Darwin and Natural Selection

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.

What is the most likely explanation of the data shown below?

• There has been a drought in the area that is affecting all life forms.

• The population of natural predators of the moths has gotten smaller.

• The moths are living in an environment with light trees.

• The moths are living in an environment with dark trees.

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.

According to Darwin’s theory of natural selection, the individuals that tend to survive are those that have

• characteristics their parents acquired by use and disuse.
• the greatest number of offspring.
• characteristics that plant and animal breeders value.
• variations best suited to the environment.

When did Charles Darwin live? 

• 1600s
• 1700s
• 1800s
• 1900s

According to Darwin’s theory of natural selection, the individuals that tend to survive are those that have

• characteristics their parents acquired by use and disuse.
• the greatest number of offspring.
• characteristics that plant and animal breeders value.
• variations best suited to the environment.

Darwin developed his theory of natural selection by the studying the unique life on this chain of islands in the Pacific Ocean near South America.

• the Andouilles

• the Hawaiian Islands

• the Galapagos Islands

• the Aleutian Islands

The finches of the Galapagos islands different in what way and for what reason?

• size of body, size of trees

• location on specific islands, amount of water

• coloration. types of predators

• beak shape, type of food available

A trait that helps an organism survive and reproduce

• Adaptation

• Variation

• Allele

• Species

The theory of natural selection was introduced by

• Gregor Mendel

• Sir Isaac Newton

• Charles Darwin

• Copernicus