Natural Selection & Speciation

Natural Selection & Speciation

Multiple Choice

Darwin observed many finch species on the Galapagos Islands. To explain these observations, he

proposed that each species evolved from the same common ancestor, which was a finch species

that migrated to the islands from the mainland. What additional evidence did Darwin use to support

his explanation?

• The finch populations were very numerous, and different species often bred with one another.

• The finch species lived in different habitats on different islands, which isolated them from one another.

• The finch species were distributed evenly among all of the islands, but did not interbreed.

• The beaks of the finches were identical, allowing them to eat the same foods on any of the islands.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is a situation that could cause evolutionary change that is NOT due to natural selection?

• A volcano erupts and kills many individuals in a population.

• A mutation produces sea stars that are less visible to predators.

• An insecticide is sprayed in a community to combat mosquitoes.

• Cattle are treated with antibiotics to prevent the spread of infections.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following statements best describes what will most likely occur to the moth populations in the image above?

• The light moths will be captured by predators more easily than the dark moths, and the population of dark moths will rise.

• The light moths will be captured by predators more easily than the dark moths, and the population of light moths will rise.

• The dark moths will be captured by predators more easily than the light moths, and the dark moths will probably go extinct.

• The light moths will change their wing color to match that of the dark moths.

Multiple Choice

What happens when species produce too many offspring?

• Species share the limited resources

• Species eat less so that all can survive

• Only those that are least fit can survive

• Only those that are best fit can survive

Multiple Choice

Which is NOT an example of camouflage:

• a tigers stripes blend in with long grass

• A solder's battle uniform helps him blend in to the background

• Sand wasps and yellow jackets are different types of insects but they both have yellow and black stripes

Multiple Choice

According to most scientists, what is the ultimate cause of most mass extinctions?

• overhunting

• evolution of new species to replace old ones

• major change in environment

• asteroid impact

Multiple Choice

Which is NOT an example of mimicry:

• The fur of an arctic fox turns white in winter to match the snow

• The tongue of an alligator snapping turtle looks like a worm, so he lures fish to his mouth

• A bad tasting butterfly & a good tasting butterfly have similar markings, so birds don't eat either kind

Multiple Choice

Which of the following must happen for a new species to evolve?

• Isolation
• Adaptation
• Differentiation 
• All of the possible multiple choice answers

Multiple Choice

What is a species?

• A group of organisms that can mate with each other and produce fertile offspring.

• A group of organisms that can mate and produce offspring even if those offspring are infertile.

• A group of organisms that genetically are very different from each other.

• Indivual organisms that live in the same environment.

Multiple Choice

The flowers of pink tulips open in the morning, while the flowers of lavender tulips open in the early afternoon. The bees that pollinate these tulips cannot carry pollen back & forth between the two types of tulips because of their flowers being closed at different times of day. What type of reproductive barrier is this?

• behavioral isolation
• hybrid sterility 
• temporal isolation
• mechanical isolation 

Multiple Choice

A flash flood carried a raft of Amazon ants away from their original population. There is enough distance between the two groups, that they will never meet in nature again. What type of reproductive barrier is this?

• behavioral isolation

• temporal isolation

• gametic isolation

• geographic isolation

Multiple Choice

Snails with a forward spiral and snails with a backward spiral have an advantage in their environment

• directional selection

• stabilizing selection

• disruptive selection

• artificial selection

• sexual selection

Multiple Choice

Fish that produce 40,000+ eggs have greater fitness than fish that produce less than this number

• directional selection

• stabilizing selection

• disruptive selection

• artificial selection

• sexual selection

Multiple Choice

On average, human newborns weigh 7.2 pounds.

• directional selection

• stabilizing selection

• disruptive selection

• artificial selection

Multiple Choice

Modern corn plants are the descendants of teosinte, a wild corn plant that has been selectively bred for over 1000 years.

• directional selection

• stabilizing selection

• disruptive selection

• artificial selection

• sexual selection

Multiple Choice

Aspen trees that are over 25 m tend to blow over in high winds; aspen that are under 15 m don't get enough sun

• directional selection

• stabilizing selection

• disruptive selection

• sexual selection

Multiple Choice

individuals with alleles for an extreme type are more likely to survive and reproduce

• stabilizing selection

• directional selection

• disruptive selection

• genetic drift

Multiple Choice

Male elk use their antlers and size to compete with each other for the ability to mate with female elk

• directional selection

• stabilizing selection

• disruptive selection

• artificial selection

• sexual selection

Macroevolution

• Convergent evolution- Similar traits in unrelated species (analogous structures)

• Divergent evolution- dissimilar traits in closely related species (bird's feet)

• Coevolution -two or more species evolve in response to another

Multiple Choice

It is believed that mammals and bird evolved from dinosaurs. This is

• coevolution

• convergent evolution

• divergent evolution

Multiple Choice

What type of evolution does this image depict?

• coevolution

• convergent evolution

• divergent evolution

Multiple Choice

In convergent evolution, organisms share physical similarities because they

• have a common ancestor

• live in similar environments

• develop homologous structures

• are closely related