Topic 4.10: Natural Selection Questions

Selection pressures may be abiotic or biotic. Distinguish between an abiotic and a biotic selection pressure, and give one example of each.

Endler studied male guppies in streams with high and low numbers of predators. What did his experiments mainly demonstrate?

Which of the following is the best example of a selection pressure acting on a population?

State the only process that can introduce a completely new allele into a population.

Which statement best describes what a selection pressure is?

Male birds of one species have evolved brilliant, showy plumage and an elaborate courtship dance that females prefer when choosing a mate. Which selection pressure is responsible?

Which process is the only source of completely new alleles in a population?

Which order correctly describes how natural selection produces a change in a population?

State the type of selection pressure responsible for the showy, brightly coloured plumage seen in the males of many bird species.

State what Endler's experiments on guppy populations demonstrated about natural selection.

Which of the following is a result of natural selection acting on a population over many generations?

State one result of natural selection acting on a population over many generations.

How does sexual reproduction increase the genetic variation seen in offspring?

Which of the following would act as an ABIOTIC selection pressure on a plant population?

Genetic variation within a species can arise from mutation and from sexual reproduction. Distinguish between how mutation and how sexual reproduction generate genetic variation.

Competition between organisms is a biotic selection pressure. Explain how competition for a limited resource can favour particular traits, using an example.

During meiosis, homologous chromosomes swap matching segments with each other. What does this process contribute to genetic variation?

The graph below shows that, as the annual use of a herbicide increased over several years, the percentage of resistant weeds in a region also increased. Suggest why the percentage of resistant weeds rose as herbicide use increased.

Outline the three sources of heritable variation in a sexually reproducing species.

A mutation occurs in a liver cell of an adult animal, and a different mutation occurs in a cell that will form a sperm. Explain why only one of these mutations can contribute to the evolution of the species.