The population density of an insect species increases from 40 to 46 in one month. If the birth rate during that period is 0.4, what is the death rate?

• 0.25

• 0.15

• 0.87

• 0.40

During which geological period was there an explosive increase in the number of many marine invertebrate phyla?

• Ordovician

• Devonian

• Permian

• Cambrian

An extraordinary sensory ability that elephants possess is

• emission and detection of ultra-high-frequency sounds.

• emission and detection of ultra-low-frequency sounds.

• detection of changes in the earth's magnetic field.

• possession of ultraviolet vision

According to which evolutionary theory, there are long periods without significant evolutionary changes interrupted by short episodes of rapid evolution?

• Punctuates equilibrium

• Saltation

• Mutation

• Neutrality

The mean (μ) and standard deviation (σ) of body size in a Drosophila population are 8.5 and 2.2 mm, respectively. Under natural selection over many generations the μ and σ of body size change to 8.5 and 0.8mm, respectively. The type of natural selection responsible for the change is called,

• directional

• neutral

• disruptive

• stabilizing

Compared to K-selection, r-selection favours

• rapid development, smaller body size and early, semelparous reproduction

• rapid development, smaller body size and early, iteroparous reproduction

• slow development, larger body size and late, iteroparous reproduction.

• slow development, smaller body size and late, iteroparous reproduction

In a population at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, the genotype frequencies are: f(A₁A₁) = 0.59; f(A₁A₂) = 0.16; f(A₂A₂) = 0.25. What are the frequencies of the two alleles at this locus?

• A₁ = 0.59; A₂ = 0.41

• A₁ = 0.75; A₂ = 0.25

• A₁ = 0.67; A₂ = 0.33

• A₁ = 0.55; A₂ = 0.44

Brothers A and B have the same father but different mothers. B wants A to help him, which involves both benefits (b) and costs (c) for A. If A incurs a cost of 30 'Darwinian fitness units' in that act, under what condition should be help B, following Hamilton's rule?

• only if b > 30

• only if b > 60

• only if b > 120

• only if b > 240

Following is the list of some important events in the history of life and the names of the epochs of Cenozoic era.

Events-

A. Angiosperm dominance increase; continued radiation of most present day mammalian orders.

B. Major radiation of mammals, birds and pollinating insects.

C. Origins of man primate groups.

D. Origin of genus Homo.

E. Appearance of bipedal human ancestors.

F. Continued radiation of mammals and angiosperms, earliest direct human ancestors.

Epochs - 

(i) Paleocene; (ii) Pleistocene; (iii) Oligocene; (iv) Pliocene; (v) Eocene; (vi) Miocene

Which one of the following is the correct match of events with the epochs?

• A - (v); B - (ii); C - (i); D - (iii); E - (iv); F - (vi)

• A - (vi); B - (i); C - (ii); D - (iv); E - (iii); F - (v)

• A - (v); B - (i); C - (iii); D - (ii); E - (iv); F - (vi)

• A - (iv); B - (i); C - (ii); D - (iii); E - (v); F - (vi)

In the evolutionary tree given below, terms A, B, C, D, and E, represent respectively

• Homo erectus, Homo heidlebergensis, Neanderthal, Denisovan and Homo sapiens.

• Homo heidelbergensis, Homo erectus, Denisovan, Neanderthal and Homo sapiens.

• Homo erectus, Homo heidelbergensis, Denisovan, Neanderthal and Homo sapiens.

• Homo heidelbergensis, Homo sapiens, Denisovan, Neanderthal, and Homo erectus.