Q34 - Polyploidy and Alpine Habitat in Veronica

Theoretical 1 Real exam question - full text reproduced under IBO's CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license

Macroevolutionary Patterns & Mass Extinctions

Correlation between genome size in polyploid and diploid lineages and life history and occupation of alpine habitat for the genus Veronica (Plantaginaceae) were investigated (Meudt et al., 2015). The genus primarily originated in northern hemisphere. The phylogenetic tree below includes variables of interest including 1C-value (amount of DNA contained in a haploid genome), life history (annual: bar; perennial: no bar), habitat (non-alpine: no bar; alpine: bar), and ploidy (2x to 18x).

Figure 1. Figure 1.

Using the information and data, determine which of the statements are true or which are false.

A. All the Southern hemisphere species are polyploid.

B. Polyploidy is always accompanied by genomic upsizing.

C. Transitions from annual to perennial life history can be accompanied by migration to the higher elevations or cooler climates.

D. Annual species are never found in alpine habitats.

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Question reproduced from IBO 2018, Theoretical Paper 1, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 - attributed to the International Biology Olympiad. Open the full exam PDF · Community solutions (unofficial)