Evolution Review

Explain why the finches have different shaped beaks according to Charles Darwin.

• Environmental changes changed the type of available food, allowing finches with the best shaped beaks to survive and reproduce more.

• Environmental changes chemically altered the type of available food, allowing finches with the best shaped beaks to survive and reproduce more.

• Environmental changes changed the type of available food, killing finches with the best shaped beaks not allowing them to survive and reproduce more.

• Environmental changes changed the type of available water and space, allowing finches with the best shaped beaks to survive and reproduce more.

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A shark and a dolphin have similarly shaped

bodies and fins. However, these two organisms

are not closely related: The shark is a fish, and

the dolphin is a mammal. Some species may

have similar body structures even if they are not

related because they evolved in

• similar environments and specific traits increased their chances of survival

• similar environments and were exposed to factors that caused exactly the same mutations

• different environments, but tried to adapt in the same ways so they could survive

• different environments, but ate similar foods that affected their growth and development

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Natural selection produces changes most quickly in

• species with short reproductive cycles

• individual pathogens killed by antibiotics

• complex multicellular organisms

• individuals that produce a small number of offspring

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Survival of at least a few members of a population after a major environmental change is most dependent on

• the population having an individual that is adapted to the original environment

• the population having an individual that is adapted to great changes in the temperature in its environment

• variations in many different traits in many individuals in the population

• no variations in the color of the fur, skin, or feathers of the individuals in the population

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Natural selection is best described as

• a change in an organism in response to a need of that organism

• a process of nearly constant improvement that leads to an organism that is nearly perfect

• differences in survival rates as a result of different inherited characteristics

• inheritance of characteristics acquired during the life of an organism

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Certain chemicals, such as cytochrome C, are found within cells of all living organisms. The biochemical structure of cytochrome C in ground finches and in tree finches is very similar. This suggests that tree finches and ground finches have

• identical DNA

• a common ancestor

• evolved at the same time

• the same nesting site

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The extremes of dry and wet weather of the Galapagos Islands cause the food supply to constantly change. During dry years, the food is mainly large, hard seeds, and finches with large beaks are found in greater numbers. Which statement best explains this observation?

• Dry environments cause mutations in finches.

• Finches grow larger when they have more water.

• Small finches become smaller during dry seasons

• Large beak size is an adaptation to dry conditions.

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Which mammal would be most closely related to a hippopotamus?

• deer

• whale

• pig

• cow

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Which statement best describes a relationship between the common ancestor and the other organisms in the diagram?

• The common ancestor most likely has segments of its DNA that will match each of the other organisms’.

• The common ancestor is more closely related to macaques than to gibbons.

• Orangutans and gorillas have exactly the same DNA as the common ancestor.

• Chimps and baboons were the first organisms to evolve from the common ancestor.

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A line representing an organism that is closely related to leaf monkeys and that evolved at about the same time as the gibbons would be drawn beginning at point

• A

• B

• C

• D

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