Evolutionary Ecology Of animal MCQs January 8, 2026March 26, 2024 by u930973931_answers 20 min Score: 0 Attempted: 0/20 Subscribe 1. . What is the main driver of evolution in populations? (A) Mutation (B) Natural selection (C) Genetic drift (D) Gene flow 2. . Which of the following is not a mechanism of evolution? (A) Genetic mutation (B) Genetic drift (C) Artificial selection (D) Acquired characteristics 3. . What is the term for the evolutionary process by which unrelated species evolve similar traits due to similar environmental pressures? (A) Convergent evolution (B) Divergent evolution (C) Coevolution (D) Adaptive radiation 4. . Which of the following statements about natural selection is false? (A) It acts on phenotypic variation. (B) It can lead to the evolution of new species. (C) It always results in increased genetic diversity. (D) It operates on heritable traits. 5. . What is the term for the study of the distribution of species across space and time? (A) Biogeography (B) Population ecology (C) Community ecology (D) Evolutionary ecology 6. . Which of the following is not a component of Darwin’s theory of natural selection? (A) Variation (B) Inheritance (C) Adaptation (D) Genetic engineering 7. . What is the term for the process by which new species evolve from a common ancestor? (A) Speciation (B) Diversification (C) Hybridization (D) Mutation 8. . Which of the following is not a type of natural selection? (A) Stabilizing selection (B) Disruptive selection (C) Directional selection (D) Uniform selection 9. . What is the term for the genetic contribution of an individual to the next generation’s gene pool relative to the average for the population? (A) Adaptation (B) Fitness (C) Allele frequency (D) Phenotype 10. . Which of the following is an example of sexual selection? (A) Camouflage (B) Competition for mates (C) Mimicry (D) Parasitism 11. . What is the term for the situation in which two species evolve together, each exerting selective pressures on the other? (A) Coevolution (B) Convergent evolution (C) Adaptive radiation (D) Speciation 12. . Which of the following is not a factor that can lead to the formation of new species? (A) Geographic isolation (B) Behavioral isolation (C) Temporal isolation (D) Genetic homogeneity 13. . What is the term for the evolutionary change within a single lineage? (A) Anagenesis (B) Cladogenesis (C) Allopatric speciation (D) Sympatric speciation 14. . Which of the following is an example of allopatric speciation? (A) Two populations of birds with different mating calls (B) A river divides a population of fish into two separate groups (C) A plant species evolves resistance to a new herbicide (D) Two species of insects develop similar color patterns 15. . What is the term for the process by which a single species diversifies into a variety of forms to exploit different ecological niches? (A) Adaptive radiation (B) Speciation (C) Dispersal (D) Vicariance 16. . Which of the following is not a type of reproductive isolation mechanism? (A) Habitat isolation (B) Temporal isolation (C) Genetic isolation (D) Mechanical isolation 17. . What is the term for the evolutionary history of a species or group of related species? (A) Phylogeny (B) Ontogeny (C) Ecology (D) Morphology 18. . Which of the following is an example of divergent evolution? (A) Homologous structures in different species (B) Analogous structures in different species (C) Convergent evolution (D) Parallel evolution 19. . What is the term for the study of the adaptive significance of behavior? (A) Behavioral ecology (B) Ethology (C) Sociobiology (D) Evolutionary psychology 20. . Which of the following is not an example of genetic drift? (A) Founder effect (B) Bottleneck effect (C) Natural selection (D) Population bottleneck