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AP®BiologyCollege BoardExam QuestionsUnit 7: Natural SelectionEvolution

Evolution (College Board AP® Biology): Exam Questions

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Evolution

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The Amur leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis) is a critically endangered big cat native to southeastern Russia and northeastern China. Figure 1 shows the effect of reducing leopard numbers on the genetic diversity of the population.

Graph showing a downward trend of genetic diversity as population size decreases, with a logarithmic scale on both axes. Points are marked along the line.
Figure 1. Graph showing the effect of reducing leopard numbers on the genetic diversity of the population

Which of the following statements provides the best explanation for the data shown in Figure 1?

  • As population size increases, genetic diversity increases.

  • Adaptability is not impacted by decreasing population numbers.

  • Decreasing population size removes alleles from the population making the species vulnerable to environmental changes.

  • Inbreeding results in increased mutations in the DNA which counteracts any loss of genetic diversity due to small population size.

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Paleontologists discovered a series of fossils in sedimentary rock layers, representing a lineage of marine invertebrates. The fossils show gradual changes in shell shape over millions of years, with occasional rapid shifts in morphology coinciding with periods of significant environmental change.

Which of the following evolutionary models best fits this fossil record?

  • Punctuated equilibrium

  • Gradualism

  • Divergent evolution

  • Allopatric speciation

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Modern whales possess small pelvic bones, despite not using legs for walking or movement on land. Scientists have identified these structures as vestigial, but their presence in fully aquatic animals raises questions about their evolutionary significance.

Which of the following conclusions best explains why whales have these pelvic bones?

  • Whales have evolved from ancestors that walked on land, and the pelvic bones are remnants of their terrestrial past.

  • Whales evolved from fish, which also have pelvic bones.

  • The pelvic bones help whales swim faster, making them an advantageous trait.

  • The pelvic bones are necessary for whale reproduction.

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The mitochondrial genome is maternally inherited, meaning that all mitochondria in an individual are inherited from the mother. Because of this, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is often used to study evolutionary relationships.

Which of the following best explains why mitochondrial DNA is useful for studying the evolutionary relationships between species?

  • Mitochondrial DNA mutates faster than nuclear DNA.

  • Mitochondrial DNA undergoes recombination, allowing for the mixing of genes between generations.

  • Mitochondrial DNA does not undergo recombination, preserving ancestral genetic information.

  • Mitochondrial DNA is specific to certain species.

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Scientists have proposed several hypotheses to explain how life originated on Earth. One model suggests that early Earth’s environment contained inorganic molecules that, under the right conditions, could form organic molecules, such as amino acids and nucleotides. Laboratory experiments have demonstrated that these simple organic molecules can assemble from non-living chemical precursors.

Which of the following statements about the origin of life on Earth is best supported by scientific evidence?

  • The first living cells formed immediately after Earth’s formation.

  • Organic molecules necessary for life could have formed from inorganic molecules in early Earth conditions.

  • Oxygen in Earth’s early atmosphere played a key role in the formation of organic molecules.

  • All organic molecules on Earth arrived via meteorites from space.

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