Natural Selection

Which of the following ideas is supported by Darwin’s observation of local variation among tortoises in the Galápagos Islands? 

• artificial selection
• adaptation
• acquired characteristics
• tendency towards perfection

A change in a DNA sequence that affects genetic information

• mutation

• fitness

• transformation

An inherited characteristic that increases an organism's chance of survival

• adaptation

• evolution

• fitness

Which rock layer contains the newest fossils?

• F
• E
• B
• C

Which pair of animals are genetically most closely related and therefore most recently diverged from their common ancestor?

• Chimpanzee and Mouse

• Rat and Mouse

• Rat and Chimpanzee

Images of the embryo and adult stages of three different organisms are shown.

Which of the following is the best conclusion that can be drawn from this evidence?

• Having similar embryos indicates that these organisms eat the same types of food.

• Having similar embryos indicates that these organisms live in a similar environment.

• Having similar embryos indicates that these organisms share a recent common ancestor.

• Having similar embryos indicates that a certain protein controls how many legs the adult organisms will have.

Researchers discovered that the legs of birds are homologous to the feet of reptiles. Which claim is BEST supported by this fact?

• Birds do not require legs

• Birds and reptiles have a common ancestor

• They randomly developed the same structures

• Selection pressures have acted on birds, but not on reptiles

Which type of rock are most fossils found?

• sedimentary rock

• metamorphic rock

• igneous rock

• fossils

Common ancestry relates to evolution because

• evolution only happens when there are common ancestors.
• Common ancestors make evolution happen more quickly.
• evolution can never take place with common ancestors.
• the more two organisms have in common, the more recent is their common ancestor during their evolution.

According to the law of superposition, the oldest fossils are found 

• At the top of the rock layers
• Near the bottom of the rock layers
• In the middle of the rock layers
• Somewhat near the surface