Natural Selection

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.

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A population of rabbits grows rapidly from one year to the next. Then one year, a disease strikes approximately one fourth of the adult rabbits. The disease remains with the population in the years that follow.

As explained by Darwin’s theory, which of these conditions allows the rabbit population to evolve by natural selection?

• The disease affects adult and juvenile rabbits equally.

• The disease reduces the ability of the rabbits to reproduce.

• Some rabbits are resistant to the disease, and they pass the resistance to their offspring.

• No rabbits are resistant to the disease, and all die when the disease strikes them.

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The graphs below show the changes in crab color at one beach.

Which of the following is most likely to have caused the change in the distribution?

• A new predator arrived that preferred dark-tan crabs.

• A new predator arrived that preferred light-tan crabs.

• A change in beach color made medium-tan crabs the least visible to predators.

• A change in beach color made medium-tan crabs the most visible to predators.

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A population that is isolated in a remote environment is still able to experience genetic variation. How could genetic variation that contributes to evolution occur in such a population?

• A mutation in a liver cell produces liver cancer.

• Lateral gene transfer occurs that produces an organism that is less resistant to drought.

• A mutation in an egg cell causes a change in DNA that produces an organism that is more sensitive to sunlight.

• A mistake in DNA replication before meiosis produces an organism that is better able to outrun predators.

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Grass plants in a population range in height from 6 cm to 25 cm. The short plants receive little sunlight, and the tall plants are eaten by grazing animals. Which statement best describes the effect of natural selection on the grasses?

• Because average height grass plants are favored, stabilizing natural selection is occurring.

• Because average height grass plants are favored, disruptive natural selection is occurring.

• Because tall grass plants are favored by the animals that eat grass, directional selection is occurring.

• Because short and tall grass plants are favored, normal natural selection is occurring.

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Which of the following best illustrates natural selection?

• An organism with favorable genetic variations will tend to survive and breed successfully.

• A population monopolizes all of the resources in its habitat, forcing other species to migrate.

• A community whose members work together utilizing all existing resources and migratory routes.

• The largest organisms in a species receive the only breeding opportunities.

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Before the invention of the light bulb, Americans burned oil in lamps for light. Whale oil was popular bio-fuel for these

lamps. Ship crews would hunt whales for their oil. They searched for the largest whales they could find so that they could obtain as much whale oil as possible. How mighty decades of whale hunting possibly affect the natural selection of the species?

• The whales lost their legs.

• The whales became slower.

• The whales became smaller.

• The whales changed their calls.

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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.

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Suppose a certain species of insect lives in the lush green canopy of the rain forest. Some of the insects are bright green in color, and some are bright yellow. Assume there is a natural predator of the insect in the area. What do you expect to happen to the populations of the green and the yellow insects over time?

• The green insect population will increase and the yellow insect population will decrease.

• The green insect population will decrease and the yellow insect population will increase.

• Both insect populations will remain constant over time.

• Both insect populations will increase over time.

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Why are advantageous traits more likely to be passed onto offspring?

• Because they are more likely to survive and reproduce.

• Because they come from dominant alleles.

• Because they come from recessive alleles.

• Because the organism knew it needed that trait, survives, and passes it on.

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