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Genetic data suggest many frog species that live in Madagascar and India share a common ancestor that lived on the India-Madagascar landmass.
Which statement BEST describes the divergence of frog species found in India and Madagascar?
Breeding preferences of the frogs prevented interbreeding between frogs, resulting in new species.
Geographic separation led to divergence in the gene pool, resulting in a new species in each location.
The frog species occupied different habitats within the same geographic areas, resulting in new species.
Different mating seasons led to the divergence of the gene pool, resulting in a new species at each location.
Students were asked to identify the following birds using the classification key shown.
Which statement correctly identifies two of the birds?
Bird 1 is a Ruby-throated hummingbird and Bird 2 is a Tufted titmouse.
Bird 2 is a Great blue heron and Bird 3 is an Ovenbird.
Bird 2 is a Red-tailed hawk and Bird 3 is a Killdeer.
Bird 1 is an Ovenbird and Bird 3 is a Tufted titmouse.
A river changes course so a population of mice is subdivided into two populations. The forest on the eastern side of the stream contains a land predator that is absent on the western side of the stream. Which outcome will MOST likely occur in the mice populations over many generations?
Mice on the western side of the stream will have better camouflage.
Mice on the eastern side of the stream will have a different number of chromosomes.
The two groups of mice will develop different adaptations.
The two groups of mice will continue to eat the same food.
The data table below shows the percent differences in the DNA of four species.
Based on the data in the table, which cladogram is most accurate?
A scientist sees the organism shown below in an aquarium and uses a key to help classify the species.
Based on the key above, what species did the scientist observe?
spotted moray eel
spotted eagle ray
glassy sweeper
glasseye snapper
Drought affects a population of plants. One specific plant’s growth rate slows in response to the drought. How could the drought-resistant trait become more common in the population?
Other plants will begin to produce drought-resistant seeds.
The drought-resistant plant will convey its traits to nearby plants.
Other plant species will cross-pollinate with the drought-resistant plant.
The drought-resistant plant will produce more seeds than the other plants.
The drawing shows a dark-colored peppered moth and a light-colored peppered moth.
The increased use of coal in 19th-century England lead to the coating of the landscape with black coal dust. The event coincided with a change in peppered moth populations. Over time, the frequency of dark-colored moths became greater than that of light-colored moths. What was the advantage of the dark-colored moths over the light-colored moths?
The dark color allowed them to successfully migrate.
The dark color helped them to successfully catch prey.
The dark color increased their ability to hide from predators.
The dark color prevented coal dust from harming their wings.
Members of the same species of bird became geographically separated. Over many years, the two groups evolved to become two different species. Which of these observations is the BEST evidence that two separate species developed?
Each group has a different feeding preference.
Each group has a different habitat preference.
Each group has different mating habits.
Each group is active at a different time of day.
Some scientists have suggested that pandas may be more closely related to raccoons than to bears. What could scientists compare between pandas and the raccoons to help classify the panda more accurately?
their diets
their DNA
their body sizes
their geographic distribution
Which factor MOST accurately describes the statement “Survival of the fittest” in relation to natural selection?
the mutation rate
the ability of offspring to reproduce
the amount of food an organism obtains
the ability to withstand environmental extremes
Some antibiotics used to treat infections in humans are also used to treat chickens, but some groups oppose this practice. The overuse of the antibiotics will MOST likely influence the natural selection of which type of organisms?
chickens that naturally make the antibiotics
microbes that are resistant to the antibiotics
microbes that are susceptible to the antibiotics
chickens that are resistant to infection
In 2005, scientists discovered a strain of fruit flies that was resistant to the pesticide DDT. Although pesticide resistance can sometimes decrease the overall fitness of an organism, these flies did not exhibit reduced fitness. In fact, the flies thrived in the absence of the pesticide. Bacteria Y is a harmful strain of a usually helpful bacteria that lives on human skin. Antibiotic X is usually effective against bacteria Y.
Suppose a situation similar to the fruit fly’s resistance to DDT developed between bacteria Y and antibiotic X. Which course of treatment would MOST likely help a patient suffering from a disease caused by the newly developed strain of bacteria Y?
Continue treatment with antibiotic X, but increase the dosage.
Continue treatment with antibiotic X, but cut the dosage in half.
Stop treatment with antibiotic X, and start treatment with another antibiotic.
Stop treatment with all antibiotics, and let beneficial bacteria out-compete bacteria Y.
The Florida panther has been listed as an endangered species since 1967.
Which natural occurrence has MOST likely led to this species being unable to adapt and becoming endangered?
an increase in global warming
a decrease in genetic diversity
a decrease in hurricane activity
an increase in primary producers
Use the table below to identify the unknown plant in the question that follows.
An unidentified plant produces spores, has many cells, but does not have true leaves. What plant is it?
liverwort
fern
gymnosperm
angiosperm
Which BEST explains why antibiotics lose their effectiveness over a period of years?
Antibiotics break down very quickly when digested in the body.
Antibiotics can kill bacteria only within the first few hours of illness.
Antibiotics are effective at first but become weak before killing off harmful bacteria.
Antibiotics are effective at killing some bacteria, but a few variants can survive and reproduce.
Which factor determines if two individuals are members of the same species?
They live in the same habitat and niche.
They forage and eat the same type of food.
They mate and produce fertile offspring.
They are similar in appearance and color.
Rhinoceroses and horses are related. They have very similar digestive systems and an odd number of toes on their feet. Horses have one toe, and rhinoceroses have three. These facts BEST support which claim?
Horses and rhinoceroses share a common ancestor.
Horses and rhinoceroses are genetically identical.
Horses are the ancestors of modern rhinoceroses.
Horses have descended from modern rhinoceroses.
Examine the illustration carefully.
Which is the BEST prediction of what might happen to the moth population over time?
The shades will have little or no effect on the moth population.
The lighter-shaded moths will be selected out of the population.
The darker-shaded moths will be selected out of the population.
The lighter-shaded moths will become darker-shaded.
A farmer sprayed his orange trees with a pesticide to eliminate the insects damaging the trees. Some of the insects survived and produced offspring that were also resistant to the pesticide. Which process is illustrated by the pesticide resistance of the offspring?
natural selection
selective breeding
aerobic respiration
sexual reproduction
Scientists discovered that DNA sequences are conserved over generations. How did this discovery MOST benefit the study of organism classification?
by determining the likely reason for a species extinction
by determining relationships between species that have no visible differences
by determining whether an anatomical structure is homologous or analogous
by determining which domain is appropriate for a newly discovered organism
Which is MOST likely responsible for the chinch bugs’ ability to survive repeated exposure to insecticides?
species diversity
genetic diversity
ecosystem diversity
population diversity
Scientists study similarities between groups of organisms to determine how they may have changed over time.
All of the following are used as evidence for the similarities between the two organisms shown above EXCEPT
early development.
body structure.
habitat.
DNA.
Examine the data in the table below.
Based on the data in the table, which cladogram is MOST accurate?
A fish in a pond has longer protective spines than any other fish of its species. The spines keep the fish safe from predators. The fish has many offspring, which also have long spines. Which statement BEST describes what happened?
A mutation caused a beneficial change in the fish.
A mutation caused a harmful change in the fish.
Longer spines caused a genetic change in the fish.
Longer spines caused a temporary change in the fish.
Natural selection CANNOT occur without
competition for unlimited resources.
gradual warming of Earth.
genetic variation in species.
asexual reproduction in species.
Manatees are large marine mammals that live in warm coastal waters of the southeastern United States, the Gulf Coast, Central America, and South America. Elephants are large land mammals native to Africa and Southeast Asia. Manatees and elephants share a recent common ancestor. Manatees do not have hind legs, but they do have small bones near their pelvises. Scientists think these bones indicate that ancestors of manatees did have hind legs.
Which claim about the common ancestor of manatees and elephants is BEST supported by the facts above?
The common ancestor lived on land.
The common ancestor swam in water.
The common ancestor walked upright.
The common ancestor was a plant-eater.
Which of these BEST describes the benefit of genetic variation within a species?
It ensures some organisms can survive an environmental change.
It occurs even among organisms that are isolated.
It allows most organisms to find appropriate mates.
It is energetically inexpensive for organisms to maintain.
A student found a small unfamiliar animal. It had small ears and its tail had hair on it. The tail was 19 mm long. Use the following key to identify the animal.
What is the animal?
deer mouse
prairie vole
white-footed mouse
woodland vole
The overuse of antibiotics is causing a rise in the number of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics. Which mechanism would MOST likely account for this?
Through mutation, the bacteria change into other species.
Through natural selection, a few surviving antibiotic-resistant bacteria multiply.
Through competition for reduced resources, the antibiotic-resistant bacteria thrive.
Through movement to other habitats, bacteria find more places to live.
A cricket population includes approximately the same number of black and light-brown crickets. Black crickets are easier for birds to locate and eat. Over time, the population begins to consist of only light-brown crickets. The change in the color of the cricket population is a result of
limited resources.
natural selection
geographic isolation.
climate change.
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