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