Download Evolution Unit Test Review with answers

Evolution Unit Test Review
Name____________________________________________________ Period ________
1. What is natural selection?
Process by which individuals that are better suited to their environment survive and
reproduce most successfully. Also called Survival of the Fittest.
2. What are the environmental factors that affect natural selection?
Available food, shelter, water availability, climate, predators
3. Natural selection occurs more rapidly when a change in the environment occurs.
4. What is survival of the fittest?
Those species best adapted to their environment will survive and reproduce.
5. What is biodiversity?
The sum total of the variety of organisms on the biosphere.
6. What leads to biodiversity? Biodiversity is a result of genetic variation in a changing
environment. This will allow adaptations to different environments.
7. What benefit does genetic variation within a species provide? It allows species to be
able to adapt to a changing environment.
8. Darwin saw several species of finches on the Galapagos Islands that were not on the
mainland. Explain how this occurred? The common ancestor that came from the
mainland had adapted to the different environments found on the Galapagos Islands.
This lead to the development of many different species.
9. What is speciation?
Formation of new species.
10. What is geographic isolation?
This is when species are reproductively isolated because they are separated by geographic
barriers like rivers, mountains, or bodies of water (ex. Squirrels at the Grand Canyon)
11. What are some things that can lead to speciation?
Reproductive isolation which is prevention of mating between formerly interbreeding
groups, or the inability of these groups to produce fertile offspring.
3 isolating mechanisms
Behavioral isolation- capable of breeding but have differences in courtship rituals
(ex. Meadowlarks)
Geographical isolation – separated by geographic barriers like rivers, mountains,
or bodies of water (ex. Squirrel)
Temporal isolation – 2 or more species reproduce at different times.
12. Give some examples in which speciation occurred.
Answers will vary. Horses and Donkeys, Tigers and Lions, etc.
13. What determines if a mutation will lead to speciation? The mutation must give the
organisms some type of advantage.
14. What is selective breeding (artificial selections)?
Nature provides the variation and humans select the variations that they find useful.
They then will breed those organisms to produce offspring with desired traits.
15. What is the main difference between natural selection and selective breeding?
Natural selection is when the changing environment (nature) “chooses” which traits are
beneficial and then those organisms are allowed to reproduce. Selective breeding is
where humans chose the desired traits and breed only those organisms with those
traits.
16. What is evolution?
The Process of change over time.
17. What evidence supports the theory of evolution?
Fossil record, Comparative anatomy, Comparative embryology, Comparing DNA, and
Biogeography.
18. What is a vestigial structure? How does this give evidence of evolution?
Organ that currently serves no useful function in an organism, but most likely had a
function in an ancestor.
19. Organisms that are the most alike in body structure, reproductive processes, and
feeding patterns most likely share similar _Evolutionary_ past.
20. What is genetic diversity and how does it occur?
The sum total of all the different forms of genetic information (genes, DNA) carried by
all organisms living on Earth today.
21. What can increase the rate of evolution?
Genetic variability in species and a changing environment.
22. What would have to happen for the theory of evolution to change?
New evidence would have to be gathered that supports the change in the theory.
23. Why is evolution taught in science classes?
This is the current scientific theory accepted by scientists that explains the change in
organisms over time.
24. Who is Linnaeus?
Swedish botanist that developed a two-word naming system (binomial nomenclature)
and a classification system which includes seven Hierarchical taxa.
25. What is binomial nomenclature?
A two name system for writing scientific names.
The genus name is written first. (Always Capitalized)
The species name is written second. (Never capitalized)
Both words are italicized if typed or underlined if hand written.
26. Why did Linnaeus not identify the Kingdoms Archaea, Bacteria, or Protista?
He did not have the technology needed to identify these kingdoms.
27. What is a dichotomous key? What types of characteristics would be most useful to use
in a dichotomous key?
A key used to identify an unknown organism. The user is presented with a sequence of
choices between two statements, based on characteristics of the organism. By always
making the correct choice, the name of the organism will be revealed.
28. Know how to use a dichotomous key. NO ANSWER NEEDED
29. What is a phylogenetic tree?
A family tree that shows a hypothesis about the evolutionary relationships thought to
exist among groups of organisms.
30. What is a cladogram?
Diagrams that shows the evolutionary relationships between living organisms.
31. Describe a domain?
Most inclusive taxonomic category; Based on cell type (prokaryotes & eukaryotes) larger
than a kingdom.
32. Describe the seven levels of classification? Start with the most general and continue to
the most specific.
1. Kingdom Organisms are placed into kingdoms based on: their cell type; their
ability to make food; number of cells that make up the organism.
2. Phylum Group of closely relates classes.
3. Class Group of similar orders.
4. Order Group of similar families.
5. Family Group of genera that share many characteristics.
6. Genus Group of closely related species, and the 1st part of the scientific name
of binomial nomenclature.
7. Species Group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile
offspring.