Exam 23: The Evolution of Populations

Sparrows with average-sized wings survive severe storms better than those with longer or shorter wings, illustrating

Most Swiss starlings produce four to five eggs in each clutch. Starlings producing fewer, or more, than this have reduced fitness. Which of the following terms best describes this situation?

In the United States, the parasite that causes malaria is not present, but African-Americans whose ancestors were from equatorial Africa are present. What should be happening to the sickle-cell allele in the United States, and what should be happening to it in equatorial Africa?

Use this information to answer the following questions. You are studying three populations of birds. Population A has ten birds, of which one is brown (a recessive trait) and nine are red. Population B has 100 birds, of which ten are brown. Population C has 30 birds, and three of them are brown. -In which population would it be least likely that an accident would significantly alter the frequency of the brown allele?

Which of the following statements best summarizes evolution as it is viewed today?

The following questions refer to the following paragraph. HIV's genome of RNA includes the code for reverse transcriptase (RT), an enzyme that acts early in infection to synthesize a DNA genome from an RNA template. The HIV genome also codes for protease (PR), an enzyme that acts later in infection by cutting long viral polyproteins into smaller, functional proteins. Both RT and PR represent potential targets for antiretroviral drugs. Drugs called nucleoside analogues (NA) act against RT, whereas drugs called protease inhibitors (PI) act against PR. -Within the body of an HIV-infected individual who is being treated with a single NA, and whose HIV particles are currently vulnerable to this NA, which of these situations can increase the relative fitness of the virus? 1. mutations resulting in RTs with decreased rates of nucleotide mismatch 2. mutations resulting in RTs with increased rates of nucleotide mismatch 3. mutations resulting in RTs that have proofreading capability