Evolution of Populations

The combined genetic information of a population forms a

• genotype

• gene pool

• phenotype

• bottleneck

Mutations that improve an individual's ability to surve and reproduce are

• harmful

• helpful

• neutral

• chromosomal

Hox genes are important to evolution because

• they mutate often

• they are only found in egg and sperm cells

• they are immune to natural selection

• they have a large effect on the traits of an organism

In a population, short individuals have a greater fitness than average or tall individuals. This difference in fitness could lead to

• directional selection

• stabilizing selection

• disruptive selection

• artificial selection

A change in the allele frequency of a small population that is caused by chance is known as

• a gene pool

• the Hardy-Weinberg principle

• variation

• genetic drift

When two populations no longer interbreed, what is the result?

• genetic equilibrium

• reproductive isolation

• stabilizing selection

• artificial selection

Two populations of turtles nest on an island. One of the species nest in June. The other species nests in August. These two species are separated by

• temporal isolation

• geographical isolation

• genetic isolation

• behavioral isolation

What are scientists counting when using a molecular clock?

• mutations

• genes

• gene families

• chromosomes

Which of the following conditions is MOST likely to result in changes in allele frequencies in a population?

• random mating

• small population size

• no migrations into or out of a population

• absence of natural selection

Mutations and the genetic recombination that occurs during sexual reproduction are both sources of

• genetic variation

• stabilizing selection

• genetic equilibrium

• genetic drift