Evolution 1

The species of finches that Darwin observed differed in the shape of their beaks. According to Darwin, all of these species probably

• had a common ancestor.
• had migrated from Africa.
• had descended from similar birds in Africa.
• ate the same diet.

The process by which a population becomes better suited to its environment is known as

• accommodation.
• adaptation.
• variation.
• acclimation.

The major idea that Darwin presented in his book The Origin of Species was that

• species change over time and never compete with each other.
• animals change, but plants remain the same over time.
• species may change in small ways but cannot give rise to new species.
• species change over time by natural selection.

Natural selection is the process by which

• the age of selected fossils is calculated.
• organisms with traits well suited to their environment survive and reproduce more successfully than organisms less suited to the same environment.
• acquired traits are passed on from one generation to the next.
• All of the above

Natural selection could not occur without

• genetic variation in species.
• stable environments.
• competition for unlimited resources.
• gradual warming of the Earth.

Since natural resources are limited, all organisms

• must migrate to new habitats.
• must compete for resources.
• display vestigial structures.
• have inherited characteristics.

Refer to the illustration above. The similarity of these structures is one form of evidence that the organisms

• share a common ancestor.

• all grow at different rates.

• evolved instantaneously.

• live for a long time.

Refer to the illustration above. The bones labeled “X” can be referred to as

• vestigial structures.

• sequential structures.

• homologous structures.

• fossil structures.

Anatomical structures that appear to be derived from a functional structure in an ancestor, but that currently do not serve an important function, are called

• inorganic.
• fossilized.
• mutated.
• vestigial.

The beak of a bird and the beak of a giant squid evolved independently and serve the same function. The beaks are

• divergent structures.
• analogous structures.
• homologous structures.
• hybrid structures.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2