List of top Applied Ecology & Evolution Questions on Evolutionary Biology

The phylogeny below shows the relationship between six species based on whole genome data. The sequence of a part of a particular gene from each species is provided at the tips of the tree.

Based on the principle of parsimony, which one of the following is the expected sequence for the ancestor X?
Which one of the following phylogenetic trees illustrates the relationship between Archaea, Bacteria and Eukarya? The figure shows four candidate cladograms, labelled P, Q, R and S, each grouping the three domains of life in a different branching pattern.
Which one of the following concepts describes a co-evolutionary arms race between a pathogen and its host?
Which one or more of the following conditions is/are necessary for the evolution of increased nectar production in an insect-pollinated plant via natural selection?
A phylogenetic tree representing the evolutionary relationship between various vertebrates is shown below. Given this tree topology, which one or more of the following statements is/are correct?

Consider the following figure of sequence divergence over time. The dashed and solid lines represent synonymous and non-synonymous substitutions, respectively. Which one or more of the following does the figure support?


 

The figure below shows the reproductive success of two alternative mating strategies, with respect to their frequency in the population. Territorial males (solid line) defend territories to get mates, and Sneaker males (dashed line) obtain mating opportunities without having territories. Which one or more of the following conclusions can be drawn from this figure?


 

Aphids feed on both alfalfa and clover plants. A researcher collected and reared different genotypes of aphids from separate alfalfa and clover fields. He then measured the fecundity of both aphid groups when fed on each of the two host plants. The figure summarizes the performance of aphid groups originating from alfalfa (dashed) or clover (solid). Which one or more of the following situations does the figure depict?
Decreasing surface area to volume ratio helps reduce heat loss in colder climates. In which one or more of the following observations does this play a role?
The number of species found on islands typically increases with the size of the island. Which one or more of the following options explains this relationship between island size and species richness?

The numbers of rabbits (R) and their predators, foxes (F), in an ecosystem are modelled by the Lotka-Volterra equations as follows: \[ \frac{dR}{dt} = 2R - 0.01 R F \] \[ \frac{dF}{dt} = -F + 0.005 R F \] where the time is measured in months. If there are currently 100 rabbits and 10 foxes, the number of rabbits is changing at the rate of _________ per month and the number of foxes is changing at the rate of ________ foxes per month.

A patch of forest (I) has been declared as a protected area. Conservationists have surveyed three other patches of forest (II, III and IV) and can only recommend one of them for protection. In the figure below, each letter denotes a different species of frog. The conservationists recommend that Patch IV should be protected. Which one of the following metrics is this decision based on?


 

Which one of the following statements about genetic drift is accurate?
During migration, which one or more of the following do birds use for long-distance navigation?
Which one of the following is an example of a cell type found only in a single phylum?
Lizards that produce many eggs often have a shorter lifespan than those who produce fewer eggs. Which one of the terms below describes the relationship between the number of eggs and lifespan?
Hosts of parasites evolve effective immune responses to infection, which in turn results in those parasites evolving increased infectiousness towards the hosts. Which one of the following processes describes this type of interaction between hosts and parasites?
In the phylogenetic trees shown, the tips represent different species of geckos (labeled A to E) and the areas to which they belong. Which one of these is most consistent with the hypothesis that the geckos colonized the Western Ghats from Northeast India through the Eastern Ghats?
In the early 20th century, which one of these scientists made fundamental contributions to both the fields of evolution and statistics?
The Biological Species Concept (BSC) states that ‘species are groups of interbreeding natural populations that are reproductively isolated from other such groups’. Which one or more of the options could pose challenges for defining species using the BSC?
The phylogenetic tree depicts the relationship between 5 species of snakes (labelled A to E) and provides information about their habitat specialization. Given the principle of parsimony (least number of evolutionary changes required) and that ancestor Y was terrestrial, which one of the options given is correct?
The mode of speciation in snakes in the Western Ghats is predominantly allopatric. A researcher wants to quantify diversification of snakes in this range. From the options given, choose the most cost and time efficient way to sample snakes.
The following graphs show rank abundance data for species in three different communities P, Q and R. Based on both species richness and relative abundance, which one of the following options correctly represents the ordering of communities according to their species diversity?
Consider Holling’s Type-III functional response, as shown.
Which one of the marked points has the highest rate-of-change of prey-capture-rate?
Which one or more of the following bird species is/are the focus of conservation-oriented captive breeding efforts in India?