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Chapter 18: Problem 1
Which scientific concept did Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace independently discover? a. mutation b. natural selection c. overbreeding d. sexual reproduction
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Give an example of convergent evolution and explain how it supports the theory of evolution by natural selection. a. An example of convergent evolution is the development of the same function, swimming, in organisms that live in different parts of the globe, such as Arctic beluga whales and Antarctic right whales. The fact that organisms that do not come in contact with each other have developed the same traits suggests that natural selection can produce similar adaptations in organisms who share a similar environment b. An example of convergent evolution is the set of adaptations, such as better running speed or more efficient hunting, developed by a species in response to competition with a new species that moves into the same region. The fact that a species adapts after it comes into contact with a competitor suggests that natural selection works more quickly with higher selective pressures. c. An example of convergent evolution is the development of an ancestral structure, a limb, into two different modern structures, such as a hand and a flipper. The fact that natural selection can cause a structure to develop down two different pathways due to different environmental conditions supports the theory of evolution d. An example of convergent evolution is the development of the same function, flying, in organisms that do not share a recent common ancestry, such as insects and birds. The fact that wings that allow flight have developed from very different original structures suggests that the process of natural selection can produce similar adaptations in two very different types of organisms who share a similar environment
Which is the best definition of species? a. A group of individual organisms with significant genetic similarities b. a group of individual organisms with significant genetic similarities that share external and internal characteristics c. a group of individual organisms that interbreed d. a group of individual organisms that interbreed and produce viable, fertile offspring
Populations of a plant species have been found growing in the mountains at altitudes above 2,500 meters. Populations of a plant that appears similar, with slight differences, have been found in the same mountains at altitudes below 2,300 meters. Explain how the two types of data you suggested provide a direct answer to the question of whether speciation has taken place. a. If the plants become more similar when grown in the same environment, or if the high-altitude plants respond to low altitude in the same way that low-altitude plants have, and low-altitude plants respond to high altitude the same way that high- altitude plants have, then the two groups have the same underlying genetic structure and belong to one species. b. If the seeds from the plants can be cross fertilized and developed into fertile offspring, the two populations are not yet reproductively isolated and remain one species. If hybrid forms are found, the two populations are not reproductively isolated and hybrids are both viable and successful. c. If the genetic codes of the two plants are identical, then they must belong to the same species. Also, if genes transplanted between the plants function successfully, then the plants must be similar enough to each other to belong to the same species. d. If scientists are able to find the common ancestor of the two groups in the fossil record or in neighboring communities, then they can determine whether the plants have diverged into separate species or remain a single species.
Use adaptive radiation to explain the diversification of the finches Darwin observed in the Galapagos. a. The finches likely shared a common ancestor when they came to the island, but exhibited different traits. Each species of finch settled the island where its particular traits would be the most adaptive. b. The finches likely originated as one parent species, but over time mutations caused them to develop reproductive barriers and separate into different species. To reduce competition, the species then radiated out to inhabit different islands. c. The finches likely dispersed from one parent species, and natural selection based on different food sources in differing habitats led to adaptive changes, evidenced in the different beak shapes of the different species-each suited to a different food type. d. It is likely that a series of cataclysmic events caused an original finch species to diverge into the many finch species that inhabited the islands when Darwin observed them. The different species then radiated out to the different islands and adapted to the different conditions on each.
Which is an example of an adaptation? a. The better nutrition of a human helps her grow taller. b. The webbed feet of a duck help it swim. c. The urban location of a raccoon helps it find food. d. The large leaves of a desert plant require more water.
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