Natural selection is sometimes described as 'survival of the fittest.' Which of the following best measures an organism's fitness?
a. How many fertile offspring it produces
b. How strong it is when pitted against others of its species
c. Its ability to withstand environmental extremes
d. How much food it is able to make or obtain

Which of the following did not influence Darwin as he synthesized the theory of evolution by natural selection?

a. Examples of artificial selection that produce large and relatively rapid changes in domesticated species.

b. Lyell's Principles of Geology, on gradual geologic changes.

c. Comparisons of fossils with living organisms.

d. Mendel's paper describing the laws of inheritance.

Traits that are derived from a common ancestor, like the bones of human arms and bird wings, are said to be               .

What holds cellulose molecules together in bundles large enough to form fibers?

a. The cell wall

b. Peptide bonds

c. Hydrogen bonds

d. Hydrophobic interactions

The upper forelimbs of humans and bats have fairly similar skeletal structures, whereas the corresponding bones in whales have very different shapes and proportions. However, genetic data suggest that all three kinds of organisms diverged from a common ancestor at about the same time. Which of the following is the most likely explanation for these data?

a. Forelimb evolution was adaptive in people and bats, but not in whales.

b. Natural selection in an aquatic environment resulted in significant changes to whale forelimb anatomy.

c. Genes mutate faster in whales than in humans or bats.

d. Whales are not properly classified as mammals.

How can evolutionary fitness be measured? Select True or False for each statement.

T/F Document how long individuals survive.

T/F Count the number of healthy, fertile offspring produced.

T/F Determine which individuals are strongest.

T/F Determine which phenotype is the most common.

What are the primary functions of carbohydrates in cells?

a. Cell identity, energy storage, raw material source for synthesis, and structure

b. Catalysis, energy storage, metabolism, and structure

c. Catalysis, digestion, energy storage, and information storage

d. Energy storage, information storage, polymerization, and raw material source for synthesis

Which of the differences listed here could be found among molecules of the same monosaccharide? Select True or False for each statement.

T/F There is a difference in the orientation of a hydroxyl group in the ring form.

T/F There is a difference in the number of carbons.

T/F There is a difference in the position of the carbonyl group in the linear form.

T/F There is a difference in the overall shape of the molecule—one is a ring and the other is linear.

The best definition of evolutionary fitness is:

a. Physical health

b. The ability to attract members of the opposite sex

c. The ability to adapt to the environment

d. Survival and reproduction relative to other members of the population

e. Overall strength