Question 1

What were Charles Darwin's two fundamental insights about the process of evolution?

Accepted Answer

A)  The environment selects on variation in the traits of individual organisms, and all species have descended from one or a few common ancestors. 
B)  All species have descended from one or a few common ancestors, and populations, not individuals, evolve over time. 
C)  The environment selects on variation in the traits of individual organisms, and organisms are in a constant struggle for existence. 
D)  Populations, not individuals, evolve over time, and evolutionary change is connected to environmental fit. 
A)  The environment selects on variation in the traits of individual organisms, and all species have descended from one or a few common ancestors. 
B)  All species have descended from one or a few common ancestors, and populations, not individuals, evolve over time. 
C)  The environment selects on variation in the traits of individual organisms, and organisms are in a constant struggle for existence. 
D)  Populations, not individuals, evolve over time, and evolutionary change is connected to environmental fit.

Question 2

What was one of the two primary distinctions between a "transformational" process of evolution, as described Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, and the "variational" process of evolution, as described by Charles Darwin?

Accepted Answer

A)  Darwin thought change was a result of differences acquired by members of a group and that the changes were acquired during the lifetime of the individuals and passed down to their offspring. Lamarck thought these differences already existed and were not acquired during the lifetime of the members of the group. 
B)  Lamarck thought change was a result of a supernatural process acting on differences already existing in a group and those processes sorted on that existing variation. 
C)  Lamarck thought change was a result of differences acquired by members of a group and that the changes were acquired during the lifetime of the individual and passed down to their offspring. Darwin thought those differences already existed and were not acquired during the lifetime of the members of the group. 
D)  Darwin thought change was a result of a supernatural process acting on differences already existing in a group and those processes sorted on that variation. 
A)  Darwin thought change was a result of differences acquired by members of a group and that the changes were acquired during the lifetime of the individuals and passed down to their offspring. Lamarck thought these differences already existed and were not acquired during the lifetime of the members of the group. 
B)  Lamarck thought change was a result of a supernatural process acting on differences already existing in a group and those processes sorted on that existing variation. 
C)  Lamarck thought change was a result of differences acquired by members of a group and that the changes were acquired during the lifetime of the individual and passed down to their offspring. Darwin thought those differences already existed and were not acquired during the lifetime of the members of the group. 
D)  Darwin thought change was a result of a supernatural process acting on differences already existing in a group and those processes sorted on that variation.

Question 3

What was the primary difference in how Jean-Baptiste Lamarck and Charles Darwin explained the evolution of new species and the relationship among species?

Accepted Answer

A)  Lamarck viewed all species as interrelated due to common ancestry and believed that species sharing a more recent common ancestor more closely resemble each other; Darwin viewed relationships among species as linear chains, with groups independent of the other. 
B)  Lamarck viewed lineages of species as not arising independently, but with each group related to the other; Darwin viewed all species as interrelated due to common ancestry and believed that species sharing a more recent common ancestor more closely resemble each other. 
C)  Lamarck viewed relationships among species as linear chains, with each group independent of the other; Darwin viewed all species as interrelated due to common ancestry and believed that species sharing a more recent common ancestor more closely resemble each other. 
D)  Lamarck and Darwin both viewed all species as having common ancestry, but Lamarck viewed each group as evolving independently while Darwin viewed groups as interrelated and having evolved from a single common ancestor. 
A)  Lamarck viewed all species as interrelated due to common ancestry and believed that species sharing a more recent common ancestor more closely resemble each other; Darwin viewed relationships among species as linear chains, with groups independent of the other. 
B)  Lamarck viewed lineages of species as not arising independently, but with each group related to the other; Darwin viewed all species as interrelated due to common ancestry and believed that species sharing a more recent common ancestor more closely resemble each other. 
C)  Lamarck viewed relationships among species as linear chains, with each group independent of the other; Darwin viewed all species as interrelated due to common ancestry and believed that species sharing a more recent common ancestor more closely resemble each other. 
D)  Lamarck and Darwin both viewed all species as having common ancestry, but Lamarck viewed each group as evolving independently while Darwin viewed groups as interrelated and having evolved from a single common ancestor.

Question 4

What is a scientific hypothesis?

Accepted Answer

A)  a way to describe nature 
B)  an educated guess 
C)  a conclusion regarding observations of the natural world 
D)  an explanation of a phenomenon based on natural processes 
A)  a way to describe nature 
B)  an educated guess 
C)  a conclusion regarding observations of the natural world 
D)  an explanation of a phenomenon based on natural processes

Question 5

Greek philosophers, including Aristotle, developed a keen appreciation for the study of natural history. Which of the following contributions did Aristotle make that marked the birth of the field of natural history?

Accepted Answer

A)  distinguishing among 500 species of birds, mammals, and fishes 
B)  proposing a taxonomy of nature-a classification system of life 
C)  his books, Physics and Natural History of Animals 
D)  an evolutionary theory of biology that recognized change over time 
A)  distinguishing among 500 species of birds, mammals, and fishes 
B)  proposing a taxonomy of nature-a classification system of life 
C)  his books, Physics and Natural History of Animals 
D)  an evolutionary theory of biology that recognized change over time

Question 6

Despite his insights, Erasmus Darwin came up short of a full-blown theory of evolution by natural selection because he

Accepted Answer

A)  failed to understand the scope of geologic time. 
B)  rejected the work of Mendel, which quantified the genetic inheritance of traits from parents to offspring. 
C)  failed to connect the struggle for existence to the evolutionary changes that would result from such a struggle. 
D)  rejected Lamarck's theory of inheritance, which correctly explained how traits are passed on to offspring and contribute to increasing diversity. 
A)  failed to understand the scope of geologic time. 
B)  rejected the work of Mendel, which quantified the genetic inheritance of traits from parents to offspring. 
C)  failed to connect the struggle for existence to the evolutionary changes that would result from such a struggle. 
D)  rejected Lamarck's theory of inheritance, which correctly explained how traits are passed on to offspring and contribute to increasing diversity.

Question 7

Thomas Malthus, a political economist, showed that the human population would outstrip available resources unless kept in check by other factors such as famine, war, and disease. How did Charles Darwin apply this principle to his theory of evolution by natural selection?

Accepted Answer

A)  Darwin used this as a contrast to plant and animal populations, which live in balance with their available resources. 
B)  Darwin used this to illustrate that because food supply remains relatively the same, plant and animal populations show little variation in size. 
C)  Darwin realized this also applied to plant and animal populations, and this struggle for existence was the opportunity for natural selection to act on differences within populations. 
D)  Darwin used this to illustrate that as food supplies increase, populations increase. 
A)  Darwin used this as a contrast to plant and animal populations, which live in balance with their available resources. 
B)  Darwin used this to illustrate that because food supply remains relatively the same, plant and animal populations show little variation in size. 
C)  Darwin realized this also applied to plant and animal populations, and this struggle for existence was the opportunity for natural selection to act on differences within populations. 
D)  Darwin used this to illustrate that as food supplies increase, populations increase.

Question 8

Describe the three important evolutionary ideas outlined by Patrick Matthew in his work On Naval Timber and Arborculture. How did Charles Darwin's work differ from Matthew's? Why has Matthew not received as much attention for his theories?

Accepted Answer

Patrick Matthew outlined three important

Question 9

One of the challenges with which Charles Darwin was confronted about his theory was the fact that he could not explain how variation persisted in a population when his theory of natural selection appeared to continually reduce variation because only certain individuals survive and reproduce in a given environment. Why could he not explain it?

Accepted Answer

At the time of publication of On the Ori

Question 10

Unlike the other Greek philosophers before him, Aristotle made the connection between the use of logic in hypothesis formation and

Accepted Answer

A)  the influence of supernatural forces. 
B)  the development of a philosophy of a natural world driven by physical laws. 
C)  the significance of testing those hypotheses. 
D)  explaining natural phenomena using celestial formations. 
A)  the influence of supernatural forces. 
B)  the development of a philosophy of a natural world driven by physical laws. 
C)  the significance of testing those hypotheses. 
D)  explaining natural phenomena using celestial formations.

Question 11

The Greek philosopher Anaximander (ca. 610-546 B.C.) provided a mechanistic rather than divine explanation of the celestial bodies, as illustrated in the figure. We now know the details were wrong. Explain why, given the state of knowledge during his lifetime, this was a conception of the universe that made sense and was a breakthrough.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The Greek philosopher Anaximander (ca. 610-546 B.C.)...

Question 12

Charles Darwin read Charles Lyell's book, Principles of Geology, while serving as ship's naturalist on the HMS Beagle. Describe how Lyell's work influenced Darwin.

Accepted Answer

Charles Darwin was greatly influenced by

Question 13

Explain and relate the two geological features shown in the figure, employing the principle of uniformitarianism put forth by Charles Lyell in 1830. A

B

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain and relate the two geological features...

Question 14

The text presents several examples of the belief in spontaneous generation. Why do you think this theory persisted for thousands of years, until Charles Darwin's time, even after the experiments of Francesco Redi?

Accepted Answer

The theory of spontaneous generation per

Question 15

Write a short counter to William Paley's argument that as it is virtually impossible for a fully working watch to come into being simply by chance, it is just as impossible for even more complex living creatures to come into being without a fully conscious creator.

Accepted Answer

William Paley's argument, often referred

Question 16

Which of the following examples best illustrates the concept of spontaneous generation?

Accepted Answer

A)  Some sea anemones spontaneously bud newly developed young from their outer skin. 
B)  During flooding, frogs spontaneously arise from mud. 
C)  When a dried bean is moistened and kept moist, it spontaneously transforms into a bean sprout. 
D)  Maggots spontaneously transform in to flies. 
A)  Some sea anemones spontaneously bud newly developed young from their outer skin. 
B)  During flooding, frogs spontaneously arise from mud. 
C)  When a dried bean is moistened and kept moist, it spontaneously transforms into a bean sprout. 
D)  Maggots spontaneously transform in to flies.

Question 17

Francesco Redi's experiment, illustrated in the figure below, addressed the question of whether flies spontaneously generated from meat carcasses. Which of the following statements regarding this experiment is true?

Accepted Answer

A)  Meat in jars covered with mesh and meat in open jars both developed maggots. 
B)  Meat in neither open nor lidded jars developed maggots. 
C)  Meat in jars with an open lid developed maggots, while meat in lidded and mesh-covered jars did not develop maggots. 
D)  Maggots developed in all the meat tested, regardless of whether the jar was covered. 
A)  Meat in jars covered with mesh and meat in open jars both developed maggots. 
B)  Meat in neither open nor lidded jars developed maggots. 
C)  Meat in jars with an open lid developed maggots, while meat in lidded and mesh-covered jars did not develop maggots. 
D)  Maggots developed in all the meat tested, regardless of whether the jar was covered.

Question 18

After Aristotle, one advance in scientific methodology came through the use of logic. This allowed thinkers to

Accepted Answer

A)  formulate and test hypotheses without evidence collected through observations of the natural world. 
B)  move carefully from facts to general principles by applying logical and mathematical laws. 
C)  bypass data collection in the formulation of new ideas. 
D)  review and critique the work of others through the application of logic. 
A)  formulate and test hypotheses without evidence collected through observations of the natural world. 
B)  move carefully from facts to general principles by applying logical and mathematical laws. 
C)  bypass data collection in the formulation of new ideas. 
D)  review and critique the work of others through the application of logic.

Question 19

The primary difference(s) between the processes of natural selection and artificial selection is/are

Accepted Answer

A)  the mechanism for descent and modification. 
B)  that artificial selection focuses on nonheritable traits while natural selection focuses on heritable traits. 
C)  the selective agent and the period of time over which change occurs. 
D)  that artificial selection focuses on creating varieties while natural selection only produces species. 
A)  the mechanism for descent and modification. 
B)  that artificial selection focuses on nonheritable traits while natural selection focuses on heritable traits. 
C)  the selective agent and the period of time over which change occurs. 
D)  that artificial selection focuses on creating varieties while natural selection only produces species.

Question 20

After the rediscovery in 1900 of Gregor Mendel's now-famous experiments from the 1850s and 1860s, evolutionary biologists viewed variation in two ways. What were these views and how were the differences eventually resolved?

Accepted Answer

A)  Mendelians viewed inheritance as continuous while biometricians viewed inheritance as discrete. Scientists eventually learned inheritance operates in both ways, leading to the modern, evolutionary synthesis. 
B)  Mendelians viewed inheritance as discrete while biometricians viewed inheritance as continuous. Scientists eventually verified that inheritance acts in a discrete manner only, leading to the rejection of the blending theory. 
C)  Mendelians viewed inheritance as discrete while biometricians viewed inheritance as continuous. Scientists eventually learned inheritance operates in both ways, leading to the modern, evolutionary synthesis. 
D)  Mendelians viewed inheritance as continuous while biometricians viewed inheritance as discrete. Scientists eventually learned that inheritance is only continuous, verifying Darwin's theory of natural selection. 
A)  Mendelians viewed inheritance as continuous while biometricians viewed inheritance as discrete. Scientists eventually learned inheritance operates in both ways, leading to the modern, evolutionary synthesis. 
B)  Mendelians viewed inheritance as discrete while biometricians viewed inheritance as continuous. Scientists eventually verified that inheritance acts in a discrete manner only, leading to the rejection of the blending theory. 
C)  Mendelians viewed inheritance as discrete while biometricians viewed inheritance as continuous. Scientists eventually learned inheritance operates in both ways, leading to the modern, evolutionary synthesis. 
D)  Mendelians viewed inheritance as continuous while biometricians viewed inheritance as discrete. Scientists eventually learned that inheritance is only continuous, verifying Darwin's theory of natural selection.

What were Charles Darwin's two fundamental insights about the process of evolution?

What was one of the two primary distinctions between a "transformational" process of evolution, as described Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, and the "variational" process of evolution, as described by Charles Darwin?

What was the primary difference in how Jean-Baptiste Lamarck and Charles Darwin explained the evolution of new species and the relationship among species?

What is a scientific hypothesis?

Greek philosophers, including Aristotle, developed a keen appreciation for the study of natural history. Which of the following contributions did Aristotle make that marked the birth of the field of natural history?

Despite his insights, Erasmus Darwin came up short of a full-blown theory of evolution by natural selection because he

Thomas Malthus, a political economist, showed that the human population would outstrip available resources unless kept in check by other factors such as famine, war, and disease. How did Charles Darwin apply this principle to his theory of evolution by natural selection?

Describe the three important evolutionary ideas outlined by Patrick Matthew in his work On Naval Timber and Arborculture. How did Charles Darwin's work differ from Matthew's? Why has Matthew not received as much attention for his theories?

Unlike the other Greek philosophers before him, Aristotle made the connection between the use of logic in hypothesis formation and

Charles Darwin read Charles Lyell's book, Principles of Geology, while serving as ship's naturalist on the HMS Beagle. Describe how Lyell's work influenced Darwin.

Explain and relate the two geological features shown in the figure, employing the principle of uniformitarianism put forth by Charles Lyell in 1830. A B

The text presents several examples of the belief in spontaneous generation. Why do you think this theory persisted for thousands of years, until Charles Darwin's time, even after the experiments of Francesco Redi?

Write a short counter to William Paley's argument that as it is virtually impossible for a fully working watch to come into being simply by chance, it is just as impossible for even more complex living creatures to come into being without a fully conscious creator.

Which of the following examples best illustrates the concept of spontaneous generation?

Francesco Redi's experiment, illustrated in the figure below, addressed the question of whether flies spontaneously generated from meat carcasses. Which of the following statements regarding this experiment is true?

After Aristotle, one advance in scientific methodology came through the use of logic. This allowed thinkers to

The primary difference(s) between the processes of natural selection and artificial selection is/are

After the rediscovery in 1900 of Gregor Mendel's now-famous experiments from the 1850s and 1860s, evolutionary biologists viewed variation in two ways. What were these views and how were the differences eventually resolved?

An Overview of Evolutionary Biology

Natural Selection

Phylogeny and Evolutionary History

Inferring Phylogeny

Transmission Genetics and the Sources of Genetic Variation

The Genetics of Populations

Evolution in Finite Populations

Evolution at Multiple Loci

Genome Evolution

The Origin and Evolution of Early Life

Major Transitions

Evolution and Development

Species and Speciation

Extinction and Evolutionary Trends

The Evolution of Sex

The Evolution of Sociality

Coevolution

Human Evolution

Evolution and Medicine

Filters

Exam 2: Early Evolutionary Ideas and Darwin S Insight

What were Charles Darwin's two fundamental insights about the process of evolution?

What was one of the two primary distinctions between a "transformational" process of evolution, as described Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, and the "variational" process of evolution, as described by Charles Darwin?

What was the primary difference in how Jean-Baptiste Lamarck and Charles Darwin explained the evolution of new species and the relationship among species?

What is a scientific hypothesis?

Greek philosophers, including Aristotle, developed a keen appreciation for the study of natural history. Which of the following contributions did Aristotle make that marked the birth of the field of natural history?

Despite his insights, Erasmus Darwin came up short of a full-blown theory of evolution by natural selection because he

Thomas Malthus, a political economist, showed that the human population would outstrip available resources unless kept in check by other factors such as famine, war, and disease. How did Charles Darwin apply this principle to his theory of evolution by natural selection?

Describe the three important evolutionary ideas outlined by Patrick Matthew in his work On Naval Timber and Arborculture. How did Charles Darwin's work differ from Matthew's? Why has Matthew not received as much attention for his theories?

Unlike the other Greek philosophers before him, Aristotle made the connection between the use of logic in hypothesis formation and

Charles Darwin read Charles Lyell's book, Principles of Geology, while serving as ship's naturalist on the HMS Beagle. Describe how Lyell's work influenced Darwin.

Explain and relate the two geological features shown in the figure, employing the principle of uniformitarianism put forth by Charles Lyell in 1830. A B

The text presents several examples of the belief in spontaneous generation. Why do you think this theory persisted for thousands of years, until Charles Darwin's time, even after the experiments of Francesco Redi?

Write a short counter to William Paley's argument that as it is virtually impossible for a fully working watch to come into being simply by chance, it is just as impossible for even more complex living creatures to come into being without a fully conscious creator.

Which of the following examples best illustrates the concept of spontaneous generation?

Francesco Redi's experiment, illustrated in the figure below, addressed the question of whether flies spontaneously generated from meat carcasses. Which of the following statements regarding this experiment is true?

After Aristotle, one advance in scientific methodology came through the use of logic. This allowed thinkers to

The primary difference(s) between the processes of natural selection and artificial selection is/are

After the rediscovery in 1900 of Gregor Mendel's now-famous experiments from the 1850s and 1860s, evolutionary biologists viewed variation in two ways. What were these views and how were the differences eventually resolved?

An Overview of Evolutionary Biology

Natural Selection

Phylogeny and Evolutionary History

Inferring Phylogeny

Transmission Genetics and the Sources of Genetic Variation

The Genetics of Populations

Evolution in Finite Populations

Evolution at Multiple Loci

Genome Evolution

The Origin and Evolution of Early Life

Major Transitions

Evolution and Development

Species and Speciation

Extinction and Evolutionary Trends

The Evolution of Sex

The Evolution of Sociality

Coevolution

Human Evolution

Evolution and Medicine

Filters