Evolution
The selective breeding of domesticated plants and animals to encourage the occurrence of desirable traits is called:
Artificial selection
The idea that populations grow exponentially while resources grow linearly was proposed by:
Thomas Malthus
Which scientist is credited with developing the theory of natural selection?
Charles Darwin
The rapid diversification of an ancestral species into many new species, often filling new ecological niches, is known as:
Adaptive radiation
The independent evolution of similar features in species from different lineages is called:
Convergent evolution
What is the term for the total aggregate of genes in a population at any one time?
Gene pool
What evidence for evolution do fossil records primarily provide?
Transitional forms
What is the primary factor that prevents species from interbreeding and producing fertile offspring?
Reproductive isolation
What type of selection favors individuals at one extreme end of the phenotypic range?
Directional selection
What is a heritable trait that increases an organism's fitness in its environment called?
An adaptation
Which of the following is the ultimate source of all new genetic variation in a population?
Mutation
A sudden reduction in population size due to environmental changes or human activities can lead to:
Genetic bottleneck
What is the term for the formation of new species without geographic isolation?
Sympatric speciation
When two populations become reproductively isolated, they may diverge into distinct species. This process is called:
Speciation
Which of the following is not a condition for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium?
Small population size
The idea that acquired characteristics can be inherited was proposed by:
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
Which type of selection favors intermediate variants and acts against extreme phenotypes?
Stabilizing selection
The remnants of features that served important functions in the organism's ancestors are called:
Vestigial structures
Structures that are similar in different species due to common ancestry but may have different functions are called:
Homologous structures
Sexual selection can lead to the evolution of traits that may seem disadvantageous for survival, such as:
Elaborate peacock tails
What is the definition of a 'species' according to the biological species concept?
A population able to interbreed and produce fertile offspring
The concept that evolution proceeds in a series of rapid bursts followed by long periods of stasis is called:
Punctuated equilibrium
Analogous structures, like the wings of bats and insects, are an example of:
Convergent evolution
Which of the following describes the movement of alleles between populations?
Gene flow
The process by which organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring is known as:
Natural selection