Evolution: Chapter 17-20 Questions

Darwin’s theory of evolution offers a scientific explanation for which of the following?

• A      how genetic information is inherited

• B      changes in species over time

• C     human effects on biodiversity

• D         the age of Earth

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Thomas Malthus argued that if the human population grew unchecked, then supplies of food and other resources would be exhausted. Which of these ideas about evolution did Darwin adapt from Malthus’s work?

• A      An organism passes many of its traits to its offspring.

• B      All organisms fill a niche, or role in their environment.

• C     Variations within a species are necessary for evolutionary change.

• D     Organisms are able to produce many more offspring than will survive.

Darwin’s observations of Galapagos finches support the theory of evolution. Molecular homology of genes, such as Hox genes, provides another type of support for how species evolve. What does this imply about scientific theories?

• A      With enough evidence, scientific theories will become laws.

• B      Scientific theories are a culmination of many pieces of evidence.

• C     Scientific theories should not be trusted because the evidence for them changes over time.

• D         Scientific theories are hypotheses that scientists investigate.

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Two species of fish are introduced to the same lake. Over time, only one species survives. According to Darwin’s theory of evolution, what should characterize the surviving species?

• A      greater genetic variation

• B      more abundant food supply

• C     a better ability to survive and reproduce in the lake

• D         a better ability to withstand seasonal changes in the lake

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Bernice is preparing a report on evidence for the common ancestry of species. She includes the figure of forelimbs shown. The forelimbs are an example of which of the following?

• A      analogous

  structures

• B      vestigial structures

• C     homologous structures

• D    convergent structures

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Darwin collected a variety of fossils during his round-the-world journey on the HMS Beagle. How did the fossil specimens provide evidence for his theory of evolution?

•         Fossils show that Earth’s lands, ocean, and climate have changed little over time, allowing evolution to occur.

• B      Fossils show that many ancient, extinct species shared few if any physical characteristics with living species.

• C     Fossils show that many ancient, extinct species were identical to living species.

• D         Fossils show that ancient, extinct species were similar to living species, yet differed in many ways.

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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?

• A      The finch populations were very numerous, and different species often bred with one another.

• B      The finch species lived in different habitats on different islands, which isolated them from one another.

• C     The finch species were distributed evenly among all of the islands but did not interbreed.

• D         The beaks of the finches were identical, allowing them to eat the same foods on any of the islands.

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A snake does not have legs. Nevertheless, it has tiny hip-like bones in its midsection where legs could reasonably attach. The bones have no function.

How do the hip bones of a snake provide evidence for the evolution of snakes?

• A      The hip bones are vestigial structures that show evolutionary descent from an ancestor that had legs.

• B      The hip bones are analogous structures with the hip bones of other animals, and show how they all evolved from a common ancestor.

• C     The hip bones are vestigial structures that show that snakes, worms, and other legless animals evolved by adaptive radiation.

• D     The hip bones are homologous structures with the vertebrae and other bones of the snake, and show the sequence in which the vertebrate skeleton evolved.

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Single-celled bacteria and multicellular animals differ from one another in a wide variety of ways. How does molecular biology provide evidence for the evolutionary relationship between these two large groups of organisms?

• A      Differences in the use of DNA, RNA, and the genetic code show that the groups lacked a common ancestor.

• B      The identical use of DNA, RNA, and the genetic code show that the groups evolved from an ancient common ancestor.

• C     Differences in the use of DNA, RNA, and the genetic code show that the groups evolved at different rates in different environments.

• .

  D         The identical use of DNA, RNA, and the genetic code show that the groups evolved in a pattern of coevolution.

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Scientists have identified Hox genes in a wide variety of animals. The genes work the same way in animals to control the head-to-tail organization of body structures. How do Hox genes provide evidence for the theory of evolution?

• A      They are homologous structures at the molecular level, and show that many animal species evolved independently of one another.

• B      They are vestigial structures at the molecular level, and show that many animal species evolved independently of one another.

• C     They are analogous structures at the molecular level, and show convergent evolution among animal species.

• D     They are homologous structures at the molecular level, and support common ancestry among animal species.

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