Category #3: Biological Evolution & Classification

Which organism is the LEAST related to the other three organisms?

• Organism 1

• Organism 2

• Organism 3

• Organism 4

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Although these organisms belong to the same phylum, they are classified as different —

• families

• species

• kingdoms

• orders

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Which list correctly identifies characteristics that protists share with animals?

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The white cattail is a hybrid species of plant that is a result of the cross between the broad-leaved cattail and the narrow-leaved cattail. Over time, the white cattail has established itself in the wetlands of Midwestern states.

Which of these explains the success of the white cattail?

• Favorable genes from parental generations provide advantageous characteristics to the hybrid species.

• Hybridization produces offspring traits that allow different species to survive in extreme environments.

• Inherited traits passed on from parental generations make hybrid species more susceptible to disease.

• Hybrid species display more adaptations due to their reduced genetic diversity.

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The gray squirrel, Eastern fox squirrel, and red squirrel are all different species of squirrels. Why is having a scientific name for each species of an organism important?

• To prevent existing named organisms from having their names changed as they become extinct

• To keep the classification system from being altered as new organisms are discovered

• To allow organisms to be placed in many classification levels at the same time

• To standardize the naming and organization of organisms to avoid confusion

Which result is most likely to occur to the beetle population due to predation over time?

• The number of light-colored beetles in the population will increase.

• There will be more dark-colored beetles than light-colored beetles.

• The number of light-colored beetles will decrease.

• The dark-colored beetles will move to a different type of tree.

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Adaptations that result from natural selection are expected to increase the fitness of an organism. In terms of natural selection, which of the following best describes fitness?

• Being able to escape from predators

• Being among the strongest organisms in a population

• Being able to survive, find a mate, and produce offspring

• Being able to survive long enough to reach the adult stage

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Niles Eldredge and Stephen Jay Gould researched the lenses of the eyes of fossil trilobites of different species. In 1972 they published a paper in which they described the tendency of a species to remain the same until a sudden change in the environment causes a new related species to appear.

Which hypothesis was most challenged by the work of Eldredge and Gould?

• Redi’s hypothesis that spontaneous generation does not occur

• Haeckel’s hypothesis that embryological development mimics the evolution of species

• Wallace’s hypothesis that geography affects the distribution of species

• Darwin’s hypothesis that the development of species is a slow, gradual process

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Scientists use zebra fish to study human genetic diseases because zebra fish and humans share many of the same genetic diseases.

Which statement describes why zebra fish experience similar genetic diseases as humans?

• Zebra fish have an omnivorous diet similar to that of humans.

• Zebra fish have nucleotide sequences similar to those of humans.

• Zebra fish go through embryonic stages similar to those of humans.

• Zebra fish produce gametes through a process that is similar to that of humans.

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Based on this cladogram, which statement best describes relationships among millipede orders?

• Stemmiulida is more closely related to Merocheta than Penicillata is to Merocheta.

• Spirostreptida is more closely related to Glomerida than Sphaerotheriida is to Glomerida.

• Polyzoniida is more closely related to Glomeridesmida than Sphaerotheriida is to Glomeridesmida.

• Merocheta is more closely related to Glomeridesmida than Glomerida is to Glomeridesmida.

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