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