120 NCLC Take Home Exam [40 points] Handed out: Thursday, Nov 2, 2006. Due: In Seminar on Monday, November 6. 2005 at 10 am sharp.
Late Exams will not be accepted under the "Life Happen" scenario, nor under the "10% per day." It's simply due Monday at 10. This is a "take home" exam. Because this is actually an exam, all the work is to be entirely your own. Specifically, you may not discuss, even casually, any part of this exam with anyone, except, perhaps, your Seminar Leader. To do so is an Honor Code Violation. But, because this is a take home exam, in this case, at least, you may use as references our texts, your class notes, any other writing you have done for this course, and the course web sites. You should not need further references, but you are permitted to use additional texts or web resources as you choose. Note: You should not construct your responses by "cutting and pasting" from other sources. The words you write must be your own. Be direct and clear in your answers. Be brief but thorough. Do not ramble. Be organized and make your points clearly and succinctly. Make sure you answer the entire question and make it easy for us to follow your answer. "Teach us" your answer. Your exam must be typed, 12 point font, 1 inch left and right margins, and 1.5 line spacing. There is no space limit. Don't be skimpy with what you say and don't go on and on. We'd estimate that you could do a great job (if you said great things) in about 3 or 4 pages. Make sure you put your name and your Seminar Leader's name and study group number on each sheet.
(1) [5 pts] How are Theories (in Science) verified? Contrast this with the way Theorems (in Mathematics) are verified. Further, describe how Theories are replaced with better ones. (2) [10 pts] Darwin understood that there is a struggle for existence among members of a population and he observed that there is variation within a species. From this he concluded that evolution (the accumulation of inheritable variation over many generations) occurred. Explain his reasoning for this conclusion. (3) [10 pts] In the movie What Darwin Never the Saw population of the Medium Ground Finches (Geospiza fortis) changed because of the drought. Describe each of the errors in the following "explanation" of how this population change occurred. Write your own explanation of why the population of Medium Ground Finches changed in the next generation.
During the drought, the first seeds that were eaten were the small ones, so then there were only large seeds to eat. The birds with small beaks were unable to eat these larger seeds. So, because of ecological opportunity, the birds with small beaks learned to respond to this through natural selection. They used a morphological adaptation which made their beaks stronger and larger and they thus adapted to the drought. As their beaks grew, they survived better. Their offspring inherited the newly enlarged, strengthened beaks and so the next generation had larger, stronger beaks.
(4) [5 pts] In the video that we saw on the first day, we learned that when Darwin saw the foot long nectar spur (tube) of the comet orchid from Madagascar, he predicted the existence of a moth with a proboscis long enough to reach the nectar at the end of this spur. Such a moth (the hawk moth) was later discovered. Explain how this is an example of coevolution. [As you answer this question, giv...