Evolutionary Biology and Ecological Interactions Quiz

Charles Darwin proposed the theory of evolution by natural selection.

Natural selection is the process by which species evolve over time.

Commensalism is characterized by one organism benefiting while the other is unaffected.

Parasitism is the relationship in which one organism benefits while the other is harmed.

Predation is not a type of symbiotic relationship.

A keystone species has a disproportionately large effect on its environment relative to its abundance.

Mutualism is exemplified by a bee pollinating flowers and receiving nectar in return.

Coevolution between species is primarily driven by predator-prey interactions.

Convergent evolution is the evolution of similar traits in unrelated species due to similar environmental pressures.

A plant species evolving to produce more nectar in response to increased pollination by bees is an example of coevolution.

Convergent evolution is the evolutionary adaptation where unrelated species evolve to resemble each other.

Mimicry is exemplified by a predator evolving a similar appearance to a poisonous species to avoid predation.

Other mechanisms of evolution besides natural selection include genetic drift, mutation, and gene flow.

Competitive exclusion states that two species cannot coexist in the same niche if one is more efficient at resource utilization.

Mimicry refers to the evolutionary relationship in which one species evolves to mimic the appearance of another.

The Red Queen hypothesis states that species must continually evolve to maintain their relative fitness in an ever-changing environment.