Types of Evolution and Speciation

Practice Questions

MCAT Biology › Types of Evolution and Speciation

Questions
4
1

A population of saltwater fish has doubled in body length and decreased in body width over the past decade. This has been attributed to overfishing using nets with large holes. This type of selection is most accurately __________.

2

Seven thousand years ago, a species of oryx indigenous to the Arabian Peninsula was separated when an earthquake caused an insurmountable barrier to form between different geological segments of the population. A recent population genetics study showed that the two populations were no longer able to successfully interbreed.

Careful testing of these two species found that a physiological change in one species was responsible for the mating incompatibility between the two populations. Which of the following answer choices best describes the nature of this mating incompatibility?

3

Passage:

A population of 1200 flamingos exists on an island in the tropics. The flamingos had previously been studied for many years due to their fascinating foraging habits. Many flamingos within this population hunt their prey out in the open, without any attempts to disguise themselves, which some feel predisposes them to being seen by their prey and evaded, or even attacked, sooner than flamingos who more stealthily hunt their prey. Still, so many of these flamingos continue to live viably and reproduce highly successfully, so it has puzzled scientists for years that this is an "evolutionarily successful" strategy. Of the 1200 flamingos initially present, 800 had pink feathers and 400 had white feathers. A tragic hurricane then struck the island, killing all but 10 of the flamingos. 8 of these 10 had white feathers. Years later, scientists again studied the flamings on the island and found a population of 600 flamingos. Of the 600 flamingos, 560 had white feathers and 40 had pink feathers.

Which of the following evolutionary principles best describes the situation present in the passage above?

4

Seven thousand years ago, a species of oryx indigenous to the Arabian Peninsula was separated when an earthquake caused an insurmountable barrier to form between different geological segments of the population. A recent population genetics study showed that the two populations were no longer able to successfully interbreed.

What type of speciation event does this information indicate?

Return to subject