In 1986, a nuclear power accident in Chernobyl, USSR (now Ukraine), led to high radiation levels for miles surrounding the plant. The high levels of radiation caused elevated mutation rates in the surviving organisms, and evolutionary biologists have been
studying rodent populations in the Chernobyl area ever since. Based on your understanding of evolutionary mechanisms, which of the following most likely occurred in the rodent populations following the accident?
A) Mutations caused major changes in rodent physiology over time.
B) Mutation led to increased genetic variation.
C) Mutation caused genetic drift and decreased fitness.
D) Mutation caused the fixation of new alleles.
Answer: B
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Why would letting a field be taken over by weedy, non-crop members of the bean family be potentially beneficial for farmers? (Select all correct answer options.)
A. Members of this family form symbioses with N2-fixing bacteria. B. Members of this family form symbioses with mycorrhizae. C. Weedy beans are very efficient photosynthesizers. D. It could reduce the need for commercial fertilizers in subsequent seasons.
Plants having the ability to take up organic nitrogen are most likely to be found in the ____
a. arctic tundra b. salt marsh c. tropical forest d. grassland e. temperate forest
Animals that live in the spaces between sediment particles are called: a. infauna
b. mesofauna. c. interstitial. d. epifauna.
Antibiotic resistance is becoming more common in disease-causing bacteria because
A. some patients do not take the antibiotics as directed. B. antibiotics are sometimes prescribed for viral infections (due to pressure from patients). C. All of the answer choices are correct. D. antibiotics are used in feed for livestock. E. antibiotics are used to treat infections in cattle, chickens, and other animals used for agricultural purposes.