The three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) is a small fish found in both marine and freshwater environments. Marine stickleback populations consist mostly of individuals with pronounced pelvic spines, as shown in Figure 1. Individuals in freshwater stickleback populations, on the other hand, typically have reduced pelvic spines, as shown in Figure 2. Each figure shows an image of a stickleback fish with a genetic structure below it. The left figure is labeled Figure 1. Marine stickleback. A long Pelvic Spine on the fish is labeled. The genetic structure below the fish contains three enhancers, a promoter, and a gene. From left to right, the Enhancer Sequences are labeled Hindlimb, Pituitary, and Jaw. To the right of the Enhancer Sequences is a Promoter with an arrow moving up and to the right, over the top of the Pitx1 gene. The right figure is labeled Figure 2. Freshwater stickleback. A short Pelvic Spine on the fish is labeled. The genetic structure below the fish contains three enhancers, a promoter, and a gene. From left to right, the Enhancer Sequences are labeled Hindlimb, Pituitary, and Jaw. The Hindlimb enhancer is crossed out with an X, and it is labeled Disabled Due to Mutation. To the right of the Enhancer Sequences is a Promoter with an arrow moving up and to the right, over the top of the Pitx1 gene. As represented in Figure 1 and Figure 2, the phenotypic difference between marine and freshwater sticklebacks involves Pitx1, a gene that influences the formation of the jaw, pituitary gland, and pelvic spine. Enhancer sequences upstream of the Pitx1 genetic locus regulate expression of the Pitx1 gene at the appropriate times and in the appropriate tissues during development. Previous studies have found that a mutation in the hindlimb enhancer interferes with the formation of a pronounced pelvic spine. Which of the following describes a possible selective mechanism to explain why freshwater sticklebacks typically have reduced pelvic spines?

There is an arrow extending from Germany to the United Kingdom, and another arrow extending from Germany to Spain. Blackcap birds (Sylvia atricapilla) migrate out of Germany before wintertime. Prior to the 1960s, all members of a particular blackcap population flew to Spain, which had an abundant natural food source. Now, some members of the same blackcap population fly to the United Kingdom, where food placed in feeders by humans is abundant. The blackcaps return to the same forests in Germany to nest during the breeding season. Some blackcaps that migrate to the United Kingdom have become distinguishable by certain physical and behavioral traits from blackcaps that migrate to Spain. Which of the following best predicts the effect on the blackcap population if humans in the United Kingdom continue to place food in feeders during the winter?

Which of the following is not a potential problem posed by non-native species?

The diagram below shows a simple food web.   At the bottom of the diagram is a box labeled “Grass.” From the grass box, three arrows point upward to three boxes arranged horizontally in the middle level: “Rabbits” on the left, “Mice” in the center, and “Squirrels” on the right. From each of these three boxes, arrows point upward and converge on a single box at the top labeled “Foxes.” The arrows indicate that grass is consumed by rabbits, mice, and squirrels, and that all three of these herbivores are consumed by foxes. Which group of organisms is expected to have the highest overall productivity?

Conservationists are concerned that many native terrestrial species have become rare because of recent human activities. Which activity is likely the most important cause today for the decline of native terrestrial species of plants and animals worldwide?

Staphylococcus aureus is a pathogenic bacterium that can infect a wide range of host species, including humans. S. aureus has a particular protein that binds with hemoglobin from the host organism. Hemoglobin is the iron-containing protein used to transport oxygen in the blood. Since iron is important for growth, S. aureus have evolved the ability to absorb the iron from the host’s hemoglobin. Different S. aureus strains preferentially infect different hosts and have different amino acid sequences at their hemoglobin-binding domains (Table 1; letters indicate different amino acids). In an experiment, different S. aureus strains were mixed with hemoglobin from macaque monkeys and their binding ability was measured (Figure 1). The differences in amino acid sequences contributed to the differential binding abilities observed. Table 1. Selected amino acid sequences and preferred host for four strains of S. aureus S. aureus Strain Amino Acid Sequence Host Species 1 Q Q F Y H Y A R S Species A 2 R Q A Y H Y A R T Species B 3 Q Q A Y H Y A R T Macaque 4 R Q A A H Y Q L T Species C The horizontal axis is labeled S. aureus Strain, and the numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4 are indicated. The vertical axis is labeled Percent Hemoglobin Binding, and the numbers 0 through 100, in increments of 10, are indicated. The data represented in the graph are as follows. Note that all values are approximate. S. aureus Strain 1, 25 percent hemoglobin binding. S. aureus Strain 2, 60 percent hemoglobin binding. S. aureus Strain 3, 97 percent hemoglobin binding. S. aureus Strain 4, 35 percent hemoglobin binding. Figure 1. Macaque hemoglobin binding ability of different strains of S. aureus Which of the following experiments would be most appropriate to determine whether populations of S. aureus are continuously adapting in order to obtain iron from hosts more effectively?

In community ecology, the “non-equilibrium model” is based on the idea that

When a marsh is sprayed with pesticides to control mosquitoes, trace amounts of DDT* are released. DDT can passively cross cell membranes, so it is able to accumulate in the cells of various small aquatic organisms. When feeders up the food chain, such as clams and fish, eat these organisms, they consume DDT. DDT accumulates in the cells of consumers at levels up to ten times greater than organisms at the previous stage.  This is an example of ______. *The US banned the use of DDT in 1972, but some countries still used the chemical to control mosquitoes that spread malaria.

A scientist is using an ampicillin-sensitive strain of bacteria that cannot use lactose because it has a nonfunctional gene in the lac operon. She has two plasmids. One contains a functional copy of the affected gene of the lac operon, and the other contains the gene for ampicillin resistance. Using restrictions enzymes and DNA ligase, she forms a recombinant plasmid containing both genes. She then adds a high concentration of the plasmid to a tube of the bacteria in a medium for bacterial growth that contains glucose as the only energy source. This tube (+) and a control tube (-) with similar bacteria but no plasmid are both incubated under the appropriate conditions for growth and plasmid uptake. The scientist then spreads a sample of each bacterial culture (+ and -) on each of the three types of plates indicated below. The columns show the different media on the plates starting with glucose medium, then glucose medium with ampicillin and then glucose medium with ampicillin and lactose. The rows are bacterial strain with added plasmid, also labeled positive, and bacterial strain with no plasmid, also labeled negative. The plates are labeled number one through number six, with one, two and three with positive bacteria on the media in order, and four, five and six with negative bacteria on the media in order. Plate one is bacteria with plasmid on glucose medium. Plate two is bacteria with plasmid on glucose medium with ampicillin. Plate three is bacteria with plasmid on glucose medium with ampicillin and lactose. Plate four is bacteria without plasmid on glucose medium. Plate five is bacteria without plasmid on glucose medium with ampicillin. Plate six is bacteria without plasmid on glucose medium with ampicillin and lactose If the scientist had forgotten to use DNA ligase during the preparation of the recombinant plasmid, bacterial growth would most likely have occurred on which of the following?

Water in a pond contaminated with the weed killer atrazine is suspected of inhibiting metamorphosis in northern leopard frogs. A team of scientists collected fertilized northern leopard frog eggs from a different pond that is not contaminated. Which of the following is the best experimental design to determine whether atrazine is responsible for inhibiting metamorphosis in northern leopard frogs?