Evolution and Community Ecology Quiz

Why are the zebra and quagga mussels more destructive than the native mussels in the Great Lakes?

• They have a higher reproductive rate

• They have stronger shells

• They outcompete native mussels for resources

• They have a higher tolerance for changing environmental conditions

What is the definition of biological evolution?

• The change in a population's gene pool over time

• The process by which traits useful for survival and reproduction are passed on more frequently

• The movement of individuals into or out of a population

• The accidental change in DNA that can give rise to variation among individuals

Which mechanism of biological evolution involves the accidental change in DNA?

• Mutation

• Migration

• Genetic Drift

• Natural Selection

What is the process by which traits useful for survival and reproduction are passed on more frequently?

• Mutation

• Migration

• Genetic Drift

• Natural Selection

What are the conditions of natural selection?

• Organisms produce more offspring than can survive

• Individuals vary in characteristics, some of which are heritable

• Individuals vary in fitness, or reproductive success

• All of the above

What is artificial selection?

• The change in a population's gene pool over time

• The process by which traits useful for survival and reproduction are passed on more frequently

• Selection under human direction

• The movement of individuals into or out of a population

What is speciation?

• The change in a population's gene pool over time

• The process by which new species are generated

• Selection under human direction

• The movement of individuals into or out of a population

What is extinction?

• The change in a population's gene pool over time

• The process by which new species are generated

• The disappearance of species from Earth

• The movement of individuals into or out of a population

What is the term for organisms that compete for the same limited resource?

• Predators

• Herbivores

• Parasites

• Competitors

What is the process by which a predator hunts, kills, and consumes prey?

• Predation

• Parasitism

• Herbivory

• Mutualism