Questions:

1. A tissue in an individual is a population of cells; if not all cells are genetically identical then this tissue may evolve. Clearly explain how studying the genetics of cells in tumors in a person with cancer that involves tumors in several different organs can allow one to determine which tumor was the original tumor, and which tumors developed from other tumors.  Be sure to explain the forms of evolution that are occurring in the cells, and make it clear why the predicted effects of these forms of evolution allow the order of tumor development to be traced.
2. Fever is a common response to disease. Give the two alternative, evolutionary hypotheses about the adaptive significance of fever.  Which of these hypotheses is supported by studies of lizards (desert iguanas)?  Clearly describe the evidence used to test these hypotheses in desert iguanas, and explain why it supports one hypothesis, but not the other.  Finally, consider one of the studies discussed in the textbook attempting to address these hypotheses in humans, and explain why this study was unable to successfully test these hypotheses.
3. Explain how examination of the evolution of nucleotide substitutions in the hemagglutinin gene of the influenza A virus has been used to help predict which strain of influenza A will become dominant, and the strain to which vaccines should be made.  To give this explanation, first explain what hemagglutinin is and why it is predicted that nucleotide substitutions in this gene will make 'flu strains more likely to survive.  Then explain how Robin Bush, Walter Fitch, et al. (1999) used a comparison of replacement substitutions versus silent substitutions in this gene to help predict which 'flu strains will survive.  Be sure to explain why they made the predictions they did, based on the neutral theory of molecular evolution, as well as stating what they found out.
4. It has been suggested that we humans have modified our environment so rapidly that we now have traits that are harmful because they are not adapted to our current environment.  Explain how this hypothesis is supported for two different traits: heritability of myopia, and the relationship between continuous menstrual cycling and breast cancer.
5. Evolutionary psychologists test whether or not average human reaction norms are as predicted by natural selection.  Your textbook presents an example of this with mark Flinn's sutdy of interactions between fathers and their genetic offspring versus their stepoffspring.  Explain how this study tests whether reaction norms are as predicted by natural selection.  To do this, first explain what a reaction norm is.  Then explain what natural selection predicts about the reaction norm of treatment of genetic versus stepoffspring, how Flinn tested for this, what he found in general, and how he controlled for a potentially confounding variable.
6. Many bacteria have evolved antibiotic resistance.  It is often hypothesized that there is a cost to the bacteria to being resistant so that, in the absence of the antibiotic, resistance will die out.  Present evidence on Pneumococcus bacteria in Icelandic children that supports this hypothesis.  An alternative hypothesis, however, is that there can be compensatory mutations that evolve and decrease or remove the cost to antibiotic resistance.  Describe Stephanie Schrag et al's study of this hypothesis.  If their results supported this hypothesis, clearly explain how the hypothesis is supported by their results.  If their results did NOT support this hypothesis, clearly explain how the hypothesis is refuted by their results.