Individuals of a particular species of ground beetle are either light tan or dark brown. Light-tan beetles are predominant in habitats with light-colored sandy soils, and dark-brown beetles are predominant in habitats with dark-colored loam soils. In an experiment designed to determine the survival rates of light-tan beetles and dark-brown beetles in different habitats, 500 light-tan beetles and 500 dark-brown beetles were released in each of four habitats. Each beetle had been marked with a small spot of red paint on the underside of its abdomen before it was released. One week after the beetles had been released, any marked beetles that could be found were recaptured. The results are presented in the table below. It is assumed that differences in the numbers of beetles recaptured are directly related to differences in survival rates. Columns 2 thru 5 have 2 sub-columns each. The top row contains the column labels: columns one is blank; Column two: Habitat 1: Sandy soil, no insectivorous birds present. Column three: Habitat 2: Sandy soil, insectivorous birds present. Column four: Habitat 3: Loam soil, no insectivorous birds present. Column five: Loam soil, insectivorous birds present. From top to bottom the data is as follows: Row two: Color of Beetle: Habitat 1, sub-column one, Light tan; sub-column two, Dark brown. Habitat 2, sub-column one, Light tan; sub-column two, Dark brown. Habitat 3, sub-column one, Light tan; sub-column two, Dark brown. Habitat 4, sub-column one, Light tan; sub-column two, Dark brown. Row three: Number Released: Habitat 1, sub-column one, five hundred; sub-column two, five hundred. Habitat 2, sub-column one, five hundred; sub-column two, five hundred. Habitat 3, sub-column one, five hundred; sub-column two, five hundred. Habitat 4, sub-column one, five hundred; sub-column two, five hundred. Row four: Number Recaptured: Habitat 1, sub-column one, one hundred thirty; sub-column two, one hundred fourteen. Habitat 2, sub-column one, one hundred twenty-three; sub-column two, twenty-two. Habitat 3, sub-column one, sixty-five; sub-column two, seventy-four. Habitat 4, sub-column one, thirteen; sub-column two, eighty-seven. If all insectivorous birds and remaining beetles were removed from habitat 2 and 500 additional dark-brown beetles and 500 additional light-tan beetles were then released into habitat 2, which of the following is the best estimate of the number of additional dark-brown beetles that would be expected to be recaptured in habitat 2 after one more week?

The TAS2R38 gene encodes a receptor protein that influences the ability to taste bitterness. The gene has two alleles: a dominant, wild-type allele that enables an individual (taster) to taste bitterness and a recessive, mutant allele that interferes with the ability of an individual (nontaster) to taste bitterness. Three single nucleotide mutations in the coding region of the TAS2R38 gene are associated with the nontaster allele. The nucleotides present at the three positions are shown in the table below. Nucleotide Variation in the TAS2R38 Gene Position in the Nucleotide Sequence 145 785 886 Human nontaster G T A Human taster C C G Bonobo C C G Chimpanzee C C G Gorilla C C G A cladogram representing the evolutionary relatedness of selected primates is shown below. From left to right, the branches are as follows: Orangutan, Gorilla, and Chimpanzee. Past the branches, the main line is labeled Human. Another branch, labeled Bonobo, is connected to the Chimpanzee branch. Toxic substances often have a bitter taste that causes animals who try to eat such substances to spit them out rather than swallow them. Additional data suggest that gorilla populations have a very low frequency of nontasters. Which of the following best describes the likely evolution of the TAS2R38 locus in the gorilla population?

The specimens are arranged in three rows that read: Bottom Row: Mussels, Giant Tubeworms, and Shrimp. Middle Row: Zoarcid Fish and Dandelion Siphonophores. Top Row: Octopuses and Blind Crabs. In the bottom row, there is one arrow from Mussels to Octopuses; there is one arrow from Giant Tubeworms to Zoarcid Fish; and there are three arrows from Shrimp to Zoarcid Fish, Dandelion Siphonophores, and Blind Crabs. In the middle row, there is one arrow from Zoarcid Fish to Octopuses; and there is one arrow from Dandelion Siphonophores to Blind Crabs. In the top row, there is one horizontal arrow from Blind Crabs to Octopuses. The food web above represents feeding relationships in a biological community near a deep-sea hydrothermal vent. Hydrothermal vents are geysers on the seafloor that gush super-heated, mineral-rich water. The seawater surrounding hydrothermal vents typically contains carbon dioxide (CO2), molecular hydrogen (H2), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), and methane (CH4). Sunlight, however, fails to reach the seafloor where deep-sea hydrothermal vents are located. As part of an investigation, researchers collected living specimens from an area near a deep-sea hydrothermal vent. Mussels in the collection were found to be dependent on molecular hydrogen in seawater. Also, the researchers discovered multiple species of bacteria living in the gills of the mussels. Mussels use gills for filter-feeding and gas exchange with the surrounding seawater. On the basis of their experimental results, the researchers hypothesized that some bacteria living in the gills of the mussels are capable of chemosynthesis. On the basis of the food web, which of the following members of a deep-sea biological community is most likely to also have a symbiotic relationship with chemosynthetic organisms?

Students investigated the effect of light on the carbon cycle in aquatic ecosystems by performing the controlled experiment summarized below. The students placed equal amounts of water (pH 7.0)  from a large aquarium in glass beakers. The students transferred aquatic plants from the aquarium to several of the beakers, and then they placed equal numbers of the beakers in the light or the dark (Figure 1: Groups I and II). Similarly, the students transferred goldfish from the same aquarium to other beakers, and then they placed equal numbers of those beakers in the light or dark (Figure 1: groups III and IV). Finally, the students placed an equal number of beakers containing water only in the light or dark (Figure 1: Groups V and VI). After exposing the samples to light or dark for one hour, the students recorded the pH of the water in each beaker. Carbon dioxide dissolved in water will lower the pH of an aqueous solution. In the experiment, the students used changes in pH to monitor changes in the amount of carbon dioxide in the water.  For each treatment group, the students calculated the mean pH and standard error, as documented in the table below. The odd-numbered groups are marked Light, and the even-numbered groups are marked Dark. Each group contains a beaker with the same amount of water. From left to right, the beakers are as follows:1, plant. 2, plant. 3, fish. 4, fish. 5, empty. 6, empty. Figure 1. Treatment groups Mean pH of Treatment Groups After 1 Hour Treatment group (n = 10) I II III IV V VI Mean pH 8.2 6.4 5.9 5.6 7.3 6.8 Standard error of the mean 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.5 0.4 Which of the following modifications to the experimental design will best help reduce the standard errors of the means?

One of the oldest known mammalian fossils belongs to a small furry species, Hadrocodium wui, that lived 195 million years ago. For the following 100 million years, only a small number of groups of mammalian fossils are found in the fossil record. By 65 million years ago, the non-avian dinosaurs were extinct. By 55 million years ago, there were 130 mammal genera, including 4,000 different species that occupied a wide variety of habitats. Which of the following best describes the cause of the rapid increase in the number of mammalian species between 65 and 55 million years ago?

In humans, one allele of the APOE gene, called APOE–ε2, can result in a high tolerance of cholesterol. Cholesterol is a vital substance for humans but may lead to heart disease in an older adult with a history of high cholesterol diets. High cholesterol diets are becoming more prevalent in the United States. Currently only about 2% of humans carry the APOE–ε2 allele. Which of the following states a valid null hypothesis about the future distribution of APOE alleles in future generations in the United States?

Which of the following pieces of evidence best supports the hypothesis that birds and crocodilians (crocodiles and alligators) are more closely related to each other than they are to other organisms?

The wing of a bat, the flipper of a whale, and the forelimb of a horse appear very different, yet detailed studies reveal the presence of the same basic bone pattern. These structures are examples of

A survey reveals that 25 percent of a population of 1,000 individuals have attached earlobes (are homozygous recessivefor the trait). For the following questions, assume that the population fits the parameters of the Hardy-Weinberg law. Unlike most natural populations, this population is best characterized in which of the following ways?

One facet of the study of the origin of life focuses on the nature of the first genetic material. Figure 1 describes a possible scenario, known as the RNA World Hypothesis, that could have led to the evolution of our modern-day genetic material. This hypothesis states that the first genetic material was RNA, not DNA, and a transitional period led to the emergence of DNA as the storage molecule for genetic material. The model has 3 columns and 3 rows. The column labels from left to right are: column 1: The R N A World, column 2: Evolution of the Modern World, column 3: The Modern World. The information is as follows: Column 1, row 1: Ribonucleotides produce R N A, row 2: R N A uses R N A to produce R N A, row 3: Amino Acids use R N A to produce Protein. Column 2, row 1 is blank, row 2: R N A uses Protein to produce D N A. row 3 is blank. Column 3, row 1 is blank, row 2: D N A uses Protein to produce D N A, then vertically from row 2 to row 3, D N A uses Protein to produce R N A and R N A uses Protein to produce D N A, then R N A uses Protein to produce Protein. A scientist wishes to provide experimental evidence to support the model shown in Figure 1 by demonstrating the ability to synthesize an RNA molecule. Which of the following is an alternative hypothesis that can be tested to support the World Hypothesis?