaviour, they most likely mean that
(a) the gene is solely responsible for the development of that behaviour.
(b) individuals with different forms of that gene exhibit different behaviours.
(c) the environment does not affect the development that behaviour.
(d) the behaviour is unlikely to respond to selection, since there is no variation in the
species.
(e) the behaviour is very simple.
Answer: b
,4. Gene knockout experiments have been done to
(a) show that offspring do not necessarily have to exhibit the same behaviour as their
parents.
(b) create two categories of individuals that differ with respect to a single gene.
(c) test whether a given behaviour controlled by that gene contributes to the reproductive
success of individuals.
(d) demonstrate that DNA is the molecule of heredity.
(e) test how much variation in a phenotypic trait is due to environmental variance.
Answer: b
5. “Sexual “selection is often separated from “natural” selection in that
(a) the traits under sexual selection can be environmentally influenced, unlike those that
are the product of natural selection.
(b) hereditary differences among phenotypes are required for natural selection to occur,
but not for sexual selection to occur.
(c) sexual selection can produce traits that harm the survival of the entire species,
whereas natural selection acts to preserve the species over the long term.
(d) natural selection affects a broader spectrum of traits than sexual selection, which acts
only on individual differences in the ability to gain access to mates.
(e) All of the above.
Answer: d
6. “If female lizards with reddish throats produce more eggs than females with orangish
throats, then the reddish throat is an evolved adaptation.” This statement
(a) is true, because this species has variation, a critical requirement for the evolution of
adaptations by natural selection.
(b) is false, because females with orangish throats could still have more offspring that live
to reproduce than females with reddish throats.
(c) is true, because females with reddish throats will produce offspring with reddish
throats.
(d) is false, because there is no guarantee that females with reddish throats are the best
for the long-term preservation of this species.
(e) could be true or false, because we cannot tell without knowing whether reddish
females outnumber orangish females in this species.
Answer: b
,7. Males of many species of bowerbirds build structures called “bowers” made of twigs,
sticks, feathers and whatever other materials they can find. Which of the following has
NOT been found correlated with well-decorated bowers?
(a) males with relatively bigger brains
(b) females who are startled less
(c) males with fewer ectoparasites
(d) males with greater mating success
(e) males with larger nuptial gifts
Answer: e
8. Species in which sexual size dimorphism exists tend to
(a) have evolved alternative mating strategies such as “female mimicry”.
(b) be sex-role reversed.
(c) have a female-biased Operational Sex Ratio.
(d) have both sexes involved in both components of sexual selection (intra-sex
competition and inter-sex mate choice).
(e) be polygamous.
Answer: e
, For questions 9 and 10, refer to the following figure:
9. Colonial swallows and ground-nesting gulls both exhibit predator mobbing behavior, while
solitary nesting swallows and kittiwakes do not. Which relationship indicated on the
phylogeny illustrates convergent evolution?
(a) A
(b) B
(c) C
(d) None of the above.
(e) All of the above.
Answer: b
10. Which relationship indicated on the phylogeny illustrates divergent evolution?
(a) A
(b) B
(c) C
(d) None of the above.
(e) All of the above.
Answer: c
