7A & 7E Practice Questions

(7.A) Cetaceans are whales and their relatives. The diagram shows some fossils of cetaceans.

Which statement provides the best evidence that Ambulocetus natans is an ancestor of Basilosaurus isis?

• Homologous structures occur in each fossil.

• Similar nitrogenous bases are found in the DNA of each fossil.

• The fossils were found in different locations.

• The youngest fossil is larger than the older fossils.

(7.A) In 2010, scientists excavated a skull fossil that provides evidence of a newly discovered species of big cat. Based on the evidence, scientists hypothesize that big cats branched off from smaller wild cats about 6 million years ago. Which of these resources did the scientists most likely rely on to form their hypothesis?

• A food web showing feeding relationships of organisms where the fossil skull was found

• Population and migration data for small wild cats living in the ecosystem where the skull was found

• The fossil record and DNA comparisons of big cats and small cats

• The historical record of interactions between different species of big cats

(7.A) Researchers studying populations of lizards from the genus Gallotia on the Canary Islands compared the protein cytochrome b in different populations. The table shows the number of differences in the cytochrome b protein between different populations. Which conclusion about the relatedness of the lizards do these data support?

• G. atlantica and G. stehlini are the least closely related.

• G. simonyi and G. bravoana are the most closely related.

• G. galloti eisentrauti and G. galloti palmae are the most closely related.

• G. galloti eisentrauti and G. galloti galloti are the least closely related.

(7.A) The image shows part of the humerus bone in different genera of primates. Which statement is best supported by the observable structures of the different humerus bones?

• The primates lived in similar environments.

• The primates shared a common ancestor.

• The primates interbreed with similar organisms in a population.

• The primates had diets that consisted of similar types of foods.

(7.E) West Texas. The bat feeds on nectar and pollen and hovers while it feeds. Additionally, its tongue can extend up to eight centimeters. 

 

The features of Mexican long-nosed bats are evidence of natural selection because the features are adaptations that —

• lead to an increase in predation by other species of animals

• show that most DNA mutations are necessary and advantageous but do not increase survival or reproductive success

• help individuals outcompete other individuals for food resources to increase survival and reproductive success

• are the result of intentional breeding

(7.E.) Plants have developed many methods of seed dispersal. The table shows seeds of two different plants. How has the seed dispersal method developed by these plants given them a reproductive advantage?

• The method ensures that offspring will be dispersed and reduces competition for resources.

• The method reduces the chance that herbivores will consume the seeds.

• The method lengthens the life cycle of each of these plants.

• The method reduces the plants’ need for water and other nutrients.

(7.E) Some organisms have genes that improve their ability to survive and reproduce. If the genes also help their offspring survive and reproduce, then which of the following will most likely increase?

• The frequency of the genes in one individual

• The frequency of the genes in the population

• The number of genes in one chromosome

• The number of genes in the species

(7.E) In the 1940s, the scientist J. B. S. Haldane linked many human red blood cell disorders with the tropical regions where malaria occurs. Haldane hypothesized that the widespread presence of these red blood cell disorders as well as traits that protect individuals from malaria were the result of natural selection. Haldane’s hypothesis was later confirmed by the research of A. C. Allison.

The resistance to malaria carried by individuals in areas where malaria is widespread is the result of —

• a vaccine against malaria

• the individuals’ genetic composition

• antibiotic medications

• the individuals’ behavior in avoiding those with the infection