Anthro 410 Exam 3 Questions and Answers Already Passed Latest Update 2025-2026
Which of the following is a species according to the biological species concept?
(A) All hominin species (most are fossil species).
(B) A population of bacteria for which 80% of their DNA
sequences are identical.
(C) All allopolyploid plants.
(D) A group of beetles that can intermate and produce offspring for multiple generations. -
Answers D
Which of the following is NOT a reason that Species are difficult to define?
(A) Many plants that are genetically divergent are able to mate
(B) Many organisms that are morphologically similar are genetically distinct
(C) Many organisms are asexual
(D) Sometimes groups split off from within a monophyletic group (such as birds splitting off
from the reptiles)
(E) Sometimes sexual populations that are unable to interbreed could still be the same
biological species - Answers E
Which of the following is most likely to be a "species"
according to the Phylogenetic Species Concept?
(a) A population of bacteria that has a gene that allows
glucose metabolism
(b) Bird populations, which share a unique heritable feather
structure
(c) Spider populations that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring
(d) Crustacean populations that form a clade (geneticallyrelated group), except for one
,population within the clade that colonized land and became insects
(e) Populations of deer that share similar antler shape - Answers B
Under which of the following scenarios is reinforcement
most likely to evolve?
(a) Different fish species, with each living in a separate
pond
(b) Two snail species, where each lives on opposite sides
of a freeway
(c) Different species of crickets living together in a park,
where hybrids between them have low survival rates
(d) Different insect species, each living on a different
species of fruit in a forest
(e) Different species of allopolyploid plants living in a field - Answers C
Sometimes the Molecular Clock (based on genetic data)
conflicts with the Geological Record. Why would this
happen?
(A) Sometimes there are gaps in the geological record, because fossils do not form everywhere,
and mutation rate might vary between different species
(B) Radiometric dating relies on chance events in the preservation of isotopes, making the
timing events in the geological time scale less accurate than the molecular clock
(C) Mutation rates slow down as you go back in time, making estimation of timing of events
less accurate as you go back in time
(D) The molecular clock is calculated from radioisotopes, while the geological record is
obtained from fossil data. The two can conflict when fossils end up displaced from their original
sedimentary layer - Answers A
, Which of the following is most TRUE
regarding phylogenetic reconstructions?
(A) Phylogenetic reconstruction based on any gene
would yield the same tree
(B) Parsimony is the most accurate method for
reconstructing phylogenies
(C) Some DNA sequence data is better for phylogenetic
reconstruction than others, such as those that tend to
be less subjected to selection (3rd codon, introns)
(D) Maximum likelihood relies on maximizing distances
among taxa - Answers C
Which of the following types of data would
be most optimal for constructing a
phylogeny?
(a) Non-coding and regulatory sequences
(b) Non-coding and non functional
sequences
(c) Paralogous genes
(d) Genes that have undergone purifying
selection
(e) Intron sequences within rapidly evolving
genes - Answers B
Which of the following reasons is FALSE on why the
type of data chosen in the question above would be
Which of the following is a species according to the biological species concept?
(A) All hominin species (most are fossil species).
(B) A population of bacteria for which 80% of their DNA
sequences are identical.
(C) All allopolyploid plants.
(D) A group of beetles that can intermate and produce offspring for multiple generations. -
Answers D
Which of the following is NOT a reason that Species are difficult to define?
(A) Many plants that are genetically divergent are able to mate
(B) Many organisms that are morphologically similar are genetically distinct
(C) Many organisms are asexual
(D) Sometimes groups split off from within a monophyletic group (such as birds splitting off
from the reptiles)
(E) Sometimes sexual populations that are unable to interbreed could still be the same
biological species - Answers E
Which of the following is most likely to be a "species"
according to the Phylogenetic Species Concept?
(a) A population of bacteria that has a gene that allows
glucose metabolism
(b) Bird populations, which share a unique heritable feather
structure
(c) Spider populations that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring
(d) Crustacean populations that form a clade (geneticallyrelated group), except for one
,population within the clade that colonized land and became insects
(e) Populations of deer that share similar antler shape - Answers B
Under which of the following scenarios is reinforcement
most likely to evolve?
(a) Different fish species, with each living in a separate
pond
(b) Two snail species, where each lives on opposite sides
of a freeway
(c) Different species of crickets living together in a park,
where hybrids between them have low survival rates
(d) Different insect species, each living on a different
species of fruit in a forest
(e) Different species of allopolyploid plants living in a field - Answers C
Sometimes the Molecular Clock (based on genetic data)
conflicts with the Geological Record. Why would this
happen?
(A) Sometimes there are gaps in the geological record, because fossils do not form everywhere,
and mutation rate might vary between different species
(B) Radiometric dating relies on chance events in the preservation of isotopes, making the
timing events in the geological time scale less accurate than the molecular clock
(C) Mutation rates slow down as you go back in time, making estimation of timing of events
less accurate as you go back in time
(D) The molecular clock is calculated from radioisotopes, while the geological record is
obtained from fossil data. The two can conflict when fossils end up displaced from their original
sedimentary layer - Answers A
, Which of the following is most TRUE
regarding phylogenetic reconstructions?
(A) Phylogenetic reconstruction based on any gene
would yield the same tree
(B) Parsimony is the most accurate method for
reconstructing phylogenies
(C) Some DNA sequence data is better for phylogenetic
reconstruction than others, such as those that tend to
be less subjected to selection (3rd codon, introns)
(D) Maximum likelihood relies on maximizing distances
among taxa - Answers C
Which of the following types of data would
be most optimal for constructing a
phylogeny?
(a) Non-coding and regulatory sequences
(b) Non-coding and non functional
sequences
(c) Paralogous genes
(d) Genes that have undergone purifying
selection
(e) Intron sequences within rapidly evolving
genes - Answers B
Which of the following reasons is FALSE on why the
type of data chosen in the question above would be
