Download GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering) Last 10 Years 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011 and 2010 EY Ecology and Evolution Question Paper With Solution And Answer Key
GA 1/2
Q. 1 ? Q. 5 carry one mark each.
Q.1 ?Going by the _________ that many hands make light work, the school _______ involved
all the students in the task .?
The words that best fill the blanks in the above sentence are
(A) principle, principal (B) principal, principle
(C) principle, principle (D) principal, principal
Q.2 ?Her _______ should not be confused with miserliness; she is ever willing to assist those in
need. ?
The word that best fills the blank in the above sentence is
(A) cleanliness (B) punctuality (C) frugality (D) greatness
Q.3 Seven machines take 7 minutes to make 7 identical toys. At the same rate, how many
minutes would it take for 100 machines to make 100 toys?
(A) 1 (B) 7 (C) 100 (D) 700
Q.4 A rectangle becomes a square when its length and breadth are reduced by 10 m and 5 m,
respectively. During this process, the rectangle loses 650 m
2
of area. What is the area of the
original rectangle in square meters?
(A) 1125 (B) 2250 (C) 2924 (D) 4500
Q.5 A number consists of two digits. The sum of the digits is 9. If 45 is subtracted from the
number, its digits are interchanged. What is the number?
(A) 63 (B) 72 (C) 81 (D) 90
Q. 6 ? Q. 10 carry two marks each.
Q.6 For integers ?? , ?? and ?? , what would be the minimum and maximum values respectively of
?? + ?? + ?? if log |?? | + log |?? | + log |?? | = 0?
(A) -3 and 3 (B) -1 and 1 (C) -1 and 3 (D) 1 and 3
FirstRanker.com - FirstRanker's Choice
GATE 2018 General Aptitude (GA) Set-1
GA 1/2
Q. 1 ? Q. 5 carry one mark each.
Q.1 ?Going by the _________ that many hands make light work, the school _______ involved
all the students in the task .?
The words that best fill the blanks in the above sentence are
(A) principle, principal (B) principal, principle
(C) principle, principle (D) principal, principal
Q.2 ?Her _______ should not be confused with miserliness; she is ever willing to assist those in
need. ?
The word that best fills the blank in the above sentence is
(A) cleanliness (B) punctuality (C) frugality (D) greatness
Q.3 Seven machines take 7 minutes to make 7 identical toys. At the same rate, how many
minutes would it take for 100 machines to make 100 toys?
(A) 1 (B) 7 (C) 100 (D) 700
Q.4 A rectangle becomes a square when its length and breadth are reduced by 10 m and 5 m,
respectively. During this process, the rectangle loses 650 m
2
of area. What is the area of the
original rectangle in square meters?
(A) 1125 (B) 2250 (C) 2924 (D) 4500
Q.5 A number consists of two digits. The sum of the digits is 9. If 45 is subtracted from the
number, its digits are interchanged. What is the number?
(A) 63 (B) 72 (C) 81 (D) 90
Q. 6 ? Q. 10 carry two marks each.
Q.6 For integers ?? , ?? and ?? , what would be the minimum and maximum values respectively of
?? + ?? + ?? if log |?? | + log |?? | + log |?? | = 0?
(A) -3 and 3 (B) -1 and 1 (C) -1 and 3 (D) 1 and 3
GATE 2018 General Aptitude (GA) Set-1
GA 2/2
Q.7 Given that ?? and ?? are integers and ?? + ?? 2
?? 3
is odd, which one of the following
statements is correct?
(A) ?? and ?? are both odd (B) ?? and ?? are both even
(C) ?? is even and ?? is odd (D) ?? is odd and ?? is even
Q.8 From the time the front of a train enters a platform, it takes 25 seconds for the back of the
train to leave the platform, while travelling at a constant speed of 54 km/h. At the same
speed, it takes 14 seconds to pass a man running at 9 km/h in the same direction as the
train. What is the length of the train and that of the platform in meters, respectively?
(A) 210 and 140 (B) 162.5 and 187.5
(C) 245 and 130 (D) 175 and 200
Q.9 Which of the following functions describe the graph shown in the below figure?
(A) ?? = ||?? | + 1| ? 2 (B) ?? = ||?? | ? 1| ? 1
(C) ?? = ||?? | + 1| ? 1 (D) ?? = ||?? ? 1| ? 1|
Q.10 Consider the following three statements:
(i) Some roses are red.
(ii) All red flowers fade quickly.
(iii) Some roses fade quickly.
Which of the following statements can be logically inferred from the above statements?
(A) If (i) is true and (ii) is false, then (iii) is false.
(B) If (i) is true and (ii) is false, then (iii) is true.
(C) If (i) and (ii) are true, then (iii) is true.
(D) If (i) and (ii) are false, then (iii) is false.
END OF THE QUESTION PAPER
FirstRanker.com - FirstRanker's Choice
GATE 2018 General Aptitude (GA) Set-1
GA 1/2
Q. 1 ? Q. 5 carry one mark each.
Q.1 ?Going by the _________ that many hands make light work, the school _______ involved
all the students in the task .?
The words that best fill the blanks in the above sentence are
(A) principle, principal (B) principal, principle
(C) principle, principle (D) principal, principal
Q.2 ?Her _______ should not be confused with miserliness; she is ever willing to assist those in
need. ?
The word that best fills the blank in the above sentence is
(A) cleanliness (B) punctuality (C) frugality (D) greatness
Q.3 Seven machines take 7 minutes to make 7 identical toys. At the same rate, how many
minutes would it take for 100 machines to make 100 toys?
(A) 1 (B) 7 (C) 100 (D) 700
Q.4 A rectangle becomes a square when its length and breadth are reduced by 10 m and 5 m,
respectively. During this process, the rectangle loses 650 m
2
of area. What is the area of the
original rectangle in square meters?
(A) 1125 (B) 2250 (C) 2924 (D) 4500
Q.5 A number consists of two digits. The sum of the digits is 9. If 45 is subtracted from the
number, its digits are interchanged. What is the number?
(A) 63 (B) 72 (C) 81 (D) 90
Q. 6 ? Q. 10 carry two marks each.
Q.6 For integers ?? , ?? and ?? , what would be the minimum and maximum values respectively of
?? + ?? + ?? if log |?? | + log |?? | + log |?? | = 0?
(A) -3 and 3 (B) -1 and 1 (C) -1 and 3 (D) 1 and 3
GATE 2018 General Aptitude (GA) Set-1
GA 2/2
Q.7 Given that ?? and ?? are integers and ?? + ?? 2
?? 3
is odd, which one of the following
statements is correct?
(A) ?? and ?? are both odd (B) ?? and ?? are both even
(C) ?? is even and ?? is odd (D) ?? is odd and ?? is even
Q.8 From the time the front of a train enters a platform, it takes 25 seconds for the back of the
train to leave the platform, while travelling at a constant speed of 54 km/h. At the same
speed, it takes 14 seconds to pass a man running at 9 km/h in the same direction as the
train. What is the length of the train and that of the platform in meters, respectively?
(A) 210 and 140 (B) 162.5 and 187.5
(C) 245 and 130 (D) 175 and 200
Q.9 Which of the following functions describe the graph shown in the below figure?
(A) ?? = ||?? | + 1| ? 2 (B) ?? = ||?? | ? 1| ? 1
(C) ?? = ||?? | + 1| ? 1 (D) ?? = ||?? ? 1| ? 1|
Q.10 Consider the following three statements:
(i) Some roses are red.
(ii) All red flowers fade quickly.
(iii) Some roses fade quickly.
Which of the following statements can be logically inferred from the above statements?
(A) If (i) is true and (ii) is false, then (iii) is false.
(B) If (i) is true and (ii) is false, then (iii) is true.
(C) If (i) and (ii) are true, then (iii) is true.
(D) If (i) and (ii) are false, then (iii) is false.
END OF THE QUESTION PAPER
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 1/22
Q. 1 ? Q. 25 carry one mark each.
Q.1 During the Pleistocene, which of the following groups experienced the largest mass
extinction?
(A) Large dinosaurs
(B) Large mammals
(C) Reptiles
(D) Trilobites
Q.2 In group living species, the term ?dilution effect? refers to
(A) reduction in aggression among individuals with increasing group size
(B) reduction in the mobility of individuals with increasing group size
(C) reduction in the reproductive success of individuals with increasing group size
(D) reduction in the risk of predation of individuals with increasing group size
Q.3 Which of the following diversity indices best captures species turnover across
habitats?
(A) ? (B) ?? (C) ? (D) ?
FirstRanker.com - FirstRanker's Choice
GATE 2018 General Aptitude (GA) Set-1
GA 1/2
Q. 1 ? Q. 5 carry one mark each.
Q.1 ?Going by the _________ that many hands make light work, the school _______ involved
all the students in the task .?
The words that best fill the blanks in the above sentence are
(A) principle, principal (B) principal, principle
(C) principle, principle (D) principal, principal
Q.2 ?Her _______ should not be confused with miserliness; she is ever willing to assist those in
need. ?
The word that best fills the blank in the above sentence is
(A) cleanliness (B) punctuality (C) frugality (D) greatness
Q.3 Seven machines take 7 minutes to make 7 identical toys. At the same rate, how many
minutes would it take for 100 machines to make 100 toys?
(A) 1 (B) 7 (C) 100 (D) 700
Q.4 A rectangle becomes a square when its length and breadth are reduced by 10 m and 5 m,
respectively. During this process, the rectangle loses 650 m
2
of area. What is the area of the
original rectangle in square meters?
(A) 1125 (B) 2250 (C) 2924 (D) 4500
Q.5 A number consists of two digits. The sum of the digits is 9. If 45 is subtracted from the
number, its digits are interchanged. What is the number?
(A) 63 (B) 72 (C) 81 (D) 90
Q. 6 ? Q. 10 carry two marks each.
Q.6 For integers ?? , ?? and ?? , what would be the minimum and maximum values respectively of
?? + ?? + ?? if log |?? | + log |?? | + log |?? | = 0?
(A) -3 and 3 (B) -1 and 1 (C) -1 and 3 (D) 1 and 3
GATE 2018 General Aptitude (GA) Set-1
GA 2/2
Q.7 Given that ?? and ?? are integers and ?? + ?? 2
?? 3
is odd, which one of the following
statements is correct?
(A) ?? and ?? are both odd (B) ?? and ?? are both even
(C) ?? is even and ?? is odd (D) ?? is odd and ?? is even
Q.8 From the time the front of a train enters a platform, it takes 25 seconds for the back of the
train to leave the platform, while travelling at a constant speed of 54 km/h. At the same
speed, it takes 14 seconds to pass a man running at 9 km/h in the same direction as the
train. What is the length of the train and that of the platform in meters, respectively?
(A) 210 and 140 (B) 162.5 and 187.5
(C) 245 and 130 (D) 175 and 200
Q.9 Which of the following functions describe the graph shown in the below figure?
(A) ?? = ||?? | + 1| ? 2 (B) ?? = ||?? | ? 1| ? 1
(C) ?? = ||?? | + 1| ? 1 (D) ?? = ||?? ? 1| ? 1|
Q.10 Consider the following three statements:
(i) Some roses are red.
(ii) All red flowers fade quickly.
(iii) Some roses fade quickly.
Which of the following statements can be logically inferred from the above statements?
(A) If (i) is true and (ii) is false, then (iii) is false.
(B) If (i) is true and (ii) is false, then (iii) is true.
(C) If (i) and (ii) are true, then (iii) is true.
(D) If (i) and (ii) are false, then (iii) is false.
END OF THE QUESTION PAPER
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 1/22
Q. 1 ? Q. 25 carry one mark each.
Q.1 During the Pleistocene, which of the following groups experienced the largest mass
extinction?
(A) Large dinosaurs
(B) Large mammals
(C) Reptiles
(D) Trilobites
Q.2 In group living species, the term ?dilution effect? refers to
(A) reduction in aggression among individuals with increasing group size
(B) reduction in the mobility of individuals with increasing group size
(C) reduction in the reproductive success of individuals with increasing group size
(D) reduction in the risk of predation of individuals with increasing group size
Q.3 Which of the following diversity indices best captures species turnover across
habitats?
(A) ? (B) ?? (C) ? (D) ?
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 2/22
Q.4 A duck egg is removed from its mother?s nest and incubated by a barnyard hen. The
duckling hatches out in the presence of the barnyard hen and stays in her nest. After
a couple of days, the duckling is presented with a choice between its biological
mother and the hen that incubated it. The duckling approaches and follows the hen.
This set of observations demonstrates the phenomenon of
(A) habituation
(B) imprinting
(C) instinct
(D) sensitization
Q.5 If both of your ears were located next to each other in the middle of your face, you
would have difficulty in resolving the
(A) direction of a sound
(B) duration of a sound
(C) loudness of a sound
(D) pitch of a sound
Q.6 Forager bees communicate the distance of a food source using a waggle dance upon
return to the hive. It is observed that the number of waggles of a dance increases
linearly with the distance to the food source. This tells us that the
(A) number of waggles and distance to food source is negatively correlated
(B) number of waggles and distance to food source is positively correlated
(C) number of waggles affects the distance to the food source
(D) number of waggles and the distance to the food source are uncorrelated
FirstRanker.com - FirstRanker's Choice
GATE 2018 General Aptitude (GA) Set-1
GA 1/2
Q. 1 ? Q. 5 carry one mark each.
Q.1 ?Going by the _________ that many hands make light work, the school _______ involved
all the students in the task .?
The words that best fill the blanks in the above sentence are
(A) principle, principal (B) principal, principle
(C) principle, principle (D) principal, principal
Q.2 ?Her _______ should not be confused with miserliness; she is ever willing to assist those in
need. ?
The word that best fills the blank in the above sentence is
(A) cleanliness (B) punctuality (C) frugality (D) greatness
Q.3 Seven machines take 7 minutes to make 7 identical toys. At the same rate, how many
minutes would it take for 100 machines to make 100 toys?
(A) 1 (B) 7 (C) 100 (D) 700
Q.4 A rectangle becomes a square when its length and breadth are reduced by 10 m and 5 m,
respectively. During this process, the rectangle loses 650 m
2
of area. What is the area of the
original rectangle in square meters?
(A) 1125 (B) 2250 (C) 2924 (D) 4500
Q.5 A number consists of two digits. The sum of the digits is 9. If 45 is subtracted from the
number, its digits are interchanged. What is the number?
(A) 63 (B) 72 (C) 81 (D) 90
Q. 6 ? Q. 10 carry two marks each.
Q.6 For integers ?? , ?? and ?? , what would be the minimum and maximum values respectively of
?? + ?? + ?? if log |?? | + log |?? | + log |?? | = 0?
(A) -3 and 3 (B) -1 and 1 (C) -1 and 3 (D) 1 and 3
GATE 2018 General Aptitude (GA) Set-1
GA 2/2
Q.7 Given that ?? and ?? are integers and ?? + ?? 2
?? 3
is odd, which one of the following
statements is correct?
(A) ?? and ?? are both odd (B) ?? and ?? are both even
(C) ?? is even and ?? is odd (D) ?? is odd and ?? is even
Q.8 From the time the front of a train enters a platform, it takes 25 seconds for the back of the
train to leave the platform, while travelling at a constant speed of 54 km/h. At the same
speed, it takes 14 seconds to pass a man running at 9 km/h in the same direction as the
train. What is the length of the train and that of the platform in meters, respectively?
(A) 210 and 140 (B) 162.5 and 187.5
(C) 245 and 130 (D) 175 and 200
Q.9 Which of the following functions describe the graph shown in the below figure?
(A) ?? = ||?? | + 1| ? 2 (B) ?? = ||?? | ? 1| ? 1
(C) ?? = ||?? | + 1| ? 1 (D) ?? = ||?? ? 1| ? 1|
Q.10 Consider the following three statements:
(i) Some roses are red.
(ii) All red flowers fade quickly.
(iii) Some roses fade quickly.
Which of the following statements can be logically inferred from the above statements?
(A) If (i) is true and (ii) is false, then (iii) is false.
(B) If (i) is true and (ii) is false, then (iii) is true.
(C) If (i) and (ii) are true, then (iii) is true.
(D) If (i) and (ii) are false, then (iii) is false.
END OF THE QUESTION PAPER
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 1/22
Q. 1 ? Q. 25 carry one mark each.
Q.1 During the Pleistocene, which of the following groups experienced the largest mass
extinction?
(A) Large dinosaurs
(B) Large mammals
(C) Reptiles
(D) Trilobites
Q.2 In group living species, the term ?dilution effect? refers to
(A) reduction in aggression among individuals with increasing group size
(B) reduction in the mobility of individuals with increasing group size
(C) reduction in the reproductive success of individuals with increasing group size
(D) reduction in the risk of predation of individuals with increasing group size
Q.3 Which of the following diversity indices best captures species turnover across
habitats?
(A) ? (B) ?? (C) ? (D) ?
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 2/22
Q.4 A duck egg is removed from its mother?s nest and incubated by a barnyard hen. The
duckling hatches out in the presence of the barnyard hen and stays in her nest. After
a couple of days, the duckling is presented with a choice between its biological
mother and the hen that incubated it. The duckling approaches and follows the hen.
This set of observations demonstrates the phenomenon of
(A) habituation
(B) imprinting
(C) instinct
(D) sensitization
Q.5 If both of your ears were located next to each other in the middle of your face, you
would have difficulty in resolving the
(A) direction of a sound
(B) duration of a sound
(C) loudness of a sound
(D) pitch of a sound
Q.6 Forager bees communicate the distance of a food source using a waggle dance upon
return to the hive. It is observed that the number of waggles of a dance increases
linearly with the distance to the food source. This tells us that the
(A) number of waggles and distance to food source is negatively correlated
(B) number of waggles and distance to food source is positively correlated
(C) number of waggles affects the distance to the food source
(D) number of waggles and the distance to the food source are uncorrelated
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 3/22
Q.7 Male frogs display to females by producing loud acoustic signals. The use of these
signals by bats to locate frogs and prey upon them is an example of
(A) aposematism
(B) deception
(C) eavesdropping
(D) mimicry
Q.8 A non-venomous, non-toxic species of snake is brightly coloured and closely
resembles a venomous snake species in the same habitat. This is most likely a case
of
(A) aggressive mimicry
(B) Batesian mimicry
(C) masquerade
(D) M?llerian mimicry
Q.9 The value of the resting membrane potential of a typical neuron is closest to the
equilibrium potential of which of the following ions?
(A) Ca
++
(B) ? K
+
(C) Mg
++
(D) Na
+
Q.10 A plant species found in India produces flowers that are white, fragrant, and tubular.
Which of the following is the most likely pollinating agent?
(A) Hummingbirds (B) Lorises
(C) Moths (D) Wind
FirstRanker.com - FirstRanker's Choice
GATE 2018 General Aptitude (GA) Set-1
GA 1/2
Q. 1 ? Q. 5 carry one mark each.
Q.1 ?Going by the _________ that many hands make light work, the school _______ involved
all the students in the task .?
The words that best fill the blanks in the above sentence are
(A) principle, principal (B) principal, principle
(C) principle, principle (D) principal, principal
Q.2 ?Her _______ should not be confused with miserliness; she is ever willing to assist those in
need. ?
The word that best fills the blank in the above sentence is
(A) cleanliness (B) punctuality (C) frugality (D) greatness
Q.3 Seven machines take 7 minutes to make 7 identical toys. At the same rate, how many
minutes would it take for 100 machines to make 100 toys?
(A) 1 (B) 7 (C) 100 (D) 700
Q.4 A rectangle becomes a square when its length and breadth are reduced by 10 m and 5 m,
respectively. During this process, the rectangle loses 650 m
2
of area. What is the area of the
original rectangle in square meters?
(A) 1125 (B) 2250 (C) 2924 (D) 4500
Q.5 A number consists of two digits. The sum of the digits is 9. If 45 is subtracted from the
number, its digits are interchanged. What is the number?
(A) 63 (B) 72 (C) 81 (D) 90
Q. 6 ? Q. 10 carry two marks each.
Q.6 For integers ?? , ?? and ?? , what would be the minimum and maximum values respectively of
?? + ?? + ?? if log |?? | + log |?? | + log |?? | = 0?
(A) -3 and 3 (B) -1 and 1 (C) -1 and 3 (D) 1 and 3
GATE 2018 General Aptitude (GA) Set-1
GA 2/2
Q.7 Given that ?? and ?? are integers and ?? + ?? 2
?? 3
is odd, which one of the following
statements is correct?
(A) ?? and ?? are both odd (B) ?? and ?? are both even
(C) ?? is even and ?? is odd (D) ?? is odd and ?? is even
Q.8 From the time the front of a train enters a platform, it takes 25 seconds for the back of the
train to leave the platform, while travelling at a constant speed of 54 km/h. At the same
speed, it takes 14 seconds to pass a man running at 9 km/h in the same direction as the
train. What is the length of the train and that of the platform in meters, respectively?
(A) 210 and 140 (B) 162.5 and 187.5
(C) 245 and 130 (D) 175 and 200
Q.9 Which of the following functions describe the graph shown in the below figure?
(A) ?? = ||?? | + 1| ? 2 (B) ?? = ||?? | ? 1| ? 1
(C) ?? = ||?? | + 1| ? 1 (D) ?? = ||?? ? 1| ? 1|
Q.10 Consider the following three statements:
(i) Some roses are red.
(ii) All red flowers fade quickly.
(iii) Some roses fade quickly.
Which of the following statements can be logically inferred from the above statements?
(A) If (i) is true and (ii) is false, then (iii) is false.
(B) If (i) is true and (ii) is false, then (iii) is true.
(C) If (i) and (ii) are true, then (iii) is true.
(D) If (i) and (ii) are false, then (iii) is false.
END OF THE QUESTION PAPER
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 1/22
Q. 1 ? Q. 25 carry one mark each.
Q.1 During the Pleistocene, which of the following groups experienced the largest mass
extinction?
(A) Large dinosaurs
(B) Large mammals
(C) Reptiles
(D) Trilobites
Q.2 In group living species, the term ?dilution effect? refers to
(A) reduction in aggression among individuals with increasing group size
(B) reduction in the mobility of individuals with increasing group size
(C) reduction in the reproductive success of individuals with increasing group size
(D) reduction in the risk of predation of individuals with increasing group size
Q.3 Which of the following diversity indices best captures species turnover across
habitats?
(A) ? (B) ?? (C) ? (D) ?
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 2/22
Q.4 A duck egg is removed from its mother?s nest and incubated by a barnyard hen. The
duckling hatches out in the presence of the barnyard hen and stays in her nest. After
a couple of days, the duckling is presented with a choice between its biological
mother and the hen that incubated it. The duckling approaches and follows the hen.
This set of observations demonstrates the phenomenon of
(A) habituation
(B) imprinting
(C) instinct
(D) sensitization
Q.5 If both of your ears were located next to each other in the middle of your face, you
would have difficulty in resolving the
(A) direction of a sound
(B) duration of a sound
(C) loudness of a sound
(D) pitch of a sound
Q.6 Forager bees communicate the distance of a food source using a waggle dance upon
return to the hive. It is observed that the number of waggles of a dance increases
linearly with the distance to the food source. This tells us that the
(A) number of waggles and distance to food source is negatively correlated
(B) number of waggles and distance to food source is positively correlated
(C) number of waggles affects the distance to the food source
(D) number of waggles and the distance to the food source are uncorrelated
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 3/22
Q.7 Male frogs display to females by producing loud acoustic signals. The use of these
signals by bats to locate frogs and prey upon them is an example of
(A) aposematism
(B) deception
(C) eavesdropping
(D) mimicry
Q.8 A non-venomous, non-toxic species of snake is brightly coloured and closely
resembles a venomous snake species in the same habitat. This is most likely a case
of
(A) aggressive mimicry
(B) Batesian mimicry
(C) masquerade
(D) M?llerian mimicry
Q.9 The value of the resting membrane potential of a typical neuron is closest to the
equilibrium potential of which of the following ions?
(A) Ca
++
(B) ? K
+
(C) Mg
++
(D) Na
+
Q.10 A plant species found in India produces flowers that are white, fragrant, and tubular.
Which of the following is the most likely pollinating agent?
(A) Hummingbirds (B) Lorises
(C) Moths (D) Wind
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 4/22
Q.11 Which of the following can be used to test differences between mean tree heights in
a tropical versus a temperate forest?
(A) Binomial test
(B) Linear regression
(C) Pearson?s correlation
(D) Student?s t-test
Q.12 For a species, assuming a relatively short time scale and no evolution, increased
interspecific competition will result in a
(A) larger fundamental niche (B) larger realized niche
(C) smaller fundamental niche (D) smaller realized niche
Q.13 In which of the following mating systems is sperm competition likely to evolve?
(A) Monoandry
(B) Monogamy
(C) Polyandry
(D) Polygyny
Q.14 Copies of genes that arrive in a particular genome by horizontal gene transfer are
known as
(A) analogs (B) homologs (C) ohnologs (D) xenologs
FirstRanker.com - FirstRanker's Choice
GATE 2018 General Aptitude (GA) Set-1
GA 1/2
Q. 1 ? Q. 5 carry one mark each.
Q.1 ?Going by the _________ that many hands make light work, the school _______ involved
all the students in the task .?
The words that best fill the blanks in the above sentence are
(A) principle, principal (B) principal, principle
(C) principle, principle (D) principal, principal
Q.2 ?Her _______ should not be confused with miserliness; she is ever willing to assist those in
need. ?
The word that best fills the blank in the above sentence is
(A) cleanliness (B) punctuality (C) frugality (D) greatness
Q.3 Seven machines take 7 minutes to make 7 identical toys. At the same rate, how many
minutes would it take for 100 machines to make 100 toys?
(A) 1 (B) 7 (C) 100 (D) 700
Q.4 A rectangle becomes a square when its length and breadth are reduced by 10 m and 5 m,
respectively. During this process, the rectangle loses 650 m
2
of area. What is the area of the
original rectangle in square meters?
(A) 1125 (B) 2250 (C) 2924 (D) 4500
Q.5 A number consists of two digits. The sum of the digits is 9. If 45 is subtracted from the
number, its digits are interchanged. What is the number?
(A) 63 (B) 72 (C) 81 (D) 90
Q. 6 ? Q. 10 carry two marks each.
Q.6 For integers ?? , ?? and ?? , what would be the minimum and maximum values respectively of
?? + ?? + ?? if log |?? | + log |?? | + log |?? | = 0?
(A) -3 and 3 (B) -1 and 1 (C) -1 and 3 (D) 1 and 3
GATE 2018 General Aptitude (GA) Set-1
GA 2/2
Q.7 Given that ?? and ?? are integers and ?? + ?? 2
?? 3
is odd, which one of the following
statements is correct?
(A) ?? and ?? are both odd (B) ?? and ?? are both even
(C) ?? is even and ?? is odd (D) ?? is odd and ?? is even
Q.8 From the time the front of a train enters a platform, it takes 25 seconds for the back of the
train to leave the platform, while travelling at a constant speed of 54 km/h. At the same
speed, it takes 14 seconds to pass a man running at 9 km/h in the same direction as the
train. What is the length of the train and that of the platform in meters, respectively?
(A) 210 and 140 (B) 162.5 and 187.5
(C) 245 and 130 (D) 175 and 200
Q.9 Which of the following functions describe the graph shown in the below figure?
(A) ?? = ||?? | + 1| ? 2 (B) ?? = ||?? | ? 1| ? 1
(C) ?? = ||?? | + 1| ? 1 (D) ?? = ||?? ? 1| ? 1|
Q.10 Consider the following three statements:
(i) Some roses are red.
(ii) All red flowers fade quickly.
(iii) Some roses fade quickly.
Which of the following statements can be logically inferred from the above statements?
(A) If (i) is true and (ii) is false, then (iii) is false.
(B) If (i) is true and (ii) is false, then (iii) is true.
(C) If (i) and (ii) are true, then (iii) is true.
(D) If (i) and (ii) are false, then (iii) is false.
END OF THE QUESTION PAPER
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 1/22
Q. 1 ? Q. 25 carry one mark each.
Q.1 During the Pleistocene, which of the following groups experienced the largest mass
extinction?
(A) Large dinosaurs
(B) Large mammals
(C) Reptiles
(D) Trilobites
Q.2 In group living species, the term ?dilution effect? refers to
(A) reduction in aggression among individuals with increasing group size
(B) reduction in the mobility of individuals with increasing group size
(C) reduction in the reproductive success of individuals with increasing group size
(D) reduction in the risk of predation of individuals with increasing group size
Q.3 Which of the following diversity indices best captures species turnover across
habitats?
(A) ? (B) ?? (C) ? (D) ?
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 2/22
Q.4 A duck egg is removed from its mother?s nest and incubated by a barnyard hen. The
duckling hatches out in the presence of the barnyard hen and stays in her nest. After
a couple of days, the duckling is presented with a choice between its biological
mother and the hen that incubated it. The duckling approaches and follows the hen.
This set of observations demonstrates the phenomenon of
(A) habituation
(B) imprinting
(C) instinct
(D) sensitization
Q.5 If both of your ears were located next to each other in the middle of your face, you
would have difficulty in resolving the
(A) direction of a sound
(B) duration of a sound
(C) loudness of a sound
(D) pitch of a sound
Q.6 Forager bees communicate the distance of a food source using a waggle dance upon
return to the hive. It is observed that the number of waggles of a dance increases
linearly with the distance to the food source. This tells us that the
(A) number of waggles and distance to food source is negatively correlated
(B) number of waggles and distance to food source is positively correlated
(C) number of waggles affects the distance to the food source
(D) number of waggles and the distance to the food source are uncorrelated
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 3/22
Q.7 Male frogs display to females by producing loud acoustic signals. The use of these
signals by bats to locate frogs and prey upon them is an example of
(A) aposematism
(B) deception
(C) eavesdropping
(D) mimicry
Q.8 A non-venomous, non-toxic species of snake is brightly coloured and closely
resembles a venomous snake species in the same habitat. This is most likely a case
of
(A) aggressive mimicry
(B) Batesian mimicry
(C) masquerade
(D) M?llerian mimicry
Q.9 The value of the resting membrane potential of a typical neuron is closest to the
equilibrium potential of which of the following ions?
(A) Ca
++
(B) ? K
+
(C) Mg
++
(D) Na
+
Q.10 A plant species found in India produces flowers that are white, fragrant, and tubular.
Which of the following is the most likely pollinating agent?
(A) Hummingbirds (B) Lorises
(C) Moths (D) Wind
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 4/22
Q.11 Which of the following can be used to test differences between mean tree heights in
a tropical versus a temperate forest?
(A) Binomial test
(B) Linear regression
(C) Pearson?s correlation
(D) Student?s t-test
Q.12 For a species, assuming a relatively short time scale and no evolution, increased
interspecific competition will result in a
(A) larger fundamental niche (B) larger realized niche
(C) smaller fundamental niche (D) smaller realized niche
Q.13 In which of the following mating systems is sperm competition likely to evolve?
(A) Monoandry
(B) Monogamy
(C) Polyandry
(D) Polygyny
Q.14 Copies of genes that arrive in a particular genome by horizontal gene transfer are
known as
(A) analogs (B) homologs (C) ohnologs (D) xenologs
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 5/22
Q.15 In which of the following plants is the dominant stage of the life cycle haploid?
(A) Cycads (B) Ferns
(C) Gymnosperms (D) Mosses
Q.16 Which of the following is NOT typically a characteristic of early successional
pioneer plants relative to late successional plants in a tropical rain forest?
(A) Higher shade tolerance (B) Smaller seed size
(C) Smaller size at maturity (D) Wind dispersed seeds
Q.17 Natural populations often deviate from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. One possible
reason for this is
(A) no migration (B) no selection
(C) random mating (D) small population sizes
Q.18 Which of the following is NOT an example of phenotypic plasticity?
(A) Density-dependent swarming behavior in locusts
(B) Increase in DDT resistance in mosquitos
(C) Seasonal variation in plumage colouration in birds
(D) Temperature-dependent sex determination in turtles
FirstRanker.com - FirstRanker's Choice
GATE 2018 General Aptitude (GA) Set-1
GA 1/2
Q. 1 ? Q. 5 carry one mark each.
Q.1 ?Going by the _________ that many hands make light work, the school _______ involved
all the students in the task .?
The words that best fill the blanks in the above sentence are
(A) principle, principal (B) principal, principle
(C) principle, principle (D) principal, principal
Q.2 ?Her _______ should not be confused with miserliness; she is ever willing to assist those in
need. ?
The word that best fills the blank in the above sentence is
(A) cleanliness (B) punctuality (C) frugality (D) greatness
Q.3 Seven machines take 7 minutes to make 7 identical toys. At the same rate, how many
minutes would it take for 100 machines to make 100 toys?
(A) 1 (B) 7 (C) 100 (D) 700
Q.4 A rectangle becomes a square when its length and breadth are reduced by 10 m and 5 m,
respectively. During this process, the rectangle loses 650 m
2
of area. What is the area of the
original rectangle in square meters?
(A) 1125 (B) 2250 (C) 2924 (D) 4500
Q.5 A number consists of two digits. The sum of the digits is 9. If 45 is subtracted from the
number, its digits are interchanged. What is the number?
(A) 63 (B) 72 (C) 81 (D) 90
Q. 6 ? Q. 10 carry two marks each.
Q.6 For integers ?? , ?? and ?? , what would be the minimum and maximum values respectively of
?? + ?? + ?? if log |?? | + log |?? | + log |?? | = 0?
(A) -3 and 3 (B) -1 and 1 (C) -1 and 3 (D) 1 and 3
GATE 2018 General Aptitude (GA) Set-1
GA 2/2
Q.7 Given that ?? and ?? are integers and ?? + ?? 2
?? 3
is odd, which one of the following
statements is correct?
(A) ?? and ?? are both odd (B) ?? and ?? are both even
(C) ?? is even and ?? is odd (D) ?? is odd and ?? is even
Q.8 From the time the front of a train enters a platform, it takes 25 seconds for the back of the
train to leave the platform, while travelling at a constant speed of 54 km/h. At the same
speed, it takes 14 seconds to pass a man running at 9 km/h in the same direction as the
train. What is the length of the train and that of the platform in meters, respectively?
(A) 210 and 140 (B) 162.5 and 187.5
(C) 245 and 130 (D) 175 and 200
Q.9 Which of the following functions describe the graph shown in the below figure?
(A) ?? = ||?? | + 1| ? 2 (B) ?? = ||?? | ? 1| ? 1
(C) ?? = ||?? | + 1| ? 1 (D) ?? = ||?? ? 1| ? 1|
Q.10 Consider the following three statements:
(i) Some roses are red.
(ii) All red flowers fade quickly.
(iii) Some roses fade quickly.
Which of the following statements can be logically inferred from the above statements?
(A) If (i) is true and (ii) is false, then (iii) is false.
(B) If (i) is true and (ii) is false, then (iii) is true.
(C) If (i) and (ii) are true, then (iii) is true.
(D) If (i) and (ii) are false, then (iii) is false.
END OF THE QUESTION PAPER
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 1/22
Q. 1 ? Q. 25 carry one mark each.
Q.1 During the Pleistocene, which of the following groups experienced the largest mass
extinction?
(A) Large dinosaurs
(B) Large mammals
(C) Reptiles
(D) Trilobites
Q.2 In group living species, the term ?dilution effect? refers to
(A) reduction in aggression among individuals with increasing group size
(B) reduction in the mobility of individuals with increasing group size
(C) reduction in the reproductive success of individuals with increasing group size
(D) reduction in the risk of predation of individuals with increasing group size
Q.3 Which of the following diversity indices best captures species turnover across
habitats?
(A) ? (B) ?? (C) ? (D) ?
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 2/22
Q.4 A duck egg is removed from its mother?s nest and incubated by a barnyard hen. The
duckling hatches out in the presence of the barnyard hen and stays in her nest. After
a couple of days, the duckling is presented with a choice between its biological
mother and the hen that incubated it. The duckling approaches and follows the hen.
This set of observations demonstrates the phenomenon of
(A) habituation
(B) imprinting
(C) instinct
(D) sensitization
Q.5 If both of your ears were located next to each other in the middle of your face, you
would have difficulty in resolving the
(A) direction of a sound
(B) duration of a sound
(C) loudness of a sound
(D) pitch of a sound
Q.6 Forager bees communicate the distance of a food source using a waggle dance upon
return to the hive. It is observed that the number of waggles of a dance increases
linearly with the distance to the food source. This tells us that the
(A) number of waggles and distance to food source is negatively correlated
(B) number of waggles and distance to food source is positively correlated
(C) number of waggles affects the distance to the food source
(D) number of waggles and the distance to the food source are uncorrelated
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 3/22
Q.7 Male frogs display to females by producing loud acoustic signals. The use of these
signals by bats to locate frogs and prey upon them is an example of
(A) aposematism
(B) deception
(C) eavesdropping
(D) mimicry
Q.8 A non-venomous, non-toxic species of snake is brightly coloured and closely
resembles a venomous snake species in the same habitat. This is most likely a case
of
(A) aggressive mimicry
(B) Batesian mimicry
(C) masquerade
(D) M?llerian mimicry
Q.9 The value of the resting membrane potential of a typical neuron is closest to the
equilibrium potential of which of the following ions?
(A) Ca
++
(B) ? K
+
(C) Mg
++
(D) Na
+
Q.10 A plant species found in India produces flowers that are white, fragrant, and tubular.
Which of the following is the most likely pollinating agent?
(A) Hummingbirds (B) Lorises
(C) Moths (D) Wind
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 4/22
Q.11 Which of the following can be used to test differences between mean tree heights in
a tropical versus a temperate forest?
(A) Binomial test
(B) Linear regression
(C) Pearson?s correlation
(D) Student?s t-test
Q.12 For a species, assuming a relatively short time scale and no evolution, increased
interspecific competition will result in a
(A) larger fundamental niche (B) larger realized niche
(C) smaller fundamental niche (D) smaller realized niche
Q.13 In which of the following mating systems is sperm competition likely to evolve?
(A) Monoandry
(B) Monogamy
(C) Polyandry
(D) Polygyny
Q.14 Copies of genes that arrive in a particular genome by horizontal gene transfer are
known as
(A) analogs (B) homologs (C) ohnologs (D) xenologs
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 5/22
Q.15 In which of the following plants is the dominant stage of the life cycle haploid?
(A) Cycads (B) Ferns
(C) Gymnosperms (D) Mosses
Q.16 Which of the following is NOT typically a characteristic of early successional
pioneer plants relative to late successional plants in a tropical rain forest?
(A) Higher shade tolerance (B) Smaller seed size
(C) Smaller size at maturity (D) Wind dispersed seeds
Q.17 Natural populations often deviate from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. One possible
reason for this is
(A) no migration (B) no selection
(C) random mating (D) small population sizes
Q.18 Which of the following is NOT an example of phenotypic plasticity?
(A) Density-dependent swarming behavior in locusts
(B) Increase in DDT resistance in mosquitos
(C) Seasonal variation in plumage colouration in birds
(D) Temperature-dependent sex determination in turtles
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 6/22
Q.19 Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of r-selected species?
(A) Early sexual maturity
(B) High juvenile mortality
(C) High parental care
(D) Large number of offspring
Q.20 A scientist finds a new species of insect and sends a sample to a museum for
confirmation. The curator of the museum designates it as a holotype for the newly
identified species and asks the scientist to also provide samples of the opposite sex.
This sample of the opposite sex is called the
(A) allotype (B) isotype (C) karyotype (D) neotype
Q.21 Which of the following is NOT essential for a behavioural trait to evolve by natural
selection?
(A) The behavioural trait differs among individuals
(B) The behavioural trait is determined at least in part by genes
(C) The behavioural trait influences reproductive success
(D) The behavioural trait is determined entirely by genes
FirstRanker.com - FirstRanker's Choice
GATE 2018 General Aptitude (GA) Set-1
GA 1/2
Q. 1 ? Q. 5 carry one mark each.
Q.1 ?Going by the _________ that many hands make light work, the school _______ involved
all the students in the task .?
The words that best fill the blanks in the above sentence are
(A) principle, principal (B) principal, principle
(C) principle, principle (D) principal, principal
Q.2 ?Her _______ should not be confused with miserliness; she is ever willing to assist those in
need. ?
The word that best fills the blank in the above sentence is
(A) cleanliness (B) punctuality (C) frugality (D) greatness
Q.3 Seven machines take 7 minutes to make 7 identical toys. At the same rate, how many
minutes would it take for 100 machines to make 100 toys?
(A) 1 (B) 7 (C) 100 (D) 700
Q.4 A rectangle becomes a square when its length and breadth are reduced by 10 m and 5 m,
respectively. During this process, the rectangle loses 650 m
2
of area. What is the area of the
original rectangle in square meters?
(A) 1125 (B) 2250 (C) 2924 (D) 4500
Q.5 A number consists of two digits. The sum of the digits is 9. If 45 is subtracted from the
number, its digits are interchanged. What is the number?
(A) 63 (B) 72 (C) 81 (D) 90
Q. 6 ? Q. 10 carry two marks each.
Q.6 For integers ?? , ?? and ?? , what would be the minimum and maximum values respectively of
?? + ?? + ?? if log |?? | + log |?? | + log |?? | = 0?
(A) -3 and 3 (B) -1 and 1 (C) -1 and 3 (D) 1 and 3
GATE 2018 General Aptitude (GA) Set-1
GA 2/2
Q.7 Given that ?? and ?? are integers and ?? + ?? 2
?? 3
is odd, which one of the following
statements is correct?
(A) ?? and ?? are both odd (B) ?? and ?? are both even
(C) ?? is even and ?? is odd (D) ?? is odd and ?? is even
Q.8 From the time the front of a train enters a platform, it takes 25 seconds for the back of the
train to leave the platform, while travelling at a constant speed of 54 km/h. At the same
speed, it takes 14 seconds to pass a man running at 9 km/h in the same direction as the
train. What is the length of the train and that of the platform in meters, respectively?
(A) 210 and 140 (B) 162.5 and 187.5
(C) 245 and 130 (D) 175 and 200
Q.9 Which of the following functions describe the graph shown in the below figure?
(A) ?? = ||?? | + 1| ? 2 (B) ?? = ||?? | ? 1| ? 1
(C) ?? = ||?? | + 1| ? 1 (D) ?? = ||?? ? 1| ? 1|
Q.10 Consider the following three statements:
(i) Some roses are red.
(ii) All red flowers fade quickly.
(iii) Some roses fade quickly.
Which of the following statements can be logically inferred from the above statements?
(A) If (i) is true and (ii) is false, then (iii) is false.
(B) If (i) is true and (ii) is false, then (iii) is true.
(C) If (i) and (ii) are true, then (iii) is true.
(D) If (i) and (ii) are false, then (iii) is false.
END OF THE QUESTION PAPER
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 1/22
Q. 1 ? Q. 25 carry one mark each.
Q.1 During the Pleistocene, which of the following groups experienced the largest mass
extinction?
(A) Large dinosaurs
(B) Large mammals
(C) Reptiles
(D) Trilobites
Q.2 In group living species, the term ?dilution effect? refers to
(A) reduction in aggression among individuals with increasing group size
(B) reduction in the mobility of individuals with increasing group size
(C) reduction in the reproductive success of individuals with increasing group size
(D) reduction in the risk of predation of individuals with increasing group size
Q.3 Which of the following diversity indices best captures species turnover across
habitats?
(A) ? (B) ?? (C) ? (D) ?
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 2/22
Q.4 A duck egg is removed from its mother?s nest and incubated by a barnyard hen. The
duckling hatches out in the presence of the barnyard hen and stays in her nest. After
a couple of days, the duckling is presented with a choice between its biological
mother and the hen that incubated it. The duckling approaches and follows the hen.
This set of observations demonstrates the phenomenon of
(A) habituation
(B) imprinting
(C) instinct
(D) sensitization
Q.5 If both of your ears were located next to each other in the middle of your face, you
would have difficulty in resolving the
(A) direction of a sound
(B) duration of a sound
(C) loudness of a sound
(D) pitch of a sound
Q.6 Forager bees communicate the distance of a food source using a waggle dance upon
return to the hive. It is observed that the number of waggles of a dance increases
linearly with the distance to the food source. This tells us that the
(A) number of waggles and distance to food source is negatively correlated
(B) number of waggles and distance to food source is positively correlated
(C) number of waggles affects the distance to the food source
(D) number of waggles and the distance to the food source are uncorrelated
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 3/22
Q.7 Male frogs display to females by producing loud acoustic signals. The use of these
signals by bats to locate frogs and prey upon them is an example of
(A) aposematism
(B) deception
(C) eavesdropping
(D) mimicry
Q.8 A non-venomous, non-toxic species of snake is brightly coloured and closely
resembles a venomous snake species in the same habitat. This is most likely a case
of
(A) aggressive mimicry
(B) Batesian mimicry
(C) masquerade
(D) M?llerian mimicry
Q.9 The value of the resting membrane potential of a typical neuron is closest to the
equilibrium potential of which of the following ions?
(A) Ca
++
(B) ? K
+
(C) Mg
++
(D) Na
+
Q.10 A plant species found in India produces flowers that are white, fragrant, and tubular.
Which of the following is the most likely pollinating agent?
(A) Hummingbirds (B) Lorises
(C) Moths (D) Wind
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 4/22
Q.11 Which of the following can be used to test differences between mean tree heights in
a tropical versus a temperate forest?
(A) Binomial test
(B) Linear regression
(C) Pearson?s correlation
(D) Student?s t-test
Q.12 For a species, assuming a relatively short time scale and no evolution, increased
interspecific competition will result in a
(A) larger fundamental niche (B) larger realized niche
(C) smaller fundamental niche (D) smaller realized niche
Q.13 In which of the following mating systems is sperm competition likely to evolve?
(A) Monoandry
(B) Monogamy
(C) Polyandry
(D) Polygyny
Q.14 Copies of genes that arrive in a particular genome by horizontal gene transfer are
known as
(A) analogs (B) homologs (C) ohnologs (D) xenologs
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 5/22
Q.15 In which of the following plants is the dominant stage of the life cycle haploid?
(A) Cycads (B) Ferns
(C) Gymnosperms (D) Mosses
Q.16 Which of the following is NOT typically a characteristic of early successional
pioneer plants relative to late successional plants in a tropical rain forest?
(A) Higher shade tolerance (B) Smaller seed size
(C) Smaller size at maturity (D) Wind dispersed seeds
Q.17 Natural populations often deviate from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. One possible
reason for this is
(A) no migration (B) no selection
(C) random mating (D) small population sizes
Q.18 Which of the following is NOT an example of phenotypic plasticity?
(A) Density-dependent swarming behavior in locusts
(B) Increase in DDT resistance in mosquitos
(C) Seasonal variation in plumage colouration in birds
(D) Temperature-dependent sex determination in turtles
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 6/22
Q.19 Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of r-selected species?
(A) Early sexual maturity
(B) High juvenile mortality
(C) High parental care
(D) Large number of offspring
Q.20 A scientist finds a new species of insect and sends a sample to a museum for
confirmation. The curator of the museum designates it as a holotype for the newly
identified species and asks the scientist to also provide samples of the opposite sex.
This sample of the opposite sex is called the
(A) allotype (B) isotype (C) karyotype (D) neotype
Q.21 Which of the following is NOT essential for a behavioural trait to evolve by natural
selection?
(A) The behavioural trait differs among individuals
(B) The behavioural trait is determined at least in part by genes
(C) The behavioural trait influences reproductive success
(D) The behavioural trait is determined entirely by genes
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 7/22
Q.22 El Ni?o Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events have occurred approximately every
3-7 years over the last century. The cause of these ENSO events is related to
(A) large-scale air-sea interactions in the Pacific Ocean
(B) strong monsoon winds in the Indian Ocean
(C) the melting of icebergs in the Antarctic Ocean
(D) unsustainable overfishing in North Atlantic Ocean
Q.23 If the mean of a sample is 5, and the variance is 25, the PERCENT coefficient of
variation is ___.
Q.24 Consider a diploid population at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. For a locus with two
alleles, the frequency of the A
1
A
1
genotype is 0.01. The frequency of heterozygotes
A
1
A
2
is ____ (answer up to 2 decimal places).
Q.25 In a food chain, the efficiency of transfer of energy from one trophic level to the
next is 10%. The PERCENTAGE of energy that is expected to transfer from the
second to the fourth level is ____.
FirstRanker.com - FirstRanker's Choice
GATE 2018 General Aptitude (GA) Set-1
GA 1/2
Q. 1 ? Q. 5 carry one mark each.
Q.1 ?Going by the _________ that many hands make light work, the school _______ involved
all the students in the task .?
The words that best fill the blanks in the above sentence are
(A) principle, principal (B) principal, principle
(C) principle, principle (D) principal, principal
Q.2 ?Her _______ should not be confused with miserliness; she is ever willing to assist those in
need. ?
The word that best fills the blank in the above sentence is
(A) cleanliness (B) punctuality (C) frugality (D) greatness
Q.3 Seven machines take 7 minutes to make 7 identical toys. At the same rate, how many
minutes would it take for 100 machines to make 100 toys?
(A) 1 (B) 7 (C) 100 (D) 700
Q.4 A rectangle becomes a square when its length and breadth are reduced by 10 m and 5 m,
respectively. During this process, the rectangle loses 650 m
2
of area. What is the area of the
original rectangle in square meters?
(A) 1125 (B) 2250 (C) 2924 (D) 4500
Q.5 A number consists of two digits. The sum of the digits is 9. If 45 is subtracted from the
number, its digits are interchanged. What is the number?
(A) 63 (B) 72 (C) 81 (D) 90
Q. 6 ? Q. 10 carry two marks each.
Q.6 For integers ?? , ?? and ?? , what would be the minimum and maximum values respectively of
?? + ?? + ?? if log |?? | + log |?? | + log |?? | = 0?
(A) -3 and 3 (B) -1 and 1 (C) -1 and 3 (D) 1 and 3
GATE 2018 General Aptitude (GA) Set-1
GA 2/2
Q.7 Given that ?? and ?? are integers and ?? + ?? 2
?? 3
is odd, which one of the following
statements is correct?
(A) ?? and ?? are both odd (B) ?? and ?? are both even
(C) ?? is even and ?? is odd (D) ?? is odd and ?? is even
Q.8 From the time the front of a train enters a platform, it takes 25 seconds for the back of the
train to leave the platform, while travelling at a constant speed of 54 km/h. At the same
speed, it takes 14 seconds to pass a man running at 9 km/h in the same direction as the
train. What is the length of the train and that of the platform in meters, respectively?
(A) 210 and 140 (B) 162.5 and 187.5
(C) 245 and 130 (D) 175 and 200
Q.9 Which of the following functions describe the graph shown in the below figure?
(A) ?? = ||?? | + 1| ? 2 (B) ?? = ||?? | ? 1| ? 1
(C) ?? = ||?? | + 1| ? 1 (D) ?? = ||?? ? 1| ? 1|
Q.10 Consider the following three statements:
(i) Some roses are red.
(ii) All red flowers fade quickly.
(iii) Some roses fade quickly.
Which of the following statements can be logically inferred from the above statements?
(A) If (i) is true and (ii) is false, then (iii) is false.
(B) If (i) is true and (ii) is false, then (iii) is true.
(C) If (i) and (ii) are true, then (iii) is true.
(D) If (i) and (ii) are false, then (iii) is false.
END OF THE QUESTION PAPER
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 1/22
Q. 1 ? Q. 25 carry one mark each.
Q.1 During the Pleistocene, which of the following groups experienced the largest mass
extinction?
(A) Large dinosaurs
(B) Large mammals
(C) Reptiles
(D) Trilobites
Q.2 In group living species, the term ?dilution effect? refers to
(A) reduction in aggression among individuals with increasing group size
(B) reduction in the mobility of individuals with increasing group size
(C) reduction in the reproductive success of individuals with increasing group size
(D) reduction in the risk of predation of individuals with increasing group size
Q.3 Which of the following diversity indices best captures species turnover across
habitats?
(A) ? (B) ?? (C) ? (D) ?
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 2/22
Q.4 A duck egg is removed from its mother?s nest and incubated by a barnyard hen. The
duckling hatches out in the presence of the barnyard hen and stays in her nest. After
a couple of days, the duckling is presented with a choice between its biological
mother and the hen that incubated it. The duckling approaches and follows the hen.
This set of observations demonstrates the phenomenon of
(A) habituation
(B) imprinting
(C) instinct
(D) sensitization
Q.5 If both of your ears were located next to each other in the middle of your face, you
would have difficulty in resolving the
(A) direction of a sound
(B) duration of a sound
(C) loudness of a sound
(D) pitch of a sound
Q.6 Forager bees communicate the distance of a food source using a waggle dance upon
return to the hive. It is observed that the number of waggles of a dance increases
linearly with the distance to the food source. This tells us that the
(A) number of waggles and distance to food source is negatively correlated
(B) number of waggles and distance to food source is positively correlated
(C) number of waggles affects the distance to the food source
(D) number of waggles and the distance to the food source are uncorrelated
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 3/22
Q.7 Male frogs display to females by producing loud acoustic signals. The use of these
signals by bats to locate frogs and prey upon them is an example of
(A) aposematism
(B) deception
(C) eavesdropping
(D) mimicry
Q.8 A non-venomous, non-toxic species of snake is brightly coloured and closely
resembles a venomous snake species in the same habitat. This is most likely a case
of
(A) aggressive mimicry
(B) Batesian mimicry
(C) masquerade
(D) M?llerian mimicry
Q.9 The value of the resting membrane potential of a typical neuron is closest to the
equilibrium potential of which of the following ions?
(A) Ca
++
(B) ? K
+
(C) Mg
++
(D) Na
+
Q.10 A plant species found in India produces flowers that are white, fragrant, and tubular.
Which of the following is the most likely pollinating agent?
(A) Hummingbirds (B) Lorises
(C) Moths (D) Wind
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 4/22
Q.11 Which of the following can be used to test differences between mean tree heights in
a tropical versus a temperate forest?
(A) Binomial test
(B) Linear regression
(C) Pearson?s correlation
(D) Student?s t-test
Q.12 For a species, assuming a relatively short time scale and no evolution, increased
interspecific competition will result in a
(A) larger fundamental niche (B) larger realized niche
(C) smaller fundamental niche (D) smaller realized niche
Q.13 In which of the following mating systems is sperm competition likely to evolve?
(A) Monoandry
(B) Monogamy
(C) Polyandry
(D) Polygyny
Q.14 Copies of genes that arrive in a particular genome by horizontal gene transfer are
known as
(A) analogs (B) homologs (C) ohnologs (D) xenologs
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 5/22
Q.15 In which of the following plants is the dominant stage of the life cycle haploid?
(A) Cycads (B) Ferns
(C) Gymnosperms (D) Mosses
Q.16 Which of the following is NOT typically a characteristic of early successional
pioneer plants relative to late successional plants in a tropical rain forest?
(A) Higher shade tolerance (B) Smaller seed size
(C) Smaller size at maturity (D) Wind dispersed seeds
Q.17 Natural populations often deviate from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. One possible
reason for this is
(A) no migration (B) no selection
(C) random mating (D) small population sizes
Q.18 Which of the following is NOT an example of phenotypic plasticity?
(A) Density-dependent swarming behavior in locusts
(B) Increase in DDT resistance in mosquitos
(C) Seasonal variation in plumage colouration in birds
(D) Temperature-dependent sex determination in turtles
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 6/22
Q.19 Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of r-selected species?
(A) Early sexual maturity
(B) High juvenile mortality
(C) High parental care
(D) Large number of offspring
Q.20 A scientist finds a new species of insect and sends a sample to a museum for
confirmation. The curator of the museum designates it as a holotype for the newly
identified species and asks the scientist to also provide samples of the opposite sex.
This sample of the opposite sex is called the
(A) allotype (B) isotype (C) karyotype (D) neotype
Q.21 Which of the following is NOT essential for a behavioural trait to evolve by natural
selection?
(A) The behavioural trait differs among individuals
(B) The behavioural trait is determined at least in part by genes
(C) The behavioural trait influences reproductive success
(D) The behavioural trait is determined entirely by genes
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 7/22
Q.22 El Ni?o Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events have occurred approximately every
3-7 years over the last century. The cause of these ENSO events is related to
(A) large-scale air-sea interactions in the Pacific Ocean
(B) strong monsoon winds in the Indian Ocean
(C) the melting of icebergs in the Antarctic Ocean
(D) unsustainable overfishing in North Atlantic Ocean
Q.23 If the mean of a sample is 5, and the variance is 25, the PERCENT coefficient of
variation is ___.
Q.24 Consider a diploid population at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. For a locus with two
alleles, the frequency of the A
1
A
1
genotype is 0.01. The frequency of heterozygotes
A
1
A
2
is ____ (answer up to 2 decimal places).
Q.25 In a food chain, the efficiency of transfer of energy from one trophic level to the
next is 10%. The PERCENTAGE of energy that is expected to transfer from the
second to the fourth level is ____.
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 8/22
Q. 26 ? Q. 55 carry two marks each.
Q.26 Which of the following is an adaptation for osmoregulation in freshwater teleost
fish?
(A) Excreting large quantities of dilute urine
(B) Excreting large quantities of uric acid
(C) Having high concentration of blood urea
(D) Excreting large quantities of uracil
Q.27 The latitudinal diversity gradient is defined as the decrease in the number of species
from the equator to the poles. This can result from
(A) greater energy input at the poles
(B) greater land mass at the poles
(C) greater seasonal variation at the poles
(D) greater speciation rates at the poles
FirstRanker.com - FirstRanker's Choice
GATE 2018 General Aptitude (GA) Set-1
GA 1/2
Q. 1 ? Q. 5 carry one mark each.
Q.1 ?Going by the _________ that many hands make light work, the school _______ involved
all the students in the task .?
The words that best fill the blanks in the above sentence are
(A) principle, principal (B) principal, principle
(C) principle, principle (D) principal, principal
Q.2 ?Her _______ should not be confused with miserliness; she is ever willing to assist those in
need. ?
The word that best fills the blank in the above sentence is
(A) cleanliness (B) punctuality (C) frugality (D) greatness
Q.3 Seven machines take 7 minutes to make 7 identical toys. At the same rate, how many
minutes would it take for 100 machines to make 100 toys?
(A) 1 (B) 7 (C) 100 (D) 700
Q.4 A rectangle becomes a square when its length and breadth are reduced by 10 m and 5 m,
respectively. During this process, the rectangle loses 650 m
2
of area. What is the area of the
original rectangle in square meters?
(A) 1125 (B) 2250 (C) 2924 (D) 4500
Q.5 A number consists of two digits. The sum of the digits is 9. If 45 is subtracted from the
number, its digits are interchanged. What is the number?
(A) 63 (B) 72 (C) 81 (D) 90
Q. 6 ? Q. 10 carry two marks each.
Q.6 For integers ?? , ?? and ?? , what would be the minimum and maximum values respectively of
?? + ?? + ?? if log |?? | + log |?? | + log |?? | = 0?
(A) -3 and 3 (B) -1 and 1 (C) -1 and 3 (D) 1 and 3
GATE 2018 General Aptitude (GA) Set-1
GA 2/2
Q.7 Given that ?? and ?? are integers and ?? + ?? 2
?? 3
is odd, which one of the following
statements is correct?
(A) ?? and ?? are both odd (B) ?? and ?? are both even
(C) ?? is even and ?? is odd (D) ?? is odd and ?? is even
Q.8 From the time the front of a train enters a platform, it takes 25 seconds for the back of the
train to leave the platform, while travelling at a constant speed of 54 km/h. At the same
speed, it takes 14 seconds to pass a man running at 9 km/h in the same direction as the
train. What is the length of the train and that of the platform in meters, respectively?
(A) 210 and 140 (B) 162.5 and 187.5
(C) 245 and 130 (D) 175 and 200
Q.9 Which of the following functions describe the graph shown in the below figure?
(A) ?? = ||?? | + 1| ? 2 (B) ?? = ||?? | ? 1| ? 1
(C) ?? = ||?? | + 1| ? 1 (D) ?? = ||?? ? 1| ? 1|
Q.10 Consider the following three statements:
(i) Some roses are red.
(ii) All red flowers fade quickly.
(iii) Some roses fade quickly.
Which of the following statements can be logically inferred from the above statements?
(A) If (i) is true and (ii) is false, then (iii) is false.
(B) If (i) is true and (ii) is false, then (iii) is true.
(C) If (i) and (ii) are true, then (iii) is true.
(D) If (i) and (ii) are false, then (iii) is false.
END OF THE QUESTION PAPER
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 1/22
Q. 1 ? Q. 25 carry one mark each.
Q.1 During the Pleistocene, which of the following groups experienced the largest mass
extinction?
(A) Large dinosaurs
(B) Large mammals
(C) Reptiles
(D) Trilobites
Q.2 In group living species, the term ?dilution effect? refers to
(A) reduction in aggression among individuals with increasing group size
(B) reduction in the mobility of individuals with increasing group size
(C) reduction in the reproductive success of individuals with increasing group size
(D) reduction in the risk of predation of individuals with increasing group size
Q.3 Which of the following diversity indices best captures species turnover across
habitats?
(A) ? (B) ?? (C) ? (D) ?
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 2/22
Q.4 A duck egg is removed from its mother?s nest and incubated by a barnyard hen. The
duckling hatches out in the presence of the barnyard hen and stays in her nest. After
a couple of days, the duckling is presented with a choice between its biological
mother and the hen that incubated it. The duckling approaches and follows the hen.
This set of observations demonstrates the phenomenon of
(A) habituation
(B) imprinting
(C) instinct
(D) sensitization
Q.5 If both of your ears were located next to each other in the middle of your face, you
would have difficulty in resolving the
(A) direction of a sound
(B) duration of a sound
(C) loudness of a sound
(D) pitch of a sound
Q.6 Forager bees communicate the distance of a food source using a waggle dance upon
return to the hive. It is observed that the number of waggles of a dance increases
linearly with the distance to the food source. This tells us that the
(A) number of waggles and distance to food source is negatively correlated
(B) number of waggles and distance to food source is positively correlated
(C) number of waggles affects the distance to the food source
(D) number of waggles and the distance to the food source are uncorrelated
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 3/22
Q.7 Male frogs display to females by producing loud acoustic signals. The use of these
signals by bats to locate frogs and prey upon them is an example of
(A) aposematism
(B) deception
(C) eavesdropping
(D) mimicry
Q.8 A non-venomous, non-toxic species of snake is brightly coloured and closely
resembles a venomous snake species in the same habitat. This is most likely a case
of
(A) aggressive mimicry
(B) Batesian mimicry
(C) masquerade
(D) M?llerian mimicry
Q.9 The value of the resting membrane potential of a typical neuron is closest to the
equilibrium potential of which of the following ions?
(A) Ca
++
(B) ? K
+
(C) Mg
++
(D) Na
+
Q.10 A plant species found in India produces flowers that are white, fragrant, and tubular.
Which of the following is the most likely pollinating agent?
(A) Hummingbirds (B) Lorises
(C) Moths (D) Wind
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 4/22
Q.11 Which of the following can be used to test differences between mean tree heights in
a tropical versus a temperate forest?
(A) Binomial test
(B) Linear regression
(C) Pearson?s correlation
(D) Student?s t-test
Q.12 For a species, assuming a relatively short time scale and no evolution, increased
interspecific competition will result in a
(A) larger fundamental niche (B) larger realized niche
(C) smaller fundamental niche (D) smaller realized niche
Q.13 In which of the following mating systems is sperm competition likely to evolve?
(A) Monoandry
(B) Monogamy
(C) Polyandry
(D) Polygyny
Q.14 Copies of genes that arrive in a particular genome by horizontal gene transfer are
known as
(A) analogs (B) homologs (C) ohnologs (D) xenologs
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 5/22
Q.15 In which of the following plants is the dominant stage of the life cycle haploid?
(A) Cycads (B) Ferns
(C) Gymnosperms (D) Mosses
Q.16 Which of the following is NOT typically a characteristic of early successional
pioneer plants relative to late successional plants in a tropical rain forest?
(A) Higher shade tolerance (B) Smaller seed size
(C) Smaller size at maturity (D) Wind dispersed seeds
Q.17 Natural populations often deviate from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. One possible
reason for this is
(A) no migration (B) no selection
(C) random mating (D) small population sizes
Q.18 Which of the following is NOT an example of phenotypic plasticity?
(A) Density-dependent swarming behavior in locusts
(B) Increase in DDT resistance in mosquitos
(C) Seasonal variation in plumage colouration in birds
(D) Temperature-dependent sex determination in turtles
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 6/22
Q.19 Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of r-selected species?
(A) Early sexual maturity
(B) High juvenile mortality
(C) High parental care
(D) Large number of offspring
Q.20 A scientist finds a new species of insect and sends a sample to a museum for
confirmation. The curator of the museum designates it as a holotype for the newly
identified species and asks the scientist to also provide samples of the opposite sex.
This sample of the opposite sex is called the
(A) allotype (B) isotype (C) karyotype (D) neotype
Q.21 Which of the following is NOT essential for a behavioural trait to evolve by natural
selection?
(A) The behavioural trait differs among individuals
(B) The behavioural trait is determined at least in part by genes
(C) The behavioural trait influences reproductive success
(D) The behavioural trait is determined entirely by genes
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 7/22
Q.22 El Ni?o Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events have occurred approximately every
3-7 years over the last century. The cause of these ENSO events is related to
(A) large-scale air-sea interactions in the Pacific Ocean
(B) strong monsoon winds in the Indian Ocean
(C) the melting of icebergs in the Antarctic Ocean
(D) unsustainable overfishing in North Atlantic Ocean
Q.23 If the mean of a sample is 5, and the variance is 25, the PERCENT coefficient of
variation is ___.
Q.24 Consider a diploid population at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. For a locus with two
alleles, the frequency of the A
1
A
1
genotype is 0.01. The frequency of heterozygotes
A
1
A
2
is ____ (answer up to 2 decimal places).
Q.25 In a food chain, the efficiency of transfer of energy from one trophic level to the
next is 10%. The PERCENTAGE of energy that is expected to transfer from the
second to the fourth level is ____.
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 8/22
Q. 26 ? Q. 55 carry two marks each.
Q.26 Which of the following is an adaptation for osmoregulation in freshwater teleost
fish?
(A) Excreting large quantities of dilute urine
(B) Excreting large quantities of uric acid
(C) Having high concentration of blood urea
(D) Excreting large quantities of uracil
Q.27 The latitudinal diversity gradient is defined as the decrease in the number of species
from the equator to the poles. This can result from
(A) greater energy input at the poles
(B) greater land mass at the poles
(C) greater seasonal variation at the poles
(D) greater speciation rates at the poles
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 9/22
Q.28 Identify the graph in which natural selection on beak size is LEAST likely to be
occurring? For each of the graphs, the slope of the regression line and the associated
p-value is given.
Q.29 Some species of spiders add additional silk ?decorations? to their webs. It is
hypothesized that these decorations serve either to lure flies (prey) or to decrease
bird (predator) attacks on the spiders. The appropriate way to test these hypotheses
would be to compare numbers of
(A) predators and prey approaching decorated webs
(B) predators and prey approaching undecorated webs
(C) predators approaching decorated webs with prey approaching undecorated webs
(D) predators and prey approaching both decorated and undecorated webs
FirstRanker.com - FirstRanker's Choice
GATE 2018 General Aptitude (GA) Set-1
GA 1/2
Q. 1 ? Q. 5 carry one mark each.
Q.1 ?Going by the _________ that many hands make light work, the school _______ involved
all the students in the task .?
The words that best fill the blanks in the above sentence are
(A) principle, principal (B) principal, principle
(C) principle, principle (D) principal, principal
Q.2 ?Her _______ should not be confused with miserliness; she is ever willing to assist those in
need. ?
The word that best fills the blank in the above sentence is
(A) cleanliness (B) punctuality (C) frugality (D) greatness
Q.3 Seven machines take 7 minutes to make 7 identical toys. At the same rate, how many
minutes would it take for 100 machines to make 100 toys?
(A) 1 (B) 7 (C) 100 (D) 700
Q.4 A rectangle becomes a square when its length and breadth are reduced by 10 m and 5 m,
respectively. During this process, the rectangle loses 650 m
2
of area. What is the area of the
original rectangle in square meters?
(A) 1125 (B) 2250 (C) 2924 (D) 4500
Q.5 A number consists of two digits. The sum of the digits is 9. If 45 is subtracted from the
number, its digits are interchanged. What is the number?
(A) 63 (B) 72 (C) 81 (D) 90
Q. 6 ? Q. 10 carry two marks each.
Q.6 For integers ?? , ?? and ?? , what would be the minimum and maximum values respectively of
?? + ?? + ?? if log |?? | + log |?? | + log |?? | = 0?
(A) -3 and 3 (B) -1 and 1 (C) -1 and 3 (D) 1 and 3
GATE 2018 General Aptitude (GA) Set-1
GA 2/2
Q.7 Given that ?? and ?? are integers and ?? + ?? 2
?? 3
is odd, which one of the following
statements is correct?
(A) ?? and ?? are both odd (B) ?? and ?? are both even
(C) ?? is even and ?? is odd (D) ?? is odd and ?? is even
Q.8 From the time the front of a train enters a platform, it takes 25 seconds for the back of the
train to leave the platform, while travelling at a constant speed of 54 km/h. At the same
speed, it takes 14 seconds to pass a man running at 9 km/h in the same direction as the
train. What is the length of the train and that of the platform in meters, respectively?
(A) 210 and 140 (B) 162.5 and 187.5
(C) 245 and 130 (D) 175 and 200
Q.9 Which of the following functions describe the graph shown in the below figure?
(A) ?? = ||?? | + 1| ? 2 (B) ?? = ||?? | ? 1| ? 1
(C) ?? = ||?? | + 1| ? 1 (D) ?? = ||?? ? 1| ? 1|
Q.10 Consider the following three statements:
(i) Some roses are red.
(ii) All red flowers fade quickly.
(iii) Some roses fade quickly.
Which of the following statements can be logically inferred from the above statements?
(A) If (i) is true and (ii) is false, then (iii) is false.
(B) If (i) is true and (ii) is false, then (iii) is true.
(C) If (i) and (ii) are true, then (iii) is true.
(D) If (i) and (ii) are false, then (iii) is false.
END OF THE QUESTION PAPER
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 1/22
Q. 1 ? Q. 25 carry one mark each.
Q.1 During the Pleistocene, which of the following groups experienced the largest mass
extinction?
(A) Large dinosaurs
(B) Large mammals
(C) Reptiles
(D) Trilobites
Q.2 In group living species, the term ?dilution effect? refers to
(A) reduction in aggression among individuals with increasing group size
(B) reduction in the mobility of individuals with increasing group size
(C) reduction in the reproductive success of individuals with increasing group size
(D) reduction in the risk of predation of individuals with increasing group size
Q.3 Which of the following diversity indices best captures species turnover across
habitats?
(A) ? (B) ?? (C) ? (D) ?
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 2/22
Q.4 A duck egg is removed from its mother?s nest and incubated by a barnyard hen. The
duckling hatches out in the presence of the barnyard hen and stays in her nest. After
a couple of days, the duckling is presented with a choice between its biological
mother and the hen that incubated it. The duckling approaches and follows the hen.
This set of observations demonstrates the phenomenon of
(A) habituation
(B) imprinting
(C) instinct
(D) sensitization
Q.5 If both of your ears were located next to each other in the middle of your face, you
would have difficulty in resolving the
(A) direction of a sound
(B) duration of a sound
(C) loudness of a sound
(D) pitch of a sound
Q.6 Forager bees communicate the distance of a food source using a waggle dance upon
return to the hive. It is observed that the number of waggles of a dance increases
linearly with the distance to the food source. This tells us that the
(A) number of waggles and distance to food source is negatively correlated
(B) number of waggles and distance to food source is positively correlated
(C) number of waggles affects the distance to the food source
(D) number of waggles and the distance to the food source are uncorrelated
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 3/22
Q.7 Male frogs display to females by producing loud acoustic signals. The use of these
signals by bats to locate frogs and prey upon them is an example of
(A) aposematism
(B) deception
(C) eavesdropping
(D) mimicry
Q.8 A non-venomous, non-toxic species of snake is brightly coloured and closely
resembles a venomous snake species in the same habitat. This is most likely a case
of
(A) aggressive mimicry
(B) Batesian mimicry
(C) masquerade
(D) M?llerian mimicry
Q.9 The value of the resting membrane potential of a typical neuron is closest to the
equilibrium potential of which of the following ions?
(A) Ca
++
(B) ? K
+
(C) Mg
++
(D) Na
+
Q.10 A plant species found in India produces flowers that are white, fragrant, and tubular.
Which of the following is the most likely pollinating agent?
(A) Hummingbirds (B) Lorises
(C) Moths (D) Wind
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 4/22
Q.11 Which of the following can be used to test differences between mean tree heights in
a tropical versus a temperate forest?
(A) Binomial test
(B) Linear regression
(C) Pearson?s correlation
(D) Student?s t-test
Q.12 For a species, assuming a relatively short time scale and no evolution, increased
interspecific competition will result in a
(A) larger fundamental niche (B) larger realized niche
(C) smaller fundamental niche (D) smaller realized niche
Q.13 In which of the following mating systems is sperm competition likely to evolve?
(A) Monoandry
(B) Monogamy
(C) Polyandry
(D) Polygyny
Q.14 Copies of genes that arrive in a particular genome by horizontal gene transfer are
known as
(A) analogs (B) homologs (C) ohnologs (D) xenologs
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 5/22
Q.15 In which of the following plants is the dominant stage of the life cycle haploid?
(A) Cycads (B) Ferns
(C) Gymnosperms (D) Mosses
Q.16 Which of the following is NOT typically a characteristic of early successional
pioneer plants relative to late successional plants in a tropical rain forest?
(A) Higher shade tolerance (B) Smaller seed size
(C) Smaller size at maturity (D) Wind dispersed seeds
Q.17 Natural populations often deviate from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. One possible
reason for this is
(A) no migration (B) no selection
(C) random mating (D) small population sizes
Q.18 Which of the following is NOT an example of phenotypic plasticity?
(A) Density-dependent swarming behavior in locusts
(B) Increase in DDT resistance in mosquitos
(C) Seasonal variation in plumage colouration in birds
(D) Temperature-dependent sex determination in turtles
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 6/22
Q.19 Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of r-selected species?
(A) Early sexual maturity
(B) High juvenile mortality
(C) High parental care
(D) Large number of offspring
Q.20 A scientist finds a new species of insect and sends a sample to a museum for
confirmation. The curator of the museum designates it as a holotype for the newly
identified species and asks the scientist to also provide samples of the opposite sex.
This sample of the opposite sex is called the
(A) allotype (B) isotype (C) karyotype (D) neotype
Q.21 Which of the following is NOT essential for a behavioural trait to evolve by natural
selection?
(A) The behavioural trait differs among individuals
(B) The behavioural trait is determined at least in part by genes
(C) The behavioural trait influences reproductive success
(D) The behavioural trait is determined entirely by genes
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 7/22
Q.22 El Ni?o Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events have occurred approximately every
3-7 years over the last century. The cause of these ENSO events is related to
(A) large-scale air-sea interactions in the Pacific Ocean
(B) strong monsoon winds in the Indian Ocean
(C) the melting of icebergs in the Antarctic Ocean
(D) unsustainable overfishing in North Atlantic Ocean
Q.23 If the mean of a sample is 5, and the variance is 25, the PERCENT coefficient of
variation is ___.
Q.24 Consider a diploid population at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. For a locus with two
alleles, the frequency of the A
1
A
1
genotype is 0.01. The frequency of heterozygotes
A
1
A
2
is ____ (answer up to 2 decimal places).
Q.25 In a food chain, the efficiency of transfer of energy from one trophic level to the
next is 10%. The PERCENTAGE of energy that is expected to transfer from the
second to the fourth level is ____.
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 8/22
Q. 26 ? Q. 55 carry two marks each.
Q.26 Which of the following is an adaptation for osmoregulation in freshwater teleost
fish?
(A) Excreting large quantities of dilute urine
(B) Excreting large quantities of uric acid
(C) Having high concentration of blood urea
(D) Excreting large quantities of uracil
Q.27 The latitudinal diversity gradient is defined as the decrease in the number of species
from the equator to the poles. This can result from
(A) greater energy input at the poles
(B) greater land mass at the poles
(C) greater seasonal variation at the poles
(D) greater speciation rates at the poles
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 9/22
Q.28 Identify the graph in which natural selection on beak size is LEAST likely to be
occurring? For each of the graphs, the slope of the regression line and the associated
p-value is given.
Q.29 Some species of spiders add additional silk ?decorations? to their webs. It is
hypothesized that these decorations serve either to lure flies (prey) or to decrease
bird (predator) attacks on the spiders. The appropriate way to test these hypotheses
would be to compare numbers of
(A) predators and prey approaching decorated webs
(B) predators and prey approaching undecorated webs
(C) predators approaching decorated webs with prey approaching undecorated webs
(D) predators and prey approaching both decorated and undecorated webs
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 10/22
Q.30 The figure below shows mean annual temperatures (?C) and mean annual
precipitation (cm per year) from multiple sites in four regions in India.
From this climatic information, we can infer that P, Q, R, and S are LIKELY to be
located in:
(A) P: Andaman, Q: Meghalaya, R: Ladakh, S: Rajasthan
(B) P: Ladakh, Q: Rajasthan, R: Andaman, S: Meghalaya
(C) P: Meghalaya, Q: Ladakh, R: Rajasthan, S: Andaman
(D) P: Rajasthan, Q: Andaman, R: Meghalaya, S: Ladakh
Q.31 For a pair of interacting species, increased specialization and decreased niche
breadth in both species would result in
(A) decreased intraspecific competition and increased interspecific competition
(B) decreased intraspecific competition and decreased interspecific competition
(C) increased intraspecific competition and increased interspecific competition
(D) increased intraspecific competition and decreased interspecific competition
FirstRanker.com - FirstRanker's Choice
GATE 2018 General Aptitude (GA) Set-1
GA 1/2
Q. 1 ? Q. 5 carry one mark each.
Q.1 ?Going by the _________ that many hands make light work, the school _______ involved
all the students in the task .?
The words that best fill the blanks in the above sentence are
(A) principle, principal (B) principal, principle
(C) principle, principle (D) principal, principal
Q.2 ?Her _______ should not be confused with miserliness; she is ever willing to assist those in
need. ?
The word that best fills the blank in the above sentence is
(A) cleanliness (B) punctuality (C) frugality (D) greatness
Q.3 Seven machines take 7 minutes to make 7 identical toys. At the same rate, how many
minutes would it take for 100 machines to make 100 toys?
(A) 1 (B) 7 (C) 100 (D) 700
Q.4 A rectangle becomes a square when its length and breadth are reduced by 10 m and 5 m,
respectively. During this process, the rectangle loses 650 m
2
of area. What is the area of the
original rectangle in square meters?
(A) 1125 (B) 2250 (C) 2924 (D) 4500
Q.5 A number consists of two digits. The sum of the digits is 9. If 45 is subtracted from the
number, its digits are interchanged. What is the number?
(A) 63 (B) 72 (C) 81 (D) 90
Q. 6 ? Q. 10 carry two marks each.
Q.6 For integers ?? , ?? and ?? , what would be the minimum and maximum values respectively of
?? + ?? + ?? if log |?? | + log |?? | + log |?? | = 0?
(A) -3 and 3 (B) -1 and 1 (C) -1 and 3 (D) 1 and 3
GATE 2018 General Aptitude (GA) Set-1
GA 2/2
Q.7 Given that ?? and ?? are integers and ?? + ?? 2
?? 3
is odd, which one of the following
statements is correct?
(A) ?? and ?? are both odd (B) ?? and ?? are both even
(C) ?? is even and ?? is odd (D) ?? is odd and ?? is even
Q.8 From the time the front of a train enters a platform, it takes 25 seconds for the back of the
train to leave the platform, while travelling at a constant speed of 54 km/h. At the same
speed, it takes 14 seconds to pass a man running at 9 km/h in the same direction as the
train. What is the length of the train and that of the platform in meters, respectively?
(A) 210 and 140 (B) 162.5 and 187.5
(C) 245 and 130 (D) 175 and 200
Q.9 Which of the following functions describe the graph shown in the below figure?
(A) ?? = ||?? | + 1| ? 2 (B) ?? = ||?? | ? 1| ? 1
(C) ?? = ||?? | + 1| ? 1 (D) ?? = ||?? ? 1| ? 1|
Q.10 Consider the following three statements:
(i) Some roses are red.
(ii) All red flowers fade quickly.
(iii) Some roses fade quickly.
Which of the following statements can be logically inferred from the above statements?
(A) If (i) is true and (ii) is false, then (iii) is false.
(B) If (i) is true and (ii) is false, then (iii) is true.
(C) If (i) and (ii) are true, then (iii) is true.
(D) If (i) and (ii) are false, then (iii) is false.
END OF THE QUESTION PAPER
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 1/22
Q. 1 ? Q. 25 carry one mark each.
Q.1 During the Pleistocene, which of the following groups experienced the largest mass
extinction?
(A) Large dinosaurs
(B) Large mammals
(C) Reptiles
(D) Trilobites
Q.2 In group living species, the term ?dilution effect? refers to
(A) reduction in aggression among individuals with increasing group size
(B) reduction in the mobility of individuals with increasing group size
(C) reduction in the reproductive success of individuals with increasing group size
(D) reduction in the risk of predation of individuals with increasing group size
Q.3 Which of the following diversity indices best captures species turnover across
habitats?
(A) ? (B) ?? (C) ? (D) ?
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 2/22
Q.4 A duck egg is removed from its mother?s nest and incubated by a barnyard hen. The
duckling hatches out in the presence of the barnyard hen and stays in her nest. After
a couple of days, the duckling is presented with a choice between its biological
mother and the hen that incubated it. The duckling approaches and follows the hen.
This set of observations demonstrates the phenomenon of
(A) habituation
(B) imprinting
(C) instinct
(D) sensitization
Q.5 If both of your ears were located next to each other in the middle of your face, you
would have difficulty in resolving the
(A) direction of a sound
(B) duration of a sound
(C) loudness of a sound
(D) pitch of a sound
Q.6 Forager bees communicate the distance of a food source using a waggle dance upon
return to the hive. It is observed that the number of waggles of a dance increases
linearly with the distance to the food source. This tells us that the
(A) number of waggles and distance to food source is negatively correlated
(B) number of waggles and distance to food source is positively correlated
(C) number of waggles affects the distance to the food source
(D) number of waggles and the distance to the food source are uncorrelated
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 3/22
Q.7 Male frogs display to females by producing loud acoustic signals. The use of these
signals by bats to locate frogs and prey upon them is an example of
(A) aposematism
(B) deception
(C) eavesdropping
(D) mimicry
Q.8 A non-venomous, non-toxic species of snake is brightly coloured and closely
resembles a venomous snake species in the same habitat. This is most likely a case
of
(A) aggressive mimicry
(B) Batesian mimicry
(C) masquerade
(D) M?llerian mimicry
Q.9 The value of the resting membrane potential of a typical neuron is closest to the
equilibrium potential of which of the following ions?
(A) Ca
++
(B) ? K
+
(C) Mg
++
(D) Na
+
Q.10 A plant species found in India produces flowers that are white, fragrant, and tubular.
Which of the following is the most likely pollinating agent?
(A) Hummingbirds (B) Lorises
(C) Moths (D) Wind
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 4/22
Q.11 Which of the following can be used to test differences between mean tree heights in
a tropical versus a temperate forest?
(A) Binomial test
(B) Linear regression
(C) Pearson?s correlation
(D) Student?s t-test
Q.12 For a species, assuming a relatively short time scale and no evolution, increased
interspecific competition will result in a
(A) larger fundamental niche (B) larger realized niche
(C) smaller fundamental niche (D) smaller realized niche
Q.13 In which of the following mating systems is sperm competition likely to evolve?
(A) Monoandry
(B) Monogamy
(C) Polyandry
(D) Polygyny
Q.14 Copies of genes that arrive in a particular genome by horizontal gene transfer are
known as
(A) analogs (B) homologs (C) ohnologs (D) xenologs
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 5/22
Q.15 In which of the following plants is the dominant stage of the life cycle haploid?
(A) Cycads (B) Ferns
(C) Gymnosperms (D) Mosses
Q.16 Which of the following is NOT typically a characteristic of early successional
pioneer plants relative to late successional plants in a tropical rain forest?
(A) Higher shade tolerance (B) Smaller seed size
(C) Smaller size at maturity (D) Wind dispersed seeds
Q.17 Natural populations often deviate from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. One possible
reason for this is
(A) no migration (B) no selection
(C) random mating (D) small population sizes
Q.18 Which of the following is NOT an example of phenotypic plasticity?
(A) Density-dependent swarming behavior in locusts
(B) Increase in DDT resistance in mosquitos
(C) Seasonal variation in plumage colouration in birds
(D) Temperature-dependent sex determination in turtles
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 6/22
Q.19 Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of r-selected species?
(A) Early sexual maturity
(B) High juvenile mortality
(C) High parental care
(D) Large number of offspring
Q.20 A scientist finds a new species of insect and sends a sample to a museum for
confirmation. The curator of the museum designates it as a holotype for the newly
identified species and asks the scientist to also provide samples of the opposite sex.
This sample of the opposite sex is called the
(A) allotype (B) isotype (C) karyotype (D) neotype
Q.21 Which of the following is NOT essential for a behavioural trait to evolve by natural
selection?
(A) The behavioural trait differs among individuals
(B) The behavioural trait is determined at least in part by genes
(C) The behavioural trait influences reproductive success
(D) The behavioural trait is determined entirely by genes
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 7/22
Q.22 El Ni?o Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events have occurred approximately every
3-7 years over the last century. The cause of these ENSO events is related to
(A) large-scale air-sea interactions in the Pacific Ocean
(B) strong monsoon winds in the Indian Ocean
(C) the melting of icebergs in the Antarctic Ocean
(D) unsustainable overfishing in North Atlantic Ocean
Q.23 If the mean of a sample is 5, and the variance is 25, the PERCENT coefficient of
variation is ___.
Q.24 Consider a diploid population at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. For a locus with two
alleles, the frequency of the A
1
A
1
genotype is 0.01. The frequency of heterozygotes
A
1
A
2
is ____ (answer up to 2 decimal places).
Q.25 In a food chain, the efficiency of transfer of energy from one trophic level to the
next is 10%. The PERCENTAGE of energy that is expected to transfer from the
second to the fourth level is ____.
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 8/22
Q. 26 ? Q. 55 carry two marks each.
Q.26 Which of the following is an adaptation for osmoregulation in freshwater teleost
fish?
(A) Excreting large quantities of dilute urine
(B) Excreting large quantities of uric acid
(C) Having high concentration of blood urea
(D) Excreting large quantities of uracil
Q.27 The latitudinal diversity gradient is defined as the decrease in the number of species
from the equator to the poles. This can result from
(A) greater energy input at the poles
(B) greater land mass at the poles
(C) greater seasonal variation at the poles
(D) greater speciation rates at the poles
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 9/22
Q.28 Identify the graph in which natural selection on beak size is LEAST likely to be
occurring? For each of the graphs, the slope of the regression line and the associated
p-value is given.
Q.29 Some species of spiders add additional silk ?decorations? to their webs. It is
hypothesized that these decorations serve either to lure flies (prey) or to decrease
bird (predator) attacks on the spiders. The appropriate way to test these hypotheses
would be to compare numbers of
(A) predators and prey approaching decorated webs
(B) predators and prey approaching undecorated webs
(C) predators approaching decorated webs with prey approaching undecorated webs
(D) predators and prey approaching both decorated and undecorated webs
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 10/22
Q.30 The figure below shows mean annual temperatures (?C) and mean annual
precipitation (cm per year) from multiple sites in four regions in India.
From this climatic information, we can infer that P, Q, R, and S are LIKELY to be
located in:
(A) P: Andaman, Q: Meghalaya, R: Ladakh, S: Rajasthan
(B) P: Ladakh, Q: Rajasthan, R: Andaman, S: Meghalaya
(C) P: Meghalaya, Q: Ladakh, R: Rajasthan, S: Andaman
(D) P: Rajasthan, Q: Andaman, R: Meghalaya, S: Ladakh
Q.31 For a pair of interacting species, increased specialization and decreased niche
breadth in both species would result in
(A) decreased intraspecific competition and increased interspecific competition
(B) decreased intraspecific competition and decreased interspecific competition
(C) increased intraspecific competition and increased interspecific competition
(D) increased intraspecific competition and decreased interspecific competition
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 11/22
Q.32 Males of a bird species provide parental care by feeding nestlings before they
fledge. Which of the following is a PROXIMATE explanation for this behaviour?
(A) Feeding nestlings increases their survivorship after fledging
(B) High prolactin levels cause males to feed their nestlings
(C) Males from all species in this genus provide parental care
(D) Males that provide parental care have higher fitness
Q.33 The courtship display of a spider species consists of both visual and vibrational
signals. Females respond to the display by approaching males. In an experiment,
females were presented with 3 treatments: i) only videos of displaying males, ii)
only vibrational signals of the display, and iii) both videos of displaying males and
vibrational signals. The results are given below:
Treatment Percent of responding
females
Videos only 55%
Vibrational signals only 0%
Videos plus vibrational signals 95%
Results from this experiment show that
(A) vibrational signals are necessary to evoke a response
(B) vibrational signals are sufficient to evoke a response
(C) visual and vibrational signals are necessary to evoke a response
(D) visual signals are necessary to evoke a response
FirstRanker.com - FirstRanker's Choice
GATE 2018 General Aptitude (GA) Set-1
GA 1/2
Q. 1 ? Q. 5 carry one mark each.
Q.1 ?Going by the _________ that many hands make light work, the school _______ involved
all the students in the task .?
The words that best fill the blanks in the above sentence are
(A) principle, principal (B) principal, principle
(C) principle, principle (D) principal, principal
Q.2 ?Her _______ should not be confused with miserliness; she is ever willing to assist those in
need. ?
The word that best fills the blank in the above sentence is
(A) cleanliness (B) punctuality (C) frugality (D) greatness
Q.3 Seven machines take 7 minutes to make 7 identical toys. At the same rate, how many
minutes would it take for 100 machines to make 100 toys?
(A) 1 (B) 7 (C) 100 (D) 700
Q.4 A rectangle becomes a square when its length and breadth are reduced by 10 m and 5 m,
respectively. During this process, the rectangle loses 650 m
2
of area. What is the area of the
original rectangle in square meters?
(A) 1125 (B) 2250 (C) 2924 (D) 4500
Q.5 A number consists of two digits. The sum of the digits is 9. If 45 is subtracted from the
number, its digits are interchanged. What is the number?
(A) 63 (B) 72 (C) 81 (D) 90
Q. 6 ? Q. 10 carry two marks each.
Q.6 For integers ?? , ?? and ?? , what would be the minimum and maximum values respectively of
?? + ?? + ?? if log |?? | + log |?? | + log |?? | = 0?
(A) -3 and 3 (B) -1 and 1 (C) -1 and 3 (D) 1 and 3
GATE 2018 General Aptitude (GA) Set-1
GA 2/2
Q.7 Given that ?? and ?? are integers and ?? + ?? 2
?? 3
is odd, which one of the following
statements is correct?
(A) ?? and ?? are both odd (B) ?? and ?? are both even
(C) ?? is even and ?? is odd (D) ?? is odd and ?? is even
Q.8 From the time the front of a train enters a platform, it takes 25 seconds for the back of the
train to leave the platform, while travelling at a constant speed of 54 km/h. At the same
speed, it takes 14 seconds to pass a man running at 9 km/h in the same direction as the
train. What is the length of the train and that of the platform in meters, respectively?
(A) 210 and 140 (B) 162.5 and 187.5
(C) 245 and 130 (D) 175 and 200
Q.9 Which of the following functions describe the graph shown in the below figure?
(A) ?? = ||?? | + 1| ? 2 (B) ?? = ||?? | ? 1| ? 1
(C) ?? = ||?? | + 1| ? 1 (D) ?? = ||?? ? 1| ? 1|
Q.10 Consider the following three statements:
(i) Some roses are red.
(ii) All red flowers fade quickly.
(iii) Some roses fade quickly.
Which of the following statements can be logically inferred from the above statements?
(A) If (i) is true and (ii) is false, then (iii) is false.
(B) If (i) is true and (ii) is false, then (iii) is true.
(C) If (i) and (ii) are true, then (iii) is true.
(D) If (i) and (ii) are false, then (iii) is false.
END OF THE QUESTION PAPER
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 1/22
Q. 1 ? Q. 25 carry one mark each.
Q.1 During the Pleistocene, which of the following groups experienced the largest mass
extinction?
(A) Large dinosaurs
(B) Large mammals
(C) Reptiles
(D) Trilobites
Q.2 In group living species, the term ?dilution effect? refers to
(A) reduction in aggression among individuals with increasing group size
(B) reduction in the mobility of individuals with increasing group size
(C) reduction in the reproductive success of individuals with increasing group size
(D) reduction in the risk of predation of individuals with increasing group size
Q.3 Which of the following diversity indices best captures species turnover across
habitats?
(A) ? (B) ?? (C) ? (D) ?
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 2/22
Q.4 A duck egg is removed from its mother?s nest and incubated by a barnyard hen. The
duckling hatches out in the presence of the barnyard hen and stays in her nest. After
a couple of days, the duckling is presented with a choice between its biological
mother and the hen that incubated it. The duckling approaches and follows the hen.
This set of observations demonstrates the phenomenon of
(A) habituation
(B) imprinting
(C) instinct
(D) sensitization
Q.5 If both of your ears were located next to each other in the middle of your face, you
would have difficulty in resolving the
(A) direction of a sound
(B) duration of a sound
(C) loudness of a sound
(D) pitch of a sound
Q.6 Forager bees communicate the distance of a food source using a waggle dance upon
return to the hive. It is observed that the number of waggles of a dance increases
linearly with the distance to the food source. This tells us that the
(A) number of waggles and distance to food source is negatively correlated
(B) number of waggles and distance to food source is positively correlated
(C) number of waggles affects the distance to the food source
(D) number of waggles and the distance to the food source are uncorrelated
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 3/22
Q.7 Male frogs display to females by producing loud acoustic signals. The use of these
signals by bats to locate frogs and prey upon them is an example of
(A) aposematism
(B) deception
(C) eavesdropping
(D) mimicry
Q.8 A non-venomous, non-toxic species of snake is brightly coloured and closely
resembles a venomous snake species in the same habitat. This is most likely a case
of
(A) aggressive mimicry
(B) Batesian mimicry
(C) masquerade
(D) M?llerian mimicry
Q.9 The value of the resting membrane potential of a typical neuron is closest to the
equilibrium potential of which of the following ions?
(A) Ca
++
(B) ? K
+
(C) Mg
++
(D) Na
+
Q.10 A plant species found in India produces flowers that are white, fragrant, and tubular.
Which of the following is the most likely pollinating agent?
(A) Hummingbirds (B) Lorises
(C) Moths (D) Wind
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 4/22
Q.11 Which of the following can be used to test differences between mean tree heights in
a tropical versus a temperate forest?
(A) Binomial test
(B) Linear regression
(C) Pearson?s correlation
(D) Student?s t-test
Q.12 For a species, assuming a relatively short time scale and no evolution, increased
interspecific competition will result in a
(A) larger fundamental niche (B) larger realized niche
(C) smaller fundamental niche (D) smaller realized niche
Q.13 In which of the following mating systems is sperm competition likely to evolve?
(A) Monoandry
(B) Monogamy
(C) Polyandry
(D) Polygyny
Q.14 Copies of genes that arrive in a particular genome by horizontal gene transfer are
known as
(A) analogs (B) homologs (C) ohnologs (D) xenologs
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 5/22
Q.15 In which of the following plants is the dominant stage of the life cycle haploid?
(A) Cycads (B) Ferns
(C) Gymnosperms (D) Mosses
Q.16 Which of the following is NOT typically a characteristic of early successional
pioneer plants relative to late successional plants in a tropical rain forest?
(A) Higher shade tolerance (B) Smaller seed size
(C) Smaller size at maturity (D) Wind dispersed seeds
Q.17 Natural populations often deviate from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. One possible
reason for this is
(A) no migration (B) no selection
(C) random mating (D) small population sizes
Q.18 Which of the following is NOT an example of phenotypic plasticity?
(A) Density-dependent swarming behavior in locusts
(B) Increase in DDT resistance in mosquitos
(C) Seasonal variation in plumage colouration in birds
(D) Temperature-dependent sex determination in turtles
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 6/22
Q.19 Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of r-selected species?
(A) Early sexual maturity
(B) High juvenile mortality
(C) High parental care
(D) Large number of offspring
Q.20 A scientist finds a new species of insect and sends a sample to a museum for
confirmation. The curator of the museum designates it as a holotype for the newly
identified species and asks the scientist to also provide samples of the opposite sex.
This sample of the opposite sex is called the
(A) allotype (B) isotype (C) karyotype (D) neotype
Q.21 Which of the following is NOT essential for a behavioural trait to evolve by natural
selection?
(A) The behavioural trait differs among individuals
(B) The behavioural trait is determined at least in part by genes
(C) The behavioural trait influences reproductive success
(D) The behavioural trait is determined entirely by genes
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 7/22
Q.22 El Ni?o Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events have occurred approximately every
3-7 years over the last century. The cause of these ENSO events is related to
(A) large-scale air-sea interactions in the Pacific Ocean
(B) strong monsoon winds in the Indian Ocean
(C) the melting of icebergs in the Antarctic Ocean
(D) unsustainable overfishing in North Atlantic Ocean
Q.23 If the mean of a sample is 5, and the variance is 25, the PERCENT coefficient of
variation is ___.
Q.24 Consider a diploid population at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. For a locus with two
alleles, the frequency of the A
1
A
1
genotype is 0.01. The frequency of heterozygotes
A
1
A
2
is ____ (answer up to 2 decimal places).
Q.25 In a food chain, the efficiency of transfer of energy from one trophic level to the
next is 10%. The PERCENTAGE of energy that is expected to transfer from the
second to the fourth level is ____.
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 8/22
Q. 26 ? Q. 55 carry two marks each.
Q.26 Which of the following is an adaptation for osmoregulation in freshwater teleost
fish?
(A) Excreting large quantities of dilute urine
(B) Excreting large quantities of uric acid
(C) Having high concentration of blood urea
(D) Excreting large quantities of uracil
Q.27 The latitudinal diversity gradient is defined as the decrease in the number of species
from the equator to the poles. This can result from
(A) greater energy input at the poles
(B) greater land mass at the poles
(C) greater seasonal variation at the poles
(D) greater speciation rates at the poles
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 9/22
Q.28 Identify the graph in which natural selection on beak size is LEAST likely to be
occurring? For each of the graphs, the slope of the regression line and the associated
p-value is given.
Q.29 Some species of spiders add additional silk ?decorations? to their webs. It is
hypothesized that these decorations serve either to lure flies (prey) or to decrease
bird (predator) attacks on the spiders. The appropriate way to test these hypotheses
would be to compare numbers of
(A) predators and prey approaching decorated webs
(B) predators and prey approaching undecorated webs
(C) predators approaching decorated webs with prey approaching undecorated webs
(D) predators and prey approaching both decorated and undecorated webs
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 10/22
Q.30 The figure below shows mean annual temperatures (?C) and mean annual
precipitation (cm per year) from multiple sites in four regions in India.
From this climatic information, we can infer that P, Q, R, and S are LIKELY to be
located in:
(A) P: Andaman, Q: Meghalaya, R: Ladakh, S: Rajasthan
(B) P: Ladakh, Q: Rajasthan, R: Andaman, S: Meghalaya
(C) P: Meghalaya, Q: Ladakh, R: Rajasthan, S: Andaman
(D) P: Rajasthan, Q: Andaman, R: Meghalaya, S: Ladakh
Q.31 For a pair of interacting species, increased specialization and decreased niche
breadth in both species would result in
(A) decreased intraspecific competition and increased interspecific competition
(B) decreased intraspecific competition and decreased interspecific competition
(C) increased intraspecific competition and increased interspecific competition
(D) increased intraspecific competition and decreased interspecific competition
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 11/22
Q.32 Males of a bird species provide parental care by feeding nestlings before they
fledge. Which of the following is a PROXIMATE explanation for this behaviour?
(A) Feeding nestlings increases their survivorship after fledging
(B) High prolactin levels cause males to feed their nestlings
(C) Males from all species in this genus provide parental care
(D) Males that provide parental care have higher fitness
Q.33 The courtship display of a spider species consists of both visual and vibrational
signals. Females respond to the display by approaching males. In an experiment,
females were presented with 3 treatments: i) only videos of displaying males, ii)
only vibrational signals of the display, and iii) both videos of displaying males and
vibrational signals. The results are given below:
Treatment Percent of responding
females
Videos only 55%
Vibrational signals only 0%
Videos plus vibrational signals 95%
Results from this experiment show that
(A) vibrational signals are necessary to evoke a response
(B) vibrational signals are sufficient to evoke a response
(C) visual and vibrational signals are necessary to evoke a response
(D) visual signals are necessary to evoke a response
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 12/22
Q.34 Moth ears typically consist of a membranous eardrum backed by an air cavity. Ears
in different phylogenetic groups of moths have evolved on different body parts.
Moth ears are thus best described as
(A) convergent organs
(B) homologous organs
(C) maladaptive organs
(D) vestigeal organs
Q.35 Increased anthropogenic disturbance has resulted in an overall decrease in densities
of trees and an increase in fragmentation of forests. Which of the following types of
trees will have the greatest reduction in reproductive success?
(A) Dioecious species
(B) Monoecious species
(C) Self-compatible hermaphrodites
(D) Self-incompatible hermaphrodites
FirstRanker.com - FirstRanker's Choice
GATE 2018 General Aptitude (GA) Set-1
GA 1/2
Q. 1 ? Q. 5 carry one mark each.
Q.1 ?Going by the _________ that many hands make light work, the school _______ involved
all the students in the task .?
The words that best fill the blanks in the above sentence are
(A) principle, principal (B) principal, principle
(C) principle, principle (D) principal, principal
Q.2 ?Her _______ should not be confused with miserliness; she is ever willing to assist those in
need. ?
The word that best fills the blank in the above sentence is
(A) cleanliness (B) punctuality (C) frugality (D) greatness
Q.3 Seven machines take 7 minutes to make 7 identical toys. At the same rate, how many
minutes would it take for 100 machines to make 100 toys?
(A) 1 (B) 7 (C) 100 (D) 700
Q.4 A rectangle becomes a square when its length and breadth are reduced by 10 m and 5 m,
respectively. During this process, the rectangle loses 650 m
2
of area. What is the area of the
original rectangle in square meters?
(A) 1125 (B) 2250 (C) 2924 (D) 4500
Q.5 A number consists of two digits. The sum of the digits is 9. If 45 is subtracted from the
number, its digits are interchanged. What is the number?
(A) 63 (B) 72 (C) 81 (D) 90
Q. 6 ? Q. 10 carry two marks each.
Q.6 For integers ?? , ?? and ?? , what would be the minimum and maximum values respectively of
?? + ?? + ?? if log |?? | + log |?? | + log |?? | = 0?
(A) -3 and 3 (B) -1 and 1 (C) -1 and 3 (D) 1 and 3
GATE 2018 General Aptitude (GA) Set-1
GA 2/2
Q.7 Given that ?? and ?? are integers and ?? + ?? 2
?? 3
is odd, which one of the following
statements is correct?
(A) ?? and ?? are both odd (B) ?? and ?? are both even
(C) ?? is even and ?? is odd (D) ?? is odd and ?? is even
Q.8 From the time the front of a train enters a platform, it takes 25 seconds for the back of the
train to leave the platform, while travelling at a constant speed of 54 km/h. At the same
speed, it takes 14 seconds to pass a man running at 9 km/h in the same direction as the
train. What is the length of the train and that of the platform in meters, respectively?
(A) 210 and 140 (B) 162.5 and 187.5
(C) 245 and 130 (D) 175 and 200
Q.9 Which of the following functions describe the graph shown in the below figure?
(A) ?? = ||?? | + 1| ? 2 (B) ?? = ||?? | ? 1| ? 1
(C) ?? = ||?? | + 1| ? 1 (D) ?? = ||?? ? 1| ? 1|
Q.10 Consider the following three statements:
(i) Some roses are red.
(ii) All red flowers fade quickly.
(iii) Some roses fade quickly.
Which of the following statements can be logically inferred from the above statements?
(A) If (i) is true and (ii) is false, then (iii) is false.
(B) If (i) is true and (ii) is false, then (iii) is true.
(C) If (i) and (ii) are true, then (iii) is true.
(D) If (i) and (ii) are false, then (iii) is false.
END OF THE QUESTION PAPER
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 1/22
Q. 1 ? Q. 25 carry one mark each.
Q.1 During the Pleistocene, which of the following groups experienced the largest mass
extinction?
(A) Large dinosaurs
(B) Large mammals
(C) Reptiles
(D) Trilobites
Q.2 In group living species, the term ?dilution effect? refers to
(A) reduction in aggression among individuals with increasing group size
(B) reduction in the mobility of individuals with increasing group size
(C) reduction in the reproductive success of individuals with increasing group size
(D) reduction in the risk of predation of individuals with increasing group size
Q.3 Which of the following diversity indices best captures species turnover across
habitats?
(A) ? (B) ?? (C) ? (D) ?
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 2/22
Q.4 A duck egg is removed from its mother?s nest and incubated by a barnyard hen. The
duckling hatches out in the presence of the barnyard hen and stays in her nest. After
a couple of days, the duckling is presented with a choice between its biological
mother and the hen that incubated it. The duckling approaches and follows the hen.
This set of observations demonstrates the phenomenon of
(A) habituation
(B) imprinting
(C) instinct
(D) sensitization
Q.5 If both of your ears were located next to each other in the middle of your face, you
would have difficulty in resolving the
(A) direction of a sound
(B) duration of a sound
(C) loudness of a sound
(D) pitch of a sound
Q.6 Forager bees communicate the distance of a food source using a waggle dance upon
return to the hive. It is observed that the number of waggles of a dance increases
linearly with the distance to the food source. This tells us that the
(A) number of waggles and distance to food source is negatively correlated
(B) number of waggles and distance to food source is positively correlated
(C) number of waggles affects the distance to the food source
(D) number of waggles and the distance to the food source are uncorrelated
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 3/22
Q.7 Male frogs display to females by producing loud acoustic signals. The use of these
signals by bats to locate frogs and prey upon them is an example of
(A) aposematism
(B) deception
(C) eavesdropping
(D) mimicry
Q.8 A non-venomous, non-toxic species of snake is brightly coloured and closely
resembles a venomous snake species in the same habitat. This is most likely a case
of
(A) aggressive mimicry
(B) Batesian mimicry
(C) masquerade
(D) M?llerian mimicry
Q.9 The value of the resting membrane potential of a typical neuron is closest to the
equilibrium potential of which of the following ions?
(A) Ca
++
(B) ? K
+
(C) Mg
++
(D) Na
+
Q.10 A plant species found in India produces flowers that are white, fragrant, and tubular.
Which of the following is the most likely pollinating agent?
(A) Hummingbirds (B) Lorises
(C) Moths (D) Wind
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 4/22
Q.11 Which of the following can be used to test differences between mean tree heights in
a tropical versus a temperate forest?
(A) Binomial test
(B) Linear regression
(C) Pearson?s correlation
(D) Student?s t-test
Q.12 For a species, assuming a relatively short time scale and no evolution, increased
interspecific competition will result in a
(A) larger fundamental niche (B) larger realized niche
(C) smaller fundamental niche (D) smaller realized niche
Q.13 In which of the following mating systems is sperm competition likely to evolve?
(A) Monoandry
(B) Monogamy
(C) Polyandry
(D) Polygyny
Q.14 Copies of genes that arrive in a particular genome by horizontal gene transfer are
known as
(A) analogs (B) homologs (C) ohnologs (D) xenologs
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 5/22
Q.15 In which of the following plants is the dominant stage of the life cycle haploid?
(A) Cycads (B) Ferns
(C) Gymnosperms (D) Mosses
Q.16 Which of the following is NOT typically a characteristic of early successional
pioneer plants relative to late successional plants in a tropical rain forest?
(A) Higher shade tolerance (B) Smaller seed size
(C) Smaller size at maturity (D) Wind dispersed seeds
Q.17 Natural populations often deviate from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. One possible
reason for this is
(A) no migration (B) no selection
(C) random mating (D) small population sizes
Q.18 Which of the following is NOT an example of phenotypic plasticity?
(A) Density-dependent swarming behavior in locusts
(B) Increase in DDT resistance in mosquitos
(C) Seasonal variation in plumage colouration in birds
(D) Temperature-dependent sex determination in turtles
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 6/22
Q.19 Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of r-selected species?
(A) Early sexual maturity
(B) High juvenile mortality
(C) High parental care
(D) Large number of offspring
Q.20 A scientist finds a new species of insect and sends a sample to a museum for
confirmation. The curator of the museum designates it as a holotype for the newly
identified species and asks the scientist to also provide samples of the opposite sex.
This sample of the opposite sex is called the
(A) allotype (B) isotype (C) karyotype (D) neotype
Q.21 Which of the following is NOT essential for a behavioural trait to evolve by natural
selection?
(A) The behavioural trait differs among individuals
(B) The behavioural trait is determined at least in part by genes
(C) The behavioural trait influences reproductive success
(D) The behavioural trait is determined entirely by genes
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 7/22
Q.22 El Ni?o Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events have occurred approximately every
3-7 years over the last century. The cause of these ENSO events is related to
(A) large-scale air-sea interactions in the Pacific Ocean
(B) strong monsoon winds in the Indian Ocean
(C) the melting of icebergs in the Antarctic Ocean
(D) unsustainable overfishing in North Atlantic Ocean
Q.23 If the mean of a sample is 5, and the variance is 25, the PERCENT coefficient of
variation is ___.
Q.24 Consider a diploid population at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. For a locus with two
alleles, the frequency of the A
1
A
1
genotype is 0.01. The frequency of heterozygotes
A
1
A
2
is ____ (answer up to 2 decimal places).
Q.25 In a food chain, the efficiency of transfer of energy from one trophic level to the
next is 10%. The PERCENTAGE of energy that is expected to transfer from the
second to the fourth level is ____.
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 8/22
Q. 26 ? Q. 55 carry two marks each.
Q.26 Which of the following is an adaptation for osmoregulation in freshwater teleost
fish?
(A) Excreting large quantities of dilute urine
(B) Excreting large quantities of uric acid
(C) Having high concentration of blood urea
(D) Excreting large quantities of uracil
Q.27 The latitudinal diversity gradient is defined as the decrease in the number of species
from the equator to the poles. This can result from
(A) greater energy input at the poles
(B) greater land mass at the poles
(C) greater seasonal variation at the poles
(D) greater speciation rates at the poles
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 9/22
Q.28 Identify the graph in which natural selection on beak size is LEAST likely to be
occurring? For each of the graphs, the slope of the regression line and the associated
p-value is given.
Q.29 Some species of spiders add additional silk ?decorations? to their webs. It is
hypothesized that these decorations serve either to lure flies (prey) or to decrease
bird (predator) attacks on the spiders. The appropriate way to test these hypotheses
would be to compare numbers of
(A) predators and prey approaching decorated webs
(B) predators and prey approaching undecorated webs
(C) predators approaching decorated webs with prey approaching undecorated webs
(D) predators and prey approaching both decorated and undecorated webs
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 10/22
Q.30 The figure below shows mean annual temperatures (?C) and mean annual
precipitation (cm per year) from multiple sites in four regions in India.
From this climatic information, we can infer that P, Q, R, and S are LIKELY to be
located in:
(A) P: Andaman, Q: Meghalaya, R: Ladakh, S: Rajasthan
(B) P: Ladakh, Q: Rajasthan, R: Andaman, S: Meghalaya
(C) P: Meghalaya, Q: Ladakh, R: Rajasthan, S: Andaman
(D) P: Rajasthan, Q: Andaman, R: Meghalaya, S: Ladakh
Q.31 For a pair of interacting species, increased specialization and decreased niche
breadth in both species would result in
(A) decreased intraspecific competition and increased interspecific competition
(B) decreased intraspecific competition and decreased interspecific competition
(C) increased intraspecific competition and increased interspecific competition
(D) increased intraspecific competition and decreased interspecific competition
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 11/22
Q.32 Males of a bird species provide parental care by feeding nestlings before they
fledge. Which of the following is a PROXIMATE explanation for this behaviour?
(A) Feeding nestlings increases their survivorship after fledging
(B) High prolactin levels cause males to feed their nestlings
(C) Males from all species in this genus provide parental care
(D) Males that provide parental care have higher fitness
Q.33 The courtship display of a spider species consists of both visual and vibrational
signals. Females respond to the display by approaching males. In an experiment,
females were presented with 3 treatments: i) only videos of displaying males, ii)
only vibrational signals of the display, and iii) both videos of displaying males and
vibrational signals. The results are given below:
Treatment Percent of responding
females
Videos only 55%
Vibrational signals only 0%
Videos plus vibrational signals 95%
Results from this experiment show that
(A) vibrational signals are necessary to evoke a response
(B) vibrational signals are sufficient to evoke a response
(C) visual and vibrational signals are necessary to evoke a response
(D) visual signals are necessary to evoke a response
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 12/22
Q.34 Moth ears typically consist of a membranous eardrum backed by an air cavity. Ears
in different phylogenetic groups of moths have evolved on different body parts.
Moth ears are thus best described as
(A) convergent organs
(B) homologous organs
(C) maladaptive organs
(D) vestigeal organs
Q.35 Increased anthropogenic disturbance has resulted in an overall decrease in densities
of trees and an increase in fragmentation of forests. Which of the following types of
trees will have the greatest reduction in reproductive success?
(A) Dioecious species
(B) Monoecious species
(C) Self-compatible hermaphrodites
(D) Self-incompatible hermaphrodites
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 13/22
Q.36 A study examined the effect of neighbours on plants when grown at low or high
altitudes. The researcher measured Relative Neighbour Effect (RNE), defined as:
RNE = Biomass with neighbours ? Biomass without neighbours.
The results shown above demonstrate
(A) competition at both altitudes
(B) competition at high altitudes, and facilitation at low altitudes
(C) competition at low altitudes, and facilitation at high altitudes
(D) facilitation at both altitudes
Q.37 Match the combination of flora and fauna from the list, to the state where they are
found.
Combination Fauna; Flora
P Red panda; Rhododendron
Q Pygmy hog; Elephant grass
R Tiger; Mangrove
S Hangul; Chinar
(A) P: Assam; Q: Jammu & Kashmir; R: West Bengal; S: Sikkim
(B) P: Jammu & Kashmir; Q: Assam; R: West Bengal; S: Sikkim
(C) P: Sikkim; Q: Assam; R: West Bengal; S: Jammu & Kashmir
(D) P: Sikkim; Q: West Bengal; R: Assam; S: Jammu & Kashmir
FirstRanker.com - FirstRanker's Choice
GATE 2018 General Aptitude (GA) Set-1
GA 1/2
Q. 1 ? Q. 5 carry one mark each.
Q.1 ?Going by the _________ that many hands make light work, the school _______ involved
all the students in the task .?
The words that best fill the blanks in the above sentence are
(A) principle, principal (B) principal, principle
(C) principle, principle (D) principal, principal
Q.2 ?Her _______ should not be confused with miserliness; she is ever willing to assist those in
need. ?
The word that best fills the blank in the above sentence is
(A) cleanliness (B) punctuality (C) frugality (D) greatness
Q.3 Seven machines take 7 minutes to make 7 identical toys. At the same rate, how many
minutes would it take for 100 machines to make 100 toys?
(A) 1 (B) 7 (C) 100 (D) 700
Q.4 A rectangle becomes a square when its length and breadth are reduced by 10 m and 5 m,
respectively. During this process, the rectangle loses 650 m
2
of area. What is the area of the
original rectangle in square meters?
(A) 1125 (B) 2250 (C) 2924 (D) 4500
Q.5 A number consists of two digits. The sum of the digits is 9. If 45 is subtracted from the
number, its digits are interchanged. What is the number?
(A) 63 (B) 72 (C) 81 (D) 90
Q. 6 ? Q. 10 carry two marks each.
Q.6 For integers ?? , ?? and ?? , what would be the minimum and maximum values respectively of
?? + ?? + ?? if log |?? | + log |?? | + log |?? | = 0?
(A) -3 and 3 (B) -1 and 1 (C) -1 and 3 (D) 1 and 3
GATE 2018 General Aptitude (GA) Set-1
GA 2/2
Q.7 Given that ?? and ?? are integers and ?? + ?? 2
?? 3
is odd, which one of the following
statements is correct?
(A) ?? and ?? are both odd (B) ?? and ?? are both even
(C) ?? is even and ?? is odd (D) ?? is odd and ?? is even
Q.8 From the time the front of a train enters a platform, it takes 25 seconds for the back of the
train to leave the platform, while travelling at a constant speed of 54 km/h. At the same
speed, it takes 14 seconds to pass a man running at 9 km/h in the same direction as the
train. What is the length of the train and that of the platform in meters, respectively?
(A) 210 and 140 (B) 162.5 and 187.5
(C) 245 and 130 (D) 175 and 200
Q.9 Which of the following functions describe the graph shown in the below figure?
(A) ?? = ||?? | + 1| ? 2 (B) ?? = ||?? | ? 1| ? 1
(C) ?? = ||?? | + 1| ? 1 (D) ?? = ||?? ? 1| ? 1|
Q.10 Consider the following three statements:
(i) Some roses are red.
(ii) All red flowers fade quickly.
(iii) Some roses fade quickly.
Which of the following statements can be logically inferred from the above statements?
(A) If (i) is true and (ii) is false, then (iii) is false.
(B) If (i) is true and (ii) is false, then (iii) is true.
(C) If (i) and (ii) are true, then (iii) is true.
(D) If (i) and (ii) are false, then (iii) is false.
END OF THE QUESTION PAPER
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 1/22
Q. 1 ? Q. 25 carry one mark each.
Q.1 During the Pleistocene, which of the following groups experienced the largest mass
extinction?
(A) Large dinosaurs
(B) Large mammals
(C) Reptiles
(D) Trilobites
Q.2 In group living species, the term ?dilution effect? refers to
(A) reduction in aggression among individuals with increasing group size
(B) reduction in the mobility of individuals with increasing group size
(C) reduction in the reproductive success of individuals with increasing group size
(D) reduction in the risk of predation of individuals with increasing group size
Q.3 Which of the following diversity indices best captures species turnover across
habitats?
(A) ? (B) ?? (C) ? (D) ?
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 2/22
Q.4 A duck egg is removed from its mother?s nest and incubated by a barnyard hen. The
duckling hatches out in the presence of the barnyard hen and stays in her nest. After
a couple of days, the duckling is presented with a choice between its biological
mother and the hen that incubated it. The duckling approaches and follows the hen.
This set of observations demonstrates the phenomenon of
(A) habituation
(B) imprinting
(C) instinct
(D) sensitization
Q.5 If both of your ears were located next to each other in the middle of your face, you
would have difficulty in resolving the
(A) direction of a sound
(B) duration of a sound
(C) loudness of a sound
(D) pitch of a sound
Q.6 Forager bees communicate the distance of a food source using a waggle dance upon
return to the hive. It is observed that the number of waggles of a dance increases
linearly with the distance to the food source. This tells us that the
(A) number of waggles and distance to food source is negatively correlated
(B) number of waggles and distance to food source is positively correlated
(C) number of waggles affects the distance to the food source
(D) number of waggles and the distance to the food source are uncorrelated
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 3/22
Q.7 Male frogs display to females by producing loud acoustic signals. The use of these
signals by bats to locate frogs and prey upon them is an example of
(A) aposematism
(B) deception
(C) eavesdropping
(D) mimicry
Q.8 A non-venomous, non-toxic species of snake is brightly coloured and closely
resembles a venomous snake species in the same habitat. This is most likely a case
of
(A) aggressive mimicry
(B) Batesian mimicry
(C) masquerade
(D) M?llerian mimicry
Q.9 The value of the resting membrane potential of a typical neuron is closest to the
equilibrium potential of which of the following ions?
(A) Ca
++
(B) ? K
+
(C) Mg
++
(D) Na
+
Q.10 A plant species found in India produces flowers that are white, fragrant, and tubular.
Which of the following is the most likely pollinating agent?
(A) Hummingbirds (B) Lorises
(C) Moths (D) Wind
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 4/22
Q.11 Which of the following can be used to test differences between mean tree heights in
a tropical versus a temperate forest?
(A) Binomial test
(B) Linear regression
(C) Pearson?s correlation
(D) Student?s t-test
Q.12 For a species, assuming a relatively short time scale and no evolution, increased
interspecific competition will result in a
(A) larger fundamental niche (B) larger realized niche
(C) smaller fundamental niche (D) smaller realized niche
Q.13 In which of the following mating systems is sperm competition likely to evolve?
(A) Monoandry
(B) Monogamy
(C) Polyandry
(D) Polygyny
Q.14 Copies of genes that arrive in a particular genome by horizontal gene transfer are
known as
(A) analogs (B) homologs (C) ohnologs (D) xenologs
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 5/22
Q.15 In which of the following plants is the dominant stage of the life cycle haploid?
(A) Cycads (B) Ferns
(C) Gymnosperms (D) Mosses
Q.16 Which of the following is NOT typically a characteristic of early successional
pioneer plants relative to late successional plants in a tropical rain forest?
(A) Higher shade tolerance (B) Smaller seed size
(C) Smaller size at maturity (D) Wind dispersed seeds
Q.17 Natural populations often deviate from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. One possible
reason for this is
(A) no migration (B) no selection
(C) random mating (D) small population sizes
Q.18 Which of the following is NOT an example of phenotypic plasticity?
(A) Density-dependent swarming behavior in locusts
(B) Increase in DDT resistance in mosquitos
(C) Seasonal variation in plumage colouration in birds
(D) Temperature-dependent sex determination in turtles
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 6/22
Q.19 Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of r-selected species?
(A) Early sexual maturity
(B) High juvenile mortality
(C) High parental care
(D) Large number of offspring
Q.20 A scientist finds a new species of insect and sends a sample to a museum for
confirmation. The curator of the museum designates it as a holotype for the newly
identified species and asks the scientist to also provide samples of the opposite sex.
This sample of the opposite sex is called the
(A) allotype (B) isotype (C) karyotype (D) neotype
Q.21 Which of the following is NOT essential for a behavioural trait to evolve by natural
selection?
(A) The behavioural trait differs among individuals
(B) The behavioural trait is determined at least in part by genes
(C) The behavioural trait influences reproductive success
(D) The behavioural trait is determined entirely by genes
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 7/22
Q.22 El Ni?o Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events have occurred approximately every
3-7 years over the last century. The cause of these ENSO events is related to
(A) large-scale air-sea interactions in the Pacific Ocean
(B) strong monsoon winds in the Indian Ocean
(C) the melting of icebergs in the Antarctic Ocean
(D) unsustainable overfishing in North Atlantic Ocean
Q.23 If the mean of a sample is 5, and the variance is 25, the PERCENT coefficient of
variation is ___.
Q.24 Consider a diploid population at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. For a locus with two
alleles, the frequency of the A
1
A
1
genotype is 0.01. The frequency of heterozygotes
A
1
A
2
is ____ (answer up to 2 decimal places).
Q.25 In a food chain, the efficiency of transfer of energy from one trophic level to the
next is 10%. The PERCENTAGE of energy that is expected to transfer from the
second to the fourth level is ____.
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 8/22
Q. 26 ? Q. 55 carry two marks each.
Q.26 Which of the following is an adaptation for osmoregulation in freshwater teleost
fish?
(A) Excreting large quantities of dilute urine
(B) Excreting large quantities of uric acid
(C) Having high concentration of blood urea
(D) Excreting large quantities of uracil
Q.27 The latitudinal diversity gradient is defined as the decrease in the number of species
from the equator to the poles. This can result from
(A) greater energy input at the poles
(B) greater land mass at the poles
(C) greater seasonal variation at the poles
(D) greater speciation rates at the poles
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 9/22
Q.28 Identify the graph in which natural selection on beak size is LEAST likely to be
occurring? For each of the graphs, the slope of the regression line and the associated
p-value is given.
Q.29 Some species of spiders add additional silk ?decorations? to their webs. It is
hypothesized that these decorations serve either to lure flies (prey) or to decrease
bird (predator) attacks on the spiders. The appropriate way to test these hypotheses
would be to compare numbers of
(A) predators and prey approaching decorated webs
(B) predators and prey approaching undecorated webs
(C) predators approaching decorated webs with prey approaching undecorated webs
(D) predators and prey approaching both decorated and undecorated webs
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 10/22
Q.30 The figure below shows mean annual temperatures (?C) and mean annual
precipitation (cm per year) from multiple sites in four regions in India.
From this climatic information, we can infer that P, Q, R, and S are LIKELY to be
located in:
(A) P: Andaman, Q: Meghalaya, R: Ladakh, S: Rajasthan
(B) P: Ladakh, Q: Rajasthan, R: Andaman, S: Meghalaya
(C) P: Meghalaya, Q: Ladakh, R: Rajasthan, S: Andaman
(D) P: Rajasthan, Q: Andaman, R: Meghalaya, S: Ladakh
Q.31 For a pair of interacting species, increased specialization and decreased niche
breadth in both species would result in
(A) decreased intraspecific competition and increased interspecific competition
(B) decreased intraspecific competition and decreased interspecific competition
(C) increased intraspecific competition and increased interspecific competition
(D) increased intraspecific competition and decreased interspecific competition
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 11/22
Q.32 Males of a bird species provide parental care by feeding nestlings before they
fledge. Which of the following is a PROXIMATE explanation for this behaviour?
(A) Feeding nestlings increases their survivorship after fledging
(B) High prolactin levels cause males to feed their nestlings
(C) Males from all species in this genus provide parental care
(D) Males that provide parental care have higher fitness
Q.33 The courtship display of a spider species consists of both visual and vibrational
signals. Females respond to the display by approaching males. In an experiment,
females were presented with 3 treatments: i) only videos of displaying males, ii)
only vibrational signals of the display, and iii) both videos of displaying males and
vibrational signals. The results are given below:
Treatment Percent of responding
females
Videos only 55%
Vibrational signals only 0%
Videos plus vibrational signals 95%
Results from this experiment show that
(A) vibrational signals are necessary to evoke a response
(B) vibrational signals are sufficient to evoke a response
(C) visual and vibrational signals are necessary to evoke a response
(D) visual signals are necessary to evoke a response
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 12/22
Q.34 Moth ears typically consist of a membranous eardrum backed by an air cavity. Ears
in different phylogenetic groups of moths have evolved on different body parts.
Moth ears are thus best described as
(A) convergent organs
(B) homologous organs
(C) maladaptive organs
(D) vestigeal organs
Q.35 Increased anthropogenic disturbance has resulted in an overall decrease in densities
of trees and an increase in fragmentation of forests. Which of the following types of
trees will have the greatest reduction in reproductive success?
(A) Dioecious species
(B) Monoecious species
(C) Self-compatible hermaphrodites
(D) Self-incompatible hermaphrodites
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 13/22
Q.36 A study examined the effect of neighbours on plants when grown at low or high
altitudes. The researcher measured Relative Neighbour Effect (RNE), defined as:
RNE = Biomass with neighbours ? Biomass without neighbours.
The results shown above demonstrate
(A) competition at both altitudes
(B) competition at high altitudes, and facilitation at low altitudes
(C) competition at low altitudes, and facilitation at high altitudes
(D) facilitation at both altitudes
Q.37 Match the combination of flora and fauna from the list, to the state where they are
found.
Combination Fauna; Flora
P Red panda; Rhododendron
Q Pygmy hog; Elephant grass
R Tiger; Mangrove
S Hangul; Chinar
(A) P: Assam; Q: Jammu & Kashmir; R: West Bengal; S: Sikkim
(B) P: Jammu & Kashmir; Q: Assam; R: West Bengal; S: Sikkim
(C) P: Sikkim; Q: Assam; R: West Bengal; S: Jammu & Kashmir
(D) P: Sikkim; Q: West Bengal; R: Assam; S: Jammu & Kashmir
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 14/22
Q.38 A parent population (P) is split into three daughter populations (Q, R, and S) which
grow in three different habitats. After 1000 generations, the equilibrium frequency
distribution of a trait in each of the daughter populations is shown in the figure
below. For reference, the vertical line represents the mean of the parent population.
From this information, one can infer that the subpopulations experienced the
following selection regimes
(A) Q: Directional; R: Stabilizing; S: No selection
(B) Q: Directional; R: Stabilizing; S: Stabilizing
(C) Q: Directional; R: Directional; S: Stabilizing
(D) Q: Stabilizing; R: Directional; S: No selection
FirstRanker.com - FirstRanker's Choice
GATE 2018 General Aptitude (GA) Set-1
GA 1/2
Q. 1 ? Q. 5 carry one mark each.
Q.1 ?Going by the _________ that many hands make light work, the school _______ involved
all the students in the task .?
The words that best fill the blanks in the above sentence are
(A) principle, principal (B) principal, principle
(C) principle, principle (D) principal, principal
Q.2 ?Her _______ should not be confused with miserliness; she is ever willing to assist those in
need. ?
The word that best fills the blank in the above sentence is
(A) cleanliness (B) punctuality (C) frugality (D) greatness
Q.3 Seven machines take 7 minutes to make 7 identical toys. At the same rate, how many
minutes would it take for 100 machines to make 100 toys?
(A) 1 (B) 7 (C) 100 (D) 700
Q.4 A rectangle becomes a square when its length and breadth are reduced by 10 m and 5 m,
respectively. During this process, the rectangle loses 650 m
2
of area. What is the area of the
original rectangle in square meters?
(A) 1125 (B) 2250 (C) 2924 (D) 4500
Q.5 A number consists of two digits. The sum of the digits is 9. If 45 is subtracted from the
number, its digits are interchanged. What is the number?
(A) 63 (B) 72 (C) 81 (D) 90
Q. 6 ? Q. 10 carry two marks each.
Q.6 For integers ?? , ?? and ?? , what would be the minimum and maximum values respectively of
?? + ?? + ?? if log |?? | + log |?? | + log |?? | = 0?
(A) -3 and 3 (B) -1 and 1 (C) -1 and 3 (D) 1 and 3
GATE 2018 General Aptitude (GA) Set-1
GA 2/2
Q.7 Given that ?? and ?? are integers and ?? + ?? 2
?? 3
is odd, which one of the following
statements is correct?
(A) ?? and ?? are both odd (B) ?? and ?? are both even
(C) ?? is even and ?? is odd (D) ?? is odd and ?? is even
Q.8 From the time the front of a train enters a platform, it takes 25 seconds for the back of the
train to leave the platform, while travelling at a constant speed of 54 km/h. At the same
speed, it takes 14 seconds to pass a man running at 9 km/h in the same direction as the
train. What is the length of the train and that of the platform in meters, respectively?
(A) 210 and 140 (B) 162.5 and 187.5
(C) 245 and 130 (D) 175 and 200
Q.9 Which of the following functions describe the graph shown in the below figure?
(A) ?? = ||?? | + 1| ? 2 (B) ?? = ||?? | ? 1| ? 1
(C) ?? = ||?? | + 1| ? 1 (D) ?? = ||?? ? 1| ? 1|
Q.10 Consider the following three statements:
(i) Some roses are red.
(ii) All red flowers fade quickly.
(iii) Some roses fade quickly.
Which of the following statements can be logically inferred from the above statements?
(A) If (i) is true and (ii) is false, then (iii) is false.
(B) If (i) is true and (ii) is false, then (iii) is true.
(C) If (i) and (ii) are true, then (iii) is true.
(D) If (i) and (ii) are false, then (iii) is false.
END OF THE QUESTION PAPER
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 1/22
Q. 1 ? Q. 25 carry one mark each.
Q.1 During the Pleistocene, which of the following groups experienced the largest mass
extinction?
(A) Large dinosaurs
(B) Large mammals
(C) Reptiles
(D) Trilobites
Q.2 In group living species, the term ?dilution effect? refers to
(A) reduction in aggression among individuals with increasing group size
(B) reduction in the mobility of individuals with increasing group size
(C) reduction in the reproductive success of individuals with increasing group size
(D) reduction in the risk of predation of individuals with increasing group size
Q.3 Which of the following diversity indices best captures species turnover across
habitats?
(A) ? (B) ?? (C) ? (D) ?
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 2/22
Q.4 A duck egg is removed from its mother?s nest and incubated by a barnyard hen. The
duckling hatches out in the presence of the barnyard hen and stays in her nest. After
a couple of days, the duckling is presented with a choice between its biological
mother and the hen that incubated it. The duckling approaches and follows the hen.
This set of observations demonstrates the phenomenon of
(A) habituation
(B) imprinting
(C) instinct
(D) sensitization
Q.5 If both of your ears were located next to each other in the middle of your face, you
would have difficulty in resolving the
(A) direction of a sound
(B) duration of a sound
(C) loudness of a sound
(D) pitch of a sound
Q.6 Forager bees communicate the distance of a food source using a waggle dance upon
return to the hive. It is observed that the number of waggles of a dance increases
linearly with the distance to the food source. This tells us that the
(A) number of waggles and distance to food source is negatively correlated
(B) number of waggles and distance to food source is positively correlated
(C) number of waggles affects the distance to the food source
(D) number of waggles and the distance to the food source are uncorrelated
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 3/22
Q.7 Male frogs display to females by producing loud acoustic signals. The use of these
signals by bats to locate frogs and prey upon them is an example of
(A) aposematism
(B) deception
(C) eavesdropping
(D) mimicry
Q.8 A non-venomous, non-toxic species of snake is brightly coloured and closely
resembles a venomous snake species in the same habitat. This is most likely a case
of
(A) aggressive mimicry
(B) Batesian mimicry
(C) masquerade
(D) M?llerian mimicry
Q.9 The value of the resting membrane potential of a typical neuron is closest to the
equilibrium potential of which of the following ions?
(A) Ca
++
(B) ? K
+
(C) Mg
++
(D) Na
+
Q.10 A plant species found in India produces flowers that are white, fragrant, and tubular.
Which of the following is the most likely pollinating agent?
(A) Hummingbirds (B) Lorises
(C) Moths (D) Wind
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 4/22
Q.11 Which of the following can be used to test differences between mean tree heights in
a tropical versus a temperate forest?
(A) Binomial test
(B) Linear regression
(C) Pearson?s correlation
(D) Student?s t-test
Q.12 For a species, assuming a relatively short time scale and no evolution, increased
interspecific competition will result in a
(A) larger fundamental niche (B) larger realized niche
(C) smaller fundamental niche (D) smaller realized niche
Q.13 In which of the following mating systems is sperm competition likely to evolve?
(A) Monoandry
(B) Monogamy
(C) Polyandry
(D) Polygyny
Q.14 Copies of genes that arrive in a particular genome by horizontal gene transfer are
known as
(A) analogs (B) homologs (C) ohnologs (D) xenologs
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 5/22
Q.15 In which of the following plants is the dominant stage of the life cycle haploid?
(A) Cycads (B) Ferns
(C) Gymnosperms (D) Mosses
Q.16 Which of the following is NOT typically a characteristic of early successional
pioneer plants relative to late successional plants in a tropical rain forest?
(A) Higher shade tolerance (B) Smaller seed size
(C) Smaller size at maturity (D) Wind dispersed seeds
Q.17 Natural populations often deviate from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. One possible
reason for this is
(A) no migration (B) no selection
(C) random mating (D) small population sizes
Q.18 Which of the following is NOT an example of phenotypic plasticity?
(A) Density-dependent swarming behavior in locusts
(B) Increase in DDT resistance in mosquitos
(C) Seasonal variation in plumage colouration in birds
(D) Temperature-dependent sex determination in turtles
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 6/22
Q.19 Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of r-selected species?
(A) Early sexual maturity
(B) High juvenile mortality
(C) High parental care
(D) Large number of offspring
Q.20 A scientist finds a new species of insect and sends a sample to a museum for
confirmation. The curator of the museum designates it as a holotype for the newly
identified species and asks the scientist to also provide samples of the opposite sex.
This sample of the opposite sex is called the
(A) allotype (B) isotype (C) karyotype (D) neotype
Q.21 Which of the following is NOT essential for a behavioural trait to evolve by natural
selection?
(A) The behavioural trait differs among individuals
(B) The behavioural trait is determined at least in part by genes
(C) The behavioural trait influences reproductive success
(D) The behavioural trait is determined entirely by genes
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 7/22
Q.22 El Ni?o Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events have occurred approximately every
3-7 years over the last century. The cause of these ENSO events is related to
(A) large-scale air-sea interactions in the Pacific Ocean
(B) strong monsoon winds in the Indian Ocean
(C) the melting of icebergs in the Antarctic Ocean
(D) unsustainable overfishing in North Atlantic Ocean
Q.23 If the mean of a sample is 5, and the variance is 25, the PERCENT coefficient of
variation is ___.
Q.24 Consider a diploid population at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. For a locus with two
alleles, the frequency of the A
1
A
1
genotype is 0.01. The frequency of heterozygotes
A
1
A
2
is ____ (answer up to 2 decimal places).
Q.25 In a food chain, the efficiency of transfer of energy from one trophic level to the
next is 10%. The PERCENTAGE of energy that is expected to transfer from the
second to the fourth level is ____.
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 8/22
Q. 26 ? Q. 55 carry two marks each.
Q.26 Which of the following is an adaptation for osmoregulation in freshwater teleost
fish?
(A) Excreting large quantities of dilute urine
(B) Excreting large quantities of uric acid
(C) Having high concentration of blood urea
(D) Excreting large quantities of uracil
Q.27 The latitudinal diversity gradient is defined as the decrease in the number of species
from the equator to the poles. This can result from
(A) greater energy input at the poles
(B) greater land mass at the poles
(C) greater seasonal variation at the poles
(D) greater speciation rates at the poles
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 9/22
Q.28 Identify the graph in which natural selection on beak size is LEAST likely to be
occurring? For each of the graphs, the slope of the regression line and the associated
p-value is given.
Q.29 Some species of spiders add additional silk ?decorations? to their webs. It is
hypothesized that these decorations serve either to lure flies (prey) or to decrease
bird (predator) attacks on the spiders. The appropriate way to test these hypotheses
would be to compare numbers of
(A) predators and prey approaching decorated webs
(B) predators and prey approaching undecorated webs
(C) predators approaching decorated webs with prey approaching undecorated webs
(D) predators and prey approaching both decorated and undecorated webs
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 10/22
Q.30 The figure below shows mean annual temperatures (?C) and mean annual
precipitation (cm per year) from multiple sites in four regions in India.
From this climatic information, we can infer that P, Q, R, and S are LIKELY to be
located in:
(A) P: Andaman, Q: Meghalaya, R: Ladakh, S: Rajasthan
(B) P: Ladakh, Q: Rajasthan, R: Andaman, S: Meghalaya
(C) P: Meghalaya, Q: Ladakh, R: Rajasthan, S: Andaman
(D) P: Rajasthan, Q: Andaman, R: Meghalaya, S: Ladakh
Q.31 For a pair of interacting species, increased specialization and decreased niche
breadth in both species would result in
(A) decreased intraspecific competition and increased interspecific competition
(B) decreased intraspecific competition and decreased interspecific competition
(C) increased intraspecific competition and increased interspecific competition
(D) increased intraspecific competition and decreased interspecific competition
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 11/22
Q.32 Males of a bird species provide parental care by feeding nestlings before they
fledge. Which of the following is a PROXIMATE explanation for this behaviour?
(A) Feeding nestlings increases their survivorship after fledging
(B) High prolactin levels cause males to feed their nestlings
(C) Males from all species in this genus provide parental care
(D) Males that provide parental care have higher fitness
Q.33 The courtship display of a spider species consists of both visual and vibrational
signals. Females respond to the display by approaching males. In an experiment,
females were presented with 3 treatments: i) only videos of displaying males, ii)
only vibrational signals of the display, and iii) both videos of displaying males and
vibrational signals. The results are given below:
Treatment Percent of responding
females
Videos only 55%
Vibrational signals only 0%
Videos plus vibrational signals 95%
Results from this experiment show that
(A) vibrational signals are necessary to evoke a response
(B) vibrational signals are sufficient to evoke a response
(C) visual and vibrational signals are necessary to evoke a response
(D) visual signals are necessary to evoke a response
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 12/22
Q.34 Moth ears typically consist of a membranous eardrum backed by an air cavity. Ears
in different phylogenetic groups of moths have evolved on different body parts.
Moth ears are thus best described as
(A) convergent organs
(B) homologous organs
(C) maladaptive organs
(D) vestigeal organs
Q.35 Increased anthropogenic disturbance has resulted in an overall decrease in densities
of trees and an increase in fragmentation of forests. Which of the following types of
trees will have the greatest reduction in reproductive success?
(A) Dioecious species
(B) Monoecious species
(C) Self-compatible hermaphrodites
(D) Self-incompatible hermaphrodites
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 13/22
Q.36 A study examined the effect of neighbours on plants when grown at low or high
altitudes. The researcher measured Relative Neighbour Effect (RNE), defined as:
RNE = Biomass with neighbours ? Biomass without neighbours.
The results shown above demonstrate
(A) competition at both altitudes
(B) competition at high altitudes, and facilitation at low altitudes
(C) competition at low altitudes, and facilitation at high altitudes
(D) facilitation at both altitudes
Q.37 Match the combination of flora and fauna from the list, to the state where they are
found.
Combination Fauna; Flora
P Red panda; Rhododendron
Q Pygmy hog; Elephant grass
R Tiger; Mangrove
S Hangul; Chinar
(A) P: Assam; Q: Jammu & Kashmir; R: West Bengal; S: Sikkim
(B) P: Jammu & Kashmir; Q: Assam; R: West Bengal; S: Sikkim
(C) P: Sikkim; Q: Assam; R: West Bengal; S: Jammu & Kashmir
(D) P: Sikkim; Q: West Bengal; R: Assam; S: Jammu & Kashmir
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 14/22
Q.38 A parent population (P) is split into three daughter populations (Q, R, and S) which
grow in three different habitats. After 1000 generations, the equilibrium frequency
distribution of a trait in each of the daughter populations is shown in the figure
below. For reference, the vertical line represents the mean of the parent population.
From this information, one can infer that the subpopulations experienced the
following selection regimes
(A) Q: Directional; R: Stabilizing; S: No selection
(B) Q: Directional; R: Stabilizing; S: Stabilizing
(C) Q: Directional; R: Directional; S: Stabilizing
(D) Q: Stabilizing; R: Directional; S: No selection
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 15/22
Q.39 The character matrix below lists four taxa (P-S) and their nine characters (i-ix). A
character state is designated as ?0? if it is ancestral and ?1? if it is derived. Which of
the following phylogenetic trees is obtained by cladistic analysis of these data?
P Q R S
i) 0 1 0 0
ii) 1 1 0 0
iii) 1 1 1 0
iv) 1 1 0 0
v) 1 1 1 0
vi) 0 1 0 0
vii) 1 1 1 0
viii) 0 1 0 0
ix) 1 1 1 0
FirstRanker.com - FirstRanker's Choice
GATE 2018 General Aptitude (GA) Set-1
GA 1/2
Q. 1 ? Q. 5 carry one mark each.
Q.1 ?Going by the _________ that many hands make light work, the school _______ involved
all the students in the task .?
The words that best fill the blanks in the above sentence are
(A) principle, principal (B) principal, principle
(C) principle, principle (D) principal, principal
Q.2 ?Her _______ should not be confused with miserliness; she is ever willing to assist those in
need. ?
The word that best fills the blank in the above sentence is
(A) cleanliness (B) punctuality (C) frugality (D) greatness
Q.3 Seven machines take 7 minutes to make 7 identical toys. At the same rate, how many
minutes would it take for 100 machines to make 100 toys?
(A) 1 (B) 7 (C) 100 (D) 700
Q.4 A rectangle becomes a square when its length and breadth are reduced by 10 m and 5 m,
respectively. During this process, the rectangle loses 650 m
2
of area. What is the area of the
original rectangle in square meters?
(A) 1125 (B) 2250 (C) 2924 (D) 4500
Q.5 A number consists of two digits. The sum of the digits is 9. If 45 is subtracted from the
number, its digits are interchanged. What is the number?
(A) 63 (B) 72 (C) 81 (D) 90
Q. 6 ? Q. 10 carry two marks each.
Q.6 For integers ?? , ?? and ?? , what would be the minimum and maximum values respectively of
?? + ?? + ?? if log |?? | + log |?? | + log |?? | = 0?
(A) -3 and 3 (B) -1 and 1 (C) -1 and 3 (D) 1 and 3
GATE 2018 General Aptitude (GA) Set-1
GA 2/2
Q.7 Given that ?? and ?? are integers and ?? + ?? 2
?? 3
is odd, which one of the following
statements is correct?
(A) ?? and ?? are both odd (B) ?? and ?? are both even
(C) ?? is even and ?? is odd (D) ?? is odd and ?? is even
Q.8 From the time the front of a train enters a platform, it takes 25 seconds for the back of the
train to leave the platform, while travelling at a constant speed of 54 km/h. At the same
speed, it takes 14 seconds to pass a man running at 9 km/h in the same direction as the
train. What is the length of the train and that of the platform in meters, respectively?
(A) 210 and 140 (B) 162.5 and 187.5
(C) 245 and 130 (D) 175 and 200
Q.9 Which of the following functions describe the graph shown in the below figure?
(A) ?? = ||?? | + 1| ? 2 (B) ?? = ||?? | ? 1| ? 1
(C) ?? = ||?? | + 1| ? 1 (D) ?? = ||?? ? 1| ? 1|
Q.10 Consider the following three statements:
(i) Some roses are red.
(ii) All red flowers fade quickly.
(iii) Some roses fade quickly.
Which of the following statements can be logically inferred from the above statements?
(A) If (i) is true and (ii) is false, then (iii) is false.
(B) If (i) is true and (ii) is false, then (iii) is true.
(C) If (i) and (ii) are true, then (iii) is true.
(D) If (i) and (ii) are false, then (iii) is false.
END OF THE QUESTION PAPER
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 1/22
Q. 1 ? Q. 25 carry one mark each.
Q.1 During the Pleistocene, which of the following groups experienced the largest mass
extinction?
(A) Large dinosaurs
(B) Large mammals
(C) Reptiles
(D) Trilobites
Q.2 In group living species, the term ?dilution effect? refers to
(A) reduction in aggression among individuals with increasing group size
(B) reduction in the mobility of individuals with increasing group size
(C) reduction in the reproductive success of individuals with increasing group size
(D) reduction in the risk of predation of individuals with increasing group size
Q.3 Which of the following diversity indices best captures species turnover across
habitats?
(A) ? (B) ?? (C) ? (D) ?
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 2/22
Q.4 A duck egg is removed from its mother?s nest and incubated by a barnyard hen. The
duckling hatches out in the presence of the barnyard hen and stays in her nest. After
a couple of days, the duckling is presented with a choice between its biological
mother and the hen that incubated it. The duckling approaches and follows the hen.
This set of observations demonstrates the phenomenon of
(A) habituation
(B) imprinting
(C) instinct
(D) sensitization
Q.5 If both of your ears were located next to each other in the middle of your face, you
would have difficulty in resolving the
(A) direction of a sound
(B) duration of a sound
(C) loudness of a sound
(D) pitch of a sound
Q.6 Forager bees communicate the distance of a food source using a waggle dance upon
return to the hive. It is observed that the number of waggles of a dance increases
linearly with the distance to the food source. This tells us that the
(A) number of waggles and distance to food source is negatively correlated
(B) number of waggles and distance to food source is positively correlated
(C) number of waggles affects the distance to the food source
(D) number of waggles and the distance to the food source are uncorrelated
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 3/22
Q.7 Male frogs display to females by producing loud acoustic signals. The use of these
signals by bats to locate frogs and prey upon them is an example of
(A) aposematism
(B) deception
(C) eavesdropping
(D) mimicry
Q.8 A non-venomous, non-toxic species of snake is brightly coloured and closely
resembles a venomous snake species in the same habitat. This is most likely a case
of
(A) aggressive mimicry
(B) Batesian mimicry
(C) masquerade
(D) M?llerian mimicry
Q.9 The value of the resting membrane potential of a typical neuron is closest to the
equilibrium potential of which of the following ions?
(A) Ca
++
(B) ? K
+
(C) Mg
++
(D) Na
+
Q.10 A plant species found in India produces flowers that are white, fragrant, and tubular.
Which of the following is the most likely pollinating agent?
(A) Hummingbirds (B) Lorises
(C) Moths (D) Wind
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 4/22
Q.11 Which of the following can be used to test differences between mean tree heights in
a tropical versus a temperate forest?
(A) Binomial test
(B) Linear regression
(C) Pearson?s correlation
(D) Student?s t-test
Q.12 For a species, assuming a relatively short time scale and no evolution, increased
interspecific competition will result in a
(A) larger fundamental niche (B) larger realized niche
(C) smaller fundamental niche (D) smaller realized niche
Q.13 In which of the following mating systems is sperm competition likely to evolve?
(A) Monoandry
(B) Monogamy
(C) Polyandry
(D) Polygyny
Q.14 Copies of genes that arrive in a particular genome by horizontal gene transfer are
known as
(A) analogs (B) homologs (C) ohnologs (D) xenologs
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 5/22
Q.15 In which of the following plants is the dominant stage of the life cycle haploid?
(A) Cycads (B) Ferns
(C) Gymnosperms (D) Mosses
Q.16 Which of the following is NOT typically a characteristic of early successional
pioneer plants relative to late successional plants in a tropical rain forest?
(A) Higher shade tolerance (B) Smaller seed size
(C) Smaller size at maturity (D) Wind dispersed seeds
Q.17 Natural populations often deviate from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. One possible
reason for this is
(A) no migration (B) no selection
(C) random mating (D) small population sizes
Q.18 Which of the following is NOT an example of phenotypic plasticity?
(A) Density-dependent swarming behavior in locusts
(B) Increase in DDT resistance in mosquitos
(C) Seasonal variation in plumage colouration in birds
(D) Temperature-dependent sex determination in turtles
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 6/22
Q.19 Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of r-selected species?
(A) Early sexual maturity
(B) High juvenile mortality
(C) High parental care
(D) Large number of offspring
Q.20 A scientist finds a new species of insect and sends a sample to a museum for
confirmation. The curator of the museum designates it as a holotype for the newly
identified species and asks the scientist to also provide samples of the opposite sex.
This sample of the opposite sex is called the
(A) allotype (B) isotype (C) karyotype (D) neotype
Q.21 Which of the following is NOT essential for a behavioural trait to evolve by natural
selection?
(A) The behavioural trait differs among individuals
(B) The behavioural trait is determined at least in part by genes
(C) The behavioural trait influences reproductive success
(D) The behavioural trait is determined entirely by genes
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 7/22
Q.22 El Ni?o Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events have occurred approximately every
3-7 years over the last century. The cause of these ENSO events is related to
(A) large-scale air-sea interactions in the Pacific Ocean
(B) strong monsoon winds in the Indian Ocean
(C) the melting of icebergs in the Antarctic Ocean
(D) unsustainable overfishing in North Atlantic Ocean
Q.23 If the mean of a sample is 5, and the variance is 25, the PERCENT coefficient of
variation is ___.
Q.24 Consider a diploid population at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. For a locus with two
alleles, the frequency of the A
1
A
1
genotype is 0.01. The frequency of heterozygotes
A
1
A
2
is ____ (answer up to 2 decimal places).
Q.25 In a food chain, the efficiency of transfer of energy from one trophic level to the
next is 10%. The PERCENTAGE of energy that is expected to transfer from the
second to the fourth level is ____.
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 8/22
Q. 26 ? Q. 55 carry two marks each.
Q.26 Which of the following is an adaptation for osmoregulation in freshwater teleost
fish?
(A) Excreting large quantities of dilute urine
(B) Excreting large quantities of uric acid
(C) Having high concentration of blood urea
(D) Excreting large quantities of uracil
Q.27 The latitudinal diversity gradient is defined as the decrease in the number of species
from the equator to the poles. This can result from
(A) greater energy input at the poles
(B) greater land mass at the poles
(C) greater seasonal variation at the poles
(D) greater speciation rates at the poles
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 9/22
Q.28 Identify the graph in which natural selection on beak size is LEAST likely to be
occurring? For each of the graphs, the slope of the regression line and the associated
p-value is given.
Q.29 Some species of spiders add additional silk ?decorations? to their webs. It is
hypothesized that these decorations serve either to lure flies (prey) or to decrease
bird (predator) attacks on the spiders. The appropriate way to test these hypotheses
would be to compare numbers of
(A) predators and prey approaching decorated webs
(B) predators and prey approaching undecorated webs
(C) predators approaching decorated webs with prey approaching undecorated webs
(D) predators and prey approaching both decorated and undecorated webs
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 10/22
Q.30 The figure below shows mean annual temperatures (?C) and mean annual
precipitation (cm per year) from multiple sites in four regions in India.
From this climatic information, we can infer that P, Q, R, and S are LIKELY to be
located in:
(A) P: Andaman, Q: Meghalaya, R: Ladakh, S: Rajasthan
(B) P: Ladakh, Q: Rajasthan, R: Andaman, S: Meghalaya
(C) P: Meghalaya, Q: Ladakh, R: Rajasthan, S: Andaman
(D) P: Rajasthan, Q: Andaman, R: Meghalaya, S: Ladakh
Q.31 For a pair of interacting species, increased specialization and decreased niche
breadth in both species would result in
(A) decreased intraspecific competition and increased interspecific competition
(B) decreased intraspecific competition and decreased interspecific competition
(C) increased intraspecific competition and increased interspecific competition
(D) increased intraspecific competition and decreased interspecific competition
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 11/22
Q.32 Males of a bird species provide parental care by feeding nestlings before they
fledge. Which of the following is a PROXIMATE explanation for this behaviour?
(A) Feeding nestlings increases their survivorship after fledging
(B) High prolactin levels cause males to feed their nestlings
(C) Males from all species in this genus provide parental care
(D) Males that provide parental care have higher fitness
Q.33 The courtship display of a spider species consists of both visual and vibrational
signals. Females respond to the display by approaching males. In an experiment,
females were presented with 3 treatments: i) only videos of displaying males, ii)
only vibrational signals of the display, and iii) both videos of displaying males and
vibrational signals. The results are given below:
Treatment Percent of responding
females
Videos only 55%
Vibrational signals only 0%
Videos plus vibrational signals 95%
Results from this experiment show that
(A) vibrational signals are necessary to evoke a response
(B) vibrational signals are sufficient to evoke a response
(C) visual and vibrational signals are necessary to evoke a response
(D) visual signals are necessary to evoke a response
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 12/22
Q.34 Moth ears typically consist of a membranous eardrum backed by an air cavity. Ears
in different phylogenetic groups of moths have evolved on different body parts.
Moth ears are thus best described as
(A) convergent organs
(B) homologous organs
(C) maladaptive organs
(D) vestigeal organs
Q.35 Increased anthropogenic disturbance has resulted in an overall decrease in densities
of trees and an increase in fragmentation of forests. Which of the following types of
trees will have the greatest reduction in reproductive success?
(A) Dioecious species
(B) Monoecious species
(C) Self-compatible hermaphrodites
(D) Self-incompatible hermaphrodites
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 13/22
Q.36 A study examined the effect of neighbours on plants when grown at low or high
altitudes. The researcher measured Relative Neighbour Effect (RNE), defined as:
RNE = Biomass with neighbours ? Biomass without neighbours.
The results shown above demonstrate
(A) competition at both altitudes
(B) competition at high altitudes, and facilitation at low altitudes
(C) competition at low altitudes, and facilitation at high altitudes
(D) facilitation at both altitudes
Q.37 Match the combination of flora and fauna from the list, to the state where they are
found.
Combination Fauna; Flora
P Red panda; Rhododendron
Q Pygmy hog; Elephant grass
R Tiger; Mangrove
S Hangul; Chinar
(A) P: Assam; Q: Jammu & Kashmir; R: West Bengal; S: Sikkim
(B) P: Jammu & Kashmir; Q: Assam; R: West Bengal; S: Sikkim
(C) P: Sikkim; Q: Assam; R: West Bengal; S: Jammu & Kashmir
(D) P: Sikkim; Q: West Bengal; R: Assam; S: Jammu & Kashmir
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 14/22
Q.38 A parent population (P) is split into three daughter populations (Q, R, and S) which
grow in three different habitats. After 1000 generations, the equilibrium frequency
distribution of a trait in each of the daughter populations is shown in the figure
below. For reference, the vertical line represents the mean of the parent population.
From this information, one can infer that the subpopulations experienced the
following selection regimes
(A) Q: Directional; R: Stabilizing; S: No selection
(B) Q: Directional; R: Stabilizing; S: Stabilizing
(C) Q: Directional; R: Directional; S: Stabilizing
(D) Q: Stabilizing; R: Directional; S: No selection
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 15/22
Q.39 The character matrix below lists four taxa (P-S) and their nine characters (i-ix). A
character state is designated as ?0? if it is ancestral and ?1? if it is derived. Which of
the following phylogenetic trees is obtained by cladistic analysis of these data?
P Q R S
i) 0 1 0 0
ii) 1 1 0 0
iii) 1 1 1 0
iv) 1 1 0 0
v) 1 1 1 0
vi) 0 1 0 0
vii) 1 1 1 0
viii) 0 1 0 0
ix) 1 1 1 0
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 16/22
Q.40 The reactions below (R1 and R2) represent different carbon fixation pathways in
photosynthesis.
RuBP represents Ribulose bisphosphate.
Rubisco represents RuBP carboxylase-oxygenase.
PGA represents Phosphoglyceric acid.
PEP represents Phosphoenolpyruvate.
Rubisco
2
R1. CO + RuBP PGA ? ?? ?
PEP-Carboxylase
2
R2. CO + PEP Malic Acid ? ?? ?? ?
Which of the following is CORRECT?
(A) R1 and R2 both occur in C-3 and CAM photosynthesis
(B) R1 occurs in C-4 photosynthesis; R2 occurs in C-3 photosynthesis
(C) R1 occurs in C-3 photosynthesis; R2 occurs in C-4 photosynthesis
(D) R1 occurs in C-4 and CAM photosynthesis; R2 occurs in C-3 photosynthesis
Q.41 A fish species is sexually dimorphic: males possess ultraviolet (UV) spots on their
bodies which are lacking in females. Females prefer males with larger and more
intense UV spots as mates. Which of the following statements is a plausible reason
for the spots being coloured ultraviolet?
(A) Females assess males from long distances
(B) Females are not sensitive to UV light
(C) Ultraviolet spots are a poor indicator of male quality
(D) Ultraviolet spots are more conspicuous to predators
FirstRanker.com - FirstRanker's Choice
GATE 2018 General Aptitude (GA) Set-1
GA 1/2
Q. 1 ? Q. 5 carry one mark each.
Q.1 ?Going by the _________ that many hands make light work, the school _______ involved
all the students in the task .?
The words that best fill the blanks in the above sentence are
(A) principle, principal (B) principal, principle
(C) principle, principle (D) principal, principal
Q.2 ?Her _______ should not be confused with miserliness; she is ever willing to assist those in
need. ?
The word that best fills the blank in the above sentence is
(A) cleanliness (B) punctuality (C) frugality (D) greatness
Q.3 Seven machines take 7 minutes to make 7 identical toys. At the same rate, how many
minutes would it take for 100 machines to make 100 toys?
(A) 1 (B) 7 (C) 100 (D) 700
Q.4 A rectangle becomes a square when its length and breadth are reduced by 10 m and 5 m,
respectively. During this process, the rectangle loses 650 m
2
of area. What is the area of the
original rectangle in square meters?
(A) 1125 (B) 2250 (C) 2924 (D) 4500
Q.5 A number consists of two digits. The sum of the digits is 9. If 45 is subtracted from the
number, its digits are interchanged. What is the number?
(A) 63 (B) 72 (C) 81 (D) 90
Q. 6 ? Q. 10 carry two marks each.
Q.6 For integers ?? , ?? and ?? , what would be the minimum and maximum values respectively of
?? + ?? + ?? if log |?? | + log |?? | + log |?? | = 0?
(A) -3 and 3 (B) -1 and 1 (C) -1 and 3 (D) 1 and 3
GATE 2018 General Aptitude (GA) Set-1
GA 2/2
Q.7 Given that ?? and ?? are integers and ?? + ?? 2
?? 3
is odd, which one of the following
statements is correct?
(A) ?? and ?? are both odd (B) ?? and ?? are both even
(C) ?? is even and ?? is odd (D) ?? is odd and ?? is even
Q.8 From the time the front of a train enters a platform, it takes 25 seconds for the back of the
train to leave the platform, while travelling at a constant speed of 54 km/h. At the same
speed, it takes 14 seconds to pass a man running at 9 km/h in the same direction as the
train. What is the length of the train and that of the platform in meters, respectively?
(A) 210 and 140 (B) 162.5 and 187.5
(C) 245 and 130 (D) 175 and 200
Q.9 Which of the following functions describe the graph shown in the below figure?
(A) ?? = ||?? | + 1| ? 2 (B) ?? = ||?? | ? 1| ? 1
(C) ?? = ||?? | + 1| ? 1 (D) ?? = ||?? ? 1| ? 1|
Q.10 Consider the following three statements:
(i) Some roses are red.
(ii) All red flowers fade quickly.
(iii) Some roses fade quickly.
Which of the following statements can be logically inferred from the above statements?
(A) If (i) is true and (ii) is false, then (iii) is false.
(B) If (i) is true and (ii) is false, then (iii) is true.
(C) If (i) and (ii) are true, then (iii) is true.
(D) If (i) and (ii) are false, then (iii) is false.
END OF THE QUESTION PAPER
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 1/22
Q. 1 ? Q. 25 carry one mark each.
Q.1 During the Pleistocene, which of the following groups experienced the largest mass
extinction?
(A) Large dinosaurs
(B) Large mammals
(C) Reptiles
(D) Trilobites
Q.2 In group living species, the term ?dilution effect? refers to
(A) reduction in aggression among individuals with increasing group size
(B) reduction in the mobility of individuals with increasing group size
(C) reduction in the reproductive success of individuals with increasing group size
(D) reduction in the risk of predation of individuals with increasing group size
Q.3 Which of the following diversity indices best captures species turnover across
habitats?
(A) ? (B) ?? (C) ? (D) ?
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 2/22
Q.4 A duck egg is removed from its mother?s nest and incubated by a barnyard hen. The
duckling hatches out in the presence of the barnyard hen and stays in her nest. After
a couple of days, the duckling is presented with a choice between its biological
mother and the hen that incubated it. The duckling approaches and follows the hen.
This set of observations demonstrates the phenomenon of
(A) habituation
(B) imprinting
(C) instinct
(D) sensitization
Q.5 If both of your ears were located next to each other in the middle of your face, you
would have difficulty in resolving the
(A) direction of a sound
(B) duration of a sound
(C) loudness of a sound
(D) pitch of a sound
Q.6 Forager bees communicate the distance of a food source using a waggle dance upon
return to the hive. It is observed that the number of waggles of a dance increases
linearly with the distance to the food source. This tells us that the
(A) number of waggles and distance to food source is negatively correlated
(B) number of waggles and distance to food source is positively correlated
(C) number of waggles affects the distance to the food source
(D) number of waggles and the distance to the food source are uncorrelated
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 3/22
Q.7 Male frogs display to females by producing loud acoustic signals. The use of these
signals by bats to locate frogs and prey upon them is an example of
(A) aposematism
(B) deception
(C) eavesdropping
(D) mimicry
Q.8 A non-venomous, non-toxic species of snake is brightly coloured and closely
resembles a venomous snake species in the same habitat. This is most likely a case
of
(A) aggressive mimicry
(B) Batesian mimicry
(C) masquerade
(D) M?llerian mimicry
Q.9 The value of the resting membrane potential of a typical neuron is closest to the
equilibrium potential of which of the following ions?
(A) Ca
++
(B) ? K
+
(C) Mg
++
(D) Na
+
Q.10 A plant species found in India produces flowers that are white, fragrant, and tubular.
Which of the following is the most likely pollinating agent?
(A) Hummingbirds (B) Lorises
(C) Moths (D) Wind
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 4/22
Q.11 Which of the following can be used to test differences between mean tree heights in
a tropical versus a temperate forest?
(A) Binomial test
(B) Linear regression
(C) Pearson?s correlation
(D) Student?s t-test
Q.12 For a species, assuming a relatively short time scale and no evolution, increased
interspecific competition will result in a
(A) larger fundamental niche (B) larger realized niche
(C) smaller fundamental niche (D) smaller realized niche
Q.13 In which of the following mating systems is sperm competition likely to evolve?
(A) Monoandry
(B) Monogamy
(C) Polyandry
(D) Polygyny
Q.14 Copies of genes that arrive in a particular genome by horizontal gene transfer are
known as
(A) analogs (B) homologs (C) ohnologs (D) xenologs
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 5/22
Q.15 In which of the following plants is the dominant stage of the life cycle haploid?
(A) Cycads (B) Ferns
(C) Gymnosperms (D) Mosses
Q.16 Which of the following is NOT typically a characteristic of early successional
pioneer plants relative to late successional plants in a tropical rain forest?
(A) Higher shade tolerance (B) Smaller seed size
(C) Smaller size at maturity (D) Wind dispersed seeds
Q.17 Natural populations often deviate from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. One possible
reason for this is
(A) no migration (B) no selection
(C) random mating (D) small population sizes
Q.18 Which of the following is NOT an example of phenotypic plasticity?
(A) Density-dependent swarming behavior in locusts
(B) Increase in DDT resistance in mosquitos
(C) Seasonal variation in plumage colouration in birds
(D) Temperature-dependent sex determination in turtles
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 6/22
Q.19 Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of r-selected species?
(A) Early sexual maturity
(B) High juvenile mortality
(C) High parental care
(D) Large number of offspring
Q.20 A scientist finds a new species of insect and sends a sample to a museum for
confirmation. The curator of the museum designates it as a holotype for the newly
identified species and asks the scientist to also provide samples of the opposite sex.
This sample of the opposite sex is called the
(A) allotype (B) isotype (C) karyotype (D) neotype
Q.21 Which of the following is NOT essential for a behavioural trait to evolve by natural
selection?
(A) The behavioural trait differs among individuals
(B) The behavioural trait is determined at least in part by genes
(C) The behavioural trait influences reproductive success
(D) The behavioural trait is determined entirely by genes
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 7/22
Q.22 El Ni?o Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events have occurred approximately every
3-7 years over the last century. The cause of these ENSO events is related to
(A) large-scale air-sea interactions in the Pacific Ocean
(B) strong monsoon winds in the Indian Ocean
(C) the melting of icebergs in the Antarctic Ocean
(D) unsustainable overfishing in North Atlantic Ocean
Q.23 If the mean of a sample is 5, and the variance is 25, the PERCENT coefficient of
variation is ___.
Q.24 Consider a diploid population at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. For a locus with two
alleles, the frequency of the A
1
A
1
genotype is 0.01. The frequency of heterozygotes
A
1
A
2
is ____ (answer up to 2 decimal places).
Q.25 In a food chain, the efficiency of transfer of energy from one trophic level to the
next is 10%. The PERCENTAGE of energy that is expected to transfer from the
second to the fourth level is ____.
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 8/22
Q. 26 ? Q. 55 carry two marks each.
Q.26 Which of the following is an adaptation for osmoregulation in freshwater teleost
fish?
(A) Excreting large quantities of dilute urine
(B) Excreting large quantities of uric acid
(C) Having high concentration of blood urea
(D) Excreting large quantities of uracil
Q.27 The latitudinal diversity gradient is defined as the decrease in the number of species
from the equator to the poles. This can result from
(A) greater energy input at the poles
(B) greater land mass at the poles
(C) greater seasonal variation at the poles
(D) greater speciation rates at the poles
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 9/22
Q.28 Identify the graph in which natural selection on beak size is LEAST likely to be
occurring? For each of the graphs, the slope of the regression line and the associated
p-value is given.
Q.29 Some species of spiders add additional silk ?decorations? to their webs. It is
hypothesized that these decorations serve either to lure flies (prey) or to decrease
bird (predator) attacks on the spiders. The appropriate way to test these hypotheses
would be to compare numbers of
(A) predators and prey approaching decorated webs
(B) predators and prey approaching undecorated webs
(C) predators approaching decorated webs with prey approaching undecorated webs
(D) predators and prey approaching both decorated and undecorated webs
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 10/22
Q.30 The figure below shows mean annual temperatures (?C) and mean annual
precipitation (cm per year) from multiple sites in four regions in India.
From this climatic information, we can infer that P, Q, R, and S are LIKELY to be
located in:
(A) P: Andaman, Q: Meghalaya, R: Ladakh, S: Rajasthan
(B) P: Ladakh, Q: Rajasthan, R: Andaman, S: Meghalaya
(C) P: Meghalaya, Q: Ladakh, R: Rajasthan, S: Andaman
(D) P: Rajasthan, Q: Andaman, R: Meghalaya, S: Ladakh
Q.31 For a pair of interacting species, increased specialization and decreased niche
breadth in both species would result in
(A) decreased intraspecific competition and increased interspecific competition
(B) decreased intraspecific competition and decreased interspecific competition
(C) increased intraspecific competition and increased interspecific competition
(D) increased intraspecific competition and decreased interspecific competition
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 11/22
Q.32 Males of a bird species provide parental care by feeding nestlings before they
fledge. Which of the following is a PROXIMATE explanation for this behaviour?
(A) Feeding nestlings increases their survivorship after fledging
(B) High prolactin levels cause males to feed their nestlings
(C) Males from all species in this genus provide parental care
(D) Males that provide parental care have higher fitness
Q.33 The courtship display of a spider species consists of both visual and vibrational
signals. Females respond to the display by approaching males. In an experiment,
females were presented with 3 treatments: i) only videos of displaying males, ii)
only vibrational signals of the display, and iii) both videos of displaying males and
vibrational signals. The results are given below:
Treatment Percent of responding
females
Videos only 55%
Vibrational signals only 0%
Videos plus vibrational signals 95%
Results from this experiment show that
(A) vibrational signals are necessary to evoke a response
(B) vibrational signals are sufficient to evoke a response
(C) visual and vibrational signals are necessary to evoke a response
(D) visual signals are necessary to evoke a response
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 12/22
Q.34 Moth ears typically consist of a membranous eardrum backed by an air cavity. Ears
in different phylogenetic groups of moths have evolved on different body parts.
Moth ears are thus best described as
(A) convergent organs
(B) homologous organs
(C) maladaptive organs
(D) vestigeal organs
Q.35 Increased anthropogenic disturbance has resulted in an overall decrease in densities
of trees and an increase in fragmentation of forests. Which of the following types of
trees will have the greatest reduction in reproductive success?
(A) Dioecious species
(B) Monoecious species
(C) Self-compatible hermaphrodites
(D) Self-incompatible hermaphrodites
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 13/22
Q.36 A study examined the effect of neighbours on plants when grown at low or high
altitudes. The researcher measured Relative Neighbour Effect (RNE), defined as:
RNE = Biomass with neighbours ? Biomass without neighbours.
The results shown above demonstrate
(A) competition at both altitudes
(B) competition at high altitudes, and facilitation at low altitudes
(C) competition at low altitudes, and facilitation at high altitudes
(D) facilitation at both altitudes
Q.37 Match the combination of flora and fauna from the list, to the state where they are
found.
Combination Fauna; Flora
P Red panda; Rhododendron
Q Pygmy hog; Elephant grass
R Tiger; Mangrove
S Hangul; Chinar
(A) P: Assam; Q: Jammu & Kashmir; R: West Bengal; S: Sikkim
(B) P: Jammu & Kashmir; Q: Assam; R: West Bengal; S: Sikkim
(C) P: Sikkim; Q: Assam; R: West Bengal; S: Jammu & Kashmir
(D) P: Sikkim; Q: West Bengal; R: Assam; S: Jammu & Kashmir
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 14/22
Q.38 A parent population (P) is split into three daughter populations (Q, R, and S) which
grow in three different habitats. After 1000 generations, the equilibrium frequency
distribution of a trait in each of the daughter populations is shown in the figure
below. For reference, the vertical line represents the mean of the parent population.
From this information, one can infer that the subpopulations experienced the
following selection regimes
(A) Q: Directional; R: Stabilizing; S: No selection
(B) Q: Directional; R: Stabilizing; S: Stabilizing
(C) Q: Directional; R: Directional; S: Stabilizing
(D) Q: Stabilizing; R: Directional; S: No selection
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 15/22
Q.39 The character matrix below lists four taxa (P-S) and their nine characters (i-ix). A
character state is designated as ?0? if it is ancestral and ?1? if it is derived. Which of
the following phylogenetic trees is obtained by cladistic analysis of these data?
P Q R S
i) 0 1 0 0
ii) 1 1 0 0
iii) 1 1 1 0
iv) 1 1 0 0
v) 1 1 1 0
vi) 0 1 0 0
vii) 1 1 1 0
viii) 0 1 0 0
ix) 1 1 1 0
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 16/22
Q.40 The reactions below (R1 and R2) represent different carbon fixation pathways in
photosynthesis.
RuBP represents Ribulose bisphosphate.
Rubisco represents RuBP carboxylase-oxygenase.
PGA represents Phosphoglyceric acid.
PEP represents Phosphoenolpyruvate.
Rubisco
2
R1. CO + RuBP PGA ? ?? ?
PEP-Carboxylase
2
R2. CO + PEP Malic Acid ? ?? ?? ?
Which of the following is CORRECT?
(A) R1 and R2 both occur in C-3 and CAM photosynthesis
(B) R1 occurs in C-4 photosynthesis; R2 occurs in C-3 photosynthesis
(C) R1 occurs in C-3 photosynthesis; R2 occurs in C-4 photosynthesis
(D) R1 occurs in C-4 and CAM photosynthesis; R2 occurs in C-3 photosynthesis
Q.41 A fish species is sexually dimorphic: males possess ultraviolet (UV) spots on their
bodies which are lacking in females. Females prefer males with larger and more
intense UV spots as mates. Which of the following statements is a plausible reason
for the spots being coloured ultraviolet?
(A) Females assess males from long distances
(B) Females are not sensitive to UV light
(C) Ultraviolet spots are a poor indicator of male quality
(D) Ultraviolet spots are more conspicuous to predators
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 17/22
Q.42 A climate scientist notices a trend in atmospheric CO
2
concentrations (in ppm) at a
research station. Although overall CO
2
is rising over decades, there are intra-annual
fluctuations, as shown in the figure below.
These fluctuations can be attributed to
(A) burning of fossil fuels by automobiles and industry
(B) oscillations due to El Ni?o and La Ni?a events
(C) rising sea levels due to melting of polar ice-caps
(D) seasonal trends in photosynthesis and respiration
Q.43 Four islands differ in size (small = 10 km
2
, large = 100 km
2
) and distance from the
mainland (near = 50 km, far = 500 km).
Island P is small and near the mainland;
Island Q is small and far from the mainland;
Island R is large and near the mainland;
Island S is large and far from the mainland
Let N
P
, N
Q
, N
R
and N
S
denote the number of species on islands P, Q, R and S,
respectively. Which of the following is consistent with the theory of island
biogeography?
(A) N
Q
> N
S
> N
P
> N
R
(B) N
R
> N
Q
> N
P
> N
S
(C) N
Q
> N
P
> N
S
> N
R
(D) N
R
> N
P
> N
S
> N
Q
FirstRanker.com - FirstRanker's Choice
GATE 2018 General Aptitude (GA) Set-1
GA 1/2
Q. 1 ? Q. 5 carry one mark each.
Q.1 ?Going by the _________ that many hands make light work, the school _______ involved
all the students in the task .?
The words that best fill the blanks in the above sentence are
(A) principle, principal (B) principal, principle
(C) principle, principle (D) principal, principal
Q.2 ?Her _______ should not be confused with miserliness; she is ever willing to assist those in
need. ?
The word that best fills the blank in the above sentence is
(A) cleanliness (B) punctuality (C) frugality (D) greatness
Q.3 Seven machines take 7 minutes to make 7 identical toys. At the same rate, how many
minutes would it take for 100 machines to make 100 toys?
(A) 1 (B) 7 (C) 100 (D) 700
Q.4 A rectangle becomes a square when its length and breadth are reduced by 10 m and 5 m,
respectively. During this process, the rectangle loses 650 m
2
of area. What is the area of the
original rectangle in square meters?
(A) 1125 (B) 2250 (C) 2924 (D) 4500
Q.5 A number consists of two digits. The sum of the digits is 9. If 45 is subtracted from the
number, its digits are interchanged. What is the number?
(A) 63 (B) 72 (C) 81 (D) 90
Q. 6 ? Q. 10 carry two marks each.
Q.6 For integers ?? , ?? and ?? , what would be the minimum and maximum values respectively of
?? + ?? + ?? if log |?? | + log |?? | + log |?? | = 0?
(A) -3 and 3 (B) -1 and 1 (C) -1 and 3 (D) 1 and 3
GATE 2018 General Aptitude (GA) Set-1
GA 2/2
Q.7 Given that ?? and ?? are integers and ?? + ?? 2
?? 3
is odd, which one of the following
statements is correct?
(A) ?? and ?? are both odd (B) ?? and ?? are both even
(C) ?? is even and ?? is odd (D) ?? is odd and ?? is even
Q.8 From the time the front of a train enters a platform, it takes 25 seconds for the back of the
train to leave the platform, while travelling at a constant speed of 54 km/h. At the same
speed, it takes 14 seconds to pass a man running at 9 km/h in the same direction as the
train. What is the length of the train and that of the platform in meters, respectively?
(A) 210 and 140 (B) 162.5 and 187.5
(C) 245 and 130 (D) 175 and 200
Q.9 Which of the following functions describe the graph shown in the below figure?
(A) ?? = ||?? | + 1| ? 2 (B) ?? = ||?? | ? 1| ? 1
(C) ?? = ||?? | + 1| ? 1 (D) ?? = ||?? ? 1| ? 1|
Q.10 Consider the following three statements:
(i) Some roses are red.
(ii) All red flowers fade quickly.
(iii) Some roses fade quickly.
Which of the following statements can be logically inferred from the above statements?
(A) If (i) is true and (ii) is false, then (iii) is false.
(B) If (i) is true and (ii) is false, then (iii) is true.
(C) If (i) and (ii) are true, then (iii) is true.
(D) If (i) and (ii) are false, then (iii) is false.
END OF THE QUESTION PAPER
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 1/22
Q. 1 ? Q. 25 carry one mark each.
Q.1 During the Pleistocene, which of the following groups experienced the largest mass
extinction?
(A) Large dinosaurs
(B) Large mammals
(C) Reptiles
(D) Trilobites
Q.2 In group living species, the term ?dilution effect? refers to
(A) reduction in aggression among individuals with increasing group size
(B) reduction in the mobility of individuals with increasing group size
(C) reduction in the reproductive success of individuals with increasing group size
(D) reduction in the risk of predation of individuals with increasing group size
Q.3 Which of the following diversity indices best captures species turnover across
habitats?
(A) ? (B) ?? (C) ? (D) ?
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 2/22
Q.4 A duck egg is removed from its mother?s nest and incubated by a barnyard hen. The
duckling hatches out in the presence of the barnyard hen and stays in her nest. After
a couple of days, the duckling is presented with a choice between its biological
mother and the hen that incubated it. The duckling approaches and follows the hen.
This set of observations demonstrates the phenomenon of
(A) habituation
(B) imprinting
(C) instinct
(D) sensitization
Q.5 If both of your ears were located next to each other in the middle of your face, you
would have difficulty in resolving the
(A) direction of a sound
(B) duration of a sound
(C) loudness of a sound
(D) pitch of a sound
Q.6 Forager bees communicate the distance of a food source using a waggle dance upon
return to the hive. It is observed that the number of waggles of a dance increases
linearly with the distance to the food source. This tells us that the
(A) number of waggles and distance to food source is negatively correlated
(B) number of waggles and distance to food source is positively correlated
(C) number of waggles affects the distance to the food source
(D) number of waggles and the distance to the food source are uncorrelated
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 3/22
Q.7 Male frogs display to females by producing loud acoustic signals. The use of these
signals by bats to locate frogs and prey upon them is an example of
(A) aposematism
(B) deception
(C) eavesdropping
(D) mimicry
Q.8 A non-venomous, non-toxic species of snake is brightly coloured and closely
resembles a venomous snake species in the same habitat. This is most likely a case
of
(A) aggressive mimicry
(B) Batesian mimicry
(C) masquerade
(D) M?llerian mimicry
Q.9 The value of the resting membrane potential of a typical neuron is closest to the
equilibrium potential of which of the following ions?
(A) Ca
++
(B) ? K
+
(C) Mg
++
(D) Na
+
Q.10 A plant species found in India produces flowers that are white, fragrant, and tubular.
Which of the following is the most likely pollinating agent?
(A) Hummingbirds (B) Lorises
(C) Moths (D) Wind
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 4/22
Q.11 Which of the following can be used to test differences between mean tree heights in
a tropical versus a temperate forest?
(A) Binomial test
(B) Linear regression
(C) Pearson?s correlation
(D) Student?s t-test
Q.12 For a species, assuming a relatively short time scale and no evolution, increased
interspecific competition will result in a
(A) larger fundamental niche (B) larger realized niche
(C) smaller fundamental niche (D) smaller realized niche
Q.13 In which of the following mating systems is sperm competition likely to evolve?
(A) Monoandry
(B) Monogamy
(C) Polyandry
(D) Polygyny
Q.14 Copies of genes that arrive in a particular genome by horizontal gene transfer are
known as
(A) analogs (B) homologs (C) ohnologs (D) xenologs
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 5/22
Q.15 In which of the following plants is the dominant stage of the life cycle haploid?
(A) Cycads (B) Ferns
(C) Gymnosperms (D) Mosses
Q.16 Which of the following is NOT typically a characteristic of early successional
pioneer plants relative to late successional plants in a tropical rain forest?
(A) Higher shade tolerance (B) Smaller seed size
(C) Smaller size at maturity (D) Wind dispersed seeds
Q.17 Natural populations often deviate from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. One possible
reason for this is
(A) no migration (B) no selection
(C) random mating (D) small population sizes
Q.18 Which of the following is NOT an example of phenotypic plasticity?
(A) Density-dependent swarming behavior in locusts
(B) Increase in DDT resistance in mosquitos
(C) Seasonal variation in plumage colouration in birds
(D) Temperature-dependent sex determination in turtles
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 6/22
Q.19 Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of r-selected species?
(A) Early sexual maturity
(B) High juvenile mortality
(C) High parental care
(D) Large number of offspring
Q.20 A scientist finds a new species of insect and sends a sample to a museum for
confirmation. The curator of the museum designates it as a holotype for the newly
identified species and asks the scientist to also provide samples of the opposite sex.
This sample of the opposite sex is called the
(A) allotype (B) isotype (C) karyotype (D) neotype
Q.21 Which of the following is NOT essential for a behavioural trait to evolve by natural
selection?
(A) The behavioural trait differs among individuals
(B) The behavioural trait is determined at least in part by genes
(C) The behavioural trait influences reproductive success
(D) The behavioural trait is determined entirely by genes
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 7/22
Q.22 El Ni?o Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events have occurred approximately every
3-7 years over the last century. The cause of these ENSO events is related to
(A) large-scale air-sea interactions in the Pacific Ocean
(B) strong monsoon winds in the Indian Ocean
(C) the melting of icebergs in the Antarctic Ocean
(D) unsustainable overfishing in North Atlantic Ocean
Q.23 If the mean of a sample is 5, and the variance is 25, the PERCENT coefficient of
variation is ___.
Q.24 Consider a diploid population at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. For a locus with two
alleles, the frequency of the A
1
A
1
genotype is 0.01. The frequency of heterozygotes
A
1
A
2
is ____ (answer up to 2 decimal places).
Q.25 In a food chain, the efficiency of transfer of energy from one trophic level to the
next is 10%. The PERCENTAGE of energy that is expected to transfer from the
second to the fourth level is ____.
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 8/22
Q. 26 ? Q. 55 carry two marks each.
Q.26 Which of the following is an adaptation for osmoregulation in freshwater teleost
fish?
(A) Excreting large quantities of dilute urine
(B) Excreting large quantities of uric acid
(C) Having high concentration of blood urea
(D) Excreting large quantities of uracil
Q.27 The latitudinal diversity gradient is defined as the decrease in the number of species
from the equator to the poles. This can result from
(A) greater energy input at the poles
(B) greater land mass at the poles
(C) greater seasonal variation at the poles
(D) greater speciation rates at the poles
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 9/22
Q.28 Identify the graph in which natural selection on beak size is LEAST likely to be
occurring? For each of the graphs, the slope of the regression line and the associated
p-value is given.
Q.29 Some species of spiders add additional silk ?decorations? to their webs. It is
hypothesized that these decorations serve either to lure flies (prey) or to decrease
bird (predator) attacks on the spiders. The appropriate way to test these hypotheses
would be to compare numbers of
(A) predators and prey approaching decorated webs
(B) predators and prey approaching undecorated webs
(C) predators approaching decorated webs with prey approaching undecorated webs
(D) predators and prey approaching both decorated and undecorated webs
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 10/22
Q.30 The figure below shows mean annual temperatures (?C) and mean annual
precipitation (cm per year) from multiple sites in four regions in India.
From this climatic information, we can infer that P, Q, R, and S are LIKELY to be
located in:
(A) P: Andaman, Q: Meghalaya, R: Ladakh, S: Rajasthan
(B) P: Ladakh, Q: Rajasthan, R: Andaman, S: Meghalaya
(C) P: Meghalaya, Q: Ladakh, R: Rajasthan, S: Andaman
(D) P: Rajasthan, Q: Andaman, R: Meghalaya, S: Ladakh
Q.31 For a pair of interacting species, increased specialization and decreased niche
breadth in both species would result in
(A) decreased intraspecific competition and increased interspecific competition
(B) decreased intraspecific competition and decreased interspecific competition
(C) increased intraspecific competition and increased interspecific competition
(D) increased intraspecific competition and decreased interspecific competition
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 11/22
Q.32 Males of a bird species provide parental care by feeding nestlings before they
fledge. Which of the following is a PROXIMATE explanation for this behaviour?
(A) Feeding nestlings increases their survivorship after fledging
(B) High prolactin levels cause males to feed their nestlings
(C) Males from all species in this genus provide parental care
(D) Males that provide parental care have higher fitness
Q.33 The courtship display of a spider species consists of both visual and vibrational
signals. Females respond to the display by approaching males. In an experiment,
females were presented with 3 treatments: i) only videos of displaying males, ii)
only vibrational signals of the display, and iii) both videos of displaying males and
vibrational signals. The results are given below:
Treatment Percent of responding
females
Videos only 55%
Vibrational signals only 0%
Videos plus vibrational signals 95%
Results from this experiment show that
(A) vibrational signals are necessary to evoke a response
(B) vibrational signals are sufficient to evoke a response
(C) visual and vibrational signals are necessary to evoke a response
(D) visual signals are necessary to evoke a response
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 12/22
Q.34 Moth ears typically consist of a membranous eardrum backed by an air cavity. Ears
in different phylogenetic groups of moths have evolved on different body parts.
Moth ears are thus best described as
(A) convergent organs
(B) homologous organs
(C) maladaptive organs
(D) vestigeal organs
Q.35 Increased anthropogenic disturbance has resulted in an overall decrease in densities
of trees and an increase in fragmentation of forests. Which of the following types of
trees will have the greatest reduction in reproductive success?
(A) Dioecious species
(B) Monoecious species
(C) Self-compatible hermaphrodites
(D) Self-incompatible hermaphrodites
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 13/22
Q.36 A study examined the effect of neighbours on plants when grown at low or high
altitudes. The researcher measured Relative Neighbour Effect (RNE), defined as:
RNE = Biomass with neighbours ? Biomass without neighbours.
The results shown above demonstrate
(A) competition at both altitudes
(B) competition at high altitudes, and facilitation at low altitudes
(C) competition at low altitudes, and facilitation at high altitudes
(D) facilitation at both altitudes
Q.37 Match the combination of flora and fauna from the list, to the state where they are
found.
Combination Fauna; Flora
P Red panda; Rhododendron
Q Pygmy hog; Elephant grass
R Tiger; Mangrove
S Hangul; Chinar
(A) P: Assam; Q: Jammu & Kashmir; R: West Bengal; S: Sikkim
(B) P: Jammu & Kashmir; Q: Assam; R: West Bengal; S: Sikkim
(C) P: Sikkim; Q: Assam; R: West Bengal; S: Jammu & Kashmir
(D) P: Sikkim; Q: West Bengal; R: Assam; S: Jammu & Kashmir
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 14/22
Q.38 A parent population (P) is split into three daughter populations (Q, R, and S) which
grow in three different habitats. After 1000 generations, the equilibrium frequency
distribution of a trait in each of the daughter populations is shown in the figure
below. For reference, the vertical line represents the mean of the parent population.
From this information, one can infer that the subpopulations experienced the
following selection regimes
(A) Q: Directional; R: Stabilizing; S: No selection
(B) Q: Directional; R: Stabilizing; S: Stabilizing
(C) Q: Directional; R: Directional; S: Stabilizing
(D) Q: Stabilizing; R: Directional; S: No selection
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 15/22
Q.39 The character matrix below lists four taxa (P-S) and their nine characters (i-ix). A
character state is designated as ?0? if it is ancestral and ?1? if it is derived. Which of
the following phylogenetic trees is obtained by cladistic analysis of these data?
P Q R S
i) 0 1 0 0
ii) 1 1 0 0
iii) 1 1 1 0
iv) 1 1 0 0
v) 1 1 1 0
vi) 0 1 0 0
vii) 1 1 1 0
viii) 0 1 0 0
ix) 1 1 1 0
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 16/22
Q.40 The reactions below (R1 and R2) represent different carbon fixation pathways in
photosynthesis.
RuBP represents Ribulose bisphosphate.
Rubisco represents RuBP carboxylase-oxygenase.
PGA represents Phosphoglyceric acid.
PEP represents Phosphoenolpyruvate.
Rubisco
2
R1. CO + RuBP PGA ? ?? ?
PEP-Carboxylase
2
R2. CO + PEP Malic Acid ? ?? ?? ?
Which of the following is CORRECT?
(A) R1 and R2 both occur in C-3 and CAM photosynthesis
(B) R1 occurs in C-4 photosynthesis; R2 occurs in C-3 photosynthesis
(C) R1 occurs in C-3 photosynthesis; R2 occurs in C-4 photosynthesis
(D) R1 occurs in C-4 and CAM photosynthesis; R2 occurs in C-3 photosynthesis
Q.41 A fish species is sexually dimorphic: males possess ultraviolet (UV) spots on their
bodies which are lacking in females. Females prefer males with larger and more
intense UV spots as mates. Which of the following statements is a plausible reason
for the spots being coloured ultraviolet?
(A) Females assess males from long distances
(B) Females are not sensitive to UV light
(C) Ultraviolet spots are a poor indicator of male quality
(D) Ultraviolet spots are more conspicuous to predators
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 17/22
Q.42 A climate scientist notices a trend in atmospheric CO
2
concentrations (in ppm) at a
research station. Although overall CO
2
is rising over decades, there are intra-annual
fluctuations, as shown in the figure below.
These fluctuations can be attributed to
(A) burning of fossil fuels by automobiles and industry
(B) oscillations due to El Ni?o and La Ni?a events
(C) rising sea levels due to melting of polar ice-caps
(D) seasonal trends in photosynthesis and respiration
Q.43 Four islands differ in size (small = 10 km
2
, large = 100 km
2
) and distance from the
mainland (near = 50 km, far = 500 km).
Island P is small and near the mainland;
Island Q is small and far from the mainland;
Island R is large and near the mainland;
Island S is large and far from the mainland
Let N
P
, N
Q
, N
R
and N
S
denote the number of species on islands P, Q, R and S,
respectively. Which of the following is consistent with the theory of island
biogeography?
(A) N
Q
> N
S
> N
P
> N
R
(B) N
R
> N
Q
> N
P
> N
S
(C) N
Q
> N
P
> N
S
> N
R
(D) N
R
> N
P
> N
S
> N
Q
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 18/22
Q.44 The rate of population growth (dN/dt) over time (t) is shown below.
For the above population, which of the following plots of population (Popn.) size
(N) vs. time (t) is CORRECT?
FirstRanker.com - FirstRanker's Choice
GATE 2018 General Aptitude (GA) Set-1
GA 1/2
Q. 1 ? Q. 5 carry one mark each.
Q.1 ?Going by the _________ that many hands make light work, the school _______ involved
all the students in the task .?
The words that best fill the blanks in the above sentence are
(A) principle, principal (B) principal, principle
(C) principle, principle (D) principal, principal
Q.2 ?Her _______ should not be confused with miserliness; she is ever willing to assist those in
need. ?
The word that best fills the blank in the above sentence is
(A) cleanliness (B) punctuality (C) frugality (D) greatness
Q.3 Seven machines take 7 minutes to make 7 identical toys. At the same rate, how many
minutes would it take for 100 machines to make 100 toys?
(A) 1 (B) 7 (C) 100 (D) 700
Q.4 A rectangle becomes a square when its length and breadth are reduced by 10 m and 5 m,
respectively. During this process, the rectangle loses 650 m
2
of area. What is the area of the
original rectangle in square meters?
(A) 1125 (B) 2250 (C) 2924 (D) 4500
Q.5 A number consists of two digits. The sum of the digits is 9. If 45 is subtracted from the
number, its digits are interchanged. What is the number?
(A) 63 (B) 72 (C) 81 (D) 90
Q. 6 ? Q. 10 carry two marks each.
Q.6 For integers ?? , ?? and ?? , what would be the minimum and maximum values respectively of
?? + ?? + ?? if log |?? | + log |?? | + log |?? | = 0?
(A) -3 and 3 (B) -1 and 1 (C) -1 and 3 (D) 1 and 3
GATE 2018 General Aptitude (GA) Set-1
GA 2/2
Q.7 Given that ?? and ?? are integers and ?? + ?? 2
?? 3
is odd, which one of the following
statements is correct?
(A) ?? and ?? are both odd (B) ?? and ?? are both even
(C) ?? is even and ?? is odd (D) ?? is odd and ?? is even
Q.8 From the time the front of a train enters a platform, it takes 25 seconds for the back of the
train to leave the platform, while travelling at a constant speed of 54 km/h. At the same
speed, it takes 14 seconds to pass a man running at 9 km/h in the same direction as the
train. What is the length of the train and that of the platform in meters, respectively?
(A) 210 and 140 (B) 162.5 and 187.5
(C) 245 and 130 (D) 175 and 200
Q.9 Which of the following functions describe the graph shown in the below figure?
(A) ?? = ||?? | + 1| ? 2 (B) ?? = ||?? | ? 1| ? 1
(C) ?? = ||?? | + 1| ? 1 (D) ?? = ||?? ? 1| ? 1|
Q.10 Consider the following three statements:
(i) Some roses are red.
(ii) All red flowers fade quickly.
(iii) Some roses fade quickly.
Which of the following statements can be logically inferred from the above statements?
(A) If (i) is true and (ii) is false, then (iii) is false.
(B) If (i) is true and (ii) is false, then (iii) is true.
(C) If (i) and (ii) are true, then (iii) is true.
(D) If (i) and (ii) are false, then (iii) is false.
END OF THE QUESTION PAPER
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 1/22
Q. 1 ? Q. 25 carry one mark each.
Q.1 During the Pleistocene, which of the following groups experienced the largest mass
extinction?
(A) Large dinosaurs
(B) Large mammals
(C) Reptiles
(D) Trilobites
Q.2 In group living species, the term ?dilution effect? refers to
(A) reduction in aggression among individuals with increasing group size
(B) reduction in the mobility of individuals with increasing group size
(C) reduction in the reproductive success of individuals with increasing group size
(D) reduction in the risk of predation of individuals with increasing group size
Q.3 Which of the following diversity indices best captures species turnover across
habitats?
(A) ? (B) ?? (C) ? (D) ?
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 2/22
Q.4 A duck egg is removed from its mother?s nest and incubated by a barnyard hen. The
duckling hatches out in the presence of the barnyard hen and stays in her nest. After
a couple of days, the duckling is presented with a choice between its biological
mother and the hen that incubated it. The duckling approaches and follows the hen.
This set of observations demonstrates the phenomenon of
(A) habituation
(B) imprinting
(C) instinct
(D) sensitization
Q.5 If both of your ears were located next to each other in the middle of your face, you
would have difficulty in resolving the
(A) direction of a sound
(B) duration of a sound
(C) loudness of a sound
(D) pitch of a sound
Q.6 Forager bees communicate the distance of a food source using a waggle dance upon
return to the hive. It is observed that the number of waggles of a dance increases
linearly with the distance to the food source. This tells us that the
(A) number of waggles and distance to food source is negatively correlated
(B) number of waggles and distance to food source is positively correlated
(C) number of waggles affects the distance to the food source
(D) number of waggles and the distance to the food source are uncorrelated
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 3/22
Q.7 Male frogs display to females by producing loud acoustic signals. The use of these
signals by bats to locate frogs and prey upon them is an example of
(A) aposematism
(B) deception
(C) eavesdropping
(D) mimicry
Q.8 A non-venomous, non-toxic species of snake is brightly coloured and closely
resembles a venomous snake species in the same habitat. This is most likely a case
of
(A) aggressive mimicry
(B) Batesian mimicry
(C) masquerade
(D) M?llerian mimicry
Q.9 The value of the resting membrane potential of a typical neuron is closest to the
equilibrium potential of which of the following ions?
(A) Ca
++
(B) ? K
+
(C) Mg
++
(D) Na
+
Q.10 A plant species found in India produces flowers that are white, fragrant, and tubular.
Which of the following is the most likely pollinating agent?
(A) Hummingbirds (B) Lorises
(C) Moths (D) Wind
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 4/22
Q.11 Which of the following can be used to test differences between mean tree heights in
a tropical versus a temperate forest?
(A) Binomial test
(B) Linear regression
(C) Pearson?s correlation
(D) Student?s t-test
Q.12 For a species, assuming a relatively short time scale and no evolution, increased
interspecific competition will result in a
(A) larger fundamental niche (B) larger realized niche
(C) smaller fundamental niche (D) smaller realized niche
Q.13 In which of the following mating systems is sperm competition likely to evolve?
(A) Monoandry
(B) Monogamy
(C) Polyandry
(D) Polygyny
Q.14 Copies of genes that arrive in a particular genome by horizontal gene transfer are
known as
(A) analogs (B) homologs (C) ohnologs (D) xenologs
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 5/22
Q.15 In which of the following plants is the dominant stage of the life cycle haploid?
(A) Cycads (B) Ferns
(C) Gymnosperms (D) Mosses
Q.16 Which of the following is NOT typically a characteristic of early successional
pioneer plants relative to late successional plants in a tropical rain forest?
(A) Higher shade tolerance (B) Smaller seed size
(C) Smaller size at maturity (D) Wind dispersed seeds
Q.17 Natural populations often deviate from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. One possible
reason for this is
(A) no migration (B) no selection
(C) random mating (D) small population sizes
Q.18 Which of the following is NOT an example of phenotypic plasticity?
(A) Density-dependent swarming behavior in locusts
(B) Increase in DDT resistance in mosquitos
(C) Seasonal variation in plumage colouration in birds
(D) Temperature-dependent sex determination in turtles
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 6/22
Q.19 Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of r-selected species?
(A) Early sexual maturity
(B) High juvenile mortality
(C) High parental care
(D) Large number of offspring
Q.20 A scientist finds a new species of insect and sends a sample to a museum for
confirmation. The curator of the museum designates it as a holotype for the newly
identified species and asks the scientist to also provide samples of the opposite sex.
This sample of the opposite sex is called the
(A) allotype (B) isotype (C) karyotype (D) neotype
Q.21 Which of the following is NOT essential for a behavioural trait to evolve by natural
selection?
(A) The behavioural trait differs among individuals
(B) The behavioural trait is determined at least in part by genes
(C) The behavioural trait influences reproductive success
(D) The behavioural trait is determined entirely by genes
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 7/22
Q.22 El Ni?o Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events have occurred approximately every
3-7 years over the last century. The cause of these ENSO events is related to
(A) large-scale air-sea interactions in the Pacific Ocean
(B) strong monsoon winds in the Indian Ocean
(C) the melting of icebergs in the Antarctic Ocean
(D) unsustainable overfishing in North Atlantic Ocean
Q.23 If the mean of a sample is 5, and the variance is 25, the PERCENT coefficient of
variation is ___.
Q.24 Consider a diploid population at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. For a locus with two
alleles, the frequency of the A
1
A
1
genotype is 0.01. The frequency of heterozygotes
A
1
A
2
is ____ (answer up to 2 decimal places).
Q.25 In a food chain, the efficiency of transfer of energy from one trophic level to the
next is 10%. The PERCENTAGE of energy that is expected to transfer from the
second to the fourth level is ____.
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 8/22
Q. 26 ? Q. 55 carry two marks each.
Q.26 Which of the following is an adaptation for osmoregulation in freshwater teleost
fish?
(A) Excreting large quantities of dilute urine
(B) Excreting large quantities of uric acid
(C) Having high concentration of blood urea
(D) Excreting large quantities of uracil
Q.27 The latitudinal diversity gradient is defined as the decrease in the number of species
from the equator to the poles. This can result from
(A) greater energy input at the poles
(B) greater land mass at the poles
(C) greater seasonal variation at the poles
(D) greater speciation rates at the poles
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 9/22
Q.28 Identify the graph in which natural selection on beak size is LEAST likely to be
occurring? For each of the graphs, the slope of the regression line and the associated
p-value is given.
Q.29 Some species of spiders add additional silk ?decorations? to their webs. It is
hypothesized that these decorations serve either to lure flies (prey) or to decrease
bird (predator) attacks on the spiders. The appropriate way to test these hypotheses
would be to compare numbers of
(A) predators and prey approaching decorated webs
(B) predators and prey approaching undecorated webs
(C) predators approaching decorated webs with prey approaching undecorated webs
(D) predators and prey approaching both decorated and undecorated webs
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 10/22
Q.30 The figure below shows mean annual temperatures (?C) and mean annual
precipitation (cm per year) from multiple sites in four regions in India.
From this climatic information, we can infer that P, Q, R, and S are LIKELY to be
located in:
(A) P: Andaman, Q: Meghalaya, R: Ladakh, S: Rajasthan
(B) P: Ladakh, Q: Rajasthan, R: Andaman, S: Meghalaya
(C) P: Meghalaya, Q: Ladakh, R: Rajasthan, S: Andaman
(D) P: Rajasthan, Q: Andaman, R: Meghalaya, S: Ladakh
Q.31 For a pair of interacting species, increased specialization and decreased niche
breadth in both species would result in
(A) decreased intraspecific competition and increased interspecific competition
(B) decreased intraspecific competition and decreased interspecific competition
(C) increased intraspecific competition and increased interspecific competition
(D) increased intraspecific competition and decreased interspecific competition
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 11/22
Q.32 Males of a bird species provide parental care by feeding nestlings before they
fledge. Which of the following is a PROXIMATE explanation for this behaviour?
(A) Feeding nestlings increases their survivorship after fledging
(B) High prolactin levels cause males to feed their nestlings
(C) Males from all species in this genus provide parental care
(D) Males that provide parental care have higher fitness
Q.33 The courtship display of a spider species consists of both visual and vibrational
signals. Females respond to the display by approaching males. In an experiment,
females were presented with 3 treatments: i) only videos of displaying males, ii)
only vibrational signals of the display, and iii) both videos of displaying males and
vibrational signals. The results are given below:
Treatment Percent of responding
females
Videos only 55%
Vibrational signals only 0%
Videos plus vibrational signals 95%
Results from this experiment show that
(A) vibrational signals are necessary to evoke a response
(B) vibrational signals are sufficient to evoke a response
(C) visual and vibrational signals are necessary to evoke a response
(D) visual signals are necessary to evoke a response
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 12/22
Q.34 Moth ears typically consist of a membranous eardrum backed by an air cavity. Ears
in different phylogenetic groups of moths have evolved on different body parts.
Moth ears are thus best described as
(A) convergent organs
(B) homologous organs
(C) maladaptive organs
(D) vestigeal organs
Q.35 Increased anthropogenic disturbance has resulted in an overall decrease in densities
of trees and an increase in fragmentation of forests. Which of the following types of
trees will have the greatest reduction in reproductive success?
(A) Dioecious species
(B) Monoecious species
(C) Self-compatible hermaphrodites
(D) Self-incompatible hermaphrodites
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 13/22
Q.36 A study examined the effect of neighbours on plants when grown at low or high
altitudes. The researcher measured Relative Neighbour Effect (RNE), defined as:
RNE = Biomass with neighbours ? Biomass without neighbours.
The results shown above demonstrate
(A) competition at both altitudes
(B) competition at high altitudes, and facilitation at low altitudes
(C) competition at low altitudes, and facilitation at high altitudes
(D) facilitation at both altitudes
Q.37 Match the combination of flora and fauna from the list, to the state where they are
found.
Combination Fauna; Flora
P Red panda; Rhododendron
Q Pygmy hog; Elephant grass
R Tiger; Mangrove
S Hangul; Chinar
(A) P: Assam; Q: Jammu & Kashmir; R: West Bengal; S: Sikkim
(B) P: Jammu & Kashmir; Q: Assam; R: West Bengal; S: Sikkim
(C) P: Sikkim; Q: Assam; R: West Bengal; S: Jammu & Kashmir
(D) P: Sikkim; Q: West Bengal; R: Assam; S: Jammu & Kashmir
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 14/22
Q.38 A parent population (P) is split into three daughter populations (Q, R, and S) which
grow in three different habitats. After 1000 generations, the equilibrium frequency
distribution of a trait in each of the daughter populations is shown in the figure
below. For reference, the vertical line represents the mean of the parent population.
From this information, one can infer that the subpopulations experienced the
following selection regimes
(A) Q: Directional; R: Stabilizing; S: No selection
(B) Q: Directional; R: Stabilizing; S: Stabilizing
(C) Q: Directional; R: Directional; S: Stabilizing
(D) Q: Stabilizing; R: Directional; S: No selection
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 15/22
Q.39 The character matrix below lists four taxa (P-S) and their nine characters (i-ix). A
character state is designated as ?0? if it is ancestral and ?1? if it is derived. Which of
the following phylogenetic trees is obtained by cladistic analysis of these data?
P Q R S
i) 0 1 0 0
ii) 1 1 0 0
iii) 1 1 1 0
iv) 1 1 0 0
v) 1 1 1 0
vi) 0 1 0 0
vii) 1 1 1 0
viii) 0 1 0 0
ix) 1 1 1 0
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 16/22
Q.40 The reactions below (R1 and R2) represent different carbon fixation pathways in
photosynthesis.
RuBP represents Ribulose bisphosphate.
Rubisco represents RuBP carboxylase-oxygenase.
PGA represents Phosphoglyceric acid.
PEP represents Phosphoenolpyruvate.
Rubisco
2
R1. CO + RuBP PGA ? ?? ?
PEP-Carboxylase
2
R2. CO + PEP Malic Acid ? ?? ?? ?
Which of the following is CORRECT?
(A) R1 and R2 both occur in C-3 and CAM photosynthesis
(B) R1 occurs in C-4 photosynthesis; R2 occurs in C-3 photosynthesis
(C) R1 occurs in C-3 photosynthesis; R2 occurs in C-4 photosynthesis
(D) R1 occurs in C-4 and CAM photosynthesis; R2 occurs in C-3 photosynthesis
Q.41 A fish species is sexually dimorphic: males possess ultraviolet (UV) spots on their
bodies which are lacking in females. Females prefer males with larger and more
intense UV spots as mates. Which of the following statements is a plausible reason
for the spots being coloured ultraviolet?
(A) Females assess males from long distances
(B) Females are not sensitive to UV light
(C) Ultraviolet spots are a poor indicator of male quality
(D) Ultraviolet spots are more conspicuous to predators
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 17/22
Q.42 A climate scientist notices a trend in atmospheric CO
2
concentrations (in ppm) at a
research station. Although overall CO
2
is rising over decades, there are intra-annual
fluctuations, as shown in the figure below.
These fluctuations can be attributed to
(A) burning of fossil fuels by automobiles and industry
(B) oscillations due to El Ni?o and La Ni?a events
(C) rising sea levels due to melting of polar ice-caps
(D) seasonal trends in photosynthesis and respiration
Q.43 Four islands differ in size (small = 10 km
2
, large = 100 km
2
) and distance from the
mainland (near = 50 km, far = 500 km).
Island P is small and near the mainland;
Island Q is small and far from the mainland;
Island R is large and near the mainland;
Island S is large and far from the mainland
Let N
P
, N
Q
, N
R
and N
S
denote the number of species on islands P, Q, R and S,
respectively. Which of the following is consistent with the theory of island
biogeography?
(A) N
Q
> N
S
> N
P
> N
R
(B) N
R
> N
Q
> N
P
> N
S
(C) N
Q
> N
P
> N
S
> N
R
(D) N
R
> N
P
> N
S
> N
Q
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 18/22
Q.44 The rate of population growth (dN/dt) over time (t) is shown below.
For the above population, which of the following plots of population (Popn.) size
(N) vs. time (t) is CORRECT?
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 19/22
Q.45 The pedigree below details a late onset genetic disease among humans. Males are
represented as squares and females as circles. Individuals with the disease are
depicted as black, and those without it are depicted as white. Which of the following
best describes the pattern of inheritance of the disease-causing gene?
(A) Mitochondrial
(B) X-linked dominant
(C) X-linked recessive
(D) Y-linked
Q.46 Match the following scientists with the concepts or theories they are associated
with.
(P) WD Hamilton (i) Neutral Theory of Molecular Evolution
(Q) RA Fisher (ii) Island Biogeography
(R) M Kimura (iii) Inclusive Fitness
(S) RH MacArthur (iv) Runaway Sexual Selection
(A) P-iii, Q-i, R-iv, S-ii
(B) P-ii, Q-iii, R-iv, S-i
(C) P-iii, Q-iv, R-i, S-ii
(D) P-ii, Q-iii, R-i, S-iv
FirstRanker.com - FirstRanker's Choice
GATE 2018 General Aptitude (GA) Set-1
GA 1/2
Q. 1 ? Q. 5 carry one mark each.
Q.1 ?Going by the _________ that many hands make light work, the school _______ involved
all the students in the task .?
The words that best fill the blanks in the above sentence are
(A) principle, principal (B) principal, principle
(C) principle, principle (D) principal, principal
Q.2 ?Her _______ should not be confused with miserliness; she is ever willing to assist those in
need. ?
The word that best fills the blank in the above sentence is
(A) cleanliness (B) punctuality (C) frugality (D) greatness
Q.3 Seven machines take 7 minutes to make 7 identical toys. At the same rate, how many
minutes would it take for 100 machines to make 100 toys?
(A) 1 (B) 7 (C) 100 (D) 700
Q.4 A rectangle becomes a square when its length and breadth are reduced by 10 m and 5 m,
respectively. During this process, the rectangle loses 650 m
2
of area. What is the area of the
original rectangle in square meters?
(A) 1125 (B) 2250 (C) 2924 (D) 4500
Q.5 A number consists of two digits. The sum of the digits is 9. If 45 is subtracted from the
number, its digits are interchanged. What is the number?
(A) 63 (B) 72 (C) 81 (D) 90
Q. 6 ? Q. 10 carry two marks each.
Q.6 For integers ?? , ?? and ?? , what would be the minimum and maximum values respectively of
?? + ?? + ?? if log |?? | + log |?? | + log |?? | = 0?
(A) -3 and 3 (B) -1 and 1 (C) -1 and 3 (D) 1 and 3
GATE 2018 General Aptitude (GA) Set-1
GA 2/2
Q.7 Given that ?? and ?? are integers and ?? + ?? 2
?? 3
is odd, which one of the following
statements is correct?
(A) ?? and ?? are both odd (B) ?? and ?? are both even
(C) ?? is even and ?? is odd (D) ?? is odd and ?? is even
Q.8 From the time the front of a train enters a platform, it takes 25 seconds for the back of the
train to leave the platform, while travelling at a constant speed of 54 km/h. At the same
speed, it takes 14 seconds to pass a man running at 9 km/h in the same direction as the
train. What is the length of the train and that of the platform in meters, respectively?
(A) 210 and 140 (B) 162.5 and 187.5
(C) 245 and 130 (D) 175 and 200
Q.9 Which of the following functions describe the graph shown in the below figure?
(A) ?? = ||?? | + 1| ? 2 (B) ?? = ||?? | ? 1| ? 1
(C) ?? = ||?? | + 1| ? 1 (D) ?? = ||?? ? 1| ? 1|
Q.10 Consider the following three statements:
(i) Some roses are red.
(ii) All red flowers fade quickly.
(iii) Some roses fade quickly.
Which of the following statements can be logically inferred from the above statements?
(A) If (i) is true and (ii) is false, then (iii) is false.
(B) If (i) is true and (ii) is false, then (iii) is true.
(C) If (i) and (ii) are true, then (iii) is true.
(D) If (i) and (ii) are false, then (iii) is false.
END OF THE QUESTION PAPER
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 1/22
Q. 1 ? Q. 25 carry one mark each.
Q.1 During the Pleistocene, which of the following groups experienced the largest mass
extinction?
(A) Large dinosaurs
(B) Large mammals
(C) Reptiles
(D) Trilobites
Q.2 In group living species, the term ?dilution effect? refers to
(A) reduction in aggression among individuals with increasing group size
(B) reduction in the mobility of individuals with increasing group size
(C) reduction in the reproductive success of individuals with increasing group size
(D) reduction in the risk of predation of individuals with increasing group size
Q.3 Which of the following diversity indices best captures species turnover across
habitats?
(A) ? (B) ?? (C) ? (D) ?
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 2/22
Q.4 A duck egg is removed from its mother?s nest and incubated by a barnyard hen. The
duckling hatches out in the presence of the barnyard hen and stays in her nest. After
a couple of days, the duckling is presented with a choice between its biological
mother and the hen that incubated it. The duckling approaches and follows the hen.
This set of observations demonstrates the phenomenon of
(A) habituation
(B) imprinting
(C) instinct
(D) sensitization
Q.5 If both of your ears were located next to each other in the middle of your face, you
would have difficulty in resolving the
(A) direction of a sound
(B) duration of a sound
(C) loudness of a sound
(D) pitch of a sound
Q.6 Forager bees communicate the distance of a food source using a waggle dance upon
return to the hive. It is observed that the number of waggles of a dance increases
linearly with the distance to the food source. This tells us that the
(A) number of waggles and distance to food source is negatively correlated
(B) number of waggles and distance to food source is positively correlated
(C) number of waggles affects the distance to the food source
(D) number of waggles and the distance to the food source are uncorrelated
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 3/22
Q.7 Male frogs display to females by producing loud acoustic signals. The use of these
signals by bats to locate frogs and prey upon them is an example of
(A) aposematism
(B) deception
(C) eavesdropping
(D) mimicry
Q.8 A non-venomous, non-toxic species of snake is brightly coloured and closely
resembles a venomous snake species in the same habitat. This is most likely a case
of
(A) aggressive mimicry
(B) Batesian mimicry
(C) masquerade
(D) M?llerian mimicry
Q.9 The value of the resting membrane potential of a typical neuron is closest to the
equilibrium potential of which of the following ions?
(A) Ca
++
(B) ? K
+
(C) Mg
++
(D) Na
+
Q.10 A plant species found in India produces flowers that are white, fragrant, and tubular.
Which of the following is the most likely pollinating agent?
(A) Hummingbirds (B) Lorises
(C) Moths (D) Wind
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 4/22
Q.11 Which of the following can be used to test differences between mean tree heights in
a tropical versus a temperate forest?
(A) Binomial test
(B) Linear regression
(C) Pearson?s correlation
(D) Student?s t-test
Q.12 For a species, assuming a relatively short time scale and no evolution, increased
interspecific competition will result in a
(A) larger fundamental niche (B) larger realized niche
(C) smaller fundamental niche (D) smaller realized niche
Q.13 In which of the following mating systems is sperm competition likely to evolve?
(A) Monoandry
(B) Monogamy
(C) Polyandry
(D) Polygyny
Q.14 Copies of genes that arrive in a particular genome by horizontal gene transfer are
known as
(A) analogs (B) homologs (C) ohnologs (D) xenologs
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 5/22
Q.15 In which of the following plants is the dominant stage of the life cycle haploid?
(A) Cycads (B) Ferns
(C) Gymnosperms (D) Mosses
Q.16 Which of the following is NOT typically a characteristic of early successional
pioneer plants relative to late successional plants in a tropical rain forest?
(A) Higher shade tolerance (B) Smaller seed size
(C) Smaller size at maturity (D) Wind dispersed seeds
Q.17 Natural populations often deviate from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. One possible
reason for this is
(A) no migration (B) no selection
(C) random mating (D) small population sizes
Q.18 Which of the following is NOT an example of phenotypic plasticity?
(A) Density-dependent swarming behavior in locusts
(B) Increase in DDT resistance in mosquitos
(C) Seasonal variation in plumage colouration in birds
(D) Temperature-dependent sex determination in turtles
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 6/22
Q.19 Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of r-selected species?
(A) Early sexual maturity
(B) High juvenile mortality
(C) High parental care
(D) Large number of offspring
Q.20 A scientist finds a new species of insect and sends a sample to a museum for
confirmation. The curator of the museum designates it as a holotype for the newly
identified species and asks the scientist to also provide samples of the opposite sex.
This sample of the opposite sex is called the
(A) allotype (B) isotype (C) karyotype (D) neotype
Q.21 Which of the following is NOT essential for a behavioural trait to evolve by natural
selection?
(A) The behavioural trait differs among individuals
(B) The behavioural trait is determined at least in part by genes
(C) The behavioural trait influences reproductive success
(D) The behavioural trait is determined entirely by genes
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 7/22
Q.22 El Ni?o Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events have occurred approximately every
3-7 years over the last century. The cause of these ENSO events is related to
(A) large-scale air-sea interactions in the Pacific Ocean
(B) strong monsoon winds in the Indian Ocean
(C) the melting of icebergs in the Antarctic Ocean
(D) unsustainable overfishing in North Atlantic Ocean
Q.23 If the mean of a sample is 5, and the variance is 25, the PERCENT coefficient of
variation is ___.
Q.24 Consider a diploid population at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. For a locus with two
alleles, the frequency of the A
1
A
1
genotype is 0.01. The frequency of heterozygotes
A
1
A
2
is ____ (answer up to 2 decimal places).
Q.25 In a food chain, the efficiency of transfer of energy from one trophic level to the
next is 10%. The PERCENTAGE of energy that is expected to transfer from the
second to the fourth level is ____.
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 8/22
Q. 26 ? Q. 55 carry two marks each.
Q.26 Which of the following is an adaptation for osmoregulation in freshwater teleost
fish?
(A) Excreting large quantities of dilute urine
(B) Excreting large quantities of uric acid
(C) Having high concentration of blood urea
(D) Excreting large quantities of uracil
Q.27 The latitudinal diversity gradient is defined as the decrease in the number of species
from the equator to the poles. This can result from
(A) greater energy input at the poles
(B) greater land mass at the poles
(C) greater seasonal variation at the poles
(D) greater speciation rates at the poles
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 9/22
Q.28 Identify the graph in which natural selection on beak size is LEAST likely to be
occurring? For each of the graphs, the slope of the regression line and the associated
p-value is given.
Q.29 Some species of spiders add additional silk ?decorations? to their webs. It is
hypothesized that these decorations serve either to lure flies (prey) or to decrease
bird (predator) attacks on the spiders. The appropriate way to test these hypotheses
would be to compare numbers of
(A) predators and prey approaching decorated webs
(B) predators and prey approaching undecorated webs
(C) predators approaching decorated webs with prey approaching undecorated webs
(D) predators and prey approaching both decorated and undecorated webs
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 10/22
Q.30 The figure below shows mean annual temperatures (?C) and mean annual
precipitation (cm per year) from multiple sites in four regions in India.
From this climatic information, we can infer that P, Q, R, and S are LIKELY to be
located in:
(A) P: Andaman, Q: Meghalaya, R: Ladakh, S: Rajasthan
(B) P: Ladakh, Q: Rajasthan, R: Andaman, S: Meghalaya
(C) P: Meghalaya, Q: Ladakh, R: Rajasthan, S: Andaman
(D) P: Rajasthan, Q: Andaman, R: Meghalaya, S: Ladakh
Q.31 For a pair of interacting species, increased specialization and decreased niche
breadth in both species would result in
(A) decreased intraspecific competition and increased interspecific competition
(B) decreased intraspecific competition and decreased interspecific competition
(C) increased intraspecific competition and increased interspecific competition
(D) increased intraspecific competition and decreased interspecific competition
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 11/22
Q.32 Males of a bird species provide parental care by feeding nestlings before they
fledge. Which of the following is a PROXIMATE explanation for this behaviour?
(A) Feeding nestlings increases their survivorship after fledging
(B) High prolactin levels cause males to feed their nestlings
(C) Males from all species in this genus provide parental care
(D) Males that provide parental care have higher fitness
Q.33 The courtship display of a spider species consists of both visual and vibrational
signals. Females respond to the display by approaching males. In an experiment,
females were presented with 3 treatments: i) only videos of displaying males, ii)
only vibrational signals of the display, and iii) both videos of displaying males and
vibrational signals. The results are given below:
Treatment Percent of responding
females
Videos only 55%
Vibrational signals only 0%
Videos plus vibrational signals 95%
Results from this experiment show that
(A) vibrational signals are necessary to evoke a response
(B) vibrational signals are sufficient to evoke a response
(C) visual and vibrational signals are necessary to evoke a response
(D) visual signals are necessary to evoke a response
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 12/22
Q.34 Moth ears typically consist of a membranous eardrum backed by an air cavity. Ears
in different phylogenetic groups of moths have evolved on different body parts.
Moth ears are thus best described as
(A) convergent organs
(B) homologous organs
(C) maladaptive organs
(D) vestigeal organs
Q.35 Increased anthropogenic disturbance has resulted in an overall decrease in densities
of trees and an increase in fragmentation of forests. Which of the following types of
trees will have the greatest reduction in reproductive success?
(A) Dioecious species
(B) Monoecious species
(C) Self-compatible hermaphrodites
(D) Self-incompatible hermaphrodites
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 13/22
Q.36 A study examined the effect of neighbours on plants when grown at low or high
altitudes. The researcher measured Relative Neighbour Effect (RNE), defined as:
RNE = Biomass with neighbours ? Biomass without neighbours.
The results shown above demonstrate
(A) competition at both altitudes
(B) competition at high altitudes, and facilitation at low altitudes
(C) competition at low altitudes, and facilitation at high altitudes
(D) facilitation at both altitudes
Q.37 Match the combination of flora and fauna from the list, to the state where they are
found.
Combination Fauna; Flora
P Red panda; Rhododendron
Q Pygmy hog; Elephant grass
R Tiger; Mangrove
S Hangul; Chinar
(A) P: Assam; Q: Jammu & Kashmir; R: West Bengal; S: Sikkim
(B) P: Jammu & Kashmir; Q: Assam; R: West Bengal; S: Sikkim
(C) P: Sikkim; Q: Assam; R: West Bengal; S: Jammu & Kashmir
(D) P: Sikkim; Q: West Bengal; R: Assam; S: Jammu & Kashmir
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 14/22
Q.38 A parent population (P) is split into three daughter populations (Q, R, and S) which
grow in three different habitats. After 1000 generations, the equilibrium frequency
distribution of a trait in each of the daughter populations is shown in the figure
below. For reference, the vertical line represents the mean of the parent population.
From this information, one can infer that the subpopulations experienced the
following selection regimes
(A) Q: Directional; R: Stabilizing; S: No selection
(B) Q: Directional; R: Stabilizing; S: Stabilizing
(C) Q: Directional; R: Directional; S: Stabilizing
(D) Q: Stabilizing; R: Directional; S: No selection
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 15/22
Q.39 The character matrix below lists four taxa (P-S) and their nine characters (i-ix). A
character state is designated as ?0? if it is ancestral and ?1? if it is derived. Which of
the following phylogenetic trees is obtained by cladistic analysis of these data?
P Q R S
i) 0 1 0 0
ii) 1 1 0 0
iii) 1 1 1 0
iv) 1 1 0 0
v) 1 1 1 0
vi) 0 1 0 0
vii) 1 1 1 0
viii) 0 1 0 0
ix) 1 1 1 0
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 16/22
Q.40 The reactions below (R1 and R2) represent different carbon fixation pathways in
photosynthesis.
RuBP represents Ribulose bisphosphate.
Rubisco represents RuBP carboxylase-oxygenase.
PGA represents Phosphoglyceric acid.
PEP represents Phosphoenolpyruvate.
Rubisco
2
R1. CO + RuBP PGA ? ?? ?
PEP-Carboxylase
2
R2. CO + PEP Malic Acid ? ?? ?? ?
Which of the following is CORRECT?
(A) R1 and R2 both occur in C-3 and CAM photosynthesis
(B) R1 occurs in C-4 photosynthesis; R2 occurs in C-3 photosynthesis
(C) R1 occurs in C-3 photosynthesis; R2 occurs in C-4 photosynthesis
(D) R1 occurs in C-4 and CAM photosynthesis; R2 occurs in C-3 photosynthesis
Q.41 A fish species is sexually dimorphic: males possess ultraviolet (UV) spots on their
bodies which are lacking in females. Females prefer males with larger and more
intense UV spots as mates. Which of the following statements is a plausible reason
for the spots being coloured ultraviolet?
(A) Females assess males from long distances
(B) Females are not sensitive to UV light
(C) Ultraviolet spots are a poor indicator of male quality
(D) Ultraviolet spots are more conspicuous to predators
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 17/22
Q.42 A climate scientist notices a trend in atmospheric CO
2
concentrations (in ppm) at a
research station. Although overall CO
2
is rising over decades, there are intra-annual
fluctuations, as shown in the figure below.
These fluctuations can be attributed to
(A) burning of fossil fuels by automobiles and industry
(B) oscillations due to El Ni?o and La Ni?a events
(C) rising sea levels due to melting of polar ice-caps
(D) seasonal trends in photosynthesis and respiration
Q.43 Four islands differ in size (small = 10 km
2
, large = 100 km
2
) and distance from the
mainland (near = 50 km, far = 500 km).
Island P is small and near the mainland;
Island Q is small and far from the mainland;
Island R is large and near the mainland;
Island S is large and far from the mainland
Let N
P
, N
Q
, N
R
and N
S
denote the number of species on islands P, Q, R and S,
respectively. Which of the following is consistent with the theory of island
biogeography?
(A) N
Q
> N
S
> N
P
> N
R
(B) N
R
> N
Q
> N
P
> N
S
(C) N
Q
> N
P
> N
S
> N
R
(D) N
R
> N
P
> N
S
> N
Q
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 18/22
Q.44 The rate of population growth (dN/dt) over time (t) is shown below.
For the above population, which of the following plots of population (Popn.) size
(N) vs. time (t) is CORRECT?
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 19/22
Q.45 The pedigree below details a late onset genetic disease among humans. Males are
represented as squares and females as circles. Individuals with the disease are
depicted as black, and those without it are depicted as white. Which of the following
best describes the pattern of inheritance of the disease-causing gene?
(A) Mitochondrial
(B) X-linked dominant
(C) X-linked recessive
(D) Y-linked
Q.46 Match the following scientists with the concepts or theories they are associated
with.
(P) WD Hamilton (i) Neutral Theory of Molecular Evolution
(Q) RA Fisher (ii) Island Biogeography
(R) M Kimura (iii) Inclusive Fitness
(S) RH MacArthur (iv) Runaway Sexual Selection
(A) P-iii, Q-i, R-iv, S-ii
(B) P-ii, Q-iii, R-iv, S-i
(C) P-iii, Q-iv, R-i, S-ii
(D) P-ii, Q-iii, R-i, S-iv
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 20/22
Q.47 Which of the following is an example of complete intrinsic post-zygotic
reproductive isolation between two species P and Q?
(A) P and Q can mate and have fertile offspring
(B) P and Q can mate but their offspring are inviable
(C) P and Q have breeding seasons during different times of the year
(D) P and Q have different courtship behaviour
Q.48 Match the animals to their locomotor adaptation.
Adaptation Animal
(P) Volant (i) Ostrich
(Q) Fossorial (ii) Slow Loris
(R) Arboreal (iii) Naked Mole Rat
(S) Cursorial (iv) Bat
(A) P-iv, Q-i, R-iii, S-ii (B) P-iv, Q-iii, R-ii, S-i
(C) P-iii, Q-iv, R-i, S-ii (D) P-ii, Q-iii, R-i, S-ii
FirstRanker.com - FirstRanker's Choice
GATE 2018 General Aptitude (GA) Set-1
GA 1/2
Q. 1 ? Q. 5 carry one mark each.
Q.1 ?Going by the _________ that many hands make light work, the school _______ involved
all the students in the task .?
The words that best fill the blanks in the above sentence are
(A) principle, principal (B) principal, principle
(C) principle, principle (D) principal, principal
Q.2 ?Her _______ should not be confused with miserliness; she is ever willing to assist those in
need. ?
The word that best fills the blank in the above sentence is
(A) cleanliness (B) punctuality (C) frugality (D) greatness
Q.3 Seven machines take 7 minutes to make 7 identical toys. At the same rate, how many
minutes would it take for 100 machines to make 100 toys?
(A) 1 (B) 7 (C) 100 (D) 700
Q.4 A rectangle becomes a square when its length and breadth are reduced by 10 m and 5 m,
respectively. During this process, the rectangle loses 650 m
2
of area. What is the area of the
original rectangle in square meters?
(A) 1125 (B) 2250 (C) 2924 (D) 4500
Q.5 A number consists of two digits. The sum of the digits is 9. If 45 is subtracted from the
number, its digits are interchanged. What is the number?
(A) 63 (B) 72 (C) 81 (D) 90
Q. 6 ? Q. 10 carry two marks each.
Q.6 For integers ?? , ?? and ?? , what would be the minimum and maximum values respectively of
?? + ?? + ?? if log |?? | + log |?? | + log |?? | = 0?
(A) -3 and 3 (B) -1 and 1 (C) -1 and 3 (D) 1 and 3
GATE 2018 General Aptitude (GA) Set-1
GA 2/2
Q.7 Given that ?? and ?? are integers and ?? + ?? 2
?? 3
is odd, which one of the following
statements is correct?
(A) ?? and ?? are both odd (B) ?? and ?? are both even
(C) ?? is even and ?? is odd (D) ?? is odd and ?? is even
Q.8 From the time the front of a train enters a platform, it takes 25 seconds for the back of the
train to leave the platform, while travelling at a constant speed of 54 km/h. At the same
speed, it takes 14 seconds to pass a man running at 9 km/h in the same direction as the
train. What is the length of the train and that of the platform in meters, respectively?
(A) 210 and 140 (B) 162.5 and 187.5
(C) 245 and 130 (D) 175 and 200
Q.9 Which of the following functions describe the graph shown in the below figure?
(A) ?? = ||?? | + 1| ? 2 (B) ?? = ||?? | ? 1| ? 1
(C) ?? = ||?? | + 1| ? 1 (D) ?? = ||?? ? 1| ? 1|
Q.10 Consider the following three statements:
(i) Some roses are red.
(ii) All red flowers fade quickly.
(iii) Some roses fade quickly.
Which of the following statements can be logically inferred from the above statements?
(A) If (i) is true and (ii) is false, then (iii) is false.
(B) If (i) is true and (ii) is false, then (iii) is true.
(C) If (i) and (ii) are true, then (iii) is true.
(D) If (i) and (ii) are false, then (iii) is false.
END OF THE QUESTION PAPER
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 1/22
Q. 1 ? Q. 25 carry one mark each.
Q.1 During the Pleistocene, which of the following groups experienced the largest mass
extinction?
(A) Large dinosaurs
(B) Large mammals
(C) Reptiles
(D) Trilobites
Q.2 In group living species, the term ?dilution effect? refers to
(A) reduction in aggression among individuals with increasing group size
(B) reduction in the mobility of individuals with increasing group size
(C) reduction in the reproductive success of individuals with increasing group size
(D) reduction in the risk of predation of individuals with increasing group size
Q.3 Which of the following diversity indices best captures species turnover across
habitats?
(A) ? (B) ?? (C) ? (D) ?
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 2/22
Q.4 A duck egg is removed from its mother?s nest and incubated by a barnyard hen. The
duckling hatches out in the presence of the barnyard hen and stays in her nest. After
a couple of days, the duckling is presented with a choice between its biological
mother and the hen that incubated it. The duckling approaches and follows the hen.
This set of observations demonstrates the phenomenon of
(A) habituation
(B) imprinting
(C) instinct
(D) sensitization
Q.5 If both of your ears were located next to each other in the middle of your face, you
would have difficulty in resolving the
(A) direction of a sound
(B) duration of a sound
(C) loudness of a sound
(D) pitch of a sound
Q.6 Forager bees communicate the distance of a food source using a waggle dance upon
return to the hive. It is observed that the number of waggles of a dance increases
linearly with the distance to the food source. This tells us that the
(A) number of waggles and distance to food source is negatively correlated
(B) number of waggles and distance to food source is positively correlated
(C) number of waggles affects the distance to the food source
(D) number of waggles and the distance to the food source are uncorrelated
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 3/22
Q.7 Male frogs display to females by producing loud acoustic signals. The use of these
signals by bats to locate frogs and prey upon them is an example of
(A) aposematism
(B) deception
(C) eavesdropping
(D) mimicry
Q.8 A non-venomous, non-toxic species of snake is brightly coloured and closely
resembles a venomous snake species in the same habitat. This is most likely a case
of
(A) aggressive mimicry
(B) Batesian mimicry
(C) masquerade
(D) M?llerian mimicry
Q.9 The value of the resting membrane potential of a typical neuron is closest to the
equilibrium potential of which of the following ions?
(A) Ca
++
(B) ? K
+
(C) Mg
++
(D) Na
+
Q.10 A plant species found in India produces flowers that are white, fragrant, and tubular.
Which of the following is the most likely pollinating agent?
(A) Hummingbirds (B) Lorises
(C) Moths (D) Wind
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 4/22
Q.11 Which of the following can be used to test differences between mean tree heights in
a tropical versus a temperate forest?
(A) Binomial test
(B) Linear regression
(C) Pearson?s correlation
(D) Student?s t-test
Q.12 For a species, assuming a relatively short time scale and no evolution, increased
interspecific competition will result in a
(A) larger fundamental niche (B) larger realized niche
(C) smaller fundamental niche (D) smaller realized niche
Q.13 In which of the following mating systems is sperm competition likely to evolve?
(A) Monoandry
(B) Monogamy
(C) Polyandry
(D) Polygyny
Q.14 Copies of genes that arrive in a particular genome by horizontal gene transfer are
known as
(A) analogs (B) homologs (C) ohnologs (D) xenologs
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 5/22
Q.15 In which of the following plants is the dominant stage of the life cycle haploid?
(A) Cycads (B) Ferns
(C) Gymnosperms (D) Mosses
Q.16 Which of the following is NOT typically a characteristic of early successional
pioneer plants relative to late successional plants in a tropical rain forest?
(A) Higher shade tolerance (B) Smaller seed size
(C) Smaller size at maturity (D) Wind dispersed seeds
Q.17 Natural populations often deviate from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. One possible
reason for this is
(A) no migration (B) no selection
(C) random mating (D) small population sizes
Q.18 Which of the following is NOT an example of phenotypic plasticity?
(A) Density-dependent swarming behavior in locusts
(B) Increase in DDT resistance in mosquitos
(C) Seasonal variation in plumage colouration in birds
(D) Temperature-dependent sex determination in turtles
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 6/22
Q.19 Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of r-selected species?
(A) Early sexual maturity
(B) High juvenile mortality
(C) High parental care
(D) Large number of offspring
Q.20 A scientist finds a new species of insect and sends a sample to a museum for
confirmation. The curator of the museum designates it as a holotype for the newly
identified species and asks the scientist to also provide samples of the opposite sex.
This sample of the opposite sex is called the
(A) allotype (B) isotype (C) karyotype (D) neotype
Q.21 Which of the following is NOT essential for a behavioural trait to evolve by natural
selection?
(A) The behavioural trait differs among individuals
(B) The behavioural trait is determined at least in part by genes
(C) The behavioural trait influences reproductive success
(D) The behavioural trait is determined entirely by genes
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 7/22
Q.22 El Ni?o Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events have occurred approximately every
3-7 years over the last century. The cause of these ENSO events is related to
(A) large-scale air-sea interactions in the Pacific Ocean
(B) strong monsoon winds in the Indian Ocean
(C) the melting of icebergs in the Antarctic Ocean
(D) unsustainable overfishing in North Atlantic Ocean
Q.23 If the mean of a sample is 5, and the variance is 25, the PERCENT coefficient of
variation is ___.
Q.24 Consider a diploid population at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. For a locus with two
alleles, the frequency of the A
1
A
1
genotype is 0.01. The frequency of heterozygotes
A
1
A
2
is ____ (answer up to 2 decimal places).
Q.25 In a food chain, the efficiency of transfer of energy from one trophic level to the
next is 10%. The PERCENTAGE of energy that is expected to transfer from the
second to the fourth level is ____.
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 8/22
Q. 26 ? Q. 55 carry two marks each.
Q.26 Which of the following is an adaptation for osmoregulation in freshwater teleost
fish?
(A) Excreting large quantities of dilute urine
(B) Excreting large quantities of uric acid
(C) Having high concentration of blood urea
(D) Excreting large quantities of uracil
Q.27 The latitudinal diversity gradient is defined as the decrease in the number of species
from the equator to the poles. This can result from
(A) greater energy input at the poles
(B) greater land mass at the poles
(C) greater seasonal variation at the poles
(D) greater speciation rates at the poles
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 9/22
Q.28 Identify the graph in which natural selection on beak size is LEAST likely to be
occurring? For each of the graphs, the slope of the regression line and the associated
p-value is given.
Q.29 Some species of spiders add additional silk ?decorations? to their webs. It is
hypothesized that these decorations serve either to lure flies (prey) or to decrease
bird (predator) attacks on the spiders. The appropriate way to test these hypotheses
would be to compare numbers of
(A) predators and prey approaching decorated webs
(B) predators and prey approaching undecorated webs
(C) predators approaching decorated webs with prey approaching undecorated webs
(D) predators and prey approaching both decorated and undecorated webs
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 10/22
Q.30 The figure below shows mean annual temperatures (?C) and mean annual
precipitation (cm per year) from multiple sites in four regions in India.
From this climatic information, we can infer that P, Q, R, and S are LIKELY to be
located in:
(A) P: Andaman, Q: Meghalaya, R: Ladakh, S: Rajasthan
(B) P: Ladakh, Q: Rajasthan, R: Andaman, S: Meghalaya
(C) P: Meghalaya, Q: Ladakh, R: Rajasthan, S: Andaman
(D) P: Rajasthan, Q: Andaman, R: Meghalaya, S: Ladakh
Q.31 For a pair of interacting species, increased specialization and decreased niche
breadth in both species would result in
(A) decreased intraspecific competition and increased interspecific competition
(B) decreased intraspecific competition and decreased interspecific competition
(C) increased intraspecific competition and increased interspecific competition
(D) increased intraspecific competition and decreased interspecific competition
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 11/22
Q.32 Males of a bird species provide parental care by feeding nestlings before they
fledge. Which of the following is a PROXIMATE explanation for this behaviour?
(A) Feeding nestlings increases their survivorship after fledging
(B) High prolactin levels cause males to feed their nestlings
(C) Males from all species in this genus provide parental care
(D) Males that provide parental care have higher fitness
Q.33 The courtship display of a spider species consists of both visual and vibrational
signals. Females respond to the display by approaching males. In an experiment,
females were presented with 3 treatments: i) only videos of displaying males, ii)
only vibrational signals of the display, and iii) both videos of displaying males and
vibrational signals. The results are given below:
Treatment Percent of responding
females
Videos only 55%
Vibrational signals only 0%
Videos plus vibrational signals 95%
Results from this experiment show that
(A) vibrational signals are necessary to evoke a response
(B) vibrational signals are sufficient to evoke a response
(C) visual and vibrational signals are necessary to evoke a response
(D) visual signals are necessary to evoke a response
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 12/22
Q.34 Moth ears typically consist of a membranous eardrum backed by an air cavity. Ears
in different phylogenetic groups of moths have evolved on different body parts.
Moth ears are thus best described as
(A) convergent organs
(B) homologous organs
(C) maladaptive organs
(D) vestigeal organs
Q.35 Increased anthropogenic disturbance has resulted in an overall decrease in densities
of trees and an increase in fragmentation of forests. Which of the following types of
trees will have the greatest reduction in reproductive success?
(A) Dioecious species
(B) Monoecious species
(C) Self-compatible hermaphrodites
(D) Self-incompatible hermaphrodites
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 13/22
Q.36 A study examined the effect of neighbours on plants when grown at low or high
altitudes. The researcher measured Relative Neighbour Effect (RNE), defined as:
RNE = Biomass with neighbours ? Biomass without neighbours.
The results shown above demonstrate
(A) competition at both altitudes
(B) competition at high altitudes, and facilitation at low altitudes
(C) competition at low altitudes, and facilitation at high altitudes
(D) facilitation at both altitudes
Q.37 Match the combination of flora and fauna from the list, to the state where they are
found.
Combination Fauna; Flora
P Red panda; Rhododendron
Q Pygmy hog; Elephant grass
R Tiger; Mangrove
S Hangul; Chinar
(A) P: Assam; Q: Jammu & Kashmir; R: West Bengal; S: Sikkim
(B) P: Jammu & Kashmir; Q: Assam; R: West Bengal; S: Sikkim
(C) P: Sikkim; Q: Assam; R: West Bengal; S: Jammu & Kashmir
(D) P: Sikkim; Q: West Bengal; R: Assam; S: Jammu & Kashmir
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 14/22
Q.38 A parent population (P) is split into three daughter populations (Q, R, and S) which
grow in three different habitats. After 1000 generations, the equilibrium frequency
distribution of a trait in each of the daughter populations is shown in the figure
below. For reference, the vertical line represents the mean of the parent population.
From this information, one can infer that the subpopulations experienced the
following selection regimes
(A) Q: Directional; R: Stabilizing; S: No selection
(B) Q: Directional; R: Stabilizing; S: Stabilizing
(C) Q: Directional; R: Directional; S: Stabilizing
(D) Q: Stabilizing; R: Directional; S: No selection
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 15/22
Q.39 The character matrix below lists four taxa (P-S) and their nine characters (i-ix). A
character state is designated as ?0? if it is ancestral and ?1? if it is derived. Which of
the following phylogenetic trees is obtained by cladistic analysis of these data?
P Q R S
i) 0 1 0 0
ii) 1 1 0 0
iii) 1 1 1 0
iv) 1 1 0 0
v) 1 1 1 0
vi) 0 1 0 0
vii) 1 1 1 0
viii) 0 1 0 0
ix) 1 1 1 0
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 16/22
Q.40 The reactions below (R1 and R2) represent different carbon fixation pathways in
photosynthesis.
RuBP represents Ribulose bisphosphate.
Rubisco represents RuBP carboxylase-oxygenase.
PGA represents Phosphoglyceric acid.
PEP represents Phosphoenolpyruvate.
Rubisco
2
R1. CO + RuBP PGA ? ?? ?
PEP-Carboxylase
2
R2. CO + PEP Malic Acid ? ?? ?? ?
Which of the following is CORRECT?
(A) R1 and R2 both occur in C-3 and CAM photosynthesis
(B) R1 occurs in C-4 photosynthesis; R2 occurs in C-3 photosynthesis
(C) R1 occurs in C-3 photosynthesis; R2 occurs in C-4 photosynthesis
(D) R1 occurs in C-4 and CAM photosynthesis; R2 occurs in C-3 photosynthesis
Q.41 A fish species is sexually dimorphic: males possess ultraviolet (UV) spots on their
bodies which are lacking in females. Females prefer males with larger and more
intense UV spots as mates. Which of the following statements is a plausible reason
for the spots being coloured ultraviolet?
(A) Females assess males from long distances
(B) Females are not sensitive to UV light
(C) Ultraviolet spots are a poor indicator of male quality
(D) Ultraviolet spots are more conspicuous to predators
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 17/22
Q.42 A climate scientist notices a trend in atmospheric CO
2
concentrations (in ppm) at a
research station. Although overall CO
2
is rising over decades, there are intra-annual
fluctuations, as shown in the figure below.
These fluctuations can be attributed to
(A) burning of fossil fuels by automobiles and industry
(B) oscillations due to El Ni?o and La Ni?a events
(C) rising sea levels due to melting of polar ice-caps
(D) seasonal trends in photosynthesis and respiration
Q.43 Four islands differ in size (small = 10 km
2
, large = 100 km
2
) and distance from the
mainland (near = 50 km, far = 500 km).
Island P is small and near the mainland;
Island Q is small and far from the mainland;
Island R is large and near the mainland;
Island S is large and far from the mainland
Let N
P
, N
Q
, N
R
and N
S
denote the number of species on islands P, Q, R and S,
respectively. Which of the following is consistent with the theory of island
biogeography?
(A) N
Q
> N
S
> N
P
> N
R
(B) N
R
> N
Q
> N
P
> N
S
(C) N
Q
> N
P
> N
S
> N
R
(D) N
R
> N
P
> N
S
> N
Q
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 18/22
Q.44 The rate of population growth (dN/dt) over time (t) is shown below.
For the above population, which of the following plots of population (Popn.) size
(N) vs. time (t) is CORRECT?
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 19/22
Q.45 The pedigree below details a late onset genetic disease among humans. Males are
represented as squares and females as circles. Individuals with the disease are
depicted as black, and those without it are depicted as white. Which of the following
best describes the pattern of inheritance of the disease-causing gene?
(A) Mitochondrial
(B) X-linked dominant
(C) X-linked recessive
(D) Y-linked
Q.46 Match the following scientists with the concepts or theories they are associated
with.
(P) WD Hamilton (i) Neutral Theory of Molecular Evolution
(Q) RA Fisher (ii) Island Biogeography
(R) M Kimura (iii) Inclusive Fitness
(S) RH MacArthur (iv) Runaway Sexual Selection
(A) P-iii, Q-i, R-iv, S-ii
(B) P-ii, Q-iii, R-iv, S-i
(C) P-iii, Q-iv, R-i, S-ii
(D) P-ii, Q-iii, R-i, S-iv
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 20/22
Q.47 Which of the following is an example of complete intrinsic post-zygotic
reproductive isolation between two species P and Q?
(A) P and Q can mate and have fertile offspring
(B) P and Q can mate but their offspring are inviable
(C) P and Q have breeding seasons during different times of the year
(D) P and Q have different courtship behaviour
Q.48 Match the animals to their locomotor adaptation.
Adaptation Animal
(P) Volant (i) Ostrich
(Q) Fossorial (ii) Slow Loris
(R) Arboreal (iii) Naked Mole Rat
(S) Cursorial (iv) Bat
(A) P-iv, Q-i, R-iii, S-ii (B) P-iv, Q-iii, R-ii, S-i
(C) P-iii, Q-iv, R-i, S-ii (D) P-ii, Q-iii, R-i, S-ii
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 21/22
Q.49 Paralogs are genes that are the products of gene duplication events within a species.
Orthologs are genes in different species that share a common ancestral gene. The
figure below describes the evolutionary history of a hypothetical gene X in
organism Y. This gene undergoes a duplication event. Later, Y splits into two
species Y1 and Y2, and this gives rise to four copies of the gene - P, Q, R and S.
Which option best describes the relationships between the four copies of the
gene X?
(A) P & Q are orthologs, Q & R are paralogs
(B) R & S are orthologs, S & Q are paralogs
(C) R & S are orthologs, Q & R are paralogs
(D) P & R are orthologs, R & S are paralogs
Q.50 The frequency distribution of beak sizes of a bird species is symmetric but not
normally distributed. If the mean value of beak size is 6 mm, standard deviation is
25 mm and kurtosis is 10, then the median is ____ mm.
FirstRanker.com - FirstRanker's Choice
GATE 2018 General Aptitude (GA) Set-1
GA 1/2
Q. 1 ? Q. 5 carry one mark each.
Q.1 ?Going by the _________ that many hands make light work, the school _______ involved
all the students in the task .?
The words that best fill the blanks in the above sentence are
(A) principle, principal (B) principal, principle
(C) principle, principle (D) principal, principal
Q.2 ?Her _______ should not be confused with miserliness; she is ever willing to assist those in
need. ?
The word that best fills the blank in the above sentence is
(A) cleanliness (B) punctuality (C) frugality (D) greatness
Q.3 Seven machines take 7 minutes to make 7 identical toys. At the same rate, how many
minutes would it take for 100 machines to make 100 toys?
(A) 1 (B) 7 (C) 100 (D) 700
Q.4 A rectangle becomes a square when its length and breadth are reduced by 10 m and 5 m,
respectively. During this process, the rectangle loses 650 m
2
of area. What is the area of the
original rectangle in square meters?
(A) 1125 (B) 2250 (C) 2924 (D) 4500
Q.5 A number consists of two digits. The sum of the digits is 9. If 45 is subtracted from the
number, its digits are interchanged. What is the number?
(A) 63 (B) 72 (C) 81 (D) 90
Q. 6 ? Q. 10 carry two marks each.
Q.6 For integers ?? , ?? and ?? , what would be the minimum and maximum values respectively of
?? + ?? + ?? if log |?? | + log |?? | + log |?? | = 0?
(A) -3 and 3 (B) -1 and 1 (C) -1 and 3 (D) 1 and 3
GATE 2018 General Aptitude (GA) Set-1
GA 2/2
Q.7 Given that ?? and ?? are integers and ?? + ?? 2
?? 3
is odd, which one of the following
statements is correct?
(A) ?? and ?? are both odd (B) ?? and ?? are both even
(C) ?? is even and ?? is odd (D) ?? is odd and ?? is even
Q.8 From the time the front of a train enters a platform, it takes 25 seconds for the back of the
train to leave the platform, while travelling at a constant speed of 54 km/h. At the same
speed, it takes 14 seconds to pass a man running at 9 km/h in the same direction as the
train. What is the length of the train and that of the platform in meters, respectively?
(A) 210 and 140 (B) 162.5 and 187.5
(C) 245 and 130 (D) 175 and 200
Q.9 Which of the following functions describe the graph shown in the below figure?
(A) ?? = ||?? | + 1| ? 2 (B) ?? = ||?? | ? 1| ? 1
(C) ?? = ||?? | + 1| ? 1 (D) ?? = ||?? ? 1| ? 1|
Q.10 Consider the following three statements:
(i) Some roses are red.
(ii) All red flowers fade quickly.
(iii) Some roses fade quickly.
Which of the following statements can be logically inferred from the above statements?
(A) If (i) is true and (ii) is false, then (iii) is false.
(B) If (i) is true and (ii) is false, then (iii) is true.
(C) If (i) and (ii) are true, then (iii) is true.
(D) If (i) and (ii) are false, then (iii) is false.
END OF THE QUESTION PAPER
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 1/22
Q. 1 ? Q. 25 carry one mark each.
Q.1 During the Pleistocene, which of the following groups experienced the largest mass
extinction?
(A) Large dinosaurs
(B) Large mammals
(C) Reptiles
(D) Trilobites
Q.2 In group living species, the term ?dilution effect? refers to
(A) reduction in aggression among individuals with increasing group size
(B) reduction in the mobility of individuals with increasing group size
(C) reduction in the reproductive success of individuals with increasing group size
(D) reduction in the risk of predation of individuals with increasing group size
Q.3 Which of the following diversity indices best captures species turnover across
habitats?
(A) ? (B) ?? (C) ? (D) ?
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 2/22
Q.4 A duck egg is removed from its mother?s nest and incubated by a barnyard hen. The
duckling hatches out in the presence of the barnyard hen and stays in her nest. After
a couple of days, the duckling is presented with a choice between its biological
mother and the hen that incubated it. The duckling approaches and follows the hen.
This set of observations demonstrates the phenomenon of
(A) habituation
(B) imprinting
(C) instinct
(D) sensitization
Q.5 If both of your ears were located next to each other in the middle of your face, you
would have difficulty in resolving the
(A) direction of a sound
(B) duration of a sound
(C) loudness of a sound
(D) pitch of a sound
Q.6 Forager bees communicate the distance of a food source using a waggle dance upon
return to the hive. It is observed that the number of waggles of a dance increases
linearly with the distance to the food source. This tells us that the
(A) number of waggles and distance to food source is negatively correlated
(B) number of waggles and distance to food source is positively correlated
(C) number of waggles affects the distance to the food source
(D) number of waggles and the distance to the food source are uncorrelated
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 3/22
Q.7 Male frogs display to females by producing loud acoustic signals. The use of these
signals by bats to locate frogs and prey upon them is an example of
(A) aposematism
(B) deception
(C) eavesdropping
(D) mimicry
Q.8 A non-venomous, non-toxic species of snake is brightly coloured and closely
resembles a venomous snake species in the same habitat. This is most likely a case
of
(A) aggressive mimicry
(B) Batesian mimicry
(C) masquerade
(D) M?llerian mimicry
Q.9 The value of the resting membrane potential of a typical neuron is closest to the
equilibrium potential of which of the following ions?
(A) Ca
++
(B) ? K
+
(C) Mg
++
(D) Na
+
Q.10 A plant species found in India produces flowers that are white, fragrant, and tubular.
Which of the following is the most likely pollinating agent?
(A) Hummingbirds (B) Lorises
(C) Moths (D) Wind
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 4/22
Q.11 Which of the following can be used to test differences between mean tree heights in
a tropical versus a temperate forest?
(A) Binomial test
(B) Linear regression
(C) Pearson?s correlation
(D) Student?s t-test
Q.12 For a species, assuming a relatively short time scale and no evolution, increased
interspecific competition will result in a
(A) larger fundamental niche (B) larger realized niche
(C) smaller fundamental niche (D) smaller realized niche
Q.13 In which of the following mating systems is sperm competition likely to evolve?
(A) Monoandry
(B) Monogamy
(C) Polyandry
(D) Polygyny
Q.14 Copies of genes that arrive in a particular genome by horizontal gene transfer are
known as
(A) analogs (B) homologs (C) ohnologs (D) xenologs
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 5/22
Q.15 In which of the following plants is the dominant stage of the life cycle haploid?
(A) Cycads (B) Ferns
(C) Gymnosperms (D) Mosses
Q.16 Which of the following is NOT typically a characteristic of early successional
pioneer plants relative to late successional plants in a tropical rain forest?
(A) Higher shade tolerance (B) Smaller seed size
(C) Smaller size at maturity (D) Wind dispersed seeds
Q.17 Natural populations often deviate from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. One possible
reason for this is
(A) no migration (B) no selection
(C) random mating (D) small population sizes
Q.18 Which of the following is NOT an example of phenotypic plasticity?
(A) Density-dependent swarming behavior in locusts
(B) Increase in DDT resistance in mosquitos
(C) Seasonal variation in plumage colouration in birds
(D) Temperature-dependent sex determination in turtles
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 6/22
Q.19 Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of r-selected species?
(A) Early sexual maturity
(B) High juvenile mortality
(C) High parental care
(D) Large number of offspring
Q.20 A scientist finds a new species of insect and sends a sample to a museum for
confirmation. The curator of the museum designates it as a holotype for the newly
identified species and asks the scientist to also provide samples of the opposite sex.
This sample of the opposite sex is called the
(A) allotype (B) isotype (C) karyotype (D) neotype
Q.21 Which of the following is NOT essential for a behavioural trait to evolve by natural
selection?
(A) The behavioural trait differs among individuals
(B) The behavioural trait is determined at least in part by genes
(C) The behavioural trait influences reproductive success
(D) The behavioural trait is determined entirely by genes
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 7/22
Q.22 El Ni?o Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events have occurred approximately every
3-7 years over the last century. The cause of these ENSO events is related to
(A) large-scale air-sea interactions in the Pacific Ocean
(B) strong monsoon winds in the Indian Ocean
(C) the melting of icebergs in the Antarctic Ocean
(D) unsustainable overfishing in North Atlantic Ocean
Q.23 If the mean of a sample is 5, and the variance is 25, the PERCENT coefficient of
variation is ___.
Q.24 Consider a diploid population at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. For a locus with two
alleles, the frequency of the A
1
A
1
genotype is 0.01. The frequency of heterozygotes
A
1
A
2
is ____ (answer up to 2 decimal places).
Q.25 In a food chain, the efficiency of transfer of energy from one trophic level to the
next is 10%. The PERCENTAGE of energy that is expected to transfer from the
second to the fourth level is ____.
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 8/22
Q. 26 ? Q. 55 carry two marks each.
Q.26 Which of the following is an adaptation for osmoregulation in freshwater teleost
fish?
(A) Excreting large quantities of dilute urine
(B) Excreting large quantities of uric acid
(C) Having high concentration of blood urea
(D) Excreting large quantities of uracil
Q.27 The latitudinal diversity gradient is defined as the decrease in the number of species
from the equator to the poles. This can result from
(A) greater energy input at the poles
(B) greater land mass at the poles
(C) greater seasonal variation at the poles
(D) greater speciation rates at the poles
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 9/22
Q.28 Identify the graph in which natural selection on beak size is LEAST likely to be
occurring? For each of the graphs, the slope of the regression line and the associated
p-value is given.
Q.29 Some species of spiders add additional silk ?decorations? to their webs. It is
hypothesized that these decorations serve either to lure flies (prey) or to decrease
bird (predator) attacks on the spiders. The appropriate way to test these hypotheses
would be to compare numbers of
(A) predators and prey approaching decorated webs
(B) predators and prey approaching undecorated webs
(C) predators approaching decorated webs with prey approaching undecorated webs
(D) predators and prey approaching both decorated and undecorated webs
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 10/22
Q.30 The figure below shows mean annual temperatures (?C) and mean annual
precipitation (cm per year) from multiple sites in four regions in India.
From this climatic information, we can infer that P, Q, R, and S are LIKELY to be
located in:
(A) P: Andaman, Q: Meghalaya, R: Ladakh, S: Rajasthan
(B) P: Ladakh, Q: Rajasthan, R: Andaman, S: Meghalaya
(C) P: Meghalaya, Q: Ladakh, R: Rajasthan, S: Andaman
(D) P: Rajasthan, Q: Andaman, R: Meghalaya, S: Ladakh
Q.31 For a pair of interacting species, increased specialization and decreased niche
breadth in both species would result in
(A) decreased intraspecific competition and increased interspecific competition
(B) decreased intraspecific competition and decreased interspecific competition
(C) increased intraspecific competition and increased interspecific competition
(D) increased intraspecific competition and decreased interspecific competition
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 11/22
Q.32 Males of a bird species provide parental care by feeding nestlings before they
fledge. Which of the following is a PROXIMATE explanation for this behaviour?
(A) Feeding nestlings increases their survivorship after fledging
(B) High prolactin levels cause males to feed their nestlings
(C) Males from all species in this genus provide parental care
(D) Males that provide parental care have higher fitness
Q.33 The courtship display of a spider species consists of both visual and vibrational
signals. Females respond to the display by approaching males. In an experiment,
females were presented with 3 treatments: i) only videos of displaying males, ii)
only vibrational signals of the display, and iii) both videos of displaying males and
vibrational signals. The results are given below:
Treatment Percent of responding
females
Videos only 55%
Vibrational signals only 0%
Videos plus vibrational signals 95%
Results from this experiment show that
(A) vibrational signals are necessary to evoke a response
(B) vibrational signals are sufficient to evoke a response
(C) visual and vibrational signals are necessary to evoke a response
(D) visual signals are necessary to evoke a response
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 12/22
Q.34 Moth ears typically consist of a membranous eardrum backed by an air cavity. Ears
in different phylogenetic groups of moths have evolved on different body parts.
Moth ears are thus best described as
(A) convergent organs
(B) homologous organs
(C) maladaptive organs
(D) vestigeal organs
Q.35 Increased anthropogenic disturbance has resulted in an overall decrease in densities
of trees and an increase in fragmentation of forests. Which of the following types of
trees will have the greatest reduction in reproductive success?
(A) Dioecious species
(B) Monoecious species
(C) Self-compatible hermaphrodites
(D) Self-incompatible hermaphrodites
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 13/22
Q.36 A study examined the effect of neighbours on plants when grown at low or high
altitudes. The researcher measured Relative Neighbour Effect (RNE), defined as:
RNE = Biomass with neighbours ? Biomass without neighbours.
The results shown above demonstrate
(A) competition at both altitudes
(B) competition at high altitudes, and facilitation at low altitudes
(C) competition at low altitudes, and facilitation at high altitudes
(D) facilitation at both altitudes
Q.37 Match the combination of flora and fauna from the list, to the state where they are
found.
Combination Fauna; Flora
P Red panda; Rhododendron
Q Pygmy hog; Elephant grass
R Tiger; Mangrove
S Hangul; Chinar
(A) P: Assam; Q: Jammu & Kashmir; R: West Bengal; S: Sikkim
(B) P: Jammu & Kashmir; Q: Assam; R: West Bengal; S: Sikkim
(C) P: Sikkim; Q: Assam; R: West Bengal; S: Jammu & Kashmir
(D) P: Sikkim; Q: West Bengal; R: Assam; S: Jammu & Kashmir
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 14/22
Q.38 A parent population (P) is split into three daughter populations (Q, R, and S) which
grow in three different habitats. After 1000 generations, the equilibrium frequency
distribution of a trait in each of the daughter populations is shown in the figure
below. For reference, the vertical line represents the mean of the parent population.
From this information, one can infer that the subpopulations experienced the
following selection regimes
(A) Q: Directional; R: Stabilizing; S: No selection
(B) Q: Directional; R: Stabilizing; S: Stabilizing
(C) Q: Directional; R: Directional; S: Stabilizing
(D) Q: Stabilizing; R: Directional; S: No selection
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 15/22
Q.39 The character matrix below lists four taxa (P-S) and their nine characters (i-ix). A
character state is designated as ?0? if it is ancestral and ?1? if it is derived. Which of
the following phylogenetic trees is obtained by cladistic analysis of these data?
P Q R S
i) 0 1 0 0
ii) 1 1 0 0
iii) 1 1 1 0
iv) 1 1 0 0
v) 1 1 1 0
vi) 0 1 0 0
vii) 1 1 1 0
viii) 0 1 0 0
ix) 1 1 1 0
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 16/22
Q.40 The reactions below (R1 and R2) represent different carbon fixation pathways in
photosynthesis.
RuBP represents Ribulose bisphosphate.
Rubisco represents RuBP carboxylase-oxygenase.
PGA represents Phosphoglyceric acid.
PEP represents Phosphoenolpyruvate.
Rubisco
2
R1. CO + RuBP PGA ? ?? ?
PEP-Carboxylase
2
R2. CO + PEP Malic Acid ? ?? ?? ?
Which of the following is CORRECT?
(A) R1 and R2 both occur in C-3 and CAM photosynthesis
(B) R1 occurs in C-4 photosynthesis; R2 occurs in C-3 photosynthesis
(C) R1 occurs in C-3 photosynthesis; R2 occurs in C-4 photosynthesis
(D) R1 occurs in C-4 and CAM photosynthesis; R2 occurs in C-3 photosynthesis
Q.41 A fish species is sexually dimorphic: males possess ultraviolet (UV) spots on their
bodies which are lacking in females. Females prefer males with larger and more
intense UV spots as mates. Which of the following statements is a plausible reason
for the spots being coloured ultraviolet?
(A) Females assess males from long distances
(B) Females are not sensitive to UV light
(C) Ultraviolet spots are a poor indicator of male quality
(D) Ultraviolet spots are more conspicuous to predators
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 17/22
Q.42 A climate scientist notices a trend in atmospheric CO
2
concentrations (in ppm) at a
research station. Although overall CO
2
is rising over decades, there are intra-annual
fluctuations, as shown in the figure below.
These fluctuations can be attributed to
(A) burning of fossil fuels by automobiles and industry
(B) oscillations due to El Ni?o and La Ni?a events
(C) rising sea levels due to melting of polar ice-caps
(D) seasonal trends in photosynthesis and respiration
Q.43 Four islands differ in size (small = 10 km
2
, large = 100 km
2
) and distance from the
mainland (near = 50 km, far = 500 km).
Island P is small and near the mainland;
Island Q is small and far from the mainland;
Island R is large and near the mainland;
Island S is large and far from the mainland
Let N
P
, N
Q
, N
R
and N
S
denote the number of species on islands P, Q, R and S,
respectively. Which of the following is consistent with the theory of island
biogeography?
(A) N
Q
> N
S
> N
P
> N
R
(B) N
R
> N
Q
> N
P
> N
S
(C) N
Q
> N
P
> N
S
> N
R
(D) N
R
> N
P
> N
S
> N
Q
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 18/22
Q.44 The rate of population growth (dN/dt) over time (t) is shown below.
For the above population, which of the following plots of population (Popn.) size
(N) vs. time (t) is CORRECT?
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 19/22
Q.45 The pedigree below details a late onset genetic disease among humans. Males are
represented as squares and females as circles. Individuals with the disease are
depicted as black, and those without it are depicted as white. Which of the following
best describes the pattern of inheritance of the disease-causing gene?
(A) Mitochondrial
(B) X-linked dominant
(C) X-linked recessive
(D) Y-linked
Q.46 Match the following scientists with the concepts or theories they are associated
with.
(P) WD Hamilton (i) Neutral Theory of Molecular Evolution
(Q) RA Fisher (ii) Island Biogeography
(R) M Kimura (iii) Inclusive Fitness
(S) RH MacArthur (iv) Runaway Sexual Selection
(A) P-iii, Q-i, R-iv, S-ii
(B) P-ii, Q-iii, R-iv, S-i
(C) P-iii, Q-iv, R-i, S-ii
(D) P-ii, Q-iii, R-i, S-iv
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 20/22
Q.47 Which of the following is an example of complete intrinsic post-zygotic
reproductive isolation between two species P and Q?
(A) P and Q can mate and have fertile offspring
(B) P and Q can mate but their offspring are inviable
(C) P and Q have breeding seasons during different times of the year
(D) P and Q have different courtship behaviour
Q.48 Match the animals to their locomotor adaptation.
Adaptation Animal
(P) Volant (i) Ostrich
(Q) Fossorial (ii) Slow Loris
(R) Arboreal (iii) Naked Mole Rat
(S) Cursorial (iv) Bat
(A) P-iv, Q-i, R-iii, S-ii (B) P-iv, Q-iii, R-ii, S-i
(C) P-iii, Q-iv, R-i, S-ii (D) P-ii, Q-iii, R-i, S-ii
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 21/22
Q.49 Paralogs are genes that are the products of gene duplication events within a species.
Orthologs are genes in different species that share a common ancestral gene. The
figure below describes the evolutionary history of a hypothetical gene X in
organism Y. This gene undergoes a duplication event. Later, Y splits into two
species Y1 and Y2, and this gives rise to four copies of the gene - P, Q, R and S.
Which option best describes the relationships between the four copies of the
gene X?
(A) P & Q are orthologs, Q & R are paralogs
(B) R & S are orthologs, S & Q are paralogs
(C) R & S are orthologs, Q & R are paralogs
(D) P & R are orthologs, R & S are paralogs
Q.50 The frequency distribution of beak sizes of a bird species is symmetric but not
normally distributed. If the mean value of beak size is 6 mm, standard deviation is
25 mm and kurtosis is 10, then the median is ____ mm.
GATE 2018 Ecology and Evolution
EY 22/22
Q.51 An altruist provides help worth 10 units of fitness to a recipient, at a personal cost of
1 unit of fitness. As per kin-selection theory, the minimum value of genetic
relatedness between the actors and the recipients that is necessary to maintain
altruism in the population is _____ (answer up to 1 decimal place).
Q.52 A population grows from a size of 100 individuals at t = 0, to 1000 individuals at
t = 100, following density-independent growth. The ratio of per-capita growth rates
at the initial (at t = 0) to the final (t = 100) time is ____.
Q.53 The probability that a bush has a cricket is 0.1. The probability of a spider being
present on a bush is 0.2. When both a spider and a cricket are present on a bush, the
probability of encountering each other is 0.2. The probability of a spider consuming
a cricket it encounters is 0.5. Assuming that predation only occurs on bushes, the
probability that a cricket is preyed on by a spider is ____ (answer up to 3 decimal
places).
Q.54 A plant produces seeds that can be dispersed by birds or mammals. The probability
that a seed is dispersed by a bird is 0.25, and by a mammal is 0.5. The bird can
disperse a seed to three patches A, B, or C with a probability 0.5, 0.4 or 0.1,
respectively. On the other hand, the mammal disperses a seed to the same patches
A, B, or C, with a probability 0.15, 0.8 and 0.05, respectively. The probability that a
given seed is dispersed to patch B is ___ (answer up to 1 decimal place).
Q.55 The species area relationship of trees in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve is given by
S = 0.1 ? A
0.3
, where S is the number of species in a given area A. When log S is
plotted against log A, the slope of the resulting relationship is _____ (answer up to 1
decimal place).
END OF THE QUESTION PAPER
FirstRanker.com - FirstRanker's Choice
This post was last modified on 18 December 2019