Evolutionary Ecology Of animal MCQs

1. What is the main driver of evolution in populations? a) Mutation b) Natural selection c) Genetic drift d) Gene flow Answer: b) Natural selection 2. Which of the following is not a mechanism of evolution? a) Genetic mutation b) Genetic drift c) Artificial selection d) Acquired characteristics Answer: 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 Answer: a) Convergent evolution 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. Answer: c) It always results in increased genetic diversity. 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 Answer: a) Biogeography 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 Answer: 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 Answer: a) Speciation 8. Which of the following is not a type of natural selection? a) Stabilizing selection b) Disruptive selection c) Directional selection d) Uniform selection Answer: 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 Answer: b) Fitness 10. Which of the following is an example of sexual selection? a) Camouflage b) Competition for mates c) Mimicry d) Parasitism Answer: b) Competition for mates 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 Answer: a) Coevolution 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 Answer: 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 Answer: a) Anagenesis 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 Answer: b) A river divides a population of fish into two separate groups 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 Answer: a) Adaptive radiation 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 Answer: c) Genetic 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 Answer: a) Phylogeny 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 Answer: a) Homologous structures in different species 19. What is the term for the study of the adaptive significance of behavior? a) Behavioral ecology b) Ethology c) Sociobiology d) Evolutionary psychology Answer: a) Behavioral ecology 20. Which of the following is not an example of genetic drift? a) Founder effect b) Bottleneck effect c) Natural selection d) Population bottleneck Answer: c) Natural selection 21. What is the term for the study of the geographic distribution of species? a) Biogeography b) Ecogeography c) Geospatial ecology d) Phylogeography Answer: a) Biogeography 22. Which of the following is not a requirement for natural selection to occur? a) Variation in traits b) Heritability of traits c) Differential reproductive success d) Genetic engineering Answer: d) Genetic engineering 23. What is the term for the process by which two or more species evolve together in response to changes in each other? a) Coevolution b) Convergent evolution c) Parallel evolution d) Divergent evolution Answer: a) Coevolution 24. Which of the following is not a type of selection pressure? a) Predation b) Competition c) Habitat destruction d) Sexual reproduction Answer: d) Sexual reproduction 25. What is the term for the study of the distribution and abundance of species and the factors that influence their distribution and abundance? a) Population ecology b) Community ecology c) Ecosystem ecology d) Evolutionary ecology Answer: a) Population ecology 26. Which of the following is not a mode of speciation? a) Allopatric speciation b) Sympatric speciation c) Parapatric speciation d) Convergent speciation Answer: d) Convergent speciation 27. What is the term for the process by which species with similar ecological roles evolve in similar ways in response to similar environmental conditions? a) Convergent evolution b) Adaptive radiation c) Divergent evolution d) Coevolution Answer: a) Convergent evolution 28. Which of the following is not a factor that contributes to genetic variation within a population? a) Mutation b) Genetic drift c) Gene flow d) Genetic homogeneity Answer: d) Genetic homogeneity 29. What is the term for the phenomenon in which organisms from different evolutionary backgrounds evolve similar traits due to similar selection pressures? a) Convergent evolution b) Divergent evolution c) Parallel evolution d) Coevolution Answer: a) Convergent evolution 30. Which of the following is an example of an ecological niche? a) The physical habitat where an organism lives b) The role an organism plays in its ecosystem c) The genetic makeup of an organism d) The reproductive behavior of an organism Answer: b) The role an organism plays in its ecosystem 31. What is the term for the process by which new species arise in the same geographic area? a) Allopatric speciation b) Sympatric speciation c) Parapatric speciation d) Peripatric speciation Answer: b) Sympatric speciation 32. What is the term for the process by which the frequency of alleles in a population changes over time due to chance events? a) Genetic drift b) Natural selection c) Gene flow d) Mutation Answer: a) Genetic drift 33. Which of the following is not an example of prezygotic reproductive isolation? a) Habitat isolation b) Mechanical isolation c) Hybrid sterility d) Temporal isolation Answer: c) Hybrid sterility 34. What is the term for the study of the evolutionary relationships between organisms based on genetic, morphological, and behavioral data? a) Phylogenetics b) Ethology c) Systematics d) Taxonomy Answer: a) Phylogenetics 35. Which of the following is an example of adaptive radiation? a) The evolution of finches on the Galapagos Islands b) The convergent evolution of dolphins and sharks c) The coevolution of flowering plants and pollinators d) The development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria Answer: a) The evolution of finches on the Galapagos Islands 36. What is the term for the existence of two or more distinct morphs within a single population? a) Polymorphism b) Monomorphism c) Dimorphism d) Polygenic inheritance Answer: a) Polymorphism 37. Which of the following is not a type of evolutionary constraint? a) Phylogenetic constraint b) Developmental constraint c) Ecological constraint d) Population constraint Answer: d) Population constraint 38. What is the term for the process by which alleles become more or less common in a population over time due to differential reproductive success? a) Natural selection b) Genetic drift c) Gene flow d) Mutation Answer: a) Natural selection 39. Which of the following is not a factor contributing to reproductive isolation between populations? a) Habitat isolation b) Temporal isolation c) Behavioral isolation d) Genetic homogeneity Answer: d) Genetic homogeneity 40. What is the term for the pattern of evolutionary change within a single lineage over time? a) Anagenesis b) Cladogenesis c) Allopatric speciation d) Sympatric speciation Answer: a) Anagenesis 41. Which of the following is not a mechanism of speciation? a) Allopatric speciation b) Sympatric speciation c) Peripatric speciation d) Homopatric speciation Answer: d) Homopatric speciation 42. What is the term for the process by which closely related species evolve in response to different selection pressures? a) Divergent evolution b) Convergent evolution c) Parallel evolution d) Coevolution Answer: a) Divergent evolution 43. Which of the following is not an example of reproductive isolation? a) Mechanical isolation b) Habitat isolation c) Gene flow d) Temporal isolation Answer: c) Gene flow 44. What is the term for the selective breeding of plants and animals to produce desired traits? a) Artificial selection b) Natural selection c) Sexual selection d) Genetic drift Answer: a) Artificial selection 45. Which of the following is not a postzygotic reproductive barrier? a) Hybrid inviability b) Hybrid sterility c) Mechanical isolation d) Hybrid breakdown Answer: c) Mechanical isolation 46. What is the term for the process by which species diversify rapidly into a multitude of forms to fill different ecological niches? a) Adaptive radiation b) Convergent evolution c) Divergent evolution d) Speciation Answer: a) Adaptive radiation 47. Which of the following is not a source of genetic variation within a population? a) Mutation b) Genetic drift c) Gene flow d) Genetic homogeneity Answer: d) Genetic homogeneity 48. What is the term for the study of the evolutionary history and relationships among groups of organisms? a) Phylogenetics b) Taxonomy c) Systematics d) Cladistics Answer: a) Phylogenetics 49. Which of the following is not a component of the biological species concept? a) Interbreeding b) Reproductive isolation c) Morphological similarity d) Genetic divergence Answer: c) Morphological similarity