Evolution of Populations and Natural Selection
Quiz by Tanya Williams
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- Q1
Both grey and black squirrels of the Southeastern United States eat nuts, leaves, roots, and sees. They can also interbreed and produce fertile offspring. They are considered ________.
autotrophs
a species
embryos
a community
300s - Q2
During WW1 a species of sea turtles digs a nest and lays over one hundred eggs on a sandy beach. Only around 10% of the eggs produce offspring that reach adulthood. Which of the following terms best describes how populations are shaped by natural selection?
genetic variation
overproduction
common descent
competition
300s - Q3
Ina tropical habitat, a variety of hummingbird species uses their bills to feed on flower nectar. If a population of hummingbirds enters a new habitat with an abundance of trumpet vine plats that have longer flowers those individuals with slightly longer bills will be favored in the new environment. These hummingbirds with medium-length and shorter bills are less successful. Which type of natural selection is at work in this example?
disruptive selection
directional selection
stabilizing selection
bilateral selection
300s - Q4
During WWI the farmers selectively breed cows so that the cows that produce the most milk are borrn. What is the effect of selective breeding on diversity?
It decreases genetic diversity.
It allows natural selection to determine traits.
It increases the number of traits passed on from one generation to another
It has not affect on the gene pool.
300s - Q5
A shade-loving plant thrives underneath the trees in a forest. When the seeds of the plant are blown into areas where the plant receives direct sunlight, the seed sprouts but the young plant soon dies. If a series of mutations occurred in the plant that caused the plant to need more sunlight, when might the mutated plants survive?
only if the environment changes so that the forest becomes more dense
only if the seeds sprout in the forest
only if the seeds are blown into areas that receive more sunlight
only if the seeds remain near the parent plant
300s - Q6
Compared to a population with a small gene pool, a population with a large gene pool is more likely to do which of the following?
become extinct
survive environmental changes
bear offspring with similar traits
die out due to disease
300s - Q7
The Amish people of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, emigrated from Europe in the early 18th century on the basis of religious freedom. As they settled in Pennsylvania, they formed a small, closed population. They married and had children only within their own church community. Today, the Amish population has a high rate of genetic disorders, including dwarfism, cystic fibrosis, and muscular dystrophy. These disorders are rarely seen in the general US population and were not predominant in their original 18th century populations. Which of the following best describes the change in their gene pool?
increased genetic diversity
natural selection of desirable traits
high rate of genetic mutations
low genetic diversity
300s