The Origin of Species Quiz

What was the greatest scientific mystery of Alfred Russel Wallace's time?

• The nature of black holes

• The structure of the atom

• The theory of relativity

• The origin of species

What was the name of the British Naval vessel on which Charles Darwin sailed around the world?

• The Beagle

• The Navigator

• The Explorer

• The Voyager

What did Charles Darwin find inside the flippers of manatees and whales that suggested a connection between species?

• Vestigial finger bones

• Webbed feet

• Extra fins

• Gills

What did Alfred Russel Wallace formulate based on his observations of where new species arise?

• A principle of physics

• A theory of relativity

• A hypothesis of evolution

• A law of nature

What did Wallace realize about animal populations and variation during a high fever?

• Variation has no impact on survival

• Variation leads to extinction

• Those with variations that give them an advantage will survive and reproduce

• All individuals within a species are identical

What did Wallace think might have an important new idea and wanted a second opinion before publishing?

• The concept of intense competition and natural selection

• The idea of random variation

• The principle of divine intervention

• The theory of special creation

What did Wallace realize about the distribution of species in the Malay Archipelago?

• The species were placed there by divine intervention

• The distribution was a result of pure chance

• The eastern islands were once connected to Australia and New Guinea, while the western islands were connected to Asia

• The distribution was completely random

What was the name of the line that Wallace dubbed to explain the distribution of mammals in the Malay Archipelago?

• The Wallace Line

• The Galapagos Line

• The Darwin Line

• The Malthus Line

What was the primary focus of Charles Darwin's studies during his voyage on The Beagle?

• The behavior of animals

• The geology of the regions he visited

• The diversity and distribution of organisms

• The weather patterns in different regions

What was the key difference between Darwin's and Wallace's theories of natural selection?

• Darwin focused on survival of the fittest, while Wallace focused on survival of the weakest

• Darwin believed in gradual evolution, while Wallace believed in sudden changes

• Darwin's theory was based on competition, while Wallace's theory was based on cooperation

• There was no significant difference between their theories