Evolution Common Asessment

A population of mosquitoes is sprayed with a new insecticide.  Most of the mosquitoes are killed but a few survive.  In the next generation, the spraying continues, but still more mosquitoes hatch that are unaffected by the insecticide.  Which of the following BEST explains these results?

• The insecticide caused a mutation in the genes of the immune mosquitoes
• The mosquitoes learned how to fight the insecticide
• A few mosquitoes in the first population were immune and passed this trait to their offspring
• The insecticide caused the mosquitoes to develop an immune response that was inherited
  

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Change in the hereditary features of a type of organism over time is ______________.

• Growth  
• Biogenesis
• Spontaneous generation
• Evolution
  

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Polar bears and brown bears are related.  Over time, polar bears and brown bears have developed different appearances.  Which of these MOST LIKELY caused the difference in fur color between the two species?

• Polar bears ate less and lost fur color
• Brown bears ate food that caused their fur to be brown
• Brown bears benefited by growing thicker fur to keep them warm
• Polar bears benefited from lighter colored fur and passed it onto their offspring
  

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Charles Darwin observed giant tortoises in the Galapagos Islands.  He recognized that they had different types of shells depending upon the island they lived on.  Based on these observations, he concluded that:

• Different types of tortoises selected different islands
• Weather conditions wore down the shells differently on each island
• People removed tortoises that they considered to be unattractive
• Shells that made it easiest for the tortoises to eat became more common over time
  

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According to Darwin’s theory of natural selection, why do species evolve over time?

• Only the fittest organisms survive to reproduce
• Members of species work together to survive
• Organisms cause changes to their environments
• Organisms produce only organisms that can survive
  

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Anole lizards live throughout the Bahamas. They are small, fast running lizards with long legs. Visitors to the islands introduced a predator of the anoles. The predator is a large lizard that can also run very fast. Over the years, the anoles that survived were short-legged tree climbers. Today, throughout the Bahamas, the anoles are short-legged and live in trees.
Scientists explain this evolutionary shift in the anole lizard population as an example of?

• Genetic mutation
• Natural selection
• Selective breeding
• Artifical selection

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The peppered moth was originally light colored with some dark spots. It was well camouflaged from birds and bats on light colored trees. Over time, the light colored trees were covered in a layer of black soot due to industrial pollution. What happened to the peppered moth population?

• The moths were not affected by the change to the trees
• The number of white moths increased
• The number of black moths increased
• The moths migrated to areas with less pollution
  

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A species of rabbit that is found in hot desert environments has longer ears than other rabbits.  How are long ears an advantage to desert rabbits?

• Long ears help the rabbit to hear rattlesnakes better
• Blood flowing in long, thin ears is a cooling mechanism
• The rabbit uses its long ears to signal other rabbits of danger
• Long ears help rabbits locate mates in the remote desert
  

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A giraffe’s long neck helps it to survive because giraffes can:

• Eat leaves in the high branches of trees
• Eat grass in the fields
• Run away from lions
• Hide from tigers and other predators
  

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Which adaptation allows giraffes to feed on a diet of leaves from treetops?

• Type of skin covering
• Body structure  
• Body markings
• Visual ability