BIO 1500 Final Exam UPDATED ACTUAL
Exam Questions and CORRECT Answers
Which of the following is the best modern definition of evolution - CORRECT
ANSWER - change in allele frequencies in population over time
Which of the following is not a correct version of one of Darwin's four postulates - CORRECT
ANSWER - In each generation, only as many offspring that can survive are provided
Evolution in a population of island finches can be caused by the following agent - CORRECT
ANSWER - All of the above
Biological fitness is best defined as - CORRECT ANSWER - relative the ability of an
individual to produce offspring that survive and reproduce
Cotton-topped tamarins are small primates with tuffs of long white hair on their heads. While
studying these creatures, you notice that males with longer hair get more opportunities to mate
and father more offspring. You believe that having longer hair is adaptive to these males. To
prove that this is an adaptation, you next should - CORRECT ANSWER - determine if hair
length is heritable
Which of the following statements describes natural selection best? - CORRECT
ANSWER - Individuals with the most favorable alleles survive and reproduce
Speciation occurs when populations become genetically isolated and then diverge due to
evolutionary mechanisms. Which of the following could be a dispersal event that would lead to
genetic isolation for populations in that habitat - CORRECT ANSWER - Some insects get
blown in a storm to a new mountain range, where they lay eggs.
Genetic drift occurs in a population. Which of the following statements might be true -
CORRECT ANSWER - Any of the statements can be true
, Genetic variation - CORRECT ANSWER - must be present in a population before natural
selection can act upon the population
Which of the following is the least likely to result in the formation of new species - CORRECT
ANSWER - gene flow
Most Swiss starlings produce four to five eggs in each clutch. Starlings producing fewer or more
than this have reduced fitness. Which of the following terms best describes this situation -
CORRECT ANSWER - Stabilizing selection
In seed cracker finches from Cameron, small- and large-billed birds specialize in cracking soft
and hard seeds, respectively. If long-term climatic change resulted in all seeds becoming hard,
what type of selection would then operate on the finch population - CORRECT
ANSWER - Directional selection
You are performing a population census of crayfish in Hinkson Creek when you encounter an
individual with a trait that has never been seen before. Which of the following is a correct
statement regarding this adaptation - CORRECT ANSWER - None of these statements is
correct
A biologist doing a long-term study on a wild spider population observes increased variation in
silk thickness, but no change in the mean thickness. Which of the following could the spider
population be experiencing - CORRECT ANSWER - disruptive selection
Genetic drift occurs in a population. Which of the following statements might be true? -
CORRECT ANSWER - Any of the above statements might be true
Which of the following is the most predictable outcome of decreased gene flow between two
populations - CORRECT ANSWER - increased genetic difference between the two
populations
Three-spined stickleback fish show substantial heritable variation in gill-raker length. Fish
caught in open water tend to have longer gill rakes and eat different foods than do those caught
Exam Questions and CORRECT Answers
Which of the following is the best modern definition of evolution - CORRECT
ANSWER - change in allele frequencies in population over time
Which of the following is not a correct version of one of Darwin's four postulates - CORRECT
ANSWER - In each generation, only as many offspring that can survive are provided
Evolution in a population of island finches can be caused by the following agent - CORRECT
ANSWER - All of the above
Biological fitness is best defined as - CORRECT ANSWER - relative the ability of an
individual to produce offspring that survive and reproduce
Cotton-topped tamarins are small primates with tuffs of long white hair on their heads. While
studying these creatures, you notice that males with longer hair get more opportunities to mate
and father more offspring. You believe that having longer hair is adaptive to these males. To
prove that this is an adaptation, you next should - CORRECT ANSWER - determine if hair
length is heritable
Which of the following statements describes natural selection best? - CORRECT
ANSWER - Individuals with the most favorable alleles survive and reproduce
Speciation occurs when populations become genetically isolated and then diverge due to
evolutionary mechanisms. Which of the following could be a dispersal event that would lead to
genetic isolation for populations in that habitat - CORRECT ANSWER - Some insects get
blown in a storm to a new mountain range, where they lay eggs.
Genetic drift occurs in a population. Which of the following statements might be true -
CORRECT ANSWER - Any of the statements can be true
, Genetic variation - CORRECT ANSWER - must be present in a population before natural
selection can act upon the population
Which of the following is the least likely to result in the formation of new species - CORRECT
ANSWER - gene flow
Most Swiss starlings produce four to five eggs in each clutch. Starlings producing fewer or more
than this have reduced fitness. Which of the following terms best describes this situation -
CORRECT ANSWER - Stabilizing selection
In seed cracker finches from Cameron, small- and large-billed birds specialize in cracking soft
and hard seeds, respectively. If long-term climatic change resulted in all seeds becoming hard,
what type of selection would then operate on the finch population - CORRECT
ANSWER - Directional selection
You are performing a population census of crayfish in Hinkson Creek when you encounter an
individual with a trait that has never been seen before. Which of the following is a correct
statement regarding this adaptation - CORRECT ANSWER - None of these statements is
correct
A biologist doing a long-term study on a wild spider population observes increased variation in
silk thickness, but no change in the mean thickness. Which of the following could the spider
population be experiencing - CORRECT ANSWER - disruptive selection
Genetic drift occurs in a population. Which of the following statements might be true? -
CORRECT ANSWER - Any of the above statements might be true
Which of the following is the most predictable outcome of decreased gene flow between two
populations - CORRECT ANSWER - increased genetic difference between the two
populations
Three-spined stickleback fish show substantial heritable variation in gill-raker length. Fish
caught in open water tend to have longer gill rakes and eat different foods than do those caught
