ENVS 212 Exam 1 Questions with Correct Answers
What is biological evolution? Correct Answer-It is change in the genetic properties of groups of organisms (populations) ovr the course of generations. It can be referred to as descent with modification, or genetic
change over time.
How is evolution about change in proportions through time? Correct Answer-There can be a change in gene frequencies between generations,
for example a shift in proportion of dark moths to light moths. Or there can be a change between populations, for example a shift in proportions of dark moths to light moths.
What questions can evolution answer? Correct Answer-It can answer questions of morphological diversity (why do whales have lungs and snakes lack legs?); genetic diversity (salamanders have 10x more DNA than humans); species diversity; medicine (bacterial resistance); technology (insects resistance to pesticides).
What are the four misconceptions about evolution? Correct Answer-1) Evolution and natural selection are the same thing. In reality, natural selection is one mechanism by which evolution occurs but there are other factors too. 2) Individual organisms undergo biological evolution. In reality, populations or groups of organisms undergo evolution. Individual organisms undergo development. 3) Evidence for evolution is limited and is an unsubstantiated theory. In reality, there is lots of evidence including antibiotic resistance, pesticide resistance and experimental evolution studies in lab (starch sugar). 4) Evolution occurs within species but cannot explain the origin of new species. But diet experiments with sugar and yeast does promote formation of new species.
What are 3 examples of evidence for evolution? Correct Answer-
Antibiotic resistance, pesticide resistance, and experimental evolution studies in the lab.
What can evolution tell us about the effect of environmental change? Correct Answer-It can tell us the link between genetics, phenotype, and ecology.
What were the evolutionary theories before Darwin (pre 1859)? Correct Answer-Plato and Aristotle, uniformitarianism/catastrophism, Lamarck.
What were Plato and Aristotle's theory of evolution? Correct Answer-
Plato and Aristotle came up with the idea of essentialism, that under this view variation is accidental imperfection.
What were uniformitarianism/catastrophism theories before Darwin? Correct Answer-In the 18th century, people also believed in uniformitarianism, that the present was slowly carved out by the past (Hutton and Lyell), and catastrophism that sudden violent events were responsible for the current state of Earth (Cuvier).
What is biological evolution? Correct Answer-It is change in the genetic properties of groups of organisms (populations) ovr the course of generations. It can be referred to as descent with modification, or genetic
change over time.
How is evolution about change in proportions through time? Correct Answer-There can be a change in gene frequencies between generations,
for example a shift in proportion of dark moths to light moths. Or there can be a change between populations, for example a shift in proportions of dark moths to light moths.
What questions can evolution answer? Correct Answer-It can answer questions of morphological diversity (why do whales have lungs and snakes lack legs?); genetic diversity (salamanders have 10x more DNA than humans); species diversity; medicine (bacterial resistance); technology (insects resistance to pesticides).
What are the four misconceptions about evolution? Correct Answer-1) Evolution and natural selection are the same thing. In reality, natural selection is one mechanism by which evolution occurs but there are other factors too. 2) Individual organisms undergo biological evolution. In reality, populations or groups of organisms undergo evolution. Individual organisms undergo development. 3) Evidence for evolution is limited and is an unsubstantiated theory. In reality, there is lots of evidence including antibiotic resistance, pesticide resistance and experimental evolution studies in lab (starch sugar). 4) Evolution occurs within species but cannot explain the origin of new species. But diet experiments with sugar and yeast does promote formation of new species.
What are 3 examples of evidence for evolution? Correct Answer-
Antibiotic resistance, pesticide resistance, and experimental evolution studies in the lab.
What can evolution tell us about the effect of environmental change? Correct Answer-It can tell us the link between genetics, phenotype, and ecology.
What were the evolutionary theories before Darwin (pre 1859)? Correct Answer-Plato and Aristotle, uniformitarianism/catastrophism, Lamarck.
What were Plato and Aristotle's theory of evolution? Correct Answer-
Plato and Aristotle came up with the idea of essentialism, that under this view variation is accidental imperfection.
What were uniformitarianism/catastrophism theories before Darwin? Correct Answer-In the 18th century, people also believed in uniformitarianism, that the present was slowly carved out by the past (Hutton and Lyell), and catastrophism that sudden violent events were responsible for the current state of Earth (Cuvier).
