Element of Ecology 1st Canadian Edition By Thomas M. Smith – Test Bank

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Elements of Ecology, Cdn. Ed. (Smith/Smith/Havelka)

Chapter 5   Ecological Genetics: Adaptation and Natural Selection

5.1   Short Answer Questions

1) An organism’s structure and ________ reflect adaptations to its particular environment.

Answer:  function

Type: SA

Topic:  Introduction to Part 2

2) The acquisition of ________ is probably the most fundamental constraint to life.

Answer:  energy

Type: SA

Topic:  Introduction to Part 2

3) An organism that derives its energy from sunlight is a(n) ________.

Answer:  autotroph, or primary producer

Type: SA

Topic:  Introduction to Part 2

4) ________ is the differential success of individuals in a population in response to environmental conditions.

Answer:  Natural selection

Type: SA

Topic:  Section 5.1

5) The proportionate contribution that an individual makes to future generations is called its ________.

Answer:  fitness

Type: SA

Topic:  Section 5.1

6) The basic informational units of DNA are called ________.

Answer:  genes

Type: SA

Topic:  Section 5.2

7) A ________ individual has the same alleles at the same locus on homologous chromosomes.

Answer:  homozygous

Type: SA

Topic:  Section 5.2

8) The position occupied by a gene on the chromosome is called the ________.

Answer:  locus

Type: SA

Topic:  Section 5.2

9) If the physical expression of a heterozygous individual is intermediate between those of the homozygotes, the alleles are ________.

Answer:  codominant

Type: SA

Topic:  Section 5.3

10) The outward appearance of an organism for a given characteristic is called its ________.

Answer:  phenotype

Type: SA

Topic:  Section 5.3

11) Phenotypic characteristics that fall into a limited number of discrete categories are considered ________ traits.

Answer:  qualitative

Type: SA

Topic:  Section 5.3

12) When genetic variation occurs among subpopulations of the same species it is known as genetic ________.

Answer:  differentiation

Type: SA

Topic:  Section 5.4

13) The total collection of alleles across all individuals in a population at any one time is called the ________.

Answer:  gene pool

Type: SA

Topic:  Section 5.4

14) Phenotypic evolution is a change in ________ over time, within a population.

Answer:  allelic frequencies

Type: SA

Topic:  Section 5.5

15) The type of natural selection in which the mean value of a trait is shifted toward one extreme is called ________ selection.

Answer:  directional

Type: SA

Topic:  Section 5.5

16) ________ are inheritable changes in a gene or chromosome.

Answer:  Mutations

Type: SA

Topic:  Section 5.6

17) ________ is the movement of individuals between local populations.

Answer:  Migration

Type: SA

Topic:  Section 5.6

18) ________ mating occurs when individuals choose mates non-randomly.

Answer:  Assortative

Type: SA

Topic:  Section 5.6

19) A(n) ________ is a measurable, gradual change over a geographic region in the average value of a trait.

Answer:  cline

Type: SA

Topic:  Section 5.7

20) A(n) ________ is a population that has adapted to its unique local environmental conditions.

Answer:  ecotype

Type: SA

Topic:  Section 5.7

21) The fitness of any phenotype is a function of the prevailing ________ conditions.

Answer:  environmental

Type: SA

Topic:  Section 5.8

22) The process by which one species gives rise to multiple species that exploit different features of the environment is called ________.

Answer:  adaptive radiation

Type: SA

Topic:  Section 5.9

23) Organisms can respond to both temporal and ________ changes in the environment.

Answer:  spatial

Type: SA

Topic:  Section 5.9

24) Does natural selection play any role in the fitness of hybrids? How is hybridization different than ecological speciation?

Answer:  Hybridization differs in that it is not driven by natural selection (i.e., no ‘forces’ are at play in a hybrids creation). However, natural selection acts on the hybrid offspring; if the hybridization puts them at a disadvantage, they will be outcompeted (or die).

Type: SA

Topic:  Section 5.10

25) Briefly describe how the tolerance range of an organism works, using temperature as the environmental factor.

Answer:  See Figure 5.20 for a description of optimum range, zone of physiological stress, zone of intolerance, and upper and lower lethal limits.

Type: SA

Topic:  Section 5.12

26) The Hardy-Weinberg principle assumes ________ mating.

Answer:  random

Type: SA

Topic:  Quantifying Ecology 5.1: Hardy-Weinberg Principle

27) Bacteria may become resistant to an antibiotic via mutation, plasmid transfer, or ________.

Answer:  transformation

Type: SA

Topic:  Ecological Issues: Selecting for Antibiotic Resistance

28) Researcher Beren Robinson has studied sticklebacks inhabiting two habitat types: benthic and ________.

Answer:  limnetic

Type: SA

Topic:  Research in Ecology: Dynamic Evolution in Sticklebacks

29) The ability of a genotype to give rise to a variety of phenotypic expressions under different environmental conditions is called ________.

Answer:  phenotypic plasticity

Type: SA

Topic:  Section 5.12 and Research in Ecology: Dynamic Evolution in Sticklebacks

5.2   Multiple-Choice Questions

1) The mechanism of evolution proposed by Darwin is

A) mutation.

B) natural selection.

C) inheritance.

D) adaptation.

Answer:  B

Type: MC

Topic:  Introduction to Chapter 5

2) Natural selection is a function of

A) reproduction.

B) survival.

C) survival and size.

D) reproduction and survival.

Answer:  D

Type: MC

Topic:  Section 5.1

3) The specific traits of a particular organism in a given environment are called

A) mutations.

B) genes.

C) adaptations.

D) phenotypes.

Answer:  C

Type: MC

Topic:  Section 5.1

4) In relationship to natural selection and subsequent evolution, fitness

A) represents the physical stamina of an organism.

B) is inherited.

C) increases with body size.

D) is a measure of lifespan.

Answer:  B

Type: MC

Topic:  Section 5.1

5) The mechanism of evolution that Darwin presents in The Origin of Species is

A) genetic drift.

B) natural selection.

C) plasticity.

D) acclimatization.

Answer:  B

Type: MC

Topic:  Section 5.1

6) Evolution is a generational change in

A) phenotypes.

B) mutations.

C) gene frequencies.

D) heritability of characteristics.

Answer:  C

Type: MC

Topic:  Section 5.1

7) The identity of the alleles at a given locus is the

A) genotype.

B) phenotype.

C) heterozygote.

D) chromosome

Answer:  A

Type: MC

Topic:  Section 5.2

8) The alternate forms of a gene are called

A) chromosomes.

B) loci.

C) alleles.

D) genomes.

Answer:  C

Type: MC

Topic:  Section 5.2

9) An allele that completely masks the effect of another allele is considered

A) co-dominant.

B) dominant.

C) ineffective.

D) recessive.

Answer:  B

Type: MC

Topic:  Section 5.3

10) What colour are the eyes of a bird heterozygous for eye colour (A = yellow, a = blue)?

A) blue

B) green

C) yellow

D) white

Answer:  C

Type: MC

Topic:  Section 5.3

11) Which of the following characteristics is an example of a qualitative trait?

A) flower colour

B) arm length

C) body weight

D) root length

Answer:  A

Type: MC

Topic:  Section 5.3

12) The sum of all alleles across all individuals in the population is called the

A) phenotype frequency.

B) gene pool.

C) allele assemblage.

D) genetic equilibration.

Answer:  B

Type: MC

Topic:  Section 5.4

13) Researchers Rosemary and Peter Grant have discovered that beak size frequency of Galapagos Island medium ground finch populations varies with all the following, EXCEPT

A) rainfall.

B) seed hardness.

C) seed size.

D) seed colour.

Answer:  D

Type: MC

Topic:  Section 5.5

14) If birds with larger beaks are favoured by the environment, it is likely that ________ selection will occur.

A) directional

B) disruptive

C) stabilizing

D) standardizing

Answer:  A

Type: MC

Topic:  Section 5.5

15) A bimodal distribution of a trait in a population is the result of

A) stabilizing selection.

B) natural selection.

C) directional selection.

D) disruptive selection.

Answer:  D

Type: MC

Topic:  Section 5.5

16) What is the primary original source of genetic variation in a population?

A) mutation

B) genetic drift

C) blending inheritance

D) cloning

Answer:  A

Type: MC

Topic:  Section 5.6

17) A change in allele frequency due to random chance is known as

A) inbreeding.

B) mutation.

C) migration.

D) genetic drift.

Answer:  D

Type: MC

Topic:  Section 5.6

18) Under which of the following conditions would genetic drift exert the greatest influence?

A) a population with a large range

B) a small population

C) a very large population

D) a population that has access to sufficient resources

Answer:  B

Type: MC

Topic:  Section 5.6

19) The effect of positive assortative mating is to

A) increase the number of homozygotes in the population.

B) increase the number of heterozygotes in the population.

C) reduce the number of individuals with diseases in the population.

D) increase the fertility of individuals in the population.

Answer:  A

Type: MC

Topic:  Section 5.6

20) A population that is adapted to its unique local environmental conditions is called a(n)

A) clinal population.

B) subspecies.

C) geographic isolate.

D) ecotype.

Answer:  D

Type: MC

Topic:  Section 5.7

21) The geographic isolates of a particular species (e.g., Plethodon of the Appalachian highlands) are considered

A) genetically stable.

B) subspecies.

C) an evolutionary “dead end.”

D) an ecotype.

Answer:  B

Type: MC

Topic:  Section 5.7

22) Individual beak size of individual finches of the Galapagos islands

A) may change during a bird’s lifetime.

B) will always match the beak size useful for seed foraging.

C) has nothing to do with overall population characteristics.

D) will greatly influence individual survival.

Answer:  D

Type: MC

Topic:  Section 5.8

23) Adaptive radiation

A) is the mechanism of evolution.

B) results in new specialized species.

C) reduces diversity.

D) is the result of fixed environmental conditions.

Answer:  B

Type: MC

Topic:  Section 5.9

24) Speciation resulting from the geographic isolation of a species is known as

A) hybridization.

B) allopatry.

C) sympatry.

D) ecological speciation.

Answer:  B

Type: MC

Topic:  Section 5.9

25) The simplest response an individual organism can make to a change in environmental conditions is to

A) remain still.

B) move to a more suitable location.

C) produce offspring that are better suited to the new conditions.

D) reduce foraging activity.

Answer:  B

Type: MC

Topic:  Section 5.9

26) Multiplication of chromosomes, allowing for fertile hybrid offspring, is known as

A) polyploidy.

B) pleitropy.

C) apomixis.

D) allopatry.

Answer:  A

Type: MC

Topic:  Section 5.10

27) Evolution is a process of perpetual change against a backdrop of

A) natural selection and fitness.

B) stability and permanency.

C) environmental variation and random events.

D) adaptive radiation and phenotypic plasticity.

Answer:  C

Type: MC

Topic:  Section 5.11

28) Reversible phenotypic changes of an individual organism in response to changing environmental conditions are referred to as

A) acclimation.

B) evolution.

C) selection.

D) norm of reaction.

Answer:  A

Type: MC

Topic:  Section 5.12

29) The area above and below the optimum range of tolerance is known as the zone of 

A) intolerance.

B) unhappiness.

C) psychological stress.

D) physiological stress.

Answer:  D

Type: MC

Topic:  Section 5.12

30) Bacteria may acquire genes that confer antibiotic resistance in all of the following ways EXCEPT

A) mutation.

B) transformation.

C) plasmid transfer.

D) recombination following sexual reproduction.

Answer:  D

Type: MC

Topic:  Ecological Issues: Selecting for Antibiotic Resistance

31) Researcher Beren Robinson has documented divergent natural selection in several populations of

A) stickleback.

B) salamander.

C) finch.

D) white-tailed deer.

Answer:  A

Type: MC

Topic:  Research in Ecology: Dynamic Evolution in Sticklebacks

32) According to the Hardy-Weinberg principle, which of the following must be true for gene frequencies in a population to remain the same?

A) Mating is random.

B) Mutations occur consistently.

C) The population is small.

D) Natural selection occurs.

Answer:  A

Type: MC

Topic:  Quantifying Ecology 5.1: Hardy-Weinberg Principle

33) In the Hardy-Weinberg equation P + H + Q = 1, what does “Q” represent?

A) the total number of individuals in the population

B) the frequency of heterozygotes

C) the frequency of dominant homozygotes

D) the frequency of recessive homozygotes

Answer:  D

Type: MC

Topic:  Quantifying Ecology 5.1: Hardy-Weinberg Principle

5.3   True/False Questions

1) All living things assimilate energy, reproduce, and respond to stimuli.

Answer:  TRUE

Type: TF

Topic:  Introduction to Part 2

2) Charles Darwin advocated a theory of evolution by individuals acquiring useful characteristics during their lifetimes.

Answer:  FALSE

Type: TF

Topic:  Section 5.1

3) An individual evolves during its lifetime.

Answer:  FALSE

Type: TF

Topic:  Section 5.1

4) Heritability is not an essential feature of natural selection.

Answer:  FALSE

Type: TF

Topic:  Sections 5.1 and 5.2

5) Genes are arranged in threadlike bodies called chromosomes.

Answer:  TRUE

Type: TF

Topic:  Section 5.2

6) Genes are discrete subunits of chromosomes that form the informational units of the DNA molecule.

Answer:  TRUE

Type: TF

Topic:  Section 5.2

7) Most traits are influenced by only one locus.

Answer:  FALSE

Type: TF

Topic:  Section 5.3

8) Evolution is defined as a change in phenotypic frequencies over time in a population.

Answer:  FALSE

Type: TF

Topic:  Section 5.3

9) Species are generally limited to a single isolated population.

Answer:  FALSE

Type: TF

Topic:  Section 5.4

10) Peter and Rosemary Grant documented natural selection and evolution in a population of finches in the Galapagos Islands.

Answer:  TRUE

Type: TF

Topic:  Section 5.5

11) Disruptive selection favours individuals possessing traits near the mean value of a population.

Answer:  FALSE

Type: TF

Topic:  Section 5.5

12) Genetic variation is essential for natural selection.

Answer:  TRUE

Type: TF

Topic:  Section 5.6

13) Inbreeding is usually beneficial to a population because it increases genetic diversity.

Answer:  FALSE

Type: TF

Topic:  Section 5.6

14) Ecotypes are variants within a species that are adapted to local environmental conditions.

Answer:  TRUE

Type: TF

Topic:  Section 5.7

15) Gene flow is restricted for geographic isolates because of some extrinsic barrier.

Answer:  TRUE

Type: TF

Topic:  Section 5.7

16) Variation within and among species would increase dramatically if the environment were homogeneous.

Answer:  FALSE

Type: TF

Topic:  Section 5.8

17) Often, characteristics that give an individual an advantage in one environment will be a disadvantage in other environments.

Answer:  TRUE

Type: TF

Topic:  Section 5.8

18) Some of the best examples of phenotypic plasticity occur among plants.

Answer:  TRUE

Type: TF

Topic:  Section 5.12

19) Changes due to developmental plasticity are reversible.

Answer:  FALSE

Type: TF

Topic:  Section 5.12

20) Phenotypic plasticity is the ability of a population to adapt to changing environmental conditions.

Answer:  FALSE

Type: TF

Topic:  Section 5.12 and Research in Ecology: Dynamic Evolution in Sticklebacks

21) Humans have contributed to the prevalence of resistant bacteria by inappropriate use of antibiotics.

Answer:  TRUE

Type: TF

Topic:  Ecological Issues: Selecting for Antibiotic Resistance

22) In natural populations, the assumptions of the Hardy-Weinberg principle are usually met.

Answer:  FALSE

Type: TF

Topic:  Quantifying Ecology 5.1: Hardy-Weinberg Principle

5.4   Essay Questions

1) Describe the general relationship between an autotroph and a heterotroph.

Type: ES

Topic:  Introduction to Part 2

2) Describe the two main conditions for evolution by natural selection as offered by Darwin in The Origin of Species.

Type: ES

Topic:  Section 5.1

3) Use an example to explain how and why the genotype and environment influence the phenotype of an organism.

Type: ES

Topic:  Section 5.3

4) Describe the differences between stabilizing, disruptive, and directional selection.

Type: ES

Topic:  Section 5.5

5) Explain how the effects of mutation, genetic drift, and gene flow influence the genetic variation of a population.

Type: ES

Topic:  Section 5.6

6) Explain the ecotype concept.

Type: ES

Topic:  Section 5.7

7) Why are organisms not ‘perfectly’ adapted to their environment?

Answer:  Trade-offs, environmental change, genetic variation, chance, genetic linkages

Type: ES

Topic:  Section 5.11

8) Explain the difference between phenotypic plasticity and adaptation, and suggest how you would collect data that would distinguish between them.

Type: ES

Topic:  Sections 5.9 and 5.12

9) Explain the concept of a trade-off and suggest how this idea relates to the diversity of species we see among different habitats.

Type: ES

Topic:  Section 5.12 and Research in Ecology: Dynamic Evolution in Sticklebacks

10) According to the research of Beren Robinson, how would you expect stickleback species to differ between two lakes, one of which supports two species of stickleback and the other which has a single species?

Type: ES

Topic:  Research in Ecology: Dynamic Evolution in Sticklebacks

11) Explain how the phenomenon of antibiotic resistance in bacteria provides an excellent example of rapid evolution by natural selection.

Type: ES

Topic:  Ecological Issues: Selecting for Antibiotic Resistance

12) List the five conditions for a lack of evolution according to the Hardy-Weinberg principle. Explain how these factors might contribute to population stasis.

Type: ES

Topic:  Quantifying Ecology 5.1: Hardy-Weinberg Principle

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