Evolution 1

What process is most responsible for the extinction of most species of plants and animals that have lived on Earth?

• gene mutation
• environmental changes
• selective breeding
• decrease in reproduction

Which would indicate that a series of fossils represent the evolution of the horse?

• All of the fossils were found in the same layers of rocks as horse fossils.
• All of the fossils are completely identical to horse bones.
• All of the fossils show similar structures to that of the modern horse.
• All of the fossils were located in the same place on Earth as horses.

Scientists think that dolphins and whales may have evolved from a common ancestor.  What evidence supports this hypothesis?

• They swim the same way.
• They eat the same food.
• They live in the same area of the ocean.
• They have similar anatomies.

Which is an example of the forelimbs of humans and bats having the same basic skeletal structure but derived from the same evolutionary origin?

• cellular structures
• analogous structures
• homologous structures

Which is true about fossils?

• Fossils provide the evidence for the Law of Gravity.
• Fossils provide the evidence for the Laws of Motion.
• Fossils provide the evidence for the Theory of Evolution.

Which best demonstrates analogous structures in animals?

• cat fur and dog fur
• whale fins and human arms
• bird wings and insect wings
• gills in fish and lungs in mammals

Which characteristic best indicates an evolutionary relationship between birds and reptiles?

• warm blood
• Scales
• feathers
• hard-shelled eggs

James is examining two different fossil specimens. The fossils of both organisms show wings with similar bone structure. Which conclusion can James most likely make?

• The organisms are of different species.
• The wings served the same function in both organisms.
• The wings allowed the organisms to fly long distances.
• The organisms are of the same species.

Which word is the best title for this diagram?

• Classes
• Phyla
• Domains
• Families

Which best explains why the wing of a bat and the fin of a whale are similar?

• a common ancestor between the bat and the whale
• a mutation in nature that caused them to be similar
• a simple coincidence between the bat and the whale