Professional Documents
Culture Documents
( Overview)
Correct. Darwin proposed that Earth's many species are descendants of ancestral species that differed from
present-day species.
2. Which of the following is a key observation that must be explained in a unifying theory about life? (
Overview)
No. Darwin proposed descent with modification as a mechanism to produce the observed diversity of life.
3. Which of the following is an example of the process of evolution? ( Overview and Concept
22.3)
Your Answer: the changes in organisms over time observed in the fossil record
Correct predation
Answer:
4. Which of the following is a true statement about Charles Darwin? ( Concept 22.1)
Correct. The proposal of a testable mechanism was a key point in the acceptance of his theory.
5. The scala naturae, or scale of nature, is based on the ideas of _____. ( Concept 22.1)
No. Darwin is best known for proposing natural selection as a mechanism of evolution.
6. At the time Darwin voyaged on HMS Beagle, the popularly accepted theory in Western culture that explained
the origin of Earth's plants and animals held that the various species _____. ( Concept 22.1)
Your had been created by divine intervention a few thousand years before
Answer:
Correct. Darwin's view of life contrasted sharply with the conventional paradigm of an Earth only a few
thousand years old, populated by unchanging forms of life that had been individually made during a single week
in which the Creator formed the entire universe.
7. Carolus Linneaus is considered to be the founder of _____ and _____. ( Concept 22.1)
Your the binomial classification system; thought that resemblances among different species reflected
Answer: the pattern of their creation
Correct. Although he is considered the founder of taxonomy, Linnaeus accepted the theory of creation.
8. The modern idea of extinction as a common occurrence in Earth's history was first proposed in the early 19th
century writings of _____. ( Concept 22.1)
No. Wallace is best known for proposing natural selection independently of Charles Darwin.
Your strongly influenced Darwin's view of how living organisms could change over time.
Answer:
Correct. Darwin embraced the idea of an old Earth and rejected the idea that living organisms had been specially
created. He applied the idea of slow change to the evolution of organisms.
10. At the time Charles Darwin sailed on HMS Beagle, _____. ( Concept 22.1)
Your several biologists had proposed that species might change over time, but none had suggested a
Answer: convincing mechanism that might cause the change
Correct. By the end of the 18th century, several naturalists had suggested that life evolved along with the
evolution of Earth. An important facet of Darwin's work is the concept of natural selection as the cause of
adaptive evolution.
11. Because he was well aware of the effect his theory of evolution would have on the public and on the Church of
England, Darwin delayed publishing his work for several decades while he gathered additional evidence. Which
of the following lines of evidence did he use to support his theory? ( Concept 22.2)
Your Answer: Artificial selection can produce organisms that differ markedly from their wild ancestors, and
island species around the world all appear to be related to each other.
Correct All species are capable of producing more offspring than the environment can support, and
Answer: artificial selection can produce organisms that differ from their wild ancestors.
No. Darwin used the argument about artificial selection, but he observed that island species seemed to be related
to organisms from the closest mainland.
12. During his voyage around the world, Darwin was inspired to think about evolution by _____. ( Concept
22.2)
Correct. During his voyage on the HMS Beagle, Darwin was inspired to think about evolution by the writings of
Lamarck, fossils, the adaptations of organisms like the Gálapagos finches, and the uniqueness of organisms.
Your Answer: environmental changes have no effect on the organisms living in that environment
Correct natural selection can improve the match between an organism and its environment
Answer:
14. What insight did Darwin gain from reading Thomas Malthus's essay on human suffering? ( Concept
22.2)
No. This was not an insight he gained from reading Malthus. However, this is related to the correct answer.
15. The breeding of plants and animals for particular traits by humans is called _____. ( Concept 22.2)
16. During periods of rapid environmental change, what may happen to a species that was well-suited to the former
environment? ( Concept 22.2)
Your Answer: Individuals with particular traits that provide an advantage in the new environment will have
higher reproductive success.
Correct all of the above
Answer:
17. The smallest unit that can evolve is a(n) _____. ( Concept 22.2)
Your Answer: genotype
Correct population
Answer:
18. According to the theory of evolution, all of the different kinds of homologies—anatomical, molecular, and
embryological—should _____. ( Concept 22.3)
No. This would not be expected if the organisms exhibiting such homologies were genetically related to each
other.
19. When they were first sold, aerosol insecticides were highly effective in killing flies and mosquitoes. Now,
several decades later, a much smaller proportion of these insects die when sprayed. The reason fewer insects die
when they are sprayed is that _____. ( Concept 22.3)
20. A population of zooplankton is exposed to a small number of predatory fish that feed on the larger-sized (adult)
zooplankton. Which of the following predictions would most likely occur based on the principles of natural
selection? ( Concept 22.3)
Your Answer: The zooplankton will become sexually mature at larger sizes.
Correct Adult zooplankton will start to reach sexual maturity when they are still relatively small.
Answer:
21. How did HIV become resistant to the drug 3TC? ( Concept 22.3)
Your Answer: The drug did not work in the way that the developers intended.
Correct Some members of the virus population must have had a genetic variation that made them
Answer: resistant to 3TC.
22. An important challenge to traditional (pre-1860) ideas about species was the observation that seemingly
dissimilar organisms such as hummingbirds, humans, and whales have similar skeletal structures. This most
directly suggested to biologists that _____. ( Concept 22.3)
No. While true, this does not account for similarities among dissimilar organisms.
23. Animals that possess homologous structures probably _____. ( Concept 22.3)
No. It is unlikely that two unrelated species would experience similar mutations.
Correct. We would expect this pattern to form through descent with modification.
25. The approach to evolution that involves the study of similar structures that appear during the development of
different organisms is known as the study of _____. ( Concept 22.3)
Correct. For example, some species of snakes have remnants of pelvic and leg bones.
27. All known organisms transcribe genetic information to protein molecules via the same genetic code. This finding
strongly supports the hypothesis that _____. ( Concept 22.3)
28. Evidence from molecular biology supports the theory of evolution by demonstrating that _____. (
Concept 22.3)
29. What did Darwin observe about species on islands? ( Concept 22.3)
30. To describe evolution as a "scientific theory" means that _____. ( Concept 22.3)
Your it is a broad model that is supported by many observations and much experimental evidence
Answer:
Correct. Evidence from many fields of biology makes evolution the "central, unifying principle of biology."
Student results on this activity were sent to the Grade Tracker. Note that it may take a few moments for the score to appear. Go to Grade
Tracker.
Your Answer: Evolution is the tendency for some individuals in a population to leave more offspring than
others
Correct Evolution is a change in a population's allelic frequencies over generations
Answer:
No. This tendency was one of Darwin's major inferences.
No. This is one mechanism for altering allele frequencies, but there is a better answer.
No. Average heterozygosity is concerned with the number loci with more than one allele, not with chromosome
number.
4. The human genome consists of approximately 3 billion base pairs. If humans typically differ from one another
by about 3 million base pairs, what is the nucleotide variability of Homo sapiens? ( Concept 23.1)
Your Answer: 3%
Correct 0.1%
Answer:
Your Answer: Cows are selectively bred to gain a higher milk yield.
Correct Rabbits that live in colder regions tend to have smaller ears than rabbits of the same species
Answer: that live in warmer regions.
No. This is not the origin of variation, but a recombination of available alleles.
7. Sexual recombination includes the shuffling of chromosomes in _____ and fertilization. ( Concept 23.1)
8. Which type of mutation plays the most important role in increasing the number of genes in the gene pool? (
Concept 23.2)
Your Answer: Mutations are so rare that there are no mutations that can have such an important effect.
Correct duplication
Answer:
No. This is true but it is not the best answer Mutations are the ultimate source of genetic variation.
9. In a large population of randomly breeding organisms, the frequency of a recessive allele is initially 0.3. There is
no migration and no selection. Humans enter this ecosystem and selectively hunt individuals showing the
dominant trait. When the gene frequency is reexamined at the end of the year, _____. ( Concept 23.2)
Your Answer: the frequency of the homozygous dominants will go down, the frequency of the heterozygous
genotype will remain the same, and the frequency of the homozygous recessives will go up
Correct the frequency of the individuals who express the dominant phenotype will go down and the
Answer: frequency of homozygous recessive individuals will go up
No. The total number of alleles in the gene pool depends on the number of individuals in the population.
11. In a large population of bonobos, the frequency of the recessive allele is initially 0.1. There is no migration and
no selection. What is the frequency of the dominant allele? Assume that there are two alleles of this gene. (
Concept 23.2)
Your 90%
Answer:
Correct. p (the frequency of the dominant allele) = 1- q (the frequency of the recessive allele), or 0.9.
12. In a population in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, 1% of the individuals in a population show the recessive trait of
a certain characteristic. In this situation, what is the value of p? ( Concept 23.2)
Your 0.9
Answer:
13. In the equation for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, 1 represents _____. ( Concept 23.2)
No. In a situation in which there are only two alleles of a gene, q2 represents the frequency of homozygous
recessive individuals.
14. Approximately 1 out of every 2,500 Caucasians in the United States is born with the recessive disease cystic
fibrosis. According to the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium equation, approximately how many people are carriers? (
Concept 23.2)
15. In a certain group of African people, 4% are born with sickle-cell disease (homozygous recessive). If this group
is in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, what percentage of the group has the selective advantage of being more
resistant to malaria (heterozygous) than those individuals who are homozygous for normal hemoglobin or for
sickle-cell disease? ( Concept 23.2)
Your Answer: 4%
Correct 32%
Answer:
16. Assume a population in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium for a character trait with these genotypic frequencies: AA =
0.25, Aa = 0.50, and aa = 0.25. If you remove all the homozygous dominants and allow the remaining population
to reproduce (again under Hardy-Weinberg conditions), what will be the frequency of homozygous dominants in
the next generation? ( Concept 23.2)
No. Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium requires random mating. A population with sexual selection would not be
randomly mating.
18. _____ and _____ generate variation, while _____ results in an adaptation to the environment. ( Concept
23.2)
Correct. Mutation is the original source of variation, and sexual recombination causes new combinations of
existing alleles. Natural selection results in favorable characteristics being passed on to the next generation.
19. A population of 15 birds inhabits a fairly new island. Ten of the birds are dark brown and five of them are light
brown. By chance, two of the dark brown birds and three of the light brown birds die before producing any
offspring. All of the birds in the next generation are dark brown. This change in phenotypic frequency can be
attributed to _____. ( Concept 23.3)
No. There is no evidence that the birds' color affected their fitness.
20. An earthquake hits a small island. All but a small group of closely related lizards are eliminated, and the
survivors spread out over the island. This is an instance of _____. ( Concept 23.3)
21. Which of the following scenarios would most likely result in the microevolution of a population of humans? (
Concept 23.3)
Your Answer: The incidence of skin cancer in adults over age 40 rises significantly.
Correct A colony of humans on the moon is isolated from Earth.
Answer:
No. Skin cells are somatic cells and would not affect reproduction.
22. Which of the following is the best example of gene flow? ( Concept 23.3)
Your Answer: An earthquake results in the formation of a canyon, splitting a population of toads apart.
Correct Wind blows pollen from one population of plants to another and cross-fertilization occurs.
Answer:
No. Gene flow is the loss or gain of alleles from the gene pool.
23. Which of the following most accurately measures an organism's fitness? ( Concept 23.4)
24. Antibiotic resistance in bacteria is an example of which of the following? ( Concept 23.4)
25. For several years, scientists have warned doctors of the danger of overprescribing antibiotics such as penicillin.
Scientists are concerned because _____. ( Concept 23.4)
Your Answer: the organisms that produce many of the antibiotics are overexploited and could become
extinct
Correct strains of microorganisms that are resistant to these drugs will be selected for
Answer:
26. A population of squirrels is preyed upon by small hawks. The smaller squirrels can escape into burrows. The
larger squirrels can fight off the hawks. After several generations, the squirrels in the area tend to be very small
or very large. What process is responsible for this outcome? ( Concept 23.4)
No. Directional selection acts against individuals at one of the phenotypic extremes.
28. Birds with average-size wings survived a severe storm more successfully than other birds in the same population
with longer or shorter wings. If severe storms occur regularly, then over time, one should expect these storms to
bring about _____. ( Concept 23.4)
29. Tay-Sachs disease, which is lethal, results from having the homozygous recessive condition of the responsible
gene. Which one of the following statements is true? ( Concept 23.4)
Your Answer: In the heterozygous condition, the dominant allele will overcome the recessive allele and
only the dominant allele will be passed on to offspring.
Correct Heterozygous individuals will survive and may pass the recessive allele on to their offspring.
Answer:
No. All alleles within an organism have equal chance of being passed on to offspring.
30. Which type of selection maintains stable frequencies of two or more phenotypic forms in a population? (
Concept 23.4)
No. This refers to genetic variations that have little or no impact on reproductive success.
31. Which of the following would seem to be an example of neutral variation? ( Concept 23.4)
Your Answer: Neutral variation is usually removed from the population by natural selection because it does
not confer an advantage in the current environment.
Correct Neutral variation increases genetic variation, allowing a population to carry more alleles that
Answer: may help it respond to environmental change.
33. Selection that acts over evolutionary time to preserve traits that increase an individual's ability to mate is known
as _____. ( Concept 23.4)
No. Directional selection shifts the frequency curve for some phenotypic character in one direction or the other,
by favoring individuals that deviate from the average.
34. Which statement below is true about sexual selection? ( Concept 23.4)
Your Sexual selection can result in sexual dimorphism-marked differences between the sexes in
Answer: secondary sexual characteristics that are not associated directly with reproduction.
Your Answer: Sexual selection acts to make organisms better adapted to their environments.
Correct Chance and the environment interact with natural selection, so that the best available traits
Answer: are selected for.
No. Sexual selection often leads to compromise. Traits that increase an organism's reproductive success, such as
colorful plumage in birds, may make them more susceptible to predation.
36. A number of mosquito populations today are resistant to insecticides that were once quite effective. Biologists
think that insecticide resistance evolved in mosquitoes because _____. ( Concept 23.4)
Your Answer: a new allele developed in response to the insecticide that provided future generations the
benefit of resistance
Correct a few mosquitoes were probably resistant to the insecticide before it was ever used, and these
Answer: individuals were more likely to survive and reproduce
No. This is not how evolution works. New alleles do not arise on demand.
1. When gene flow between two populations ceases, the potential for _____ exists. ( Concept
24.1)
Your (blank)
Answer:
2. Bird guides once listed the myrtle warbler and Audubon's warbler as distinct species that lived side by side in
parts of their ranges. However, recent books show them as eastern and western forms of a single species, the
yellow-rumped warbler. Apparently, the myrtle warbler and Audubon's warbler _____. ( Concept 24.1)
No. They should never have been considered two species because they can interbreed and produce fertile
offspring.
3. Imagine that part of a population of South American finches is blown by a storm onto an island far offshore and
manages to survive and reproduce there for a period of 10,000 years. After that period, a climate change results
in lower sea levels and the reconnection of the island with the mainland. Members of the formerly isolated island
finch population can now interact freely with members of the original mainland population. Which of the
following observations would, by itself, lead you to conclude unequivocally that the island finch population had
evolved into a distinct species? ( Concept 24.1)
Your Individuals from the different populations sometimes mate with each other, but all of the
Answer: resulting eggs are sterile.
Correct. The biological species concept defines a species as a population whose members interbreed successfully
to produce viable, fertile offspring but who cannot produce viable, fertile offspring with members of other
species.
4. Which one of the following conditions is necessary for speciation to occur? ( Concept 24.1)
No. This is a specific type of reproductive isolation, not a condition that leads to it.
5. At which point in the adaptation of a population is it clear that speciation has occurred? ( Concept 24.1)
No. This may lead to speciation, but it may not have occurred yet.
8. Which of the following reproductive barriers actually prevents individuals of closely related species from
copulating successfully? ( Concept 24.1)
9. Two species of water lilies in the same pond do not interbreed because one blooms at night and the other during
the day. The reproductive barrier between them is an example of _____. ( Concept 24.1)
10. Which of the following is an example of a postzygotic reproductive barrier? ( Concept 24.1)
Your Answer: One species of flower grows in forested areas, another in meadows.
Correct Two fruit flies of different species produce sterile offspring.
Answer:
11. There are two groups of pine trees that appear to be very similar phenotypically and genotypically. However, one
releases pollen in January, when the female structures of that group are receptive, and one in March. What kind
of reproductive barrier is this? ( Concept 24.1)
13. Lake Victoria, in Africa, is home to a group of related fishes known as cichlids. Many of these fishes are similar
in appearance but have different feeding habits. What is the best method for scientists to determine conclusively
whether the fish are members of a population that has a lot of variation or members of entirely different species?
( Concept 24.1)
No. This refers to morphologically discrete species that are known only from the fossil record.
15. Which species concept defines a species as a set of organisms with a unique genetic history? ( Concept
24.1)
No. This is the classical definition that defines a species as a population or group of populations whose members
have the potential to interbreed with one another in nature and to produce viable, fertile offspring, but cannot
produce viable, fertile offspring with members of other populations.
16. Sometimes two phenotypically different populations interbreed to a limited extent, so that it is difficult to
determine whether they are clearly separate species. This is not a concern to scientists because this _____. (
Concept 24.1)
Correct. This could indicate that although a reproductive barrier is becoming established, it is not yet complete.
17. Which of the following organisms are most likely to be subject to allopatric speciation? ( Concept 24.2)
Your Answer: mountain lions in the canyons of Wyoming and in the canyons of Utah
Correct pine trees in Alaska and pine trees on the island of Madagascar
Answer:
No. These represent one population because mountain lions recognize neither political barriers nor most
topographical barriers.
18. According to the experiment of Diane Dodd, can adaptive divergence of allopatric fruit fly populations lead to
reproductive isolation? ( Concept 24.2)
Your Answer: After several generations, the reproductive barrier (behavioral isolation) between the starch-
and maltose-fed populations was complete.
Correct After several generations, the formation of a reproductive barrier (behavioral isolation) was
Answer: evident, but not absolute.
No. Some mating between the starch flies and maltose flies did occur.
19. In which of the following groups has sympatric speciation been most important? ( Concept 24.2)
No. Sympatric speciation does not seem to have been an important factor in animal speciation.
20. If a new species of plant is to be produced by means of allopolyploidy from two parental species that are 2n = 4
and 2n = 8, how many chromosomes would you expect in the somatic cells of the new species? (
Concept 24.2)
No. The two gametes would be n = 2 and n = 4. They would combine for a total of 6, which after doubling
would be 12.
21. A new species can arise in a single generation _____. ( Concept 24.2)
No. Allopatric speciation occurs by geographic isolation, and it takes several generations for speciation to occur
in this manner.
22. The Galápagos finches collected by Darwin are thought to have descended from a very small parent population.
Different species of finches that are confined to only one or two islands most likely arose by _____. (
Concept 24.2)
Correct. As the finches spread out to different islands and became isolated from each other, gene flow between
them ceased, and new species arose.
23. In the case of the Lake Victoria cichlids, sympatric speciation has been shown to be driven by ______. (
Concept 24.2)
No. Although habitat differentiation has been suggested as a possible mechanism for sympatric speciation in the
lake, sexual selection has been shown to be a factor.
24. In a hybrid zone which of the following would tend to lead to reinforcement? ( Concept 24.3)
Correct. All of these factors can reinforce the reproductive barriers between populations.
25. In the Lake Victoria cichlids, what appears to be contributing to fusion of different species? ( Concept
24.3)
Your Answer: Extinctions are being caused by the Nile perch, an introduced predator.
Correct Murky, polluted water is making it difficult for females to visually select for males of the
Answer: same species.
No. Although the introduction of the Nile perch has led to the extinction of some cichlid species, it does not
appear to be contributing to the observed fusion.
26. According to the punctuated equilibrium model of evolution _____. ( Concept 24.4)
No. In punctuated equilibrium, new species change little after budding from their parent species.
28. What is the first thing that must happen in order for speciation to occur? ( Concept 24.4)
Correct. Although several other factors come into play, as long as there is gene flow between populations,
speciation is extremely unlikely.
29. How many genes must change in order to form a new species? ( Concept 24.4)
Your Answer: 14
Correct There is no set number of genes or loci that produces a new species. Genetic and
Answer: environmental factors interact.
No. Undoubtedly a speciation event has occurred based on changes in 14 genes, but there is a better answer.
30. The time interval between speciation events is typically _____ ( Concept 24.4)
Your Times between speciation events vary widely and depend on generation times, causes of
Answer: speciation, environmental factors, and chance.
Correct. Speciation may occur on many different time scales. Remember that mutations or meiosis, both of
which are largely governed by chance, must first provide some traits that can lead to reproductive
1. Why is the four-stage hypothesis for the abiotic origin of life useful? ( Concept 25.1)
Your Answer: It proves that RNA was the first genetic molecule.
Correct It leads to predictions that can be tested.
Answer:
No. While there is some interesting evidence to support that assertion, the hypothesis is not proof.
2. The early atmosphere on Earth is thought to have lacked which one of the following gases? ( Concept
25.1)
3. Currently scientists think the early atmosphere probably consisted of _____. ( Concept 25.1)
Correct. These are the gases currently thought to have made up the early atmosphere, which may not have been
either reducing or oxidizing.
4. The Miller and Urey abiotic synthesis experiment (and subsequent, similar experiments) showed that _____. (
Concept 25.1)
Your Answer: the earliest life forms introduced large amounts of oxygen into the atmosphere
Correct simple organic molecules can form spontaneously under conditions like those thought to
Answer: prevail early in Earth's history
No. The primitive atmosphere did not contain large amounts of O2.
5. The early atmosphere may not have been as reducing as originally postulated by Haldane, Oparin, Miller, and
Urey. In light of current thinking about the composition of the early atmosphere, what is regarded as a likely
place for the abiotic synthesis of organic molecules to have occurred? ( Concept 25.1)
No. Banded iron formations show evidence of strong oxidation. A strongly oxidizing environment would not
have favored the abiotic synthesis of organic molecules.
6. Protobionts, such as liposomes, display which of the following rudimentary qualities necessary for life? (
Concept 25.1)
Correct. Protobionts are capable of dividing and performing simple metabolic reactions.
7. Cech and Altman suggested that the first self-replicating molecules were _____. ( Concept 25.1)
No. Three half-lives have elapsed since the sample was alive (10 grams to 5 grams, 5 grams to 2.5 grams, and
2.5 grams to 1.25 grams). Because half the isotope would be expected to decay by the end of each half-life, the
sample is 3 x 1.2 billion years old.
9. Fossils that can be used to establish relative dates are most likely to be found in _____. ( Concept 25.2)
No. Glacial rubble may contain fossils, but is jumbled and no longer presents a usable sequence from deepest
(oldest) to most shallow (youngest).
10. You are watching a movie in which one of the characters excitedly claims to have found human remains dated at
10 million years old. The date was obtained by carbon-14 dating. What is your reaction? ( Concept 25.2)
Your Answer: This would be a surprising finding because so far there is no evidence that humans existed
that long ago.
Correct This can't possibly be true because carbon-14 dating can only be used back to about 75,000
Answer: years.
No. It would be a surprising finding if it could be taken seriously. Remember that carbon-14 dating is only
accurate to around 75,000 years ago, so claims of carbon-14 dates in the 10-million-year range are clearly bogus.
11. Single-celled prokaryotes had the Earth to themselves for approximately _____. ( Concept 25.3)
No. Prokaryotes, which are all single-celled, were the only organisms on earth from sometime before 3.5 billion
years ago until around 2 billion years ago. That's about 1.5 billion years.
12. The correct order of the geologic eras, from most ancient to most recent, is _____. ( Concept 25.3)
14. What prokaryotic adaptation occurred during the oxygen revolution and opened up the possibility for energy-
demanding multicellular life-forms? ( Concept 25.3)
No. Forms of photosynthesis existed before the oxygen revolution. In fact, the actions of photosynthetic
prokaryotes were the cause of the oxygen revolution.
15. What evidence supports the hypothesis that mitochondria and plastids evolved from prokaryotic endosymbionts?
( Concept 25.3)
Your Answer: Their ribosomes are more like prokaryotic ribosomes than eukaryotic ribosomes.
Correct both a and c
Answer:
16. Prior to the Cambrian explosion, most animals were small and soft-bodied. What development appears to have
spurred adaptations such as sharp spines, claws, and body armor (shells)? ( Concept 25.3)
No. Aerobic respiration may have made it possible for animals to grow bigger, but it did not directly select for
spines, claws, and body armor.
17. What were the two major "problems" that had to be solved before plants, animals, and fungi could move into
terrestrial habitats? ( Concept 25.3)
Correct. Life originally evolved in water and depends on aqueous solutions for many processes. Gametes
generally have to swim to each other for fertilization. Until adaptations to address these two issues evolved, vast
amounts of terrestrial habitat were unusable.
18. What does the snowball Earth hypothesis propose? ( Concept 25.3)
Your Answer: Once the first multicellular eukaryotes appeared, their sizes and populations grew
exponentially, like a snowball rolling down a hill.
Correct Larger multicellular eukaryotes are scarce in the fossil record until the late Proterozoic
Answer: because an ice age limited life to deep-sea vents and hot springs.
No. Some believe that the evolution of multicellular eukaryotes was limited by a 180-million-year-long ice age.
19. Plants colonized land in the company of _____; their symbiotic relationships still exist today. ( Concept
25.3)
No. The question is referring to fungi. Even today, the roots of most plants are associated with fungi that aid in
the absorption of water and minerals from the soil.
20. What evidence most strongly suggests that an impact by an asteroid or meteorite may have caused the extinction
of the dinosaurs? ( Concept 25.4)
Your Answer: There have been several near misses in recent years.
Correct Sedimentary rocks contain a layer of iridium, a mineral uncommon on Earth.
Answer:
No. A layer of iridium, probably from the collision of an asteroid with Earth, is found at the Mesozoic-Cenozoic
boundary. Iridium is uncommon on Earth.
21. Which one of the following best describes how the breakup of Pangaea affected evolution? ( Concept
25.4)
No. Pangaea broke up during the Mesozoic era—the age of reptiles. Mammalian dominance came later.
22. The fauna and flora of Australia are very different from those of the rest of the world. Why might this be true? (
Concept 25.4)
Correct. Such a long period of isolation has allowed for the evolution of unique forms of life.
23. Lake Malawi, in the African Rift Valley, is home to more than a hundred species of cichlid fishes, each with
slightly different diets and habits. All these species probably evolved from a common ancestor, making them an
example of _____. ( Concept 25.4)
No. Convergence occurs when unrelated organisms come to resemble each other by adapting under the same
selective pressures. What has occurred among the cichlids of Lake Malawai is, rather, divergence.
24. Adaptive radiations are often seen after ______. ( Concept 25.4)
No. Adaptive radiations do usually occur after mass extinctions, but there is a better answer.
25. Although they originated around 180 million years ago, mammals underwent an adaptive radiation starting
approximately 65 million years ago. Why? ( Concept 25.4)
Your Answer: Mammals were mostly nocturnal until 65 million years ago.
Correct Between 180 and 65 million years ago, mammals were out-competed by the well-established
Answer: dinosaurs.
No. Many mammals that existed before 65 million years ago do appear to have been nocturnal, but that is not
sufficient to explain their relative unimportance.
Correct. These are all ways in which continental drift can affect speciation.
27. Mutations in what class of genes have probably been responsible for many of the changes leading to the great
diversity of life existing today? ( Concept 25.5)
Correct. Small changes in developmental genes such as Hox genes can produce large morphologic changes.
No. The products of these genes prompt cells in animal embryos to develop into structures appropriate for a
particular location.
29. If the wings of extant flying birds originally arose as thermoregulatory devices in ancestral reptiles, then the bird
wings could be accurately described as _____. ( Concept 25.6)
No. In fact, wings are very complicated structures and not at all degenerate.
30. In the species selection model, _______ is to macroevolution what _______ is to microevolution. (
Concept 25.6)
No. Exaptation and adaptation both refer to the generation of novel attributes that increase an organism's fitness.
1. Why is the four-stage hypothesis for the abiotic origin of life useful? ( Concept 25.1)
Your Answer: It proves that RNA was the first genetic molecule.
Correct It leads to predictions that can be tested.
Answer:
No. While there is some interesting evidence to support that assertion, the hypothesis is not proof.
2. The early atmosphere on Earth is thought to have lacked which one of the following gases? ( Concept
25.1)
3. Currently scientists think the early atmosphere probably consisted of _____. ( Concept 25.1)
Correct. These are the gases currently thought to have made up the early atmosphere, which may not have been
either reducing or oxidizing.
4. The Miller and Urey abiotic synthesis experiment (and subsequent, similar experiments) showed that _____. (
Concept 25.1)
Your Answer: the earliest life forms introduced large amounts of oxygen into the atmosphere
Correct simple organic molecules can form spontaneously under conditions like those thought to
Answer: prevail early in Earth's history
No. The primitive atmosphere did not contain large amounts of O2.
5. The early atmosphere may not have been as reducing as originally postulated by Haldane, Oparin, Miller, and
Urey. In light of current thinking about the composition of the early atmosphere, what is regarded as a likely
place for the abiotic synthesis of organic molecules to have occurred? ( Concept 25.1)
No. Banded iron formations show evidence of strong oxidation. A strongly oxidizing environment would not
have favored the abiotic synthesis of organic molecules.
6. Protobionts, such as liposomes, display which of the following rudimentary qualities necessary for life? (
Concept 25.1)
Correct. Protobionts are capable of dividing and performing simple metabolic reactions.
7. Cech and Altman suggested that the first self-replicating molecules were _____. ( Concept 25.1)
8. A radioactive isotope has a half-life of 1.2 billion years. As measured by the presence of the isotope and its
stable decay product, a rock originally contained 10 grams of the radioactive isotope, and now contains 1.25
grams. Approximately how many years old is the rock? ( Concept 25.2)
No. Three half-lives have elapsed since the sample was alive (10 grams to 5 grams, 5 grams to 2.5 grams, and
2.5 grams to 1.25 grams). Because half the isotope would be expected to decay by the end of each half-life, the
sample is 3 x 1.2 billion years old.
9. Fossils that can be used to establish relative dates are most likely to be found in _____. ( Concept 25.2)
No. Glacial rubble may contain fossils, but is jumbled and no longer presents a usable sequence from deepest
(oldest) to most shallow (youngest).
10. You are watching a movie in which one of the characters excitedly claims to have found human remains dated at
10 million years old. The date was obtained by carbon-14 dating. What is your reaction? ( Concept 25.2)
Your Answer: This would be a surprising finding because so far there is no evidence that humans existed
that long ago.
Correct This can't possibly be true because carbon-14 dating can only be used back to about 75,000
Answer: years.
No. It would be a surprising finding if it could be taken seriously. Remember that carbon-14 dating is only
accurate to around 75,000 years ago, so claims of carbon-14 dates in the 10-million-year range are clearly bogus.
11. Single-celled prokaryotes had the Earth to themselves for approximately _____. ( Concept 25.3)
No. Prokaryotes, which are all single-celled, were the only organisms on earth from sometime before 3.5 billion
years ago until around 2 billion years ago. That's about 1.5 billion years.
12. The correct order of the geologic eras, from most ancient to most recent, is _____. ( Concept 25.3)
13. Ancient cyanobacteria were very important in the history of life because they _____. ( Concept 25.3)
No. Forms of photosynthesis existed before the oxygen revolution. In fact, the actions of photosynthetic
prokaryotes were the cause of the oxygen revolution.
15. What evidence supports the hypothesis that mitochondria and plastids evolved from prokaryotic endosymbionts?
( Concept 25.3)
Your Answer: Their ribosomes are more like prokaryotic ribosomes than eukaryotic ribosomes.
Correct both a and c
Answer:
16. Prior to the Cambrian explosion, most animals were small and soft-bodied. What development appears to have
spurred adaptations such as sharp spines, claws, and body armor (shells)? ( Concept 25.3)
No. Aerobic respiration may have made it possible for animals to grow bigger, but it did not directly select for
spines, claws, and body armor.
17. What were the two major "problems" that had to be solved before plants, animals, and fungi could move into
terrestrial habitats? ( Concept 25.3)
Correct. Life originally evolved in water and depends on aqueous solutions for many processes. Gametes
generally have to swim to each other for fertilization. Until adaptations to address these two issues evolved, vast
amounts of terrestrial habitat were unusable.
18. What does the snowball Earth hypothesis propose? ( Concept 25.3)
Your Answer: Once the first multicellular eukaryotes appeared, their sizes and populations grew
exponentially, like a snowball rolling down a hill.
Correct Larger multicellular eukaryotes are scarce in the fossil record until the late Proterozoic
Answer: because an ice age limited life to deep-sea vents and hot springs.
No. Some believe that the evolution of multicellular eukaryotes was limited by a 180-million-year-long ice age.
19. Plants colonized land in the company of _____; their symbiotic relationships still exist today. ( Concept
25.3)
No. The question is referring to fungi. Even today, the roots of most plants are associated with fungi that aid in
the absorption of water and minerals from the soil.
20. What evidence most strongly suggests that an impact by an asteroid or meteorite may have caused the extinction
of the dinosaurs? ( Concept 25.4)
Your Answer: There have been several near misses in recent years.
Correct Sedimentary rocks contain a layer of iridium, a mineral uncommon on Earth.
Answer:
No. A layer of iridium, probably from the collision of an asteroid with Earth, is found at the Mesozoic-Cenozoic
boundary. Iridium is uncommon on Earth.
21. Which one of the following best describes how the breakup of Pangaea affected evolution? ( Concept
25.4)
No. Pangaea broke up during the Mesozoic era—the age of reptiles. Mammalian dominance came later.
22. The fauna and flora of Australia are very different from those of the rest of the world. Why might this be true? (
Concept 25.4)
Correct. Such a long period of isolation has allowed for the evolution of unique forms of life.
23. Lake Malawi, in the African Rift Valley, is home to more than a hundred species of cichlid fishes, each with
slightly different diets and habits. All these species probably evolved from a common ancestor, making them an
example of _____. ( Concept 25.4)
No. Convergence occurs when unrelated organisms come to resemble each other by adapting under the same
selective pressures. What has occurred among the cichlids of Lake Malawai is, rather, divergence.
24. Adaptive radiations are often seen after ______. ( Concept 25.4)
No. Adaptive radiations do usually occur after mass extinctions, but there is a better answer.
25. Although they originated around 180 million years ago, mammals underwent an adaptive radiation starting
approximately 65 million years ago. Why? ( Concept 25.4)
Your Answer: Mammals were mostly nocturnal until 65 million years ago.
Correct Between 180 and 65 million years ago, mammals were out-competed by the well-established
Answer: dinosaurs.
No. Many mammals that existed before 65 million years ago do appear to have been nocturnal, but that is not
sufficient to explain their relative unimportance.
Correct. These are all ways in which continental drift can affect speciation.
27. Mutations in what class of genes have probably been responsible for many of the changes leading to the great
diversity of life existing today? ( Concept 25.5)
Correct. Small changes in developmental genes such as Hox genes can produce large morphologic changes.
No. The products of these genes prompt cells in animal embryos to develop into structures appropriate for a
particular location.
29. If the wings of extant flying birds originally arose as thermoregulatory devices in ancestral reptiles, then the bird
wings could be accurately described as _____. ( Concept 25.6)
No. In fact, wings are very complicated structures and not at all degenerate.
30. In the species selection model, _______ is to macroevolution what _______ is to microevolution. (
Concept 25.6)
No. Exaptation and adaptation both refer to the generation of novel attributes that increase an organism's fitness.
1. Why is the four-stage hypothesis for the abiotic origin of life useful? ( Concept 25.1)
Your Answer: It proves that RNA was the first genetic molecule.
Correct It leads to predictions that can be tested.
Answer:
No. While there is some interesting evidence to support that assertion, the hypothesis is not proof.
2. The early atmosphere on Earth is thought to have lacked which one of the following gases? ( Concept
25.1)
3. Currently scientists think the early atmosphere probably consisted of _____. ( Concept 25.1)
Correct. These are the gases currently thought to have made up the early atmosphere, which may not have been
either reducing or oxidizing.
4. The Miller and Urey abiotic synthesis experiment (and subsequent, similar experiments) showed that _____. (
Concept 25.1)
Your Answer: the earliest life forms introduced large amounts of oxygen into the atmosphere
Correct simple organic molecules can form spontaneously under conditions like those thought to
Answer: prevail early in Earth's history
No. The primitive atmosphere did not contain large amounts of O2.
5. The early atmosphere may not have been as reducing as originally postulated by Haldane, Oparin, Miller, and
Urey. In light of current thinking about the composition of the early atmosphere, what is regarded as a likely
place for the abiotic synthesis of organic molecules to have occurred? ( Concept 25.1)
No. Banded iron formations show evidence of strong oxidation. A strongly oxidizing environment would not
have favored the abiotic synthesis of organic molecules.
6. Protobionts, such as liposomes, display which of the following rudimentary qualities necessary for life? (
Concept 25.1)
Correct. Protobionts are capable of dividing and performing simple metabolic reactions.
7. Cech and Altman suggested that the first self-replicating molecules were _____. ( Concept 25.1)
8. A radioactive isotope has a half-life of 1.2 billion years. As measured by the presence of the isotope and its
stable decay product, a rock originally contained 10 grams of the radioactive isotope, and now contains 1.25
grams. Approximately how many years old is the rock? ( Concept 25.2)
No. Three half-lives have elapsed since the sample was alive (10 grams to 5 grams, 5 grams to 2.5 grams, and
2.5 grams to 1.25 grams). Because half the isotope would be expected to decay by the end of each half-life, the
sample is 3 x 1.2 billion years old.
9. Fossils that can be used to establish relative dates are most likely to be found in _____. ( Concept 25.2)
No. Glacial rubble may contain fossils, but is jumbled and no longer presents a usable sequence from deepest
(oldest) to most shallow (youngest).
10. You are watching a movie in which one of the characters excitedly claims to have found human remains dated at
10 million years old. The date was obtained by carbon-14 dating. What is your reaction? ( Concept 25.2)
Your Answer: This would be a surprising finding because so far there is no evidence that humans existed
that long ago.
Correct This can't possibly be true because carbon-14 dating can only be used back to about 75,000
Answer: years.
No. It would be a surprising finding if it could be taken seriously. Remember that carbon-14 dating is only
accurate to around 75,000 years ago, so claims of carbon-14 dates in the 10-million-year range are clearly bogus.
11. Single-celled prokaryotes had the Earth to themselves for approximately _____. ( Concept 25.3)
No. Prokaryotes, which are all single-celled, were the only organisms on earth from sometime before 3.5 billion
years ago until around 2 billion years ago. That's about 1.5 billion years.
12. The correct order of the geologic eras, from most ancient to most recent, is _____. ( Concept 25.3)
13. Ancient cyanobacteria were very important in the history of life because they _____. ( Concept 25.3)
14. What prokaryotic adaptation occurred during the oxygen revolution and opened up the possibility for energy-
demanding multicellular life-forms? ( Concept 25.3)
No. Forms of photosynthesis existed before the oxygen revolution. In fact, the actions of photosynthetic
prokaryotes were the cause of the oxygen revolution.
15. What evidence supports the hypothesis that mitochondria and plastids evolved from prokaryotic endosymbionts?
( Concept 25.3)
Your Answer: Their ribosomes are more like prokaryotic ribosomes than eukaryotic ribosomes.
Correct both a and c
Answer:
16. Prior to the Cambrian explosion, most animals were small and soft-bodied. What development appears to have
spurred adaptations such as sharp spines, claws, and body armor (shells)? ( Concept 25.3)
No. Aerobic respiration may have made it possible for animals to grow bigger, but it did not directly select for
spines, claws, and body armor.
17. What were the two major "problems" that had to be solved before plants, animals, and fungi could move into
terrestrial habitats? ( Concept 25.3)
Correct. Life originally evolved in water and depends on aqueous solutions for many processes. Gametes
generally have to swim to each other for fertilization. Until adaptations to address these two issues evolved, vast
amounts of terrestrial habitat were unusable.
18. What does the snowball Earth hypothesis propose? ( Concept 25.3)
Your Answer: Once the first multicellular eukaryotes appeared, their sizes and populations grew
exponentially, like a snowball rolling down a hill.
Correct Larger multicellular eukaryotes are scarce in the fossil record until the late Proterozoic
Answer: because an ice age limited life to deep-sea vents and hot springs.
No. Some believe that the evolution of multicellular eukaryotes was limited by a 180-million-year-long ice age.
19. Plants colonized land in the company of _____; their symbiotic relationships still exist today. ( Concept
25.3)
No. The question is referring to fungi. Even today, the roots of most plants are associated with fungi that aid in
the absorption of water and minerals from the soil.
20. What evidence most strongly suggests that an impact by an asteroid or meteorite may have caused the extinction
of the dinosaurs? ( Concept 25.4)
Your Answer: There have been several near misses in recent years.
Correct Sedimentary rocks contain a layer of iridium, a mineral uncommon on Earth.
Answer:
No. A layer of iridium, probably from the collision of an asteroid with Earth, is found at the Mesozoic-Cenozoic
boundary. Iridium is uncommon on Earth.
21. Which one of the following best describes how the breakup of Pangaea affected evolution? ( Concept
25.4)
No. Pangaea broke up during the Mesozoic era—the age of reptiles. Mammalian dominance came later.
22. The fauna and flora of Australia are very different from those of the rest of the world. Why might this be true? (
Concept 25.4)
Correct. Such a long period of isolation has allowed for the evolution of unique forms of life.
23. Lake Malawi, in the African Rift Valley, is home to more than a hundred species of cichlid fishes, each with
slightly different diets and habits. All these species probably evolved from a common ancestor, making them an
example of _____. ( Concept 25.4)
No. Convergence occurs when unrelated organisms come to resemble each other by adapting under the same
selective pressures. What has occurred among the cichlids of Lake Malawai is, rather, divergence.
24. Adaptive radiations are often seen after ______. ( Concept 25.4)
No. Adaptive radiations do usually occur after mass extinctions, but there is a better answer.
25. Although they originated around 180 million years ago, mammals underwent an adaptive radiation starting
approximately 65 million years ago. Why? ( Concept 25.4)
Your Answer: Mammals were mostly nocturnal until 65 million years ago.
Correct Between 180 and 65 million years ago, mammals were out-competed by the well-established
Answer: dinosaurs.
No. Many mammals that existed before 65 million years ago do appear to have been nocturnal, but that is not
sufficient to explain their relative unimportance.
Correct. These are all ways in which continental drift can affect speciation.
27. Mutations in what class of genes have probably been responsible for many of the changes leading to the great
diversity of life existing today? ( Concept 25.5)
Correct. Small changes in developmental genes such as Hox genes can produce large morphologic changes.
No. The products of these genes prompt cells in animal embryos to develop into structures appropriate for a
particular location.
29. If the wings of extant flying birds originally arose as thermoregulatory devices in ancestral reptiles, then the bird
wings could be accurately described as _____. ( Concept 25.6)
No. In fact, wings are very complicated structures and not at all degenerate.
30. In the species selection model, _______ is to macroevolution what _______ is to microevolution. (
Concept 25.6)
No. Exaptation and adaptation both refer to the generation of novel attributes that increase an organism's fitness.
1. The analytical approach to understanding the diversity and relatedness of both extant and extinct
organisms is called _____. ( Overview)
Your (blank)
Answer:
2. What is the focus of the branch of biology called taxonomy? ( Concept 26.1)
3. The binomial system assigns to each organism a unique name that describes its _____. ( Concept 26.1)
Correct. Each species is assigned a two-part Latin name, or binomial. The first word is the genus and the second
word is the species. Species that are very similar are grouped into the same genus.
4. The two-part format of the scientific name, referred to as binomial, ensures that _____. ( Concept 26.1)
Your Answer: systematists can easily specify the closest relatives of any species
Correct all of the above
Answer:
5. All the members of which one of the following groups have the greatest number of characteristics in common? (
Concept 26.1)
No. Of the choices, this is not the least inclusive level of classification.
7. Two worms in the same class must also be grouped in the same _____. ( Concept 26.1)
No. Genus is less inclusive than class; thus, they could be in the same class and different genera.
8. Species A and species B are in the same phylum. Species A and species C, but not species B, are in the same
order. From this information you can conclude that _____. ( Concept 26.1)
Correct. If species A and species C are in the same order, then they must also be in the same class. Since you
know that species A and species B are in the same phylum, it is possible that they are in the same class, but
different orders.
Your Answer: A branch point represents the absolute time at which two evolutionary lineages split from a
common ancestor.
Correct A branch point represents a point at which two evolutionary lineages split from a common
Answer: ancestor.
No. Without evidence from the fossil record and radiometric dating, it is not possible to put an absolute date on
branch points.
10. Which one of the following methods to establish phylogenetic relationships among organisms has been
developed most recently? ( Concept 26.2)
No. This is a method of observation and could be performed to some extent without the technology we have
available today.
11. The wings of a hummingbird and a bee are _____. ( Concept 26.2)
Your Answer: binomial
Correct analogous
Answer:
No. An organism's scientific name is a binomial consisting of the genus and the specific epithet.
12. Which of the following would be the least useful in determining the relationships among various species? (
Concept 26.2)
14. A phylogenetic tree of bird families constructed by cladistic analysis would be a hypothesis about which of the
following? ( Concept 26.3)
15. Looking at the table and phylogenetic tree in Figure 26.11, which of the following is a true statement? (
Concept 26.3)
No. Since four legs appear in salamanders and turtles, they constitute a shared ancestral character.
16. Many researchers who study the kingdom Protista argue that all of these organisms should not be placed in the
same kingdom, because these organisms could not have evolved from a common ancestor. In other words, they
argue that the kingdom Protista is _____. ( Concept 26.3)
No. The members of a monophyletic clade share a common ancestor. However, unlike a paraphyletic group, all
of the individuals derived from the most recent common ancestor are included.
17. Using cladistic analysis, a taxonomist wishes to construct a phylogenetic tree showing the relationships among
various species of mammals. Which of the following would be the least useful for this purpose? (
Concept 26.3)
Your Answer: the fact that teeth vary among types of mammals
Correct the fact that all mammals have hair
Answer:
No. Variation among the teeth of different types of mammals may be used to distinguish among shared primitive
and shared derived characteristics.
19. Phylogenetic trees with branch lengths proportional to time can be used to _____. ( Concept 26.3)
Your Answer: reflect the number of evolutionary changes that have taken place in a lineage
Correct represent the chronological time that has passed since two groups diverged from a common
Answer: ancestor
Your Answer: Given the rules of how morphological traits change over time, a tree can be found that
reflects the most likely sequence of evolutionary events.
Correct The best tree requires the fewest evolutionary events to have occurred in the form of shared
Answer: derived characters.
No. There are no true rules about how morphological traits change over time. There are certain rules regarding
how DNA changes; however, this statement is more related to the principle of maximum likelihood.
21. Birds and mammals have a four-chambered heart, but reptiles have a three-chambered heart. How does this fact
affect the construction of phylogenetic trees for these groups? ( Concept 26.3)
Your Answer: This represents a problem with the principle of parsimony, rather than a problem with the
analogy-homology issue.
Correct The most likely tree is not always the most parsimonious.
Answer:
No. Just the opposite is true. A four-chambered heart must have developed independently in birds and mammals.
To be the most accurate, a phylogenetic tree should represent several different characters to overcome problems
with analogy and homology.
22. If you wanted to determine the lineage of plants that have evolved on a relatively young archipelago—
approximately 15,000 years old—what type of nucleic acid should you compare? ( Concept 26.4)
Your Answer: are responsible for the differences in beta hemoglobin in humans and mice
Correct result from gene duplication
Answer:
Your Answer: They give the absolute time that two species diverged.
Correct They increase the size of the genome and provide more opportunity for the evolution of novel
Answer: characteristics.
No. Because paralogous genes result from gene duplication, the duplicated genes can diverge from each other
without speciation occurring. Paralogous genes are not very useful in looking at when species diverge.
Your Answer: They always provide the evolutionary explanation with the maximum parsimony.
Correct The high percentage of orthologous genes found in vastly different organisms emphasizes the
Answer: many biochemical and developmental pathways shared by all organisms.
No. It is not always the case that straight line inheritance provides the most parsimonious explanation for
observed phylogenetic trends.
26. Which is an assumption of the neutral theory? ( Concept 26.5)
Your Answer: Differences in the rate of the clock in different genes are a function of how important each
gene is.
Correct Much evolutionary change in genes and proteins has no effect on fitness and therefore is not
Answer: influenced by Darwinian selection.
No. This is an assumption of the neutral theory, but there is a better answer.
27. The idea of using molecules as clocks to time evolutionary events is very attractive, but there are many problems
in actually applying the technique. What seems to be the best way to get reliable results? ( Concept 26.5)
Your Answer: It is important to use one gene in which the changes are clearly neutral.
Correct It is important to use as many genes as possible. With this approach, fluctuations in
Answer: evolutionary rate will tend to average out.
No. It is difficult to determine whether all the changes in a gene are neutral; therefore, it is better to use several
genes so that directional changes may average out.
28. By applying a molecular clock, researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory have proposed that the first HIV-
1 M invasion into humans occurred in the _____. ( Concept 26.5)
Your 1930s
Answer:
Correct. This is the point in time when some scientists estimate that HIV jumped from simians to humans.
29. To which domain is the domain Eukarya (the domain to which humans belong) most closely related? (
Concept 26.6)
No. Although rRNA genes indicate that eukaryotes and archaea are more closely related, genes that influence
metabolism indicate a closer relationship between eukaryotes and bacteria.
30. Universal phylogenetic trees built from different genes sometimes give inconsistent results. What basic
assumption on which phylogenetic trees are based has probably been violated during the history of life? (
Concept 26.6)
Your Genes are passed vertically from one generation to the next.
Answer:
Correct. Phylogenetic trees assume vertical gene transfer, but many organisms also use horizontal gene transfer.
Many scientists postulate that horizontal gene transfer was far more prevalent during the early history of life.