Mdcps Biology Unit 5 Review

What did Gould and Eldridge infer about the pace and timing of evolutionary change?

• Periods during which evolution occurred were always preceded by a catastrophe.

• Long periods of stability were punctuated with periods of evolutionary change.

• The pace of evolutionary change has slowed down over time and it only rarely occurs now.

• Evolutionary change occurred gradually and constantly throughout time.

A platypus is classed as a mammal because it has fur and feeds its offspring milk, yet it lays eggs, which is uncommon for mammals but not for other vertebrates. Which of the following pieces of evidence would be most helpful in strengthening the case for continuing to classify it with the mammals?

• DNA evidence showing it was more closely related to mammals than to other vertebrates

• Fossil evidence of platypuses living alongside other ancient mammals

• Evidence that some platypuses have evolved to bear live young under certain circumstances

• Evidence that all vertebrates share a common ancestor

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Short-spined sea urchin fossils were found directly above long-spined sea urchin fossils in a layer of rock. What do the differences between the two sets of sea urchin fossils suggest about them?

• The longer spines developed as the shorter-spined sea urchins grew older.

• The longer-spined sea urchins existed before the shorter-spined sea urchins.

• The shorter-spined sea urchins stretched their spines to ward off predators.

• The shorter spines did not protect the sea urchins well enough and they died off.

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The embryos of a bird, a reptile, and a mammal are similar in appearance. How does comparing the physical appearance of embryos of different species support the theory of evolution?

• It shows that these organisms share a common ancestor.

• It provides evidence that these organisms eat the same food.

• It shows that these organisms share the same habitat.

• It provides evidence that the organisms suffered a genetic mutation.

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Woolly mammoths were grass-eating mammals that resembled elephants but with heavy coats, large tusks, and small ears that made them suited for extremely cold weather of the ice age. In addition to hunting by humans, which other conditions may have caused woolly mammoths to become less reproductively successful and eventually become extinct at the end of the last ice age?

• Decreased grassland habitat size caused by a warmer climate

• Decreased mammoth predator population size caused by warmer climate

• Increased production of offspring adapted to the changing environment

• Increased genetic variation in mammoth populations in warmer latitudes

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A team of scientists is conducting research to determine if two hominid species coexisted. Why it is important for the team to have their work reviewed by other scientists?

• It decreases the likelihood that their results will be questioned.

• It helps communicate the scientists' ideas to the public.

• It generates funding that they can use to do more research.

• It increases the reliability of the scientists' findings.

Hominid hind limbs became longer and stronger than their front limbs over time. Also, the largest toe on the hind limbs became smaller and closer to the other toes. Which of the following best explains the reason for this general trend in hominid evolution that occurred over millions of years?

• As hominids evolved, their grasping abilities increased, improving their climbing abilities.

• As hominids evolved, their brain size increased and their overall height decreased.

• Hominids evolved to walk upright on their hind limbs, reducing the need for opposable toes.

• Hominids evolved to arboreal lifestyles in order to increase access to food sources.

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Both Darwin and Lamarck proposed mechanisms by which species might evolve. Although Darwin first published his ideas in the mid-1800s, most scientists continued to favor Lamarck's explanation until near the end of that century. What was the most likely cause of the eventual shift from Lamarck's hypothesis to that proposed by Darwin?

• A new generation of scientists was more open to considering new ideas.

• Lamarck's hypothesis did not take into consideration all that had been learned about genetics.

• More evidence accumulated supporting Darwin's ideas than could be found to support Lamarck's.

• It took several decades for Darwin's ideas to appear in textbooks and for scientists to learn about them.

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Scientists have observed that pythons have vestigial leg bones. They have also observed that snakes in general have more DNA sequences in common with four-legged geckos than they do with legless eels. What do these two observations have in common?

• They both suggest that snakes evolved from geckos.

• They both suggest that snakes evolved from an ancestor with legs.

• They both suggest that pythons are more primitive than other snakes.

• They both suggest that geckos evolved from snakes.

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Guppies living in a stream have a variety of spot patterns, some of which provide good camouflage against the stones in the streambed and others of which make them stand out against the background, allowing potential mates to see them more easily. If a predator that hunted by sight were introduced to the stream, what would be the most likely long-term consequence for the guppy population?

• The number of guppies in the population would decline, although most of the remaining ones would be uncamouflaged.

• The guppy population would devise a mutation that allowed the camouflaged guppies to find mates by scent or sound.

• The guppy population would die out since none of the guppies would be able to find mates.

• The number of camouflaged guppies in the population would increase while the number of successful matings decreased.

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