Download Evolution Test

Evolution Test
1. Genetic variation increases the chance that some individuals in a population will survive
if the environment changes. What are the two main sources of genetic variation?
a. mutation and natural selection
b. mutation and recombination
c. recombination and sexual selection
d. natural selection and adaptation
2. Scientists have collected fossils from three layers of rock--A, B, and C--shown in the
diagram. What conclusion can the scientists make based on the layer in which these
fossils were found?
a. Fossilized organisms found in layer A evolved from those found in layer B.
b. Fossilized organisms found in layer C evolved from those found in layer B.
c. Fossils found in layer A are older than those found in layers B and C.
d. Fossils found in layer C are older than those found in layers A and B.
3. A small island contains two species of turtles. One species has short legs and lives in
areas with short grasses. The other species has longer legs and lives in areas with tall
plants. The best explanation for this difference in leg length is that
a. The two species have adapted to different environments.
b. Longer legs are advantageous on islands with many plants.
c. The species with shorter legs must have other adaptations.
d. Natural selection has favored the species with longer legs.
4. In nature, some individuals inherit adaptations that allow them to survive and produce
more offspring than other individuals. As a result, the adaptations will become more
common in the population through the process of
a. divergent evolution.
c. genetic drift.
b. natural selection.
d. reproductive isolation.
5. The wings of birds and the wings of butterflies are examples of analogous structures.
Although they perform similar functions--allowing both types of animals to fly--they
evolved separately. Therefore, analogous structures are
a. evidence that all animals should have wings.
b. evidence of a common ancestor.
c. not evidence of a common ancestor.
d. better evidence than homologous structures.
6. Darwin observed _______________ between island species on his voyage.
a. Identical
c. Genetics
b. Variation
d. Nothing
7. Darwin observed _________________ evidence of species changing over time.
a. Visual
c. Photograph
b. Genetic
d. Fossil
8. Natural selection is a mechanism by which individuals that have an inherited beneficial
adaptation produce ______________ on average than do other individuals.
a. More offspring
c. More food
b. Less offspring
d. Less Food
9. Which of the following is not one of the four principals of Natural Selection?
a. Produce more offspring than can survive
b. Population shows variation
c. The differences have to be new
d. Differences seen must be able to be inherited
10. What is the best example to show species changing over time?
a. DNA sequencing
c. Embryos
b. Fossils
d. Molecular fingerprinting
11. This image shows four different finches Charles Darwin found while on the Galapagos
Islands. Which of these would be most adapted to eating small insects found in tiny holes
of trees?
a. Geopiza fortis
c. Certhidea olivacea
b. Geopiza parvula
d. Eospiza magnirostris
12. Overuse of antibiotics has led to
a. The extinction of viruses
b. The extinction of bacteria
c. New antibiotic-resistant piopulations of viruses
d. New antibiotic- resistant populations of bacteria
13. Which statement is true, with regard to the theory of evolution?
a. Evolution of an entire species can often occur in a single individual organism
b. The theory of evolution is proof that evolution occurs exactly as described, and
cannot be revised.
c. The theory of evolution offers an explanation of how competition for resources
may lead a species to change.
d. DNA sequences and protein similarities are the only reliable way to determine
that an organism evolved from another.
14. Which of these could be BEST described as a behavioral response to changes in the
environment of an organism? Which of these could be BEST described as a behavioral
response to changes in the environment of an organism?
a. a wolf hunts rabbits for food during a long, cold winter
b. a cell uses energy in the form of ATP to produce protein molecules
c. a reptile moves from a sunny rock to a shady location during the hottest part of
the day
d. a plant takes in water through its root system to provide necessary materials for
photosynthesis
The diagram documents a famous experiment by Diane Dodd. Dodd took an initial
population of Drosophila fruit flies and separated them into two different containers. The
first group was fed food containing mostly starch. The second group was fed food
containing mostly maltose. After eight generations apart when the flies were reintroduced, they would no longer interbreed. They bred only with flies of like eating
habits.
15. Dodd's experiment and subsequent experiments by others using fruit flies supported
earlier conclusions that:
a. by providing different foods, new species will evolve.
b. food sources influenced genetic variation and new species evolved.
c. reproductive isolation could be induced and might lead to speciation.
d. because flies breed so quickly, it is relatively easy to induce new species.
16. Suppose that the four species of finches shown at the top of the picture above, are all
released onto an island in the middle of the ocean. The only species of plant is the betel
palm, shown below. The betel palm produces large nuts with a tough outer husk.
According to the law of natural selection, which species of finch probably has the
greatest chance to survive over the long term?
a.
b.
c.
d.
finch 1
finch 2
finch 3
finch 4
17. The graph shows the results of a famous biological experiment. In the experiment,
Kettlewell believed that the peppered moth demonstrated how environmental factors
influence evolution. He studied 2 areas. Dorset was a rural wood, with natural
conditions. Birmingham was an urban area. The moths used tree trunks to camouflage
themselves against birds, which are their major predaors. Natural gene variations
produce a light form of the peppered moth, and a dark form, meaning that they are not
equally visible. Which conclusion is supported by Kettlewood’s data?
a. dark moths had a survival advantage in forested Dorset
b. light moths had a survival disadvantage in forested Dorset
c. light moths had a survival advantage in smoggy Birmingham
d. dark moths had a survival advantage in smoggy Birmingham
18. Populations change over time. Which of the following is an example of artificial
selection rather than natural selection?
a. Genetic drift
c. Selective breeding
b. Natural selection
d. Geographic isolation
19. The organism displays a yellow and black banding pattern that is referred to as cryptic
coloration. The banding pattern serves as a warning to predators to keep away.
Scientists think that the development of warning coloration is a result of:
a. parasitism
c. natural selection
b. succession
d. selective breeding
20. What abiotic factor influences the color of the snowshoe rabbits fur?
a. snowfall
c. available water
b. food availability
d. number of predators
21. Darwin published his book “On the ________________ by Means of Natural Selection”
in 1859.
a. Evolution on Animals
c. Creation of New Species
b. Origin of Species
d. Brink of Extinction
22. Charles Darwin developed his theory of natural selection to explain why…
a. There is a large variety of living organisms
b. Living organisms show little change
c. Mendel’s laws of heredity are true
d. Birds are able to inhabit isolated islands
23. Which of the following should be analyzed to BEST determine if two organisms share a
common ancestor?
a. Their DNA
d. Their embryonic
b. Their Fossil record
development
c. Their structural similarities
24. An _____________ is a more primitive feature, such as teeth and tails, that do appear in
ancestral forms.
a. Derived Trait
c. Homologous Trait
b. Ancestral Trail
d. Analogous Trait
25. This is a cause of evolution when a small sample of a population settles in a location
separated from the rest of the population.
a. Founder Effect
c. Sexual Selection
b. Genetic Drift
d. Bottleneck Effect
26. This type of selection operates in populations where males and females differ
significantly in appearance.
a. Natural Selection
c. Sexual Selection
b. Genetic Selection
d. Founder Selection
27. What is it called when one species gives rise to many different species in a relatively
short time
a. Genetic Drift
c. Mutagenic Diversification
b. Founder Effect
d. Adaptive radiation
28. __________________ occurs when a population declines to a very low number and then
rebounds.
a. Founder Effect
c. Sexual Selection
b. Genetic Drift
d. Bottleneck Effect
29. Based on what we talked about in class which adaptation did not have a consequence?
a. Peacock’s Feathers
c. Kingsnake’s Color
b. Fiddler Crab’s Claw
d. Cheetah’s speed
30. What is evolution?
a. A fact backed by many experiments
b. A belief held by scientists
c. A theory yet to be disproven
d. A lie made up by a crazy old man