Crash Course Video: Evolution and Natural Selection

What is the process by which certain inherited traits make it easier for some individuals to thrive and multiply, changing the genetic makeup of populations over time?

• Migration

• Mutation

• Natural selection

• Genetic drift

What is the term used to describe the variations in physical characteristics among individuals in a population?

• Adaptations

• Genotypes

• Alleles

• Phenotypes

Which type of selection favors extreme phenotypes and selects against the common traits?

• Directional selection

• Stabilizing selection

• Sexual selection

• Disruptive selection

What did Charles Darwin observe in the finches of the Galapagos Islands that led to his idea of natural selection?

• Variations in beak shape and size

• Variations in wing coloration

• Variations in body size

• Variations in mating behavior

What is the term used to describe the struggle for resources, such as food and water, among individuals in a population?

• Mutualism

• Competition

• Cooperation

• Predation

What is the mode of selection that selects against extreme phenotypes and favors the majority that are well adapted to an environment?

• Sexual selection

• Directional selection

• Stabilizing selection

• Disruptive selection

What is the term used to describe the process of humans selectively breeding plants and animals for desired traits?

• Sexual selection

• Genetic drift

• Artificial selection

• Natural selection

What is the principle of natural selection that states populations can often have more offspring than resources can support?

• Struggle for existence

• Heritability

• Variation

• Fitness

What is the term used to describe the struggle between individuals of the same sex for the possession of the other sex?

• Artificial selection

• Sexual selection

• Natural selection

• Genetic drift

What is the main cause of evolutionary change?