Title: Quiz: Evolutionary Biology Quiz
Course: Biology > Section: Module4

Q: What is the primary focus of evolutionary biology?
- The study of human behavior
- The history of life on Earth and how organisms adapt
- The classification of living organisms
- The chemical composition of cells
A: The history of life on Earth and how organisms adapt

Q: Who are the two early thinkers credited with laying the groundwork for the theory of evolution through natural selection?
- Gregor Mendel and Louis Pasteur
- Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace
- Aristotle and Plato
- Richard Dawkins and Stephen Jay Gould
A: Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace

Q: When was Charles Darwin's "On the Origin of Species" published?
- 1809
- 1859
- 1901
- 1920
A: 1859

Q: How does stabilizing selection affect a population's traits?
- It increases variation in the population
- It favors extreme phenotypes
- It reduces variation by favoring average traits
- It leads to the formation of new species
A: It reduces variation by favoring average traits

Q: Which mechanism of speciation occurs due to geographic isolation?
- Sympatric speciation
- Allopatric speciation
- Adaptive radiation
- Genetic drift
A: Allopatric speciation

Q: Why is genetic variation important in the process of evolution?
- It ensures that all individuals are identical
- It allows for differential survival and reproduction
- It prevents mutations from occurring
- It guarantees that species will not change
A: It allows for differential survival and reproduction

Q: How can understanding evolutionary biology inform conservation strategies?
- By promoting the extinction of certain species
- By ignoring the effects of climate change
- By helping to preserve biodiversity and ecosystem resilience
- By focusing solely on genetic engineering
A: By helping to preserve biodiversity and ecosystem resilience

Q: Which of the following best describes disruptive selection?
- It favors average traits within a population
- It leads to a shift towards one extreme phenotype
- It favors both extremes of a trait distribution
- It has no impact on speciation
A: It favors both extremes of a trait distribution

Q: What role did the Modern Synthesis play in evolutionary biology?
- It rejected Darwin's theory of natural selection
- It integrated Mendelian genetics with Darwinian evolution
- It focused solely on behavioral changes in species
- It emphasized the importance of environmental factors only
A: It integrated Mendelian genetics with Darwinian evolution

Q: How might the principles of evolution apply to contemporary issues like climate change?
- They are irrelevant to modern biology
- They can help predict species extinction rates
- They only apply to historical contexts
- They suggest that species will not adapt to changes
A: They can help predict species extinction rates