Microbial Genetics MCQs with Answers

The branch of biology that reconstructs evolutionary relationships among organisms is called ____.

The scientist who proposed the theory of evolution through natural selection in 1858 with Darwin was ____.

The concept that characteristics acquired during an organism's lifetime can be passed on to offspring is ____.

The study of the genetic makeup of populations and how it changes over time is called ____.

The idea that species change gradually over time rather than suddenly is known as ____.

The concept that states the Earth's geological processes in the past are similar to those observed today is ____.

The study of the fossil record to understand the origin and diversification of life is ____.

The type of natural selection where individuals with average traits have higher fitness is ____.

The study of the similarities and differences in the structures of organisms due to common ancestry is ____.

The process by which species evolve in response to changes in each other over time is ____.

The genetic variation within a population that natural selection can act upon is ____.

The scientist who conducted experiments on natural selection using peppered moths was ____.

The accumulation of differences between populations that can lead to the formation of new species is ____.

The process by which new species arise from a single ancestral species is called ____.

The process where the environment selects for or against particular traits is ____.

The scientific field that studies the origin and evolution of genes and genomes is ____.

The term used to describe the genetic contribution of an individual to the next generation relative to the average for the population is ____.

The process by which species adapt to different ecological niches and diversify into new forms is ____.

The evolutionary process where two populations of the same species become reproductively isolated and diverge into separate species is ____.

Structures with similar functions in different organisms that are not due to common ancestry are ____.

The scientist who formulated the modern theory of evolution based on population genetics was ____.

The phenomenon where a small population's allele frequencies change due to random chance is ____.

The process by which unrelated species evolve similar traits due to similar environmental pressures is called ____.

The theory that genetic changes occur in small, gradual steps over long periods of time is ____.

Structures that have reduced or no function in one organism but have functional roles in related organisms are ____.

The process by which individuals with advantageous traits survive and reproduce more successfully is ____.

The scientist who proposed the theory of natural selection independently of Darwin was ____.

The evolutionary process where species adapt to different ecological niches and diverge from a common ancestor is ____.

Which of the following is NOT a mechanism of evolutionary change?

The study of how traits are passed from parents to offspring and the variation of those traits in populations is ____.

The evolutionary principle where changes occur in bursts separated by periods of little change is ____.

The evolutionary process where two unrelated species develop similar traits due to similar ecological roles is ____.

The concept that changes in Earth's crust during geological history have resulted from the action of continuous and uniform processes is ____.

The theory proposing that species evolve over time through natural selection is attributed to ____.

The study of the distribution of species and ecosystems across space and time is ____.

The process by which different species evolve similar traits independently in response to similar environmental conditions is ____.

The process by which organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring is ____.

The principle that states alleles frequencies in a population will remain constant unless one or more factors cause them to change is ____.

Anatomical structures that are similar in different species and have a common evolutionary origin are ____.

The concept that describes how some traits are favored in mating, leading to their increase in frequency in a population is ____.