Think you’ve got your head wrapped around Special Topics in Evolution? Put your knowledge to
the test. Good luck — the Stickman is counting on you!
Q. Which of the following best describes this phylogenetic tree?
Cladogram
Phylogram
Chronogram
Unrooted tree
None of the above
Q. What is feature A indicating?
Inferred Ancestor
Branch
Currently existing taxa
Outgroup
Character change
Q. What is feature B indicating?
Inferred ancestor
Node
Currently existing taxa
Outgroup
Character change
Q. Which two species have the most recent common ancestor?
Human and mouse
Greenspotted pufferfish and togafugu
Rainbow trout and Atlantic salmon
Goldfish and zebrafish
Dog and cow
Q. Which of the following species is in the outgroup?
Human
Pufferfish
Togafugu
Goldfish
Medaka lepb
Q. Say there are two genes for humor in humans, a ShmP and ShmO gene. Which of the following terms best describes the process of the ShmP gene mutating to pick up a portion of ShmO gene?
Genetic Drift
Recombination
Disruptive selection
Allopatric speciation
Convergent evolution
Q. Which of the following terms best describes the process of selection driving individuals to carry only the ShmP1 or ShmP3 allele of the ShmP gene, but not the intermediate allele ShmP2?
Genetic Drift
Recombination
Disruptive selection
Allopatric speciation
Convergent evolution
Q. Which of the following terms best describes the similarity between the ShmP1 gene that is only found in humans and fruit flies (and no other species)?
Genetic Drift
Homology
Disruptive selection
Allopatric speciation
Convergent evolution
Q. You notice a two species on either side of a mountain range. They both look very similar to each other, and when you do a phylogenetic tree, you find that they are genetically similar to each other, but clearly two different species. How did they arise?
Genetic Drift
Recombination
Disruptive selection
Allopatric speciation
Convergent evolution
Q. What process best describes the individual mutations that a virus might pick up to gain drug-resistance?
Genetic Drift
Recombination
Disruptive selection
Allopatric speciation
Convergent evolution