Evolutionary Biology Concepts

What does the term "clade" refer to in evolutionary biology?

• A group of species with a common ancestor

• A single individual organism

• A physical environment

• A type of mutation

What is the main cause of background extinction according to the text?

• Meteor impacts

• Natural selection

• Climate change

• Disease

Which extinction pattern is associated with a relatively short period of time?

• Background extinction

• Mass extinction

• Gradual extinction

• Selective extinction

What is one reason why a small population can evolve faster than a larger one?

• Genetic changes spread more quickly among fewer individuals.

• There is more food available.

• They live longer lives.

• They have more predators.

Which statement is true about the aftermath of mass extinctions?

• All species go extinct

• No new opportunities are created

• Surviving organisms have new opportunities to evolve

• Evolution stops completely

What do studies often show about a single species or a small group of species over time?

• They diversify into a clade containing many species

• They remain unchanged

• They always go extinct

• They merge into one species

Which of the following best describes an ecological niche?

• The role and position a species has in its environment

• The color of a species

• The size of a species

• The age of a species

What does the term "adaptive radiation" refer to, as illustrated by the diagram?

• The process by which organisms diversify rapidly into new forms

• The process of photosynthesis in plants

• The migration of animals to new habitats

• The extinction of species

What is the main idea illustrated by the diagram?

• Mammals evolved into several different groups from a common ancestor

• Mammals are all the same species

• Mammals only live in one habitat

• Mammals do not change over time

According to the fossil record, what was the size of mammals during the Mesozoic Era?

• They remained small

• They were very large

• They were medium-sized

• They were aquatic only