Download Name Evolution: Natural Selection and Fitness Write the correct

Name _____________________
Evolution: Natural Selection and Fitness
Write the correct vocabulary term on the line provided.
_______________ Proposed explanation for observable phenomena based on data and scientific principles
_______________ Process in nature in which organisms that by chance have inherited traits that help them
to better survive reproduce more frequently
_______________ Biological change over time that is a result of natural selection
Circle the letter of the best response.
1. Which correctly describes the relationship between variation and natural selection? The mechanism for
evolution is natural selection. Natural selection _____________ variation due to mutations.
A. depends on
C. decreases
B. is independent of
D. eliminates
2. Shown below are some environmental adaptations. What is the proposed cause of these adaptations?
Organism
Environment
Adaptation
Cactus
Hot and dry
Stores water
Polar bear
Cold
Thick fur
A. asexual reproduction
C. cohesion
B. natural selection
D. human interactions
3. Ancestors of tigers did not have orange and black striped fur. The stripes likely have been produced
A. when lions became extinct
C. due to mutation
B. when new competition was present
D. due to asexual reproduction
4. White mice result from a mutation. These mice do not blend in with
their surroundings like the grey mice. Which is true about these mice?
A. Grey fur color in these mice will be selected against over
time.
B. Over time, all mice will become white
C. In terms of color, the grey mice are better adapted to the
environment than the white mice.
D. The fitness levels of the white and grey mice are the same.
5. Which could be a reason why a species does not change over time?
A. Mutations are not possible in this species
B. This species only has a few genes
C. This species has no predators
D. The environment where this species lives has not changed much over time
6. A mutation occurs in a gene for flower color. Which will likely occur?
A. change in the flower-color genes of the bees that pollinate the flower
B. increased flower-color diversity in the flower population
C. a change in selection pressures acting on flower color
D. an increased number of flower genes in the population
7. Natural selection only acts on
A. helpful/beneficial traits.
B. dominant traits
C. the fittest individuals
D. plants
8. To prevent extinction of a species due to disease or other causes, it is good for a species to have
A. little genetic diversity
C. hand sanitizer
B. lots of genetic diversity
D. lots of predators
9. Agriculturists have developed new varieties of vegetables from common wild mustard plants. All these
plants reproduce sexually. Which best explains the development of these different vegetable varieties?
A. Different varieties can develop from a single species as a result of the recombination of genetic
information.
B. Different species can develop from a single species as a result of the effect of similar environmental
conditions.
C. Mutations will occur in the genes of a species only if the environment changes.
D. Variations in a species will increase when the rate of mitosis is decreased.
10. A characteristic that an organism exhibits in its lifetime will only affect the evolution of its species if
A. it results from isolation of the organism from the rest of the population
B. it is due to a genetic code that is present in the gametes of the organism
C. it decreases the number of genes in the body cells of the organism
D. it causes a change in the environment surrounding the organism
11. The four different types of beaks shown are most likely the result of
A. gene manipulation
B. natural selection
C. unchanging environmental conditions
D. patterns of behavior learned from parents
12. Which species in the chart below is most likely to have the fastest rate of evolution?
A.
B.
C.
D.
13. The Florida panther, a member of the cat family, has a population of fewer than 100 individuals and has
limited genetic variation. Which inference based on this information is valid?
A. These animals will begin to evolve rapidly.
B. Over time, these animals will become less likely to survive in a changing environment.
C. These animals are easily able to adapt to the environment.
D. Over time, these animals will become more likely to be resistant to disease.
14. The kit fox and red fox species are closely related, but can be distinguished
by their ears and fur color. Also, the kit fox lives in the desert, while the red fox
inhabits forests. Which statement best explains how the differences between
these two species came about?
A. Different adaptations developed because the kit fox preferred hotter
environments than the red fox.
B. As the foxes adapted to different environments, differences in appearance evolved.
C. The foxes evolved differently to prevent overpopulation of the forest habitat.
D. The foxes evolved differently because their ancestors were trying to avoid competition.
15 All of the following statements concerning the theory of evolution by natural selection are true except:
A. Organisms produce far more offspring than are required for replacement.
B. The individuals in a population show variation in survivability and in their ability to cope with
environmental stress.
C. The number of offspring that survive to reproduce varies among individuals.
D. The bodies of organisms in a population change by use and disuse, and the changes are inherited by
the next generation.
E. Some of the variation in adaptation is the result of genetic differences that may be passed on to the
next generation.
16. In evolutionary terms, which of the following organisms is the most successful?
A. The one that lives the longest
B. The one that grows the most rapidly
C. The one that leaves the greatest number of offspring that survive to reproduce
D. The one that has the best characteristics for the current environment
E. The one that has the biggest territory
17. A small village was heavily infested with mosquitoes. The village was sprayed weekly with an insecticide
for a period of several months. The daily counts of the mosquito population are shown below.
Which statement best explains why some mosquitoes survived after
the first spraying?
A. Some mosquitoes were adapted to the climatic change that
occurred over the spraying period.
B. All of the mosquitoes contained DNA unique to the
species.
C. The spraying of the insecticide represented a change in the
environment to which all adult mosquitoes were adapted.
D. A natural variation existed within the mosquito
population.
18. Rabbits eat plants and in turn are eaten by predators such as foxes and wolves. A population of rabbits is
found in which a few have a genetic trait that gives them much better than average leg strength.
A. Predict how the frequency of the trait for above average leg strength would be expected to change in
the population over time. Explain your prediction.
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B. State what is likely to happen to the rabbits in the population that do not have the trait for above
average leg strength.
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C. It was later discovered that the rabbits born with the trait for above average leg strength also inherited
the trait for poor eyesight. Taking into account this new information, explain how your predictions would
change. Support your answer.
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Name ________________
Anatomical Evidence
Part I: Write the correct vocabulary term on the line provided.
______________ Structures that serve the same function but evolved independently
______________ Structures that have lost their function over time
______________ Structures that are similar in structure and suggest a common ancestor
Part II: Select the letter of the best response.
The diagram below represents the bones of the forelimbs of two animals alive today that most likely evolved
from a common ancestor. If these two animals did have a common ancestor, which statement would best
explain why there are differences in the bones?
A. Changes occurred to help the animals return to their original environment.
B. Changes contributed to the survival of the organisms in their new environment.
C. Changes helped reduce competition within each group.
D. Changes indicate the species are evolving to be more like the ancestral species.
The functional similarity of the mandibles (hinged jaws) of insects and those of mammals is an example of
A. homology
B. analogy
C. divergent evolution
D. adaptive radiation
Part III: Next to each diagram write analogous, homologous, or vestigial.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
G.
I.
F.
H.
Name _____________________
Selection Types Study Guide
In most populations, a trait that has higher fitness leads to greater numbers of organisms with that trait. On the
graphs, dotted lines represent the original population. The solid lines represent the population after selection has
taken place.
Part I: Name that selection type.
A. __________________ one extreme of the trait distribution is selected against it; therefore, the population's
trait distribution shifts toward the other extreme.
B. __________________ selective pressures select against the two extremes of a trait such that the middle
phenotype is favored.
C. __________________ selection pressures act against individuals in the middle of the trait distribution. The
result is a two-peaked curve in which the two extremes of the curve create their own smaller curves.
Part II: Select the letter of the best response.
1. A plant that is too short may not be able to compete with other plants for sunlight. However, extremely tall
plants may be more susceptible to wind damage. Combined, these two selection pressures select to maintain
plants of medium height. The number of plants of medium height will increase while the numbers of short and
tall plants will decrease. This selection is
A. directional
B. disruptive
C. stabilizing
D. all of the above
2. There was a selection pressure against short necks in giraffes, since individuals with short necks could not
reach as many leaves on which to feed. As a result, the distribution of neck length shifted to favor individuals
with long necks. This is an example of
A. directional selection
B. disruptive selection
C. stabilizing selection
D. all of the above
3. A research study sampled populations of field mice annually over the course of 50 years. The population was
categorized by coat color. Data from the beginning and end of the study are graphed above. What type of
selection is represented by the change in the data from 1955 to 2005 ?
A. directional
B. disruptive
C. stabilizing
D. all of the above
4. Imagine a plant of extremely variable height that is pollinated by three different pollinators: one that was
attracted to short plants, another that preferred plants of medium height and a third that visited only the tallest
plants. If the pollinator that preferred plants of medium height disappeared from an area, medium height plants
would be selected against and the population would tend toward both short and tall, but not medium height
plants. This selection is
C. directional
D. disruptive
C. stabilizing
D. all of the above
Part III: Circle the best response:
Under which type of selection do organisms in the middle of the curve have the highest fitness?
disruptive
stabilizing
directional
In disruptive selection, organisms represented by which part of the curve have the lowest fitness?
middle of the curve
ends of the curve
Part IV: Indicate whether each picture is directional, disruptive, or stabilizing.
Type:
Type
Type:
Type:
Type:
Type:
Type:
Type:
Type:
Type:
Part V: Describe a unique situation that might lead to each type of selection.
A. Directional:
B. Disruptive/ diversifying:
C. Stabilizing:
Name ________________
RELATEDNESS STUDY GUIDE
Circle the letter of the best response.
1. An evolutionary pathway is represented below. Which statement is most accurate?
A. All evolutionary pathways show only autotrophs.
B. Two organisms on the same branch of an evolutionary pathway are more closely related to each
other than to those on distant branches.
C. All the organisms shown at the ends of evolutionary pathway branch tips are alive today.
D. Evolutionary pathways show that evolution is a short-term process.
2. A researcher recently discovered a new species of bacteria in the body of a tubeworm living near a
hydrothermal vent. He compared the DNA of this new bacterial species to the DNA of four other species of
bacteria. The DNA sequences came from the same part of the bacterial chromosome of all four species.
According to these data, the unknown bacterial species is most closely related to
Species
Unknown Species
Species I
Species II
Species III
Species IV
A. Species I
DNA Sequence
ACT GCA CCC
ACA GCA CCG
ACT GCT GGA
ACA GCA GGG
ACT GCA CCG
B. Species II
C. Species III
D. Species IV
3. Which statement concerning the evolution of species A, B, C, D, and E is supported by the diagram?
A. Species B and C can be found in today’s environments.
B. Species A and D evolved from E.
C. Species A and C can still interbreed.
D. Species A, B, and E all evolved from a common ancestor and all are successful today.
4. An inference that can be made from information in the diagram is that
A.
B.
C.
D.
many of the descendants of organism B became extinct
organism B was probably much larger than any of the other organisms represented
most of the descendants of organism B successfully adapted and are alive today
all branches represent the same species
5. Which observation could best be used to indicate an evolutionary relationship between two species?
A. They have similar base sequences.
B. They have similar fur color.
C. They inhabit the same geographic regions.
D. They have the same role in the environment.
Part III: Respond as indicated.
1. The data table below shows the number of amino acid differences in the hemoglobin molecules of several
species compared with amino acids in the hemoglobin of humans.
Based on the information in the data table, write the names of the organisms from the table in their correct
positions on the evolutionary tree below.
2. The amino acid sequences of three species shown below were determined in an investigation of evolutionary
relationships.
Species A: Val His Leu Ser Pro Val Glu
Species B: Val His Leu Cys Pro Val Glu
Species C: Val His Thr Ser Pro Glu Glu
Based on these data, which two species are most closely related? Support your answer.
3. Choose one to answer:
Option A: Explain the loss of effectiveness of antibiotic drugs.
In your explanation, be sure to:
• identify the genetic event that resulted in the original antibiotic resistance
• explain how the overuse of antibiotics can increase bacterial resistance
Option B: Growers of fruit trees have always had problems with insects. Insects can cause visible damage
to fruits, making them less appealing to consumers. As a result of this damage, much of the fruit cannot be
sold. Insecticides have been useful for controlling these insects, but, in recent years, some insecticides
have been much less effective. In some cases, insecticides do nothing to stop the insect attacks. Your task
is to provide a biological explanation for this loss of effectiveness of the insecticides.
In your answer, be sure to:
• identify the original event that resulted in the evolution of insecticide resistance
• explain why the percentage of resistant insects in the population has increased
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4.
5. Over the last 30 years, a part of the Hudson River known as Foundry Cove has been the site for many
factories that have dumped toxic chemicals into the river. Some of these pollutants have accumulated in the
mud at the bottom of the river. The polluted cove water contains many single-celled organisms and simple
multi- cellular animals. Curiously, when the same species from nearby regions with non- polluted sediments are
moved to the polluted cove water, they die.
Scientists hypothesized that the organisms living in the cove have evolved so that they are able to survive in
polluted water. To test this hypothesis, biologists tried to duplicate the history of the cove in the laboratory.
They took a large number of one species of simple animal from a cove with unpolluted mud and placed them in
a flask that contained polluted mud from Foundry Cove (diagram 1). Most of the animals died, but a few
survived (diagram 2). The scientists then bred the survivors with each other for several generations producing
offspring that were descendants of the survivors. When placed in Foundry Cove, most of these descendants
survived.
The diagrams below represent the steps in this investigation.
Part I: On the diagram of the flask below, sketch the animals that would be present in flask 3 after several
generations of breeding in the laboratory.
Part II: Explain how the simple animals of Foundry Cove adapted to the polluted water. Your answer must
include an explanation of the role of three of the following in this process:
• environment • genetic variation • selection • reproduction • survival of the fittest
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