THE species evolution demonstrates through theories that all living beings have common ancestors who have undergone changes in hereditary characteristics that provided better adaptation to the environment over time.
We prepare a list of discursive questions about evolution so you can test your knowledge of how species have adapted over time.
You can consult the answers and save this exercise list in PDF at the end of the post!
Index
- Discursive questions about evolution
- Answer to question 1
- Answer to question 2
- Answer to question 3
- Answer to question 4
- Answer to question 5
- Answer to question 6
- Answer to question 7
- Answer to question 8
- Answer to question 9
- Answer to question 10
Discursive questions about evolution
1) (UNESP) Heating already causes changes in an animal gene. Some animal species are genetically modifying themselves to adapt to rapid climate change in the space of just a few generations, scientists say. Folha de S.Paulo, 05.09.2006.
Does the text presuppose a Darwinian or Lamarckian interpretation of the evolutionary process? Justify.
2) (UFRJ) The adaptive value of an individual varies between 0 and 1.0. The extreme values 0 and 1.0 indicate, respectively, individuals eliminated by natural selection without leave descendants and individuals who contribute the greatest number of descendants to the generation Following.
Measurements of the fitness value of individuals carrying six genotypes, in two different populations, revealed the following results.
Of the “A‚” and “B‚” genes, which should have the highest frequency? Justify your answer.
3) (UNIFESP – Mod.) Read the following excerpts, taken from a text about skin color in the human species.
"The skin of people who have inhabited certain areas for millennia has adapted to allow for the production of vitamin D."
“As human beings began to move around the Old World about 100,000 years ago, their skin adapted to the environmental conditions of different regions. The skin color of the native populations of Africa was the one that had the most time to adapt because the first human beings appeared there.” Scientific American Brazil, vol.6, November 2002.
In these two excerpts, what evolutionary ideas are underlying?
4) (UFMG) For some time now, antibiotic resistance has become a worldwide public health problem, because it makes it difficult to treat bacterial infections. Look at this figure, where a population of bacteria is represented:
From this analysis and considering other knowledge on the subject:
a) Name two evolutionary factors that acted in this population.
b) Explain, according to the neo-Darwinist theory, the action of these two evolutionary factors in the population of bacteria represented.
5) Still using the image in the previous figure, in which a population of bacteria is represented that, soon after the introduction and antibiotic, became resistant, analyze the matter and consider your knowledge to identify the evolutionary theory that allows explaining the changes observed in this population. Justify your answer.
6) (UNIMONTES) Mutation, migration, genetic drift and natural selection have different effects on genetic variation within populations and between populations. Considering different populations, which factor is most likely to reduce genetic variation between populations?
7) Currently, antibiotics are widely used in both developed and developing countries. Analysis of this table, which indicates the amount of antibiotics used in the United States, in different situations:
| antibiotic use | amount of antibiotic/year |
| In the treatment of infectious diseases in humans | 11.5 x 106 kg |
| In animal feed | 7.0 x 106 kg |
| In the farming | 4.5 x 106 kg |
From this analysis and considering other knowledge on the subject, indicate a measure in the scope of Public Health and a measure at the personal level that can help to minimize this serious problem of bacterial resistance to antibiotics.
8) (UNIVASF) Considering different evolutionary hypotheses, analyze the statements below and their respective justifications.
I – THE GRASSHOPPER IS GREEN BECAUSE IT LIVES IN THE GRASS! Following this reasoning, by living on grass, the grasshopper starts to produce green pigments that help it blend in with the environment, passing this characteristic on to its descendants.
II – THE GRASSHOPPER LIVES ON THE GRASS BECAUSE IT'S GREEN! According to this reasoning, by being green, the grasshopper is protected from predators. Consequently, it can generate offspring, to which it transfers its characteristics.
Statements I and II can be attributed, respectively, to which philosophies?
9) One of the problems with antibiotic resistance is the spread of resistance genes among bacteria.
Analysis of this figure, in which the mechanisms - I, II and III - of gene transmission between bacteria are indicated:
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From this analysis and considering other knowledge on the subject, identify these three mechanisms.
10) (UFRGS – Mod.) A biology teacher explained to her students that the amount of the lactase enzyme decreases a lot when throughout the development of individuals from Eastern peoples, which prevents the effective degradation of sugar from the milk. One of the students commented that this decrease in lactase should be caused by the type of food characteristic of oriental people: poor in milk and its derivatives. The teacher considered that the student had expressed an idea that corresponded to an evolutionary thought. What is this thought?
Answer to question 1
the interpretation is Lamarckist, as it suggests that the animal changes to adapt to environmental changes.
Answer to question 2
O gene B‚ of population 2. The B2 gene is protected from selection in heterozygotes and, therefore, its frequency is greater than zero. In population 1, all A1 genes are eliminated each generation, so their frequency will be zero.
Answer to question 3
In the excerpt “his skin was adapting to the environmental conditions of different regions” we have the Lamarquist idea about the evolution of species. According to Lamarck, the individual changes to adapt to the particularities of the environment.
Answer to question 4
a) Evolution factor 1: Mutation; Evolutionary factor 2: Natural selection.
b) The mutation is responsible for the emergence of new alleles in the population, being responsible for the resistant phenotype, which is selected by the use of antibiotic.
Answer to question 5
Lamarck Theory, because the bacteria became resistant to survive in the medium with the antibiotic ampicillin.
Answer to question 6
Migrations promote the encounter between individuals from different populations, reducing the genetic differences between them.
Answer to question 7
Sale of antibiotics only with a prescription / Control self-medication.
Answer to question 8
“The grasshopper is green because it lives in the grass” is a Lamarquist idea. By living in a green environment, the animal would have turned green.
The statement "The grasshopper lives in the grass because it's green" is an idea. Darwinian. In a green colored medium, the animal with this hue has greater chances of survival (less chances of predatory).
Answer to question 9
Transduction / Conjugation / Transformation.
Answer to question 10
In the excerpt "this decrease in lactase should be caused by the type of food characteristic of the Orientals: poor in milk and its derivatives" the Lamarquist idea is evident (law of use and disuse).
Click here to save this list of evolution speech questions in PDF!
Read too:
- List of exercises about the Animalia Kingdom
- List of exercises on food chains
- List of exercises on intraspecific ecological relationships
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