Evolution Nova Missions

For a mutation to affect evolution, it must

• Provide a benefit to the organism

• Involve more than one chromosome

• Be able to get passed from parent or offspring

• Be neutral – neither help nor harm the organism

What is evolution?

• An increase in complexity over time

• Any change to the genetic composition of a population

• the tendency of species to improve over time

• All of the above

When comparing the DNA of 2 closely related, you would expect their DNA to be _________________ the DNA of 2 distantly related organisms.

• more similar

• less similar

• the same as

When looking at a segment of DNA from a shark, cichlid, lungfish coelacanth and frog, which is coelacanth most closely related?

• cichlid and shark equally

• frog

• lungfish

• frog and lungfish equally

A. vinosum is most closely related to which organisms?

• M. acetivorans and P. aerophilium

• S. solfatarucus and T. thermophilus

• D. radiodurans and T. thermophilus

• D. radiodurans and P. aerophilium

___ is the changing of the structure of a gene, resulting in a variant form that may be transmitted to subsequent generations, caused by the alteration of single base units in DNA, or the deletion, insertion, or rearrangement of larger sections of genes or chromosomes.

• transfiguration

• mutation

• extinction

• adaptation

For the tree in this image, which order of organisms could the data fit?

• 1. Mida cichild; 2. W. Omdoam cpelacamth; 3. Western clawed frog

• 1.W. Omdoam cpelacamth; 2. Mida cichild; 3. Western clawed frog

• 1. Western clawed frog; 2. W. Omdoam cpelacamth; 3. Mida cichild

Naturalist Selection

Who figured out the mechanism of evolution known as natural selection?

• Charles Darwin

• Alfred Russel Wallace

• Both of them

An Evolutionary Mechanism

Which of the following is NOT true about natural selection?

• It depends on both inheritance and variation.

• It ensures that only the biggest and the strongest organisms survive.

• It explains how environments affect which organisms live and reproduce.

• It results in adaptations that improve an organism’s chances of survival.

Phylogenetic Trees

Which of the following is true about phylogenetic trees?

• They’re a way of visualizing how different species are related.

• Branch length always corresponds to how long a species has been alive.

• The species to the right are more evolved than the species to the left.

• All of the above