Principles of Biology Final Exam UPDATED
Exam Questions and CORRECT Answers
1. Species are not immutable nor static - they do change
- Descent with modification
2. Evolutionary processes can be extended to account for all nearly all of the diversity of life
- Inference is a common ancestor
3. The primary mechanism of change is natural selection - CORRECT ANSWER -
Identify the three "facts" that Krough maintains that the Theory of Evolution has established and
identify how they are in opposition to the Biblical account of origins.
Evolution is a historical process that cannot be proven by the same arguments and methods by
which purely physical or functional phenomena can be documented. Evolution as a whole, and
the explanation of particular evolutionary events must be inferred from observations. -
CORRECT ANSWER - How does origin science differ from other science according to
Mayr?
This means that creationists v. darwinists find different conclusions based on the same evidence
and starting point because of their presuppositions and worldview. - CORRECT
ANSWER - It has been said in class that the origins issue is not about the evidence but
about philosophical commitments and worldviews. Explain how Mayr's quote may support this
view.
embryology - CORRECT ANSWER - Embryos of all vertebrates have deep structural
similarities and these deep similarities are said to clearly show evidence for evolutionary
relationships
1. Haeckel's drawings misrepresented the
features of the embryos, exaggerating
their similarities
,2. Left out the earliest stages of the
embryo development
3. Drawings move into biology textbooks
and encyclopedias where they continue
to this day. (Distorted evidence) - CORRECT ANSWER - critique of embryology
1. Fossilized simple creatures
would be found in the older
layers of sedimentary rock
and the more complex (or
higher evolved) should occur
in the younger layers of
sedimentary rock.
2. Links between the simple
organisms in the bottom
layers and the more complex
in the above layers
- Therapsid reptiles (Mammal
like ) Mammal fossils
- Ancient whale like land
dwellers Whale fossils.
- Ancestral Horse (Eohippus
Equus
- Archeopteryx (?) - CORRECT ANSWER - the fossil record in support of evolution ( If
evolution was proceeding in nature then we would expect to see the following)
Fossil record seems to document saltations (jumps) from one type of organism to another
the record is one of discontinuities (gaps) in what should be
, continuous, gradual and steady changes from ancestral forms to the descendants. [Mayr]
• General picture is that no fossil connecting links occurs between most groups of animals and in
plants the lack of connecting links is more pronounced. [Mayr]
• Only a small fraction of organisms that once lived are fossilized.
• Highly improbable that any organisms become fossilized
- Fossilization is a rare event.
(punctuated equilibrium - CORRECT ANSWER - critique of fossil record
Cytochrome C - CORRECT ANSWER - molecule found in virtually all organisms
- electron transport protein found in mitochondria
- Changes in amino acid sequence in the protein between species over time
- The amount of homology determines how close together different groups are
molecular homology critique - CORRECT ANSWER - One gene gives one version of the
tree of life, while
another gene gives a highly different, and conflicting,
version of the tree.
• The standard mammalian tree places humans more
closely related to rodents than to elephants. But
studies of a certain type of DNA called microRNA genes have suggested the opposite ‐‐ that
humans were
closer to elephants than rodents. Such conflicts
between gene‐based trees are extremely common.
comparative morphology - CORRECT ANSWER - Similarities and differences in body
plans/structures among groups of different
organisms
homologies - CORRECT ANSWER - • Parts of different organisms that serve
Exam Questions and CORRECT Answers
1. Species are not immutable nor static - they do change
- Descent with modification
2. Evolutionary processes can be extended to account for all nearly all of the diversity of life
- Inference is a common ancestor
3. The primary mechanism of change is natural selection - CORRECT ANSWER -
Identify the three "facts" that Krough maintains that the Theory of Evolution has established and
identify how they are in opposition to the Biblical account of origins.
Evolution is a historical process that cannot be proven by the same arguments and methods by
which purely physical or functional phenomena can be documented. Evolution as a whole, and
the explanation of particular evolutionary events must be inferred from observations. -
CORRECT ANSWER - How does origin science differ from other science according to
Mayr?
This means that creationists v. darwinists find different conclusions based on the same evidence
and starting point because of their presuppositions and worldview. - CORRECT
ANSWER - It has been said in class that the origins issue is not about the evidence but
about philosophical commitments and worldviews. Explain how Mayr's quote may support this
view.
embryology - CORRECT ANSWER - Embryos of all vertebrates have deep structural
similarities and these deep similarities are said to clearly show evidence for evolutionary
relationships
1. Haeckel's drawings misrepresented the
features of the embryos, exaggerating
their similarities
,2. Left out the earliest stages of the
embryo development
3. Drawings move into biology textbooks
and encyclopedias where they continue
to this day. (Distorted evidence) - CORRECT ANSWER - critique of embryology
1. Fossilized simple creatures
would be found in the older
layers of sedimentary rock
and the more complex (or
higher evolved) should occur
in the younger layers of
sedimentary rock.
2. Links between the simple
organisms in the bottom
layers and the more complex
in the above layers
- Therapsid reptiles (Mammal
like ) Mammal fossils
- Ancient whale like land
dwellers Whale fossils.
- Ancestral Horse (Eohippus
Equus
- Archeopteryx (?) - CORRECT ANSWER - the fossil record in support of evolution ( If
evolution was proceeding in nature then we would expect to see the following)
Fossil record seems to document saltations (jumps) from one type of organism to another
the record is one of discontinuities (gaps) in what should be
, continuous, gradual and steady changes from ancestral forms to the descendants. [Mayr]
• General picture is that no fossil connecting links occurs between most groups of animals and in
plants the lack of connecting links is more pronounced. [Mayr]
• Only a small fraction of organisms that once lived are fossilized.
• Highly improbable that any organisms become fossilized
- Fossilization is a rare event.
(punctuated equilibrium - CORRECT ANSWER - critique of fossil record
Cytochrome C - CORRECT ANSWER - molecule found in virtually all organisms
- electron transport protein found in mitochondria
- Changes in amino acid sequence in the protein between species over time
- The amount of homology determines how close together different groups are
molecular homology critique - CORRECT ANSWER - One gene gives one version of the
tree of life, while
another gene gives a highly different, and conflicting,
version of the tree.
• The standard mammalian tree places humans more
closely related to rodents than to elephants. But
studies of a certain type of DNA called microRNA genes have suggested the opposite ‐‐ that
humans were
closer to elephants than rodents. Such conflicts
between gene‐based trees are extremely common.
comparative morphology - CORRECT ANSWER - Similarities and differences in body
plans/structures among groups of different
organisms
homologies - CORRECT ANSWER - • Parts of different organisms that serve
