Question 1

Put the following schools of thought in historical order based on when they began.

Accepted Answer

A) Sociobiology,ethology,evolutionary psychology 
B) Ethology,sociobiology,evolutionary psychology 
C) Ethology,evolutionary psychology,sociobiology 
D) Evolutionary psychology,ethology,sociobiology 
A) Sociobiology,ethology,evolutionary psychology 
B) Ethology,sociobiology,evolutionary psychology 
C) Ethology,evolutionary psychology,sociobiology 
D) Evolutionary psychology,ethology,sociobiology

Question 2

According to Gould and colleagues (1981),an exaptation occurs when

Accepted Answer

A) an allele mutates into a form that confers greater fitness to an organism within one generation and then mutates back to its original form in the next generation. 
B) a single gene is expressed in different ways in individual members of a species. 
C) a structure exists and is selected for because it serves one function for an organism but then takes over a different use to increase fitness in another way. 
D) a distinct new species separates from a larger population of organisms. 
A) an allele mutates into a form that confers greater fitness to an organism within one generation and then mutates back to its original form in the next generation. 
B) a single gene is expressed in different ways in individual members of a species. 
C) a structure exists and is selected for because it serves one function for an organism but then takes over a different use to increase fitness in another way. 
D) a distinct new species separates from a larger population of organisms.

Question 3

The reason that mutation at the allele level can lead to natural selection for whole organisms is that

Accepted Answer

A) mutation is always a beneficial process by which a species becomes better adapted to its environment with each passing generation. 
B) altering even one allele changes the entire phenotype of an organism. 
C) mutations occur early in development,during meiosis,when the genetic blueprint for all of an organism's cells is being determined. 
D) genes provide the blueprints for anatomical or physiological structures that can influence the fitness of an organism in its environment. 
A) mutation is always a beneficial process by which a species becomes better adapted to its environment with each passing generation. 
B) altering even one allele changes the entire phenotype of an organism. 
C) mutations occur early in development,during meiosis,when the genetic blueprint for all of an organism's cells is being determined. 
D) genes provide the blueprints for anatomical or physiological structures that can influence the fitness of an organism in its environment.

Question 4

Marr (1982)articulated the idea that the study of any cognitive mechanism requires

Accepted Answer

A) consideration of not only the advantages the mechanism confers on an individual's fitness,but also the disadvantages it confers. 
B) consideration of not only the genetic aspects of the mechanism,but also its phenotype,which is the result of both genetic and environmental information. 
C) consideration of not only the anatomical aspects of the mechanism,but also the genetics that led to its development. 
D) consideration of not only the structural aspects of the mechanism,but also the kinds of problems it was designed to solve. 
A) consideration of not only the advantages the mechanism confers on an individual's fitness,but also the disadvantages it confers. 
B) consideration of not only the genetic aspects of the mechanism,but also its phenotype,which is the result of both genetic and environmental information. 
C) consideration of not only the anatomical aspects of the mechanism,but also the genetics that led to its development. 
D) consideration of not only the structural aspects of the mechanism,but also the kinds of problems it was designed to solve.

Question 5

The effects of genetic mutation on a species are systematic,yet mutation is a randomly occurring process in individual organisms.How can this apparent discrepancy be best explained?

Accepted Answer

A) Natural selection systematically eliminates organisms with mutations that increase fitness. 
B) Natural selection systematically favors the reproduction of organisms with mutations that increase fitness. 
C) Natural selection systematically favors the reproduction of organisms with mutations that decrease fitness. 
D) Natural selection systematically eliminates organisms with exaptations. 
A) Natural selection systematically eliminates organisms with mutations that increase fitness. 
B) Natural selection systematically favors the reproduction of organisms with mutations that increase fitness. 
C) Natural selection systematically favors the reproduction of organisms with mutations that decrease fitness. 
D) Natural selection systematically eliminates organisms with exaptations.

Question 6

Imagine that you have just documented a particular allele whose presence strongly correlates with two different traits.This is an example of

Accepted Answer

A) pleiotropy. 
B) specificity. 
C) adaptation. 
D) exaptation. 
A) pleiotropy. 
B) specificity. 
C) adaptation. 
D) exaptation.

Question 7

According to many contemporary evolutionary psychologists,the collection of cognitive abilities that humans currently have

Accepted Answer

A) grew out of separate,individual adaptations that addressed different aspects of fitness. 
B) developed from a unified system that has evolved at a consistent steady rate. 
C) continues to evolve during an individual's lifespan to address the current problems we face. 
D) resulted from the synchronized expression of particular alleles during our evolutionary history. 
A) grew out of separate,individual adaptations that addressed different aspects of fitness. 
B) developed from a unified system that has evolved at a consistent steady rate. 
C) continues to evolve during an individual's lifespan to address the current problems we face. 
D) resulted from the synchronized expression of particular alleles during our evolutionary history.

Question 8

The term ________ describes the occurrence of identical alleles at homologous positions on the two chromosomes.When they are not identical,the term ________ is used.

Accepted Answer

A) pleiotropy / specificity 
B) specificity / pleiotropy 
C) heterozygous / homozygous 
D) homozygous / heterozygous 
A) pleiotropy / specificity 
B) specificity / pleiotropy 
C) heterozygous / homozygous 
D) homozygous / heterozygous

Question 9

How might you evaluate the claim that human language was shaped directly by natural selection? Could language be an exaptation?

Accepted Answer

The claim that human language was shaped

Question 10

When doing an out-group analysis,the most parsimonious hypothesis is the one proposing the largest number of evolutionary transformations.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

You,a famous neuroscientist,are interested in investigating the human olfactory (smell)system.According to Marr,the general approach you should take includes

Accepted Answer

A) studying the structure of the olfactory system and how odors are carried through the air. 
B) studying the structure of the olfactory system and the types of computational problems it has evolved to solve. 
C) studying the structure of the human olfactory system,comparing it to the olfactory systems of other species. 
D) studying the genetic basis of the olfactory system,comparing it to the phenotypes that emerge. 
A) studying the structure of the olfactory system and how odors are carried through the air. 
B) studying the structure of the olfactory system and the types of computational problems it has evolved to solve. 
C) studying the structure of the human olfactory system,comparing it to the olfactory systems of other species. 
D) studying the genetic basis of the olfactory system,comparing it to the phenotypes that emerge.

Question 12

In the context of evolution,the term epiphenomenon can refer to a trait that is a by-product of selection for a different trait.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 13

Consider the following conditional statements:
(1)If there is a D on one side of the card,then there is a 3 on the other side.
(2)If you drink alcohol,then you must be over 21 years old.
Which of the following results would undermine Cosmides's (1984)belief that better performance in applying statements like (2)compared to (1)reflects a specially evolved cheater detection system?

Accepted Answer

A) A study illustrating that the difference in processing sentences like (1)compared to sentences like (2)is especially large in socially adept people 
B) A study illustrating that participants understand statements like (2)well across a wide variety of social situations and always misunderstand such statements when they are nonsocial in nature 
C) A study illustrating that participants understand conditional statements any time they can be concretely conceptualized in a way that does not involve the if-then clause,even when the content is not social 
D) A study illustrating that after participants are trained in formal logic,the difference between their performance on sentences like (1)and (2)diminishes 
A) A study illustrating that the difference in processing sentences like (1)compared to sentences like (2)is especially large in socially adept people 
B) A study illustrating that participants understand statements like (2)well across a wide variety of social situations and always misunderstand such statements when they are nonsocial in nature 
C) A study illustrating that participants understand conditional statements any time they can be concretely conceptualized in a way that does not involve the if-then clause,even when the content is not social 
D) A study illustrating that after participants are trained in formal logic,the difference between their performance on sentences like (1)and (2)diminishes

Question 14

Which of the following behaviors is the best example of a fixed action pattern?

Accepted Answer

A) Infanticide by the langur monkey 
B) Altruism in humans 
C) Egg-rolling by the greylag goose 
D) Spatial navigation by the prairie vole 
A) Infanticide by the langur monkey 
B) Altruism in humans 
C) Egg-rolling by the greylag goose 
D) Spatial navigation by the prairie vole

Question 15

Comparative research on area MT indicates that the precursor to this area probably evolved

Accepted Answer

A) before the emergence of primates,given that humans,apes,monkeys,and tree shrews all have homologous areas. 
B) early in primate evolution,given that humans,apes,and monkeys,but not tree shrews,all have homologous areas. 
C) late in primate evolution,given that only humans,gorillas,and chimpanzees have homologous areas. 
D) late in primate evolution,given that no other species has a homologue to human region MT. 
A) before the emergence of primates,given that humans,apes,monkeys,and tree shrews all have homologous areas. 
B) early in primate evolution,given that humans,apes,and monkeys,but not tree shrews,all have homologous areas. 
C) late in primate evolution,given that only humans,gorillas,and chimpanzees have homologous areas. 
D) late in primate evolution,given that no other species has a homologue to human region MT.

Question 16

The term genetic pleiotropy means that

Accepted Answer

A) each gene is responsible for a single function or behavior. 
B) each gene contributes to many different functions or behaviors. 
C) each function or behavior is affected by many genes. 
D) Both b and c are correct. 
A) each gene is responsible for a single function or behavior. 
B) each gene contributes to many different functions or behaviors. 
C) each function or behavior is affected by many genes. 
D) Both b and c are correct.

Question 17

Which of the following results would be the most difficult to reconcile with the belief that human sex differences in mathematical ability stem from an evolved,genetically based dimorphism?

Accepted Answer

A) Anthropological research suggesting that humans were historically more polygamous than they are today 
B) Neuroanatomical research suggesting that hippocampal sizes differ in men and women 
C) Neuroendocrine research suggesting that prenatal androgen exposure and later mathematical ability are correlated 
D) Educational research suggesting that such sex differences have been reduced dramatically in the last two generations 
A) Anthropological research suggesting that humans were historically more polygamous than they are today 
B) Neuroanatomical research suggesting that hippocampal sizes differ in men and women 
C) Neuroendocrine research suggesting that prenatal androgen exposure and later mathematical ability are correlated 
D) Educational research suggesting that such sex differences have been reduced dramatically in the last two generations

Question 18

The term ________ refers to a specific trait that has evolved by increasing an organism's ability to survive and reproduce.

Accepted Answer

A) allele 
B) fitness 
C) adaptation 
D) mutation 
A) allele 
B) fitness 
C) adaptation 
D) mutation

Question 19

Which of the following give(s)examples of the advantages of studying an animal's behavior in its natural habitat?
(1)One can more easily discern the problem-specific mechanisms that an animal might possess by observing it in its natural habitat.
(2)Direct observation of animals is usually easier to perform in their natural habitat than in a laboratory.
(3)Observing an animal in its natural habitat emphasizes the adaptations that animal has evolved to survive in its particular niche.

Accepted Answer

A) (1)only 
B) (2)only 
C) (1)and (2) 
D) (1)and (3) 
A) (1)only 
B) (2)only 
C) (1)and (2) 
D) (1)and (3)

Question 20

The concept of genetic pleiotropy refers to the idea of a particular gene being responsible for a single function or behavior.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Put the following schools of thought in historical order based on when they began.

According to Gould and colleagues (1981),an exaptation occurs when

The reason that mutation at the allele level can lead to natural selection for whole organisms is that

Marr (1982)articulated the idea that the study of any cognitive mechanism requires

The effects of genetic mutation on a species are systematic,yet mutation is a randomly occurring process in individual organisms.How can this apparent discrepancy be best explained?

Imagine that you have just documented a particular allele whose presence strongly correlates with two different traits.This is an example of

According to many contemporary evolutionary psychologists,the collection of cognitive abilities that humans currently have

The term describes the occurrence of identical alleles at homologous positions on the two chromosomes.When they are not identical,the term is used.

How might you evaluate the claim that human language was shaped directly by natural selection? Could language be an exaptation?

When doing an out-group analysis,the most parsimonious hypothesis is the one proposing the largest number of evolutionary transformations.

You,a famous neuroscientist,are interested in investigating the human olfactory (smell)system.According to Marr,the general approach you should take includes

In the context of evolution,the term epiphenomenon can refer to a trait that is a by-product of selection for a different trait.

Which of the following behaviors is the best example of a fixed action pattern?

Comparative research on area MT indicates that the precursor to this area probably evolved

The term genetic pleiotropy means that

Which of the following results would be the most difficult to reconcile with the belief that human sex differences in mathematical ability stem from an evolved,genetically based dimorphism?

The term ________ refers to a specific trait that has evolved by increasing an organism's ability to survive and reproduce.

The concept of genetic pleiotropy refers to the idea of a particular gene being responsible for a single function or behavior.

A Brief History of Cognitive Neuroscience

Cellular Mechanisms and Cognition

Neuroanatomy and Development

Methods of Cognitive Neuroscience

Sensation and Perception

Object Recognition

The Control of Action

Learning and Memory

Emotion

Language

Hemispheric Specialization

Attention and Consciousness

Cognitive Control

Social Cognition

Filters

Exam 15: Evolutionary Perspectives

Put the following schools of thought in historical order based on when they began.

According to Gould and colleagues (1981),an exaptation occurs when

The reason that mutation at the allele level can lead to natural selection for whole organisms is that

Marr (1982)articulated the idea that the study of any cognitive mechanism requires

The effects of genetic mutation on a species are systematic,yet mutation is a randomly occurring process in individual organisms.How can this apparent discrepancy be best explained?

Imagine that you have just documented a particular allele whose presence strongly correlates with two different traits.This is an example of

According to many contemporary evolutionary psychologists,the collection of cognitive abilities that humans currently have

The term ________ describes the occurrence of identical alleles at homologous positions on the two chromosomes.When they are not identical,the term ________ is used.

How might you evaluate the claim that human language was shaped directly by natural selection? Could language be an exaptation?

When doing an out-group analysis,the most parsimonious hypothesis is the one proposing the largest number of evolutionary transformations.

You,a famous neuroscientist,are interested in investigating the human olfactory (smell)system.According to Marr,the general approach you should take includes

In the context of evolution,the term epiphenomenon can refer to a trait that is a by-product of selection for a different trait.

Which of the following behaviors is the best example of a fixed action pattern?

Comparative research on area MT indicates that the precursor to this area probably evolved

The term genetic pleiotropy means that

Which of the following results would be the most difficult to reconcile with the belief that human sex differences in mathematical ability stem from an evolved,genetically based dimorphism?

The term ________ refers to a specific trait that has evolved by increasing an organism's ability to survive and reproduce.

The concept of genetic pleiotropy refers to the idea of a particular gene being responsible for a single function or behavior.

A Brief History of Cognitive Neuroscience

Cellular Mechanisms and Cognition

Neuroanatomy and Development

Methods of Cognitive Neuroscience

Sensation and Perception

Object Recognition

The Control of Action

Learning and Memory

Emotion

Language

Hemispheric Specialization

Attention and Consciousness

Cognitive Control

Social Cognition

Filters

The term describes the occurrence of identical alleles at homologous positions on the two chromosomes.When they are not identical,the term is used.