PG TRB ZOOLOGY ONLINE TEST / QUIZ AS PER LATEST SYLLABUS | Unit I - ANIMAL DIVERSITY AND PHYLOGENY | Adaptive Radiation in Bony fishes.

PG TRB ZOOLOGY ONLINE TEST / QUIZ AS PER LATEST SYLLABUS | Unit I - ANIMAL DIVERSITY AND PHYLOGENY | Adaptive Radiation in Bony fishes.

1. The process by which a single species or a small group of species evolves into several different forms that live in different ways is known as:

A) Convergent Evolution
B) Genetic Drift
C) Adaptive Radiation
D) Sympatric Speciation

2. Bony fishes of the family Cichlidae are a classic example of adaptive radiation. This is most famously observed in which of the following locations?

A) Lake Baikal
B) Great Barrier Reef
C) Galapagos Islands
D) African Great Lakes

3. The diversification of mouthparts in Cichlid fishes, adapted for different feeding strategies, is a direct result of:

A) Predation pressure
B) Habitat specialization
C) Reproductive isolation
D) Geographic speciation

4. What is the key factor that often initiates adaptive radiation in bony fishes?

A) A sudden increase in water temperature
B) The availability of new ecological niches
C) An increase in sea level
D) The decrease in atmospheric oxygen

5. The presence of a variety of body shapes (e.g., fusiform, depressed, laterally compressed) among closely related bony fish species is an example of:

A) Disruptive selection
B) Genetic bottleneck
C) Co-evolution
D) Adaptive radiation

6. Which of the following is NOT typically a result of adaptive radiation in fishes?

A) The development of specialized feeding mechanisms
B) Colonization of diverse habitats
C) An increase in interspecific competition
D) The formation of many new species from a single ancestor

7. The rapid diversification of Hawaiian honeycreepers is a famous example of adaptive radiation. Which fish group is often compared to honeycreepers for its similar pattern of radiation?

A) Salmonids
B) Darters
C) Garpikes
D) Sturgeons

8. The term 'resource partitioning' is highly relevant to adaptive radiation because it describes:

A) How species avoid competition by specializing in different resources
B) The total amount of resources available in an ecosystem
C) The process of species becoming extinct due to resource scarcity
D) The transfer of resources from one trophic level to another

9. Which of the following conditions is most likely to lead to an explosive adaptive radiation in a newly formed lake?

A) High predator density
B) A stable, unchanging environment
C) The presence of a single, highly specialized fish species
D) A founder population with many vacant ecological niches

10. The different species of Lake Victoria Cichlids show variations in all of the following EXCEPT:

A) Feeding mechanisms
B) Reproductive behaviors
C) Body coloration
D) Vertebral count

11. A key morphological innovation that contributed to the adaptive radiation of bony fishes is:

A) The presence of a jawless mouth
B) The development of a swim bladder
C) The absence of scales
D) The cartilaginous skeleton

12. The term "Ecomorph" is often used to describe species that have radiated to occupy a specific ecological niche. This is particularly relevant in the study of:

A) Deep-sea fish
B) Antarctic fishes
C) Riverine species
D) Coral reef fishes

13. In adaptive radiation, the ancestral species is typically characterized by:

A) High specialization
C) Broad ecological tolerance
B) A narrow dietary niche
D) A low mutation rate

14. Which of the following is a classic example of adaptive radiation in marine bony fishes?

A) The diverse species of seahorses
B) The various forms of Mackerel
C) The Hawaiian Silversword Alliance
D) The different species of pufferfish

15. The evolution of different body coloration patterns among Cichlids, often linked to sexual selection, is a major driver of:

A) Asexual reproduction
C) Sympatric speciation
B) Hybridization
D) Inter-species aggression

16. The concept of "key innovation" in adaptive radiation refers to a novel trait that allows a species to:

A) Survive in a polluted environment
B) Exploit new resources or environments
C) Defend against all predators
D) Reproduce more frequently

17. Which of the following best describes the ecological opportunity for adaptive radiation?

A) An environment with a high number of established species
B) A geographical area with an abundance of food sources for a single species
C) A lack of predators and competitors in a new environment
D) The presence of a single, dominant apex predator

18. The diverse species of pupfish (Cyprinodon) in the desert springs of North America provide an excellent example of adaptive radiation due to:

A) Sympatric speciation in a large freshwater lake
B) Isolation in various small, geographically separated water bodies
C) High gene flow between different populations
D) The presence of a large ancestral population

19. A defining characteristic of adaptive radiation in fishes is that the resulting species are:

A) Genetically identical to their ancestor
B) Highly specialized for different ecological roles
C) Unable to interbreed with each other
D) Found only in marine environments

20. The evolution of a powerful suction mechanism in certain cichlids for feeding on algae from rocks is an example of:

A) Generalist feeding
B) Convergent evolution
C) Co-extinction
D) Character displacement

21. The phenomenon of adaptive radiation is most prevalent in which type of ecosystems for bony fishes?

A) Large, ancient oceans
B) Small, isolated island streams
C) Deep-sea trenches
D) Newly formed, geographically isolated lakes

22. Which of the following represents a classic "trophic" adaptation in the context of adaptive radiation?

A) A fish evolving a camouflage pattern to avoid predators
B) A fish evolving a specialized jaw to eat hard-shelled mollusks
C) A fish evolving a more efficient swim bladder
D) A fish evolving to tolerate a wider range of temperatures

23. The diversification of bony fishes into forms like bottom-dwellers, open-water predators, and ambush hunters is primarily driven by:

A) Sexual selection pressures
B) Geographic isolation
C) Predation and competition for resources
D) Random genetic mutations

24. The presence of a highly efficient pharyngeal jaw apparatus in cichlids is considered a "key innovation" because it allowed for:

A) The development of specialized breathing
B) The rapid diversification of feeding habits
C) The ability to live in deep-sea environments
D) The ability to produce larger offspring

25. Which of the following is NOT a prerequisite for adaptive radiation to occur?

A) An available new environment or resource
B) A founder population with genetic variation
C) Intense interspecific competition from the outset
D) Ecological opportunity and resource partitioning

26. The term 'resource partitioning' in adaptive radiation refers to a process that:

A) Increases direct competition between species
B) Allows species to coexist by using different parts of a resource
C) Leads to the extinction of less-adapted species
D) Describes the equal distribution of resources among all species

27. The adaptive radiation of cichlids in African Great Lakes is an example of which type of speciation?

A) Allopatric speciation
B) Peripatric speciation
C) Parapatric speciation
D) Sympatric speciation

28. Which of the following bony fish families is a known example of adaptive radiation into various forms of bottom-dwelling, fast-swimming, and algae-grazing species?

A) Anguillidae (eels)
B) Salmonidae (salmon and trout)
C) Poeciliidae (guppies)
D) Cichlidae (cichlids)

29. What is a "trophic niche" in the context of fish adaptive radiation?

A) The specific habitat a fish occupies
C) The way a fish interacts with predators
B) The specific role a fish plays in the food chain
D) The color patterns used for mating

30. The rapid speciation of a single ancestral population of bony fishes after a mass extinction event is a prime example of:

A) Disruptive selection
B) Founder effect
C) Genetic drift
D) Adaptive radiation

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