Biology 321 Final Exam

21 April 2023
Name: Edmond Max Kebry Henry Edmond
Student ID: 40097607

Instructions:
1. You have until 6:00 pm Friday to return your completed exam.
2. You may consult your notes, textbook, and/or readings. However, please do not consult
your classmates. You are on the honor system to complete the exam independently!
3. I have posted the exam as a Word file and as a PDF file. If you are unable to answer
directly on the Word document, clearly identify the question you are answering in a
Word (or similar file) and upload your answers as a single document.
4. PLEASE CONVERT YOUR FINAL DOCUMENT AND UPLOAD AS A PDF.
THE TITLE OF THE DOCUMENT SHOULD BE “LASTNAME.FIRST.PDF”
Part I: Multiple choice. Select the best answer for each of the following questions. Indicate your
choice on the line indicated as ‘My choice’. 2 mark each.
1) The term ‘reaction norm’ refers to:
a) The range of phenotypic responses to environmental variability
b) The range of genotypic expressions under environmental variability
c) The result of strong disruptive selection acting on a population
d) All of the above
e) A and B

My choice for question 1:a

2) Invasive species Salmonid species have lead to the rapid extirpation of native
Galaxid species due to:
a) Increased predation by the invasive species.
b) Competition for limited resources among native and invasive species.
c) Increased parasite transmission rates.
d) Lack of local adaptations among native species.
e) Small effective population sizes among invasive species.

My choice for question 2: b

3) According to the model of parapatric speciation, hybrid fitness will result in species
isolation if:
a) The hybrid fitness is lower than both parental populations.
b) The hybrid fitness is equal to both parental populations.
c) The hybrid fitness is correlated with the direction of the selection pressure.
d) The hybrid population size is greater than either parental population.
e) Gene flow is high among all populations.

My choice for question 3: a

4) The potential impact of genetic drift is expected to be increased among:

a) Populations under strong disruptive selection.
b) Populations with small Ne.
c) Populations with large Ne.
d) Populations with high immigration rates.
e) Populations with high mutation rates.

My choice for question 4: b

5) Which of the following is not true of Linkage Disequilibrium (LD):

a) LD can arise from physical linkage of alleles.
b) LD is increased through selection of correlated traits.
c) LD can be enhanced through the effects of genetic drift.
d) LD increased in sexually reproducing species through random mating.
e) All of the above are true.

My choice for question 5:d

 6) Which of the following is not true of sympatric speciation in animals:
a) Can result from strong disruptive selection.
b) Is constrained by gene flow.
c) May be the product of chromosomal errors.
d) Results from the accumulation of local adaptations across habitats.
e) Involves both pre- and post-zygotic isolation mechanisms.

My choice for question 6:c

7) Which of the following is not true of polyploidy.

a) Can result in rapid sympatric speciation.
b) Can result from gene duplication errors.
c) Can result from both meiotic and mitotic cell division errors.
d) Can result in the doubling of diploid number within a single generation.
e) Is found only in flowering plants.

My choice for question 7:e

8) The bones in the front limbs of reptiles and the bones in the wings of a bat, which
are evolutionary derived from a common ancestor, are said to be:
a) Homologous traits.
b) Homoplastic traits.
c) Convergent traits.
d) Sympatric traits.
e) Derived traits.

My choice for question 8:a

9) Female hummingbirds typically lay two eggs per clutch. Occasionally, a female
may lay three eggs, but this normally results in the death of all chicks. Assuming
egg number is a heritable quantitative trait in this species, this reproductive tactic
is an example of:
a) Disruptive selection.
b) Directional selection.
c) Stabilizing selection.
d) Kin selection.
e) Frequency dependent selection.

My choice for question 9: c

10) Male blue footed boobies court females by presenting them a single stick. This
peculiar courtship phenotype is the result of:
a) Sexual selection.
b) The sexy sons model.
c) Biotic relaxation.
d) Extreme directional selection.
e) Disruptive selection.

My choice for question 10: b

Part II: Short answer: Answer each of the following questions (6 marks each). Keep
your answers brief and limited to the specific question asked. YOU MAY LOOSE
POINTS FOR OVERLY LONG RESPONSES. Use 12 point font (Times or similar),
single spaced. As a guideline, answers should be no more than 1/3 of a page. Type your
answers directly under each question:

1. Describe Axelrod and Hamilton’s geographical model of the coevolution of

mutualisms. What are the key points of this model (illustrate using
examples)? What evidence is there to support the predictions of this model
(use examples)?

Axelrod and Hamilton argued that probabilities of species interactions of long-

term would influence selection pressure favoring mutual benefits. The model
assumes that the distribution of the two species is determined by their ability to
survive and reproduce in different environments. So, the fitness of each species
depends on the frequencies of the other species in the population.

The key predictions of this model are high partner fidelity, low availability of
alternative partners and coevolution of mutualisms are ecologically limited, so
within a group of closely related species, we should see evidence of independent
development and loss of mutualisms over time.

An example of high partner fidelity is with non-horizontal strains reduce that

possible spread and increase partner fidelity in E.coli

Another example that describes low availability of alternative partners is in fig

wasps’, where opportunity for horizontal transmission of the parasite is limited by
the number of female wasps ovipositing per fig flower.

Another example of coevolution of mutualisms fungal family alternate between

parasitic and mutualistic depending on of resource availability.
2. Life history strategies seen in plants and animals can be described as the
product of fitness trade-offs. What is meant by this? Provide two examples
of fitness trade-offs leading to alternative life history strategies.

Trade-offs refers to the idea that organism face constraints in allocating resources
limited resources to the idea that organisms face constraints in allocating limited
resources toward different aspects of their life history.

The two examples of fitness leading to alternative life history strategies:

In many bird species: there is a current trade- off between current reproduction
and future survival. Birds that breed early in the season may produce more
offspring, but they may also experience a higher mortality rate due to
environmental factors such as weather or predation. In contrast birds that delays
breeding may have higher like hood of surviving to future breading season but
produce fewer offspring overall.

In some pants, there is often trade-off between seed and size number. Plants that
produce large seeds may have higher likelihood of successful seedling
establishment and growth, but also produce fewer seeds overall due to the high
energy investment in each seed. In contrast plant that produces small seeds may
have lower seedling establishment rates but produces a higher overall number of
seeds, increasing their chance of successful reproduction.
3. Using examples, explain how a) invasive predator and b) invasive
competitors can lead to extirpation of native populations. Explain why the
impact of invasive (non-native) species is expected to be greater among
populations with low Ne values.

a) Invasive predators can have a devastating impact on native populations by

reducing their abundance or driving them to extinction. One example is the
introduction of brown tree snake to guam. This invasive predator has no natural
predators on the island and has caused the extirpation of numerous bird species,
including several rails, doves and honeyeaters. The snake prey on bird eggs,
nestlings, and adult, causing declines in population that lead to extirpation.

b) Invasive competitors’ species can also have a significant impact on native

populations by outcompeting them for resources such as food, water and shelter.
As an example, we can talk about the introduction of the Argentine ant to
California. These ants are highly aggressive and outcompete native ant species for
resources, leading to declines in the abundance and diversity of native ants.

The impact of invasive species is expected to be greater among populations with

low Ne values because these populations are already at risk of genetic drift and
inbreeding. The introduction of invasive species can further reduce the genetic
diversity of the population by driving down their effective population size. Also,
by making them even more vulnerable to some event like a natural disaster and
disease outbreak.

4.The effects of direct selection on the rate of fixation of a dominant allele

(within a population) is dependent upon the degree of phenotypic dominance.
What is meant by this statement and what are the consequences of differing
phenotypic dominance at the population level?

The degree of phenotypic dominance of a dominant allele refers to the extent to

which its phenotype is expresses in heterozygous state. The statement means that
the rate at which the dominant allele becomes fixed within a population through
direct selection depends on the degree of phenotypic dominance.
When a dominant allele has complete dominance, its phenotype is expressed in all
heterozygotes. So selective advantage of the dominant allele will be the same in
all heterozygotes, regardless of the number of the number of copies of the
dominant allele.

The consequence of differing phenotypic dominance at the population level are

that they can affect the rate and pattern of evolutionary change with a population.
A dominant allele with complete dominance can rapidly become fixed and can
result in a more gradual change in the phenotype of the population. The degree of
phenotypic dominance can also affect the likelihood of genetic drift and the
occurrence of other evolutionary processes such as gene flow and mutation.

5. Sexual reproduction, at a genetic level, is said to be costly. What is meant

by this and what prevents asexual reproduction? Provide examples.

At a genetic level, sexual reproduction is costly because it requires a significant

investment in overtime, energy and resources to find a mate and produce
offspring. This is because sexual reproduction involves the fusion of gametes
from two different individuals, which result in greater genetic diversity in the
offspring. In contrast, asexual reproduction involves the production of offspring
that are genetically identical to the parent, which is typically less costly over time.
In some species, asexual reproduction is prevented by environmental cues such as
temperature or light cycle. For instance, the rotifer produces egg via
parthenogenesis (asexual reproduction) under unfavourable condition but produce
males and females.

In other species, asexual reproduction is prevented by physiological factors such

as the inability to produce viable gametes without the partner. For example, in
many mammals, females must sexually be receptive to produce eggs and males
must produce sperm to fertilize those eggs.