[go: up one dir, main page]

0% found this document useful (0 votes)
88 views50 pages

GATE EY 2024 Solved Question Paper PDF

The document is a question paper for the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE), featuring various questions across topics such as General Aptitude, Ecology, and Evolution. It includes multiple-choice questions with options and is organized by question numbers. The paper aims to assess knowledge and understanding in engineering and related fields.
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
0% found this document useful (0 votes)
88 views50 pages

GATE EY 2024 Solved Question Paper PDF

The document is a question paper for the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE), featuring various questions across topics such as General Aptitude, Ecology, and Evolution. It includes multiple-choice questions with options and is organized by question numbers. The paper aims to assess knowledge and understanding in engineering and related fields.
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 50

Previous Year Question Paper

of

Examination

(Original Question Paper with Answer Key)


GRADUATE APTITUDE TEST IN ENGINEERING

For more question papers, please visit: www.easybiologyclass.com


Ecology and Evolution (EY)

General Aptitude (GA)


Q.1 – Q.5 Carry ONE mark Each

Q.1 If ‘→’ denotes increasing order of intensity, then the meaning of the words

[simmer → seethe → smolder] is analogous to [break → raze → ________ ].

Which one of the given options is appropriate to fill the blank?

(A) obfuscate

(B) obliterate

(C) fracture

(D) fissure

Page 1 of 46
Organizing Institute: IISc Bengaluru
Ecology and Evolution (EY)

Q.2 In a locality, the houses are numbered in the following way:

The house-numbers on one side of a road are consecutive odd integers starting from
301, while the house-numbers on the other side of the road are consecutive even
numbers starting from 302. The total number of houses is the same on both sides of
the road.

If the difference of the sum of the house-numbers between the two sides of the road
is 27, then the number of houses on each side of the road is

(A) 27

(B) 52

(C) 54

(D) 26

Q.3 𝑝 𝑝
𝑝 𝑝 𝑞 (𝑞 −1)
For positive integers 𝑝 and 𝑞 , with ≠ 1,( ) =𝑝 . Then,
𝑞 𝑞

(A) 𝑞 𝑝 = 𝑝𝑞

(B) 𝑞𝑝 = 𝑝2𝑞

(C) √𝑞 = √𝑝

𝑝 𝑞
(D) √𝑞 = √𝑝

Page 2 of 46
Organizing Institute: IISc Bengaluru
Ecology and Evolution (EY)

Q.4 Which one of the given options is a possible value of x in the following sequence?

3, 7, 15, x, 63, 127, 255

(A) 35

(B) 40

(C) 45

(D) 31

Q.5 On a given day, how many times will the second-hand and the minute-hand of a
clock cross each other during the clock time 12:05:00 hours to 12:55:00 hours?

(A) 51

(B) 49

(C) 50

(D) 55

Page 3 of 46
Organizing Institute: IISc Bengaluru
Ecology and Evolution (EY)

Q.6 – Q.10 Carry TWO marks Each

Q.6 In the given text, the blanks are numbered (i)−(iv). Select the best match for
all the blanks.

From the ancient Athenian arena to the modern Olympic stadiums,


(i) (ii)
athletics the potential for a spectacle. The crowd with bated
breath as the Olympian artist twists his body, stretching the javelin behind him.
(iii)
Twelve strides in, he begins to cross-step. Six cross-steps in an abrupt
(iv)
stop on his left foot. As his body like a door turning on a hinge, the
javelin is launched skyward at a precise angle.

(A) (i) hold (ii) waits (iii) culminates (iv) pivot

(B) (i) holds (ii) wait (iii) culminates (iv) pivot

(C) (i) hold (ii) wait (iii) culminate (iv) pivots

(D) (i) holds (ii) waits (iii) culminate (iv) pivots

Page 4 of 46
Organizing Institute: IISc Bengaluru
Please visit: www.easybiologyclass.com for:

 Lecture Notes
 Biology PPTs
 Biology MCQs
 Online Mock Tests (MCQ)
 Practical Aids
 Model Question Papers of NET, GATE, DBT, ICMR Exams
 CSIR NET Life Sciences Previous Year Question Papers
 GATE Previous Year Question Papers
 DBT BET JRF Previous Year Question Papers
 ICMR JRF Entrance Exam Resources
 Higher Scondary Biology Resources
 Jobs Notifications
 Higher Studies in Biology / Life Sciences
 Seminar / Workshop/ Conference Notifications
 And many more….
Ecology and Evolution (EY)

Q.7 Three distinct sets of indistinguishable twins are to be seated at a circular table that
has 8 identical chairs. Unique seating arrangements are defined by the relative
positions of the people.

How many unique seating arrangements are possible such that each person is sitting
next to their twin?

(A) 12

(B) 14

(C) 10

(D) 28

Page 5 of 46
Organizing Institute: IISc Bengaluru
Ecology and Evolution (EY)

Q.8 The chart given below compares the Installed Capacity (MW) of four power
generation technologies, T1, T2, T3, and T4, and their Electricity Generation
(MWh) in a time of 1000 hours (h).

Installed Capacity Electricity Generation


14000 70
13000 65
12000 60
Electricity Generation (MWh)

11000 55

Installed Capacity (MW)


10000 50
9000 45
8000 40
7000 35
6000 30
5000 25
4000 20
3000 15
2000 10
1000 5
0 0
T1 T2 T3 T4
Power Generation Technology

The Capacity Factor of a power generation technology is:

Electricity Generation (MWh)


Capacity Factor =
Installed Capacity (MW) × 1000 (h)

Which one of the given technologies has the highest Capacity Factor?

(A) T1

(B) T2

(C) T3

(D) T4

Page 6 of 46
Organizing Institute: IISc Bengaluru
Ecology and Evolution (EY)

Q.9 In the 4 × 4 array shown below, each cell of the first three columns has either a
cross (X) or a number, as per the given rule.

Rule: The number in a cell represents the count of crosses around its immediate
neighboring cells (left, right, top, bottom, diagonals).

As per this rule, the maximum number of crosses possible in the empty column is

(A) 0

(B) 1

(C) 2

(D) 3

Page 7 of 46
Organizing Institute: IISc Bengaluru
Ecology and Evolution (EY)

Q.10 During a half-moon phase, the Earth-Moon-Sun form a right triangle. If the
Moon-Earth-Sun angle at this half-moon phase is measured to be 89.85°, the ratio
of the Earth-Sun and Earth-Moon distances is closest to

(A) 328

(B) 382

(C) 238

(D) 283

Page 8 of 46
Organizing Institute: IISc Bengaluru
Ecology and Evolution (EY)

Q.11 – Q.35 Carry ONE mark Each

Q. 11 The molecular clock model assumes that mutation rates are

(A) equal for all genes.

(B) constant for a gene.

(C) variable across geographical regions.

(D) variable across geological time.

Q. 12 The intermediate disturbance hypothesis was proposed to explain patterns of

(A) species redundancy.

(B) species diversity.

(C) species dispersal.

(D) species extinctions.

Page 9 of 46
Organizing Institute: IISc Bengaluru
Ecology and Evolution (EY)

Q. 13 A few years ago, a very small population of zebrafish became isolated by a newly
built dam. As a result, which statement is most likely to be true about this
population of zebrafish now?

(A) Genetic variability is low.

(B) Fixation of genotypes due to drift is low.

(C) Inbreeding is low.

(D) Mutation rate is high.

Q.14 A researcher measures the heights of 200 randomly selected individuals of a tree
species in a forest. Which one of the following is NOT a measure of variability in
the sample?

(A) Inter-quartile range

(B) Range

(C) Standard deviation

(D) Standard error

Page 10 of 46
Organizing Institute: IISc Bengaluru
Ecology and Evolution (EY)

Q. 15 Individual lizards were repeatedly presented with a predator model. Over


successive trials, they showed a reduction in the duration of their alarm response.
Which one of the following is this an example of?

(A) Imitation.

(B) Imprinting.

(C) Habituation.

(D) Sensitisation.

Q. 16 Among the following vertebrate classes, biparental care is most common in

(A) amphibians.

(B) birds.

(C) fishes.

(D) mammals.

Page 11 of 46
Organizing Institute: IISc Bengaluru
Ecology and Evolution (EY)

Q. 17 Based on paleontological evidence, eukaryotic organisms are estimated to have


first evolved

(A) more than 750 million years ago.

(B) 750 to 500 million years ago.

(C) 500 to 250 million years ago.

(D) 65 million years ago.

Q. 18 In a population, there are two morphs, A and B, which reproduce at equal rates.
A mutates to B with probability 𝑝1, and B mutates to A with probability 𝑝2 such
that 𝑝1 ≫ 𝑝2 (that is, 𝑝1 is much greater than 𝑝2 ). Over time, which one of the
following statements would be true about this population?

(A) Both morphs A and B will become equally abundant.

(B) Morph A will dominate the population.

(C) Morph B will dominate the population.

(D) Both morphs A and B will go extinct.

Page 12 of 46
Organizing Institute: IISc Bengaluru
Ecology and Evolution (EY)

Q. 19 Terrestrial plants conduct gas exchange through stomata. Having only few
stomata on the leaf surface is a common adaptation to which one of the following
conditions?

(A) High aridity

(B) High pH

(C) Low UV radiation

(D) Low soil nitrogen

Q. 20 Which one of the following is a result of antagonistic coevolution?

(A) Convergent evolution of bird wings and bat wings

(B) Adaptive radiation of beak shape in Darwin’s finches

(C) Caterpillars that feed on chemically-defended host plants

(D) Specialised morphology of orchid flowers for pollination

Page 13 of 46
Organizing Institute: IISc Bengaluru
Ecology and Evolution (EY)

Q. 21 A classical metapopulation at equilibrium is made up of local populations with

(A) no dispersal between them.

(B) no local colonisation or extinction.

(C) weak dispersal between them.

(D) panmictically breeding individuals across populations.

Q. 22 Which one of the following theories is supported by the distribution patterns of


extinct flora such as Glossopteris across South America, Africa and Australia,
and extant marsupial mammals across South America and Australia?

(A) Darwin’s theory of natural selection

(B) Wegener’s theory of continental drift

(C) Levins’ theory of metapopulations

(D) MacArthur and Wilson’s theory of island biogeography

Page 14 of 46
Organizing Institute: IISc Bengaluru
Ecology and Evolution (EY)

Q. 23 In linear regression, mean squared regression (effect variance) divided by mean


squared error (error variance) is called the

(A) p-value.

(B) F-statistic.

(C) t-statistic.

(D) R-squared value.

Q. 24 The figure shows the time-series of atmospheric CO2 concentration on Earth


(graph not-to-scale).

Which one of the factors given is the primary reason for the sudden increase in
atmospheric CO2 concentration after 1950?

(A) Overfishing

(B) An increase in Arctic sea ice melting

(C) An increase in fossil fuel burning

(D) Volcanic eruptions

Page 15 of 46
Organizing Institute: IISc Bengaluru
Ecology and Evolution (EY)

Q. 25 The population size at which net recruitment is the highest is also when the
greatest amount can be harvested, while ensuring the long-term survival of the
population. The amount harvested at this population size is known as

(A) carrying capacity.

(B) maximum sustainable yield.

(C) maximum survival density.

(D) optimal recruitment.

Q. 26 The variance in male mating success is 𝑉𝑚 and that of females is 𝑉𝑓 . Assuming


that the sex ratio is 1:1, in which one of the following mating systems is
𝑉𝑚 /𝑉𝑓 expected to be the greatest?

(A) Monogamy

(B) Random mating

(C) Polyandry

(D) Polygyny

Page 16 of 46
Organizing Institute: IISc Bengaluru
Ecology and Evolution (EY)

Q. 27 Some air-breathing marine vertebrates such as whales, seals and marine turtles
possess adaptations for long, deep dives. Which one or more of the following
is/are examples of such adaptations?

(A) Tolerance to hypoxia

(B) Slow heart rate

(C) High levels of haemoglobin

(D) Salt tolerance

Q. 28 Which one or more of the following statements about evolution is/are true?

(A) Evolution is change that is heritable across generations.

(B) Evolution occurs at the level of populations, not species.

(C) Evolution is a change in gene frequencies through time.

(D) Evolution occurs through natural selection, but not sexual selection.

Page 17 of 46
Organizing Institute: IISc Bengaluru
Ecology and Evolution (EY)

Q. 29 Which one or more of the following mammal species is/are endemic to India?

(A) One-horned rhinoceros

(B) Lion-tailed macaque

(C) Bengal tiger

(D) Cheetah

Q. 30 Under which one or more of the following conditions can altruism evolve in
animal societies?

(A) Individuals in a group are closely related to each other.

(B) Individuals live in a high resource, low risk environment.

(C) Individuals in a group mutually help each other at different times.

(D) Mating opportunities are equally distributed among individuals.

Page 18 of 46
Organizing Institute: IISc Bengaluru
Ecology and Evolution (EY)

Q. 31 Two species of fruit bats (Species 1 and Species 2) eat fruits of varying sizes. The
curves shown represent the ecological niche for these two species. If the curves
for both species were to completely overlap, which one or more of the statements
given would be correct?

(A) There will be no resource competition between Species 1 and Species 2.

(B) One of the species may become extinct due to competitive exclusion.

(C) There will be little competition between Species 1 and Species 2.

(D) The two species will use identical resources.

Page 19 of 46
Organizing Institute: IISc Bengaluru
Ecology and Evolution (EY)

Q. 32 During the process of succession in a community, species that are good


colonisers are gradually replaced by species that are good competitors. Which
one or more of the following statements is/are consistent with this pattern?

(A) Initially, there is great resource limitation.

(B) Keystone species must establish first to facilitate the later establishment of higher
trophic level species.

(C) Trees are the climax stage of terrestrial communities and generally have low
competitive ability, but high dispersal ability.

(D) For many taxa, there is a tradeoff between dispersal ability and local competitive
ability.

Q. 33 An ornamental shrub species was brought from Japan in the early 1800s to India,
where it was planted frequently in gardens and parks. The species persisted for
many decades without spreading, and then began to spread invasively fifty years
ago. Which one or more of the following processes could have led to it becoming
invasive?

(A) Evolutionary adaptation to the environment

(B) Open niches due to recent habitat degradation

(C) Climate change

(D) Recent introduction of a specialized herbivore of this shrub species

Page 20 of 46
Organizing Institute: IISc Bengaluru
Ecology and Evolution (EY)

Q. 34 Male voles pair with either a single female (monogamous) or with two females
(polygynous) during a given breeding season. The probability of a male being
polygynous in a breeding season is 0.2. The reproductive success (number of
offspring) of monogamous males is 2, and of polygynous males is 3. A male’s
expected reproductive success in a breeding season is ____________________.
(Round off to one decimal place)

Q. 35 Consider a randomly breeding population of squirrels with two morphs – white


striped and brown striped. In a population, 16% are white striped individuals,
while the rest are all brown striped. The trait for stripes is governed by one gene
where the allele for brown stripes is dominant. Assuming Hardy–Weinberg
equilibrium, the frequency of the allele for white stripes would be ______.
(Round off to two decimal places)

Page 21 of 46
Organizing Institute: IISc Bengaluru
Ecology and Evolution (EY)

Q.36 – Q.65 Carry TWO marks Each

Q.36 Observations of algal species showed that their diversity was higher in pools
where there were grazing snails compared to pools without snails. Which one of
the following statements best explains this result?

(A) Snails feed preferentially on the more abundant algal species.

(B) Snails avoid feeding on algal species.

(C) Snails feed only on the less abundant algal species.

(D) Snails feed equally on all the algal species irrespective of algal abundance.

Q.37 Which two of the following processes can result in a decline in heterozygosity in
populations?

I) inbreeding; II) genetic drift; III) mutation; IV) random mating

(A) I and II

(B) II and III

(C) I and III

(D) II and IV

Page 22 of 46
Organizing Institute: IISc Bengaluru
Ecology and Evolution (EY)

Q.38 Given below is a table with ecological observations and processes.

Ecological observations Processes

P) Bright spotted pigmentation in I) Kin selection


guppy males in low predation habitats

Q) Vampire bats share blood meals II) Sexual selection

R) Cooperative breeding in African III) Reciprocal altruism


weaver birds

Select the option that best matches each ecological observation with its
corresponding process.

(A) P-III, Q-I, R-II

(B) P-II, Q-III, R-I

(C) P-I, Q-III, R-II

(D) P-II, Q-I, R-III

Page 23 of 46
Organizing Institute: IISc Bengaluru
Ecology and Evolution (EY)

Q.39 An ecologist must determine whether


(i) the means of two independent samples differ, and
(ii) there is an association between two continuous variables.

Assuming that all samples are normally distributed, which one of the following
options represents the most appropriate statistical tests for (i) and (ii),
respectively?

(A) (i) Spearman’s correlation; (ii) Shapiro-Wilk test

(B) (i) Wilcoxon’s matched pairs signed rank test; (ii) chi-squared test

(C) (i) t-test; (ii) Pearson’s correlation

(D) (i) Kendall’s test of concordance; (ii) Kolmogorov-Smirnov test

Q.40 Males of the swordtail fish Xiphophorus helleri possess long tails, while those of
X. maculatus do not. Females of X. helleri prefer males with longer tails.
Interestingly, experimental studies show that females of X. maculatus prefer
X. maculatus males with attached artificial long tails over those without.

If the long-tailed Xiphophorus species evolved from ancestors that lacked a long
tail, which one of the following processes best explains the evolution of the
observed preference among X. maculatus females?

(A) Kin selection

(B) Sensory bias

(C) Group selection

(D) Runaway selection

Page 24 of 46
Organizing Institute: IISc Bengaluru
Please visit: www.easybiologyclass.com for:

 Lecture Notes
 Biology PPTs
 Biology MCQs
 Online Mock Tests (MCQ)
 Practical Aids
 Model Question Papers of NET, GATE, DBT, ICMR Exams
 CSIR NET Life Sciences Previous Year Question Papers
 GATE Previous Year Question Papers
 DBT BET JRF Previous Year Question Papers
 ICMR JRF Entrance Exam Resources
 Higher Scondary Biology Resources
 Jobs Notifications
 Higher Studies in Biology / Life Sciences
 Seminar / Workshop/ Conference Notifications
 And many more….
Ecology and Evolution (EY)

Q.41 Which one of the options given best matches vector to disease?

Vector Disease

I. Fleas P. Kyasanur Forest Disease

II. Ticks Q. Dengue

III. Mosquitoes R. Plague

(A) I-R; II-P; III-Q

(B) I-P; II-R; III-Q

(C) I-R; II-Q; III-P

(D) I-P; II-Q; III-R

Page 25 of 46
Organizing Institute: IISc Bengaluru
Ecology and Evolution (EY)

Q.42 Optimal foraging theory predicts whether a foraging animal will be risk-prone,
risk-averse or risk-insensitive depending on a utility function that describes the
value of each additional food item to the animal. Risk-prone foraging is expected
when the utility increases disproportionately with each additional food item
encountered. Which one of the graphs shown depicts a scenario where risk-prone
foraging would be expected?

(A) P

(B) Q

(C) R

(D) S

Page 26 of 46
Organizing Institute: IISc Bengaluru
Ecology and Evolution (EY)

Q.43 There are two species, X and Y, with abundances 𝑥 and 𝑦, respectively. Species X
has growth rate 𝛼, and species Y has growth rate 𝛽. Assume that the sum of the
species abundances is constant over time, i.e., 𝑥 + 𝑦 = 1. Let 𝑥 and 𝑦 follow the
rate equations:

𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑦
= 𝛼𝑥 − 𝜑𝑥, = 𝛽𝑦 − 𝜑𝑦,
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡
where 𝜑 is the average species fitness.

Which one of the following options correctly represents the expression for 𝜑?

(A) 𝛼𝑥 2 + 𝛽𝑦 2
𝛼+𝛽

(B) 𝛼𝑥 + 𝛽𝑦

(C) 𝛼𝑥 + 𝛽𝑦
𝑥2 + 𝑦2

(D) 1
𝛼𝑥 + 𝛽𝑦

Page 27 of 46
Organizing Institute: IISc Bengaluru
Ecology and Evolution (EY)

Q.44 The graphs shown represent the relationship between population size (𝑁) and
𝑑𝑁
population growth rate ( ). Which one of the following growth curves
𝑑𝑡
represents a density-dependent population that experiences a strong Allee effect?

(A) P

(B) Q

(C) R

(D) S

Page 28 of 46
Organizing Institute: IISc Bengaluru
Ecology and Evolution (EY)

Q.45 The abundance (X) of a plant species with respect to the anthropogenic stressor
habitat destruction (h) is shown. The solid and the dashed curves represent stable
and unstable population equilibrium abundances, respectively.

In the absence of any stochasticity, and with increasing values of h, what is the
value of h at which a sudden population collapse would occur?

(A) 2.5

(B) 2

(C) 4

(D) 3

Page 29 of 46
Organizing Institute: IISc Bengaluru
Ecology and Evolution (EY)

Q.46 Consider the graph shown, where S is species richness and A is area. S and A are
log-transformed and the slope is not equal to 1.

The relationship between untransformed S and A follows a/an

(A) linear relationship.

(B) power law.

(C) exponential relationship.

(D) Michaelis-Menten function.

Page 30 of 46
Organizing Institute: IISc Bengaluru
Ecology and Evolution (EY)

Q.47 The graph shows the rank-abundance relationships for species in three
communities, P, Q and R.

Which one of the following statements is true with respect to the evenness of the
three communities?

(A) P>Q>R

(B) Q>P>R

(C) R>Q>P

(D) R>P>Q

Page 31 of 46
Organizing Institute: IISc Bengaluru
Ecology and Evolution (EY)

Q.48 The graph shows bird species richness in a large contiguous forest patch and a
small adjacent forest fragment, before and soon after the large contiguous forest
patch was replaced by an oil palm plantation.

Which one of the following options best explains the pattern shown?

(A) The contiguous forest is a sink and the forest fragment is a source for bird species.

(B) The forest fragment has higher species richness than the contiguous forest.

(C) The bird community in the forest fragment is geographically closed.

(D) The contiguous forest was contributing to forest fragment species richness via
dispersal.

Page 32 of 46
Organizing Institute: IISc Bengaluru
Ecology and Evolution (EY)

Q.49 Honey bees are haplodiploid, which means that the relatedness is, on average,
expected to be 0.75 between

(A) brother-brother pairs with the same parents.

(B) brother-sister pairs with the same parents.

(C) mated female-male pair.

(D) sister-sister pairs with the same parents.

Page 33 of 46
Organizing Institute: IISc Bengaluru
Ecology and Evolution (EY)

Q.50 Match the mollusc taxa to their respective orders.

Mollusc taxa Order

I Cone snails P Bivalve

II Octopuses Q Gastropod

III Giant clams R Cephalopod

IV Squids

(A) I-P; II-Q; III-R; IV-Q

(B) I-Q; II-R; III-P; IV-R

(C) I-P; II-R; III-P; IV-Q

(D) I-P; II-P; III-R; IV-Q

Page 34 of 46
Organizing Institute: IISc Bengaluru
Ecology and Evolution (EY)

Q.51 A terrestrial species P is found in both India and West Africa and nowhere else,
while a marine species Q is found in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. The
two species have similar generation times. An ecologist builds haplotype networks
based on DNA sequences from these species, where each circle represents one
haplotype and each dash (−) represents a mutation. Which one of the following
inferences is best supported by the haplotype networks shown?

(A) P has high dispersal ability; Q has low dispersal ability.

(B) Q has high dispersal ability; P has low dispersal ability.

(C) P and Q have equal dispersal abilities.

(D) The genetic structure is not influenced by dispersal ability.

Page 35 of 46
Organizing Institute: IISc Bengaluru
Ecology and Evolution (EY)

Q.52 Grey langurs found in the southern Western Ghats (SWG) and grey langurs in
Sri Lanka (SL) look very similar. Nilgiri langurs (found in SWG) and purple faced
langurs (found in SL) also look similar. If allopatry played a role in the early
diversification of this group (at point x in the tree), which one of the phylogenetic
trees is most likely to be correct?

(A) P

(B) Q

(C) R

(D) S

Page 36 of 46
Organizing Institute: IISc Bengaluru
Ecology and Evolution (EY)

Q.53 Two bird species, A and B, are found on a single mountainside. A is a


low-elevation species, found between 500 m and 1500 m Above Sea Level (ASL),
while B is a high-elevation species, found between 1000 m and 2000 m ASL. At
1250 m ASL, species A and B have very different bill morphologies, but the bill
morphology of species A at 500 m is very similar to the bill morphology of species
B at 2000 m ASL. Which one or more of the following explain(s) the difference in
bill morphology at 1250 m ASL?

(A) Competitive exclusion

(B) Character displacement

(C) Convergent evolution

(D) Allopatric speciation

Q. 54 Which one or more of the following is/are greenhouse gas(es)?

(A) Methane

(B) Water vapour

(C) Sulphur dioxide

(D) Nitrous oxide

Page 37 of 46
Organizing Institute: IISc Bengaluru
Ecology and Evolution (EY)

Q.55 Males of the Indian robin in two populations sing songs of different lengths.
Which one or more of the options given is/are an ultimate (not proximate)
explanation(s) of the difference in song length between the two populations?

(A) Females prefer to mate with males that sing longer songs in one population but not
in the other.

(B) The two populations have different forms of the gene that determines song
duration.

(C) The two populations differ in hormone levels that activate the start and end of
singing behaviour.

(D) Differences between populations in food availability during development affect


neural circuitry that is involved in song production.

Page 38 of 46
Organizing Institute: IISc Bengaluru
Ecology and Evolution (EY)

Q.56 Female Anopheles mosquitoes bite humans to get blood. Researchers performed an
experiment to study whether females use temperature or scent cues, or both, when
locating human hosts. They presented female mosquitoes with membranes kept at
different temperatures. Some membranes also had human scent applied to them.
The response to each treatment was measured as the percentage of females that
landed on the membrane (50 females for each treatment). The table shows the
treatments and the corresponding responses.

Temperature and scent Response

Ambient air temperature (25 ℃); with human scent 90%

Ambient air temperature (25 ℃); without human scent 0%

Human body temperature (37 ℃); with human scent 90%

Human body temperature (37 ℃); without human scent 90%

Which one or more of the following inferences is/are supported by these results?

(A) Human scent cues are necessary to locate human hosts.

(B) Human scent cues are sufficient to locate human hosts.

(C) Human body temperature cues are necessary to locate human hosts.

(D) Human body temperature cues are sufficient to locate human hosts.

Page 39 of 46
Organizing Institute: IISc Bengaluru
Ecology and Evolution (EY)

Q.57 A phylogenetic tree for the evolution of two pigmentation traits in species of fish
is shown for clades X, Y and Z. Genes A and/or B, if mutated, can cause dark
pigmentation in the body.

Which one or more of the following statements is/are correct?

(A) The character state “pigmentation” is homologous in species 1 and 3.

(B) The character state “pigmentation” is homologous between species 1 and 4.

(C) The character state “pigmentation” is not homologous for species 6 and 7.

(D) The character state “pigmentation” is not homologous between species 2 and 6.

Page 40 of 46
Organizing Institute: IISc Bengaluru
Ecology and Evolution (EY)

Q. 58 In conservation biology, which one or more of the following is/are used to


calculate the effective population size, Ne ?

(A) the population size required to avoid local extinction in the next 1000 years.

(B) the carrying capacity of the environment.

(C) the sum of the sizes of all connected populations in a metapopulation.

(D) the number of breeding males and females.

Page 41 of 46
Organizing Institute: IISc Bengaluru
Ecology and Evolution (EY)

Q.59 In the foodweb diagrams shown, R represents the primary producer, C1 and C2
represent intermediate consumers, and P represents the top predator. Which one or
more of these diagrams show(s) intraguild predation?

(A) E

(B) F

(C) G

(D) H

Page 42 of 46
Organizing Institute: IISc Bengaluru
Ecology and Evolution (EY)

Q.60 You are a plant ecologist studying a plant in the genus Veronica. You notice that,
at open rocky sites, Veronica grows as a creeper spreading low to the ground,
whereas in grasslands, the stem stands upright. You collect seeds from multiple
populations in each habitat type and grow them under uniform conditions in a
greenhouse. You find that all the plants grown in the greenhouse have stems that
stand upright. Which one or more of the following explanations best support(s)
your observations?

(A) The different morphologies in the natural habitat types are due to phenotypic
plasticity.

(B) Inbreeding depression has led to the creeping form in the rocky sites.

(C) High gene flow between populations has restricted local adaptation in the two
environments.

(D) The morphological differences between populations demonstrates that growth


form is a polygenic trait.

Page 43 of 46
Organizing Institute: IISc Bengaluru
Ecology and Evolution (EY)

Q.61 One hypothesis for why the tropics have far greater species richness than higher
latitudes is that the tropics are relatively aseasonal. Low seasonality can encourage
high species richness through which one or more of the following mechanisms?

(A) Numerous resources are consistently available throughout the year, allowing
different species to specialize on different resources, thereby minimizing
competition and allowing co-existence.

(B) Low seasonality is associated with lower rates of predation, allowing large
populations to thrive.

(C) Low seasonality is associated with more stable populations that are less vulnerable
to demographic stochasticity and extinction.

(D) Low seasonality is associated with longer generation times, which enhances
species richness.

Page 44 of 46
Organizing Institute: IISc Bengaluru
Ecology and Evolution (EY)

Q.62 The figure illustrates the soil zinc tolerance of the grass species Anthoxanthum
along a transect from inside a mine to the middle of a pasture outside the mine.

Which one or more of the following processes explain(s) the observed pattern of
zinc tolerance in this grass species?

(A) Genetic drift

(B) Local adaptation

(C) Coevolution

(D) Introgression

Page 45 of 46
Organizing Institute: IISc Bengaluru
Ecology and Evolution (EY)

Q.63 In a forest, there are tigers, hare, and deer. On a given day, the probability of a
tiger hunting a hare is 0.35, a deer is 0.25, and either a hare or a deer is 0.55. The
probability of a tiger hunting both a hare and a deer on a given day is __________.
(Round off to two decimal places).

Q.64 Consider a discrete random variable X that takes values from the set
S = {0, 1, 2, 3}, being the number of individuals of a species within a habitat.
Consider the probability distribution of X with Pr(X = 0) = 0.15,
Pr(X = 1) = 0.25 and Pr(X = 3) = 0.5, where Pr denotes probability. The value of
Pr(X = 2) is _______. (Round off to two decimal places)

Q. 65 There are nine species of Impatiens (balsams) found in laterite plateaus of the
northern Western Ghats, each with a distinct colour. If a plateau has exactly 6
species, then the number of possible colour combinations in the plateau is
__________. (Answer in integer)

Page 46 of 46
Organizing Institute: IISc Bengaluru
Please visit: www.easybiologyclass.com for:

 Lecture Notes
 Biology PPTs
 Biology MCQs
 Online Mock Tests (MCQ)
 Practical Aids
 Model Question Papers of NET, GATE, DBT, ICMR Exams
 CSIR NET Life Sciences Previous Year Question Papers
 GATE Previous Year Question Papers
 DBT BET JRF Previous Year Question Papers
 ICMR JRF Entrance Exam Resources
 Higher Scondary Biology Resources
 Jobs Notifications
 Higher Studies in Biology / Life Sciences
 Seminar / Workshop/ Conference Notifications
 And many more….

You might also like