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Evolutionary Biology
  • 1. Evolutionary biology is a scientific discipline that explores the processes underlying the diversity of life on Earth. It involves studying how organisms change over time through genetic variation, natural selection, and other mechanisms such as genetic drift and gene flow. By examining the patterns and mechanisms of evolution, evolutionary biologists seek to understand the history of life on our planet, as well as predict how species may adapt to changing environments in the future. Evolutionary biology provides insights into the interconnectedness of all living things and helps us appreciate the remarkable adaptations that have allowed life to persist and thrive in a constantly changing world.

    What is natural selection?
A) The process of identical organisms competing for resources.
B) The process of organisms adapting to their environment.
C) Process by which individuals with advantageous traits are more likely to survive and reproduce.
D) The change in an organism due to artificial breeding.
  • 2. Who is considered the 'father of evolution'?
A) Alfred Russel Wallace
B) Gregor Mendel
C) Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
D) Charles Darwin
  • 3. Which term describes the process by which unrelated species evolve similar traits?
A) Adaptive radiation
B) Co-evolution
C) Convergent evolution
D) Divergent evolution
  • 4. What is a gene pool?
A) The collection of all genes in an organism.
B) The sum total of all genetic mutations in a species.
C) The total genetic diversity found within a population.
D) The genetic makeup of an individual.
  • 5. Which scientist proposed the theory of punctuated equilibrium as a model of evolution?
A) Stephen Jay Gould
B) Richard Dawkins
C) James Hutton
D) Peter and Rosemary Grant
  • 6. Which type of selection favors individuals at both extremes of a trait's range?
A) Sexual selection
B) Directional selection
C) Disruptive selection
D) Stabilizing selection
  • 7. What is the name of the process by which a new species originates?
A) Mutation
B) Evolution
C) Speciation
D) Adaptation
  • 8. Which scientist proposed the theory of natural selection independently of Charles Darwin?
A) Ernst Mayr
B) Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
C) Alfred Russel Wallace
D) Thomas Malthus
  • 9. What does the term 'allele frequency' refer to?
A) The total number of genes in an individual.
B) The proportion of a specific allele in a population.
C) The number of chromosomes in an organism.
D) The rate at which mutations occur in a species.
  • 10. Which process involves the movement of genes between populations?
A) Gene flow
B) Disruptive selection
C) Genetic drift
D) Mutation
  • 11. What is the source of genetic variation that natural selection acts upon?
A) Genetic drift
B) Mutations
C) Gene flow
D) Recombination
  • 12. Which scientist proposed the idea of inheritance of acquired characteristics?
A) Charles Darwin
B) Gregor Mendel
C) Alfred Russel Wallace
D) Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
  • 13. What is the term for an individual's ability to survive and reproduce in a particular environment?
A) Fitness
B) Adaptation
C) Speciation
D) Evolution
  • 14. What is the term for the selective breeding of plants and animals to promote the occurrence of desirable traits?
A) Genetic engineering
B) Artificial selection
C) Natural selection
D) Directed evolution
  • 15. Which type of isolation occurs when two species breed at different times of the year?
A) Behavioral isolation
B) Geographic isolation
C) Temporal isolation
D) Reproductive isolation
  • 16. In evolutionary terms, what does the term 'fitness' refer to?
A) The physical strength of an organism.
B) The lifespan of an organism.
C) The ability of an individual to survive and reproduce in its environment.
D) The number of offspring produced by an organism.
  • 17. What is the term for a DNA sequence that codes for a specific trait?
A) Genome
B) Allele
C) Gene
D) Chromosome
  • 18. Which type of selection favors intermediate variants of a trait?
A) Directional selection
B) Stabilizing selection
C) Sexual selection
D) Disruptive selection
  • 19. Which scientist proposed the theory of genetic drift?
A) Thomas Hunt Morgan
B) J.B.S. Haldane
C) Theodosius Dobzhansky
D) Sewall Wright
  • 20. What is the term for the evolution of two or more species that have a close ecological relationship?
A) Adaptive radiation
B) Coevolution
C) Speciation
D) Sexual selection
  • 21. Which type of inheritance pattern involves the interaction of multiple genes to determine a trait?
A) Cytoplasmic inheritance
B) Polygenic inheritance
C) Mendelian inheritance
D) Epistasis
  • 22. Which scientist is known for developing the theory of punctuated equilibrium along with Stephen Jay Gould?
A) George C. Williams
B) Ernst Mayr
C) E.O. Wilson
D) Niles Eldredge
  • 23. Which type of evolution involves the rapid diversification of a single ancestral species into multiple new species?
A) Adaptive radiation
B) Convergent evolution
C) Parallel evolution
D) Divergent evolution
  • 24. What term describes the accumulation of differences between distinct populations that can lead to the formation of new species?
A) Divergence
B) Convergence
C) Speciation
D) Adaptation
  • 25. Which theory proposes that evolution occurs in sudden, rapid bursts separated by long periods of stasis?
A) Orthogenesis
B) Gradualism
C) Lamarckism
D) Punctuated equilibrium
  • 26. What is the principle of common descent in evolution?
A) All organisms share a common ancestor.
B) Genetic variation is maintained through sexual reproduction.
C) Natural selection acts on individuals within a population.
D) Different species evolve similar traits independently.
  • 27. Which evolutionary biologist proposed the concept of 'The Selfish Gene'?
A) Richard Dawkins
B) Ernst Mayr
C) Stephen Jay Gould
D) Stephen Hawking
  • 28. Which of the following is an example of postzygotic isolation?
A) Mechanical isolation
B) Temporal isolation
C) Behavioral isolation
D) Hybrid inviability
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