All AP Biology Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Evolution And Genetics
Who of the following scientists would postulate that giraffes have long necks because they wanted to eat the leaves of tall trees?
Leeuwenhoek
Darwin
Watson & Crick
Salk
Lamarck
Lamarck
Lamarck theorized that animals evolved into new forms based on need or utility, and thus he is the correct answer for this question.
Darwin was the father of the theory of evolution by natural selection (along with Alfred Russell Wallace), Watson and Crick discovered the structure of DNA (along with Rosalind Franklin), Leeuwenhoek pioneered microscopy, and Jonas Salk created the polio vaccine, so none of those are correct.
Example Question #1 : Theorists And Evidence
Which of the following theories representing Lamarckian evolution is false?
Inheritance of acquired characteristics
Principle of use and disuse
All of the choices are correct
Theory of genetic chance
Theory of genetic chance
The principal of use and disuse suggests that organs you use get bigger while those you don't use get smaller or even disappear entirely. Inheritance of acquired characteristics sugegsts that proficiencies and traits can be passed down to succeeding generations. Lamarckian evolution is largely based on these two ideals.
Theory of genetic chance is not a real foundation of Lamarckian evolution.
Example Question #2 : Theorists And Evidence
The French scientist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck studied heritability and proposed the "theory of inheritance of acquired characteristics." With which statement would Lamarck most likely agree?
Most species develop new characteristics over periods of millions of years
The skills that an organism perfects during its lifespan have little to no effect on the ability of its offspring to perform those same skills
A bird population might have a greater proportion of members with large beaks if large beak size is selected for by the environment
Rabbits with fur color that closely resembles the environment will survive to have young, while rabbits with more noticeable coloring will die before having offspring
An average man develops powerful arms from his job working in a factory; his children will be born with unusually high arm strength
An average man develops powerful arms from his job working in a factory; his children will be born with unusually high arm strength
The theory of inheritance of acquired characteristics was one of the earliest theories of evolution. Lamarck believed that traits were passed down to offspring when the parent showed increased use of those traits, and that traits that were not used by the parent were not inherited. The most common example of this "use and disuse" idea was a giraffe that, during its lifetime, often stretched its neck to reach leaves, and thus had a greater number of offspring with long necks.
This theory was shown to be incorrect in favor of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection. Use or disuse during an organism's lifespan is not the driving force of evolution.
Example Question #2 : Understanding Lamarck
Which of the following scientists hypothesized that organisms can pass down traits acquired during their lifetimes?
Charles Darwin
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
Carolus Linnaeus
Gregor Mendel
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
Lamarck hypothesized, amongst other things, that organisms could pass down traits acquired during life from generation to generation. Under Lamarck's theory of use and disuse, a man who worked in a factory and developed strong arms would pass the strong arms trait to his offspring. This hypothesis has largely been rejected by modern genetics.
Gregor Mendel is the founder of modern genetics, developing our modern understanding of allelic inheritance. Charles Darwin developed important theories about evolution and natural selection. Carolus Linnaeus is best remembered for establishing binomial nomenclature, the system used today to officially name organisms.
Example Question #2 : Evolution And Genetics
What are parts of Lamarck’s theory of evolution?
Individuals gain characteristics they need
Individuals lose traits that they don't need
Acquired characteristics are heritable
All of these
All of these
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck was an evolutionary theorist who was rejected by Charles Darwin. In his theory, Lamarck supported the idea that individuals could pass down acquired characteristics to their offspring, and that they lost un-needed traits and gained useful traits. The most recent theory of evolution, like Charles Darwin, rejects these claim.
Example Question #1 : Theorists And Evidence
Lamarck’s ideas on biological evolution contained correct and incorrect notions. Which of his ideas is correct?
Nervous fluids are passed on from generation to generation
Acquired traits can be passed on to offspring
Evolution is related to changes in adaptation to the environment
Living forms become perfect with time
Evolution is related to changes in adaptation to the environment
While Lamarck had many revolutionary ideas on evolution, his most correct assumption was the importance of environmental changes on evolutionary adaptations. His theories on the inheritance of acquired traits and essentialsm do not fit into our current knowledge of evolution, DNA, and inheritance.
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