EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY EXAM
2(100% CORRECT)
Δp = p' - p is a common equation in basic models of population genetics because:
- the frequency of a new mutation is 1/2N
- microevolution is the study of gene frequency change
- genetic variation generally increases in small population
- genetic variation remains unchanged in small populations
- none of these - ANSWERmicroevolution is the study of gene frequency change
Elongated horns of Texas longhorn cattle are the result of artificial selection by humans
- True
- False - ANSWERFalse
Radiometric dating can be used to determine the absolute age of a volcanic rock
- True
- False - ANSWERTrue
Sewall G. Wright was
- the investor of electrophoresis
- interested in the theory of genetic drift
- a well known Drosophila geneticist
- a mathematician, inventor of important statistical techniques, and strong supporter of
natural selection
- always right - ANSWERinterested in the theory of genetic drift
The explosive appearance of diverse species that fill many kinds of ecological niches
over relatively short periods of geological time is referred to as:
- genetic drift
- migrational selection
- the Red Queen Hypothesis
- adaptative radiation
- the out of Africa hypothesis - ANSWERadaptative radiation
Chance alone can drive a rare allele to fixation in a population
- True
- False - ANSWERTrue
A team of biologists and geologists is sampling marine sediments and fossils deep in
the North Pacific Ocean. Working in their submersible vessel, they extracted 200 m core
from the sea floor. The team finds numerous calcareous fragments of marine organisms
in the top 5 m of the core sample. Chemical analysis of sample A, found at a depth of
0.52 m, reveals 0.86638 atoms of 14N for each atom of 14C present. Analysis of
, sample B, found 3.19 m below the sediment surface, reveals one atom of 14C for every
31.45972 atoms of 14N. Assume that the decay constant for 14C is 1.2 x 10^-4/year.
What is the approximate age of calcareous fragments found in sample B?
- 29000 years
- 5200 years
- 261 years
- 35000 years
- 154 years - ANSWER29000 years
(t = 1/λ * ln(1+(Dt/Pt))
t = (1/(1.2 x 10^-4)) * ln(1 + (31.45972/1)) = 8333.3 ln(32.45972) = 29000 years)
Fossil and biomarker evidence indicates that animals emerged before the Phanerozoic
- True
- False - ANSWERTrue
If the frequency of genotype AA = 0.4 and that of genotype Aa = 0.2, what is the
expected frequency of the AA genotype in the next generation assuming conditions for
Hardy-Weinberg hold?
- 0.09
- 0.16
- 0.25
- 0.36
- 0.20 - ANSWER0.25
(p = freq(AA) + 1/2(freq(Aa)) = 0.4 + 1/2 (0.2) = 0.5
freq(AA) = p^2 = (0.50)^2 = 0.25)
In the formula, p + q = 1
- p represents the frequency of one of the alleles in the population
- p represents the probability of an allele mutating
- q represents the selection pressure acting against an allele
- p + q = the frequency of homozygotes
- p*q results in heterozygosity - ANSWERp represents the frequency of one of the
alleles in the population
An amino acid sequence of a protein remains the same when synonymous mutations
occur in the protein-coding DNA sequence
- True
- False - ANSWERTrue
What is the initial frequency of a new mutation (p) when is occurs in a diploid
population?
- p = 2/N
- p = 1/N
- p = 1/4N
- p = q/2N
- p = 1/2N - ANSWERp = 1/2N
2(100% CORRECT)
Δp = p' - p is a common equation in basic models of population genetics because:
- the frequency of a new mutation is 1/2N
- microevolution is the study of gene frequency change
- genetic variation generally increases in small population
- genetic variation remains unchanged in small populations
- none of these - ANSWERmicroevolution is the study of gene frequency change
Elongated horns of Texas longhorn cattle are the result of artificial selection by humans
- True
- False - ANSWERFalse
Radiometric dating can be used to determine the absolute age of a volcanic rock
- True
- False - ANSWERTrue
Sewall G. Wright was
- the investor of electrophoresis
- interested in the theory of genetic drift
- a well known Drosophila geneticist
- a mathematician, inventor of important statistical techniques, and strong supporter of
natural selection
- always right - ANSWERinterested in the theory of genetic drift
The explosive appearance of diverse species that fill many kinds of ecological niches
over relatively short periods of geological time is referred to as:
- genetic drift
- migrational selection
- the Red Queen Hypothesis
- adaptative radiation
- the out of Africa hypothesis - ANSWERadaptative radiation
Chance alone can drive a rare allele to fixation in a population
- True
- False - ANSWERTrue
A team of biologists and geologists is sampling marine sediments and fossils deep in
the North Pacific Ocean. Working in their submersible vessel, they extracted 200 m core
from the sea floor. The team finds numerous calcareous fragments of marine organisms
in the top 5 m of the core sample. Chemical analysis of sample A, found at a depth of
0.52 m, reveals 0.86638 atoms of 14N for each atom of 14C present. Analysis of
, sample B, found 3.19 m below the sediment surface, reveals one atom of 14C for every
31.45972 atoms of 14N. Assume that the decay constant for 14C is 1.2 x 10^-4/year.
What is the approximate age of calcareous fragments found in sample B?
- 29000 years
- 5200 years
- 261 years
- 35000 years
- 154 years - ANSWER29000 years
(t = 1/λ * ln(1+(Dt/Pt))
t = (1/(1.2 x 10^-4)) * ln(1 + (31.45972/1)) = 8333.3 ln(32.45972) = 29000 years)
Fossil and biomarker evidence indicates that animals emerged before the Phanerozoic
- True
- False - ANSWERTrue
If the frequency of genotype AA = 0.4 and that of genotype Aa = 0.2, what is the
expected frequency of the AA genotype in the next generation assuming conditions for
Hardy-Weinberg hold?
- 0.09
- 0.16
- 0.25
- 0.36
- 0.20 - ANSWER0.25
(p = freq(AA) + 1/2(freq(Aa)) = 0.4 + 1/2 (0.2) = 0.5
freq(AA) = p^2 = (0.50)^2 = 0.25)
In the formula, p + q = 1
- p represents the frequency of one of the alleles in the population
- p represents the probability of an allele mutating
- q represents the selection pressure acting against an allele
- p + q = the frequency of homozygotes
- p*q results in heterozygosity - ANSWERp represents the frequency of one of the
alleles in the population
An amino acid sequence of a protein remains the same when synonymous mutations
occur in the protein-coding DNA sequence
- True
- False - ANSWERTrue
What is the initial frequency of a new mutation (p) when is occurs in a diploid
population?
- p = 2/N
- p = 1/N
- p = 1/4N
- p = q/2N
- p = 1/2N - ANSWERp = 1/2N
