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