Question 1

Which of the following is not considered a potential benefit of sexual reproduction?

Accepted Answer

A)  Separate beneficial mutations can be brought together in a single individual more rapidly. 
B)  Recombination allows populations to purge deleterious mutations. 
C)  Sex creates variation in offspring, which speeds the evolutionary response to selection. 
D)  Sexual organisms produce twice as many offspring as asexual organisms. 
A)  Separate beneficial mutations can be brought together in a single individual more rapidly. 
B)  Recombination allows populations to purge deleterious mutations. 
C)  Sex creates variation in offspring, which speeds the evolutionary response to selection. 
D)  Sexual organisms produce twice as many offspring as asexual organisms.

Question 2

The opportunity for selection on a trait is greater when

Accepted Answer

A)  individuals have similar reproductive success. 
B)  individual variation in fitness is large. 
C)  the operational sex ratio is biased. 
D)  a and c 
E)  b and c 
A)  individuals have similar reproductive success. 
B)  individual variation in fitness is large. 
C)  the operational sex ratio is biased. 
D)  a and c 
E)  b and c

Question 3

The trees below present a hypothetical situation where "T" represents the evolution of a male trait that is attractive to females, and "P" represents where the preference in females evolved. Which tree below is consistent with the sensory bias hypothesis? ​

Accepted Answer

A)  (a) 
B)  (b) 
C)  (c) 
D)  (d) 
A)  (a) 
B)  (b) 
C)  (c) 
D)  (d)

Question 4

Polyandry is a good strategy for females because

Accepted Answer

A)  mating with multiple males increases the genetic diversity of their offspring. 
B)  mating with more distantly related males reduces the chances of inbreeding depression in their offspring. 
C)  resisting courtship overtures may come at a higher cost than mating multiple times. 
D)  all of the above 
A)  mating with multiple males increases the genetic diversity of their offspring. 
B)  mating with more distantly related males reduces the chances of inbreeding depression in their offspring. 
C)  resisting courtship overtures may come at a higher cost than mating multiple times. 
D)  all of the above

Question 5

In an experiment on mutations in asexual versus sexual yeast populations, Michael McDonald and colleagues found that

Accepted Answer

A)  deleterious mutations could not be uncoupled from beneficial mutations in asexual populations. 
B)  only beneficial mutations were accumulated in asexual populations. 
C)  asexual populations underwent frequent recombination. 
D)  sexual populations could not uncouple beneficial and deleterious alleles. 
A)  deleterious mutations could not be uncoupled from beneficial mutations in asexual populations. 
B)  only beneficial mutations were accumulated in asexual populations. 
C)  asexual populations underwent frequent recombination. 
D)  sexual populations could not uncouple beneficial and deleterious alleles.

Question 6

You perform an experiment to test whether female birds prefer males with longer tail feathers. You find that they do, and, in fact, they prefer even longer tail feathers than you ever see on males in the population. Assuming that this trait has had enough time to evolve to an optimum, what is the most likely explanation for why tail feathers are not even longer in the population?

Accepted Answer

The most likely explanation for why tail

Question 7

Which of the following statements is true regarding monogamy?

Accepted Answer

A)  Sexual monogamy is more common than social monogamy. 
B)  Sexual monogamy is common in 90% of mammal species. 
C)  Social monogamy is when each male mates only with a single female, and vice versa. 
D)  Social monogamy is more common than sexual monogamy. 
A)  Sexual monogamy is more common than social monogamy. 
B)  Sexual monogamy is common in 90% of mammal species. 
C)  Social monogamy is when each male mates only with a single female, and vice versa. 
D)  Social monogamy is more common than sexual monogamy.

Question 8

Phalaropes are shore birds with brightly colored females and dull colored males. Females are larger than males and compete with each other for access to males. Considering sexual selection theory, which idea(s) below seem(s) most plausible in light of the pattern of sexual dimorphism?

Accepted Answer

A)  Females incubate eggs and care for the young. 
B)  Males are choosy. 
C)  Males incubate eggs and care for the young. 
D)  b and c 
A)  Females incubate eggs and care for the young. 
B)  Males are choosy. 
C)  Males incubate eggs and care for the young. 
D)  b and c

Question 9

Which of the following is not an example of a direct food benefit that results from female choice?

Accepted Answer

A)  the spermatophore presented by male katydids 
B)  sexual cannibalism displayed by female redback spiders 
C)  female weaverbirds choosing males that have already manufactured a nest 
D)  female crickets eating the fleshy hindwings of males 
A)  the spermatophore presented by male katydids 
B)  sexual cannibalism displayed by female redback spiders 
C)  female weaverbirds choosing males that have already manufactured a nest 
D)  female crickets eating the fleshy hindwings of males

Question 10

Define each of the following terms and explain how they influence sexual selection.
(a) anisogamy
(b) operational sex ratio
(c) opportunity for selection

Accepted Answer

(a) Anisogamy refers to the difference i

Question 11

Which of the following is true regarding the operational sex ratio (OSR)?

Accepted Answer

A)  The OSR will be biased if there is equal investment in reproduction between males and females. 
B)  A male-biased OSR occurs when there are more available females for reproduction than receptive males. 
C)  The OSR is never female biased. 
D)  A biased OSR creates an opportunity for selection regarding reproductive traits. 
A)  The OSR will be biased if there is equal investment in reproduction between males and females. 
B)  A male-biased OSR occurs when there are more available females for reproduction than receptive males. 
C)  The OSR is never female biased. 
D)  A biased OSR creates an opportunity for selection regarding reproductive traits.

Question 12

The arbitrary choice hypothesis requires

Accepted Answer

A)  that the male trait is an honest indicator of the male's overall genetic quality. 
B)  that the male trait that the female prefers is heritable. 
C)  that all offspring of a male with the preferred trait have higher average fitness than the offspring of males without the trait. 
D)  all of the above 
A)  that the male trait is an honest indicator of the male's overall genetic quality. 
B)  that the male trait that the female prefers is heritable. 
C)  that all offspring of a male with the preferred trait have higher average fitness than the offspring of males without the trait. 
D)  all of the above

Question 13

The two-fold cost of sex refers to

Accepted Answer

A)  the fact that sexual lineages multiply faster than asexual because half of the progeny are capable of producing offspring. 
B)  the fact that in asexual lineages, half of the offspring are males that cannot produce offspring. 
C)  the disadvantages of being a sexual rather than an asexual organism. 
D)  the fact that asexual reproduction halves the rate of replication. 
A)  the fact that sexual lineages multiply faster than asexual because half of the progeny are capable of producing offspring. 
B)  the fact that in asexual lineages, half of the offspring are males that cannot produce offspring. 
C)  the disadvantages of being a sexual rather than an asexual organism. 
D)  the fact that asexual reproduction halves the rate of replication.

Question 14

Given the mating systems outlined below, which is most likely to produce sexual conflict?

Accepted Answer

A)  A male and a female partner for life. 
B)  Females mate with one individual; males can mate with multiple individuals. 
C)  Females and males both mate with multiple individuals. 
D)  none of the above 
A)  A male and a female partner for life. 
B)  Females mate with one individual; males can mate with multiple individuals. 
C)  Females and males both mate with multiple individuals. 
D)  none of the above

Question 15

In the dung beetle Onthophagus acuminatus, weapons are shown to be honest signals because

Accepted Answer

A)  they can easily be faked. 
B)  there is a trade-off in resource allocation between the weapons and eye size. 
C)  artificial selection for horns shows correlated increase in eye size. 
D)  they are not honest signals. 
A)  they can easily be faked. 
B)  there is a trade-off in resource allocation between the weapons and eye size. 
C)  artificial selection for horns shows correlated increase in eye size. 
D)  they are not honest signals.

Question 16

Describe two costs and two benefits of sexual reproduction.

Accepted Answer

Two costs of sexual reproduction include

Question 17

An example of sexually selected ornaments that result from female choice is

Accepted Answer

A)  the bright yellow collars of male golden-collared manakins. 
B)  the absurdly long forelimbs of male harlequin beetles. 
C)  male elephant seals that are several times larger than females. 
D)  the elaborate horns of red deer stags. 
A)  the bright yellow collars of male golden-collared manakins. 
B)  the absurdly long forelimbs of male harlequin beetles. 
C)  male elephant seals that are several times larger than females. 
D)  the elaborate horns of red deer stags.

Question 18

An example of sexual reproduction is

Accepted Answer

A)  the runners of a strawberry plant that grow genetically identical offspring. 
B)  the binary fission of a species of bacteria. 
C)  the self-fertilization of a hermaphroditic flower. 
D)  the budding of a yeast cell. 
A)  the runners of a strawberry plant that grow genetically identical offspring. 
B)  the binary fission of a species of bacteria. 
C)  the self-fertilization of a hermaphroditic flower. 
D)  the budding of a yeast cell.

Question 19

Female sticklebacks prefer males with brighter red coloration on their belly. Given the results depicted in the graph below, what do females that choose redder males benefit from?

Accepted Answer

A)  sensory bias 
B)  direct benefits 
C)  good genes 
D)  nuptial gifts 
A)  sensory bias 
B)  direct benefits 
C)  good genes 
D)  nuptial gifts

Question 20

Asexual reproduction

Accepted Answer

A)  results in genetic recombination. 
B)  results in genetically identical offspring. 
C)  requires two parents. 
D)  leads to the generation of novel genotypes. 
A)  results in genetic recombination. 
B)  results in genetically identical offspring. 
C)  requires two parents. 
D)  leads to the generation of novel genotypes.

Which of the following is not considered a potential benefit of sexual reproduction?

The opportunity for selection on a trait is greater when

The trees below present a hypothetical situation where "T" represents the evolution of a male trait that is attractive to females, and "P" represents where the preference in females evolved. Which tree below is consistent with the sensory bias hypothesis?

Polyandry is a good strategy for females because

In an experiment on mutations in asexual versus sexual yeast populations, Michael McDonald and colleagues found that

Which of the following statements is true regarding monogamy?

Phalaropes are shore birds with brightly colored females and dull colored males. Females are larger than males and compete with each other for access to males. Considering sexual selection theory, which idea(s) below seem(s) most plausible in light of the pattern of sexual dimorphism?

Which of the following is not an example of a direct food benefit that results from female choice?

Define each of the following terms and explain how they influence sexual selection. (a) anisogamy (b) operational sex ratio (c) opportunity for selection

Which of the following is true regarding the operational sex ratio (OSR)?

The arbitrary choice hypothesis requires

The two-fold cost of sex refers to

Given the mating systems outlined below, which is most likely to produce sexual conflict?

In the dung beetle Onthophagus acuminatus, weapons are shown to be honest signals because

Describe two costs and two benefits of sexual reproduction.

An example of sexually selected ornaments that result from female choice is

An example of sexual reproduction is

Female sticklebacks prefer males with brighter red coloration on their belly. Given the results depicted in the graph below, what do females that choose redder males benefit from?

Asexual reproduction

The Whale and the Virus: How Scientists Study Evolution

From Natural Philosophy to Darwin: a Brief History of Evolutionary Ideas

What the Rocks Say: How Geology and Paleontology Reveal the History of Life

The Tree of Life: How Biologists Use Phylogeny to Reconstruct the Deep Past

Raw Material: Heritable Variation Among Individuals

The Ways of Change: Drift and Selection

Beyond Alleles: Quantitative Genetics and the Evolution of Phenotypes

The History in Our Genes

From Genes to Traits: the Evolution of Genetic Networks and Development

Natural Selection: Empirical Studies in the Wild

After Conception: the Evolution of Life History and Parental Care

The Origin of Species

Macroevolution: the Long Run

Intimate Partnerships: How Species Adapt to Each Other

Brains and Behavior

Human Evolution: a New Kind of Ape

Evolutionary Medicine

Filters

Exam 11: Sex: Causes and Consequences

Which of the following is not considered a potential benefit of sexual reproduction?

The opportunity for selection on a trait is greater when

The trees below present a hypothetical situation where "T" represents the evolution of a male trait that is attractive to females, and "P" represents where the preference in females evolved. Which tree below is consistent with the sensory bias hypothesis? ​

Polyandry is a good strategy for females because

In an experiment on mutations in asexual versus sexual yeast populations, Michael McDonald and colleagues found that

Which of the following statements is true regarding monogamy?

Phalaropes are shore birds with brightly colored females and dull colored males. Females are larger than males and compete with each other for access to males. Considering sexual selection theory, which idea(s) below seem(s) most plausible in light of the pattern of sexual dimorphism?

Which of the following is not an example of a direct food benefit that results from female choice?

Define each of the following terms and explain how they influence sexual selection. (a) anisogamy (b) operational sex ratio (c) opportunity for selection

Which of the following is true regarding the operational sex ratio (OSR)?

The arbitrary choice hypothesis requires

The two-fold cost of sex refers to

Given the mating systems outlined below, which is most likely to produce sexual conflict?

In the dung beetle Onthophagus acuminatus, weapons are shown to be honest signals because

Describe two costs and two benefits of sexual reproduction.

An example of sexually selected ornaments that result from female choice is

An example of sexual reproduction is

Female sticklebacks prefer males with brighter red coloration on their belly. Given the results depicted in the graph below, what do females that choose redder males benefit from?

Asexual reproduction

The Whale and the Virus: How Scientists Study Evolution

From Natural Philosophy to Darwin: a Brief History of Evolutionary Ideas

What the Rocks Say: How Geology and Paleontology Reveal the History of Life

The Tree of Life: How Biologists Use Phylogeny to Reconstruct the Deep Past

Raw Material: Heritable Variation Among Individuals

The Ways of Change: Drift and Selection

Beyond Alleles: Quantitative Genetics and the Evolution of Phenotypes

The History in Our Genes

From Genes to Traits: the Evolution of Genetic Networks and Development

Natural Selection: Empirical Studies in the Wild

After Conception: the Evolution of Life History and Parental Care

The Origin of Species

Macroevolution: the Long Run

Intimate Partnerships: How Species Adapt to Each Other

Brains and Behavior

Human Evolution: a New Kind of Ape

Evolutionary Medicine

Filters

The trees below present a hypothetical situation where "T" represents the evolution of a male trait that is attractive to females, and "P" represents where the preference in females evolved. Which tree below is consistent with the sensory bias hypothesis?