BIO 315 EXAM 1 IOWA STATE
UNIVERSITY 2023 QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
Define Scientific Theory. - Correct Answers -A widely accepted explanation for a natural
phenomenon after extensive and rigorous scientific testing
What is the difference between proximate and ultimate cause? - Correct Answers -one
is the direct mechanism (how)
the other is the big picture/driving force (why)
What are the large-scale questions of evolutionary biology? - Correct Answers -
evolution answers the how and why about nature and life
What are key individuals in the history of evolutionary biology? - Correct Answers -
Darwin, Aristotle, Linnaeus
What was Darwins key insight? - Correct Answers -descent with modification, all living
organisms can be traced back to a shared common ancestor and change accumulated
through natural selection because they offer survival and reproductive advantages
What was Aristotles take on evolution? - Correct Answers -he believed species were
eternal, immutable and discrete, and morphological characteristics were used to
describe a species and variations within species were treated as aberrations around an
ideal form of the species
What did Linnaeus contribute the the evolutionary biology history? - Correct Answers -
he came up with a classification system using taxonomy groups
How were extinct animals able to be related to current species? - Correct Answers -
fossils were used to relate extinct species to modern/current ones
What did Darwin think about variations within populations? - Correct Answers -he
explained variations as common and important for survival, not aberrant
What are the key historical ideas of evolutions and how did they lead to the current
ideas? - Correct Answers -Darwinian Evolution: descent with modification
Aristotle: species were eternal, variations were mistakes
Linnaeus: new way to classify organisms
Hutton and Lyell: uniformitarianism
, What were some of the Pre darwin thoughts about evolution? - Correct Answers -
species never went extinct and adaptations arise through divine intervention
What was a big part of the radical shift in biological though? - Correct Answers -the
finding of fossils that could represent extinct species and showed that they are
descended from shared ancestors
What was Hutton and Lyell known for contributing in evolutionary biology? - Correct
Answers -they established uniformitarianism which explains that agents of change today
have always operated in the past, gradual change, uniform process, long periods of
time
What is an example of uniformitarianism? - Correct Answers -Erosion by a stream
formed what we now know as the grand canyon
What is evolution? - Correct Answers -change in heritable traits of populations over
generations
What is the difference between mico and macroevolution? - Correct Answers -micro =
evolution caused by change in frequencies of alleles
macro = evolution above species level
What is evolutionary biology? - Correct Answers -field of biology that studeis the
evlurtionarty processes that gave rise to the diversity of life and how they shape current
future diversity
What are the five key points of Darwinian evolution? - Correct Answers -Evolution is the
norm, traits change over time
common descent, shared ancestry via tree
gradual change, not a giant leap
populations are the unit, evolution acts on populations not individuals
natural selection, traits seemingly designed are results of selection to match
environmental needs
What is Neolamarckism? - Correct Answers -theories base on ideas of inheritance of
modifications aquired during an organsims lifetime
What is Orthogensis? - Correct Answers -theories where variations evolve for
directed/fixed goals without the aid of natural slection
What is Mutationist? - Correct Answers -Theory based on how new phenotypes can
arise by processes of mutations and mutant forms are new species, so natural selection
isn't necessary
UNIVERSITY 2023 QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
Define Scientific Theory. - Correct Answers -A widely accepted explanation for a natural
phenomenon after extensive and rigorous scientific testing
What is the difference between proximate and ultimate cause? - Correct Answers -one
is the direct mechanism (how)
the other is the big picture/driving force (why)
What are the large-scale questions of evolutionary biology? - Correct Answers -
evolution answers the how and why about nature and life
What are key individuals in the history of evolutionary biology? - Correct Answers -
Darwin, Aristotle, Linnaeus
What was Darwins key insight? - Correct Answers -descent with modification, all living
organisms can be traced back to a shared common ancestor and change accumulated
through natural selection because they offer survival and reproductive advantages
What was Aristotles take on evolution? - Correct Answers -he believed species were
eternal, immutable and discrete, and morphological characteristics were used to
describe a species and variations within species were treated as aberrations around an
ideal form of the species
What did Linnaeus contribute the the evolutionary biology history? - Correct Answers -
he came up with a classification system using taxonomy groups
How were extinct animals able to be related to current species? - Correct Answers -
fossils were used to relate extinct species to modern/current ones
What did Darwin think about variations within populations? - Correct Answers -he
explained variations as common and important for survival, not aberrant
What are the key historical ideas of evolutions and how did they lead to the current
ideas? - Correct Answers -Darwinian Evolution: descent with modification
Aristotle: species were eternal, variations were mistakes
Linnaeus: new way to classify organisms
Hutton and Lyell: uniformitarianism
, What were some of the Pre darwin thoughts about evolution? - Correct Answers -
species never went extinct and adaptations arise through divine intervention
What was a big part of the radical shift in biological though? - Correct Answers -the
finding of fossils that could represent extinct species and showed that they are
descended from shared ancestors
What was Hutton and Lyell known for contributing in evolutionary biology? - Correct
Answers -they established uniformitarianism which explains that agents of change today
have always operated in the past, gradual change, uniform process, long periods of
time
What is an example of uniformitarianism? - Correct Answers -Erosion by a stream
formed what we now know as the grand canyon
What is evolution? - Correct Answers -change in heritable traits of populations over
generations
What is the difference between mico and macroevolution? - Correct Answers -micro =
evolution caused by change in frequencies of alleles
macro = evolution above species level
What is evolutionary biology? - Correct Answers -field of biology that studeis the
evlurtionarty processes that gave rise to the diversity of life and how they shape current
future diversity
What are the five key points of Darwinian evolution? - Correct Answers -Evolution is the
norm, traits change over time
common descent, shared ancestry via tree
gradual change, not a giant leap
populations are the unit, evolution acts on populations not individuals
natural selection, traits seemingly designed are results of selection to match
environmental needs
What is Neolamarckism? - Correct Answers -theories base on ideas of inheritance of
modifications aquired during an organsims lifetime
What is Orthogensis? - Correct Answers -theories where variations evolve for
directed/fixed goals without the aid of natural slection
What is Mutationist? - Correct Answers -Theory based on how new phenotypes can
arise by processes of mutations and mutant forms are new species, so natural selection
isn't necessary
