Evolution & Natural Selection Quiz

What is Darwin's theory of evolution?

• Evolution through artificial selection

• Evolution through random mutation

• Evolution through intelligent design

• Evolution through natural selection

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

Explain the process of natural selection.

• Natural selection is the process by which organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.

• Natural selection is the process of animals choosing their own traits.

• Natural selection is the process of humans controlling which species survive.

• Natural selection is the process of random mutations occurring in organisms.

Give an example of an adaptation in a specific environment.

• Cacti storing water in their stems in the desert

• Whales having gills to breathe underwater

• Polar bears living in tropical rainforests

• Cacti growing in arctic tundras

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

How does natural selection lead to the survival of the fittest?

• Individuals with disadvantageous traits always outcompete others.

• Advantageous traits help individuals survive and reproduce, leading to their prevalence in the population.

• Survival of the fittest means only the physically strongest survive.

• Natural selection is random and does not favor specific traits.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

NGSS.MS-LS4-6

Why are adaptations important for the survival of species?

• Adaptations are unnecessary for species survival

• Adaptations only benefit a few individuals within a species

• Adaptations help species survive by improving their ability to thrive in their specific habitat.

• Adaptations hinder species from thriving in their habitat

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

How do different environments influence the adaptations of species?

• Different environments have no impact on the adaptations of species.

• Species adapt to different environments by developing specific traits that help them survive and thrive in those conditions.

• Species adapt to different environments by randomly mutating their DNA.

• Species adapt to different environments by choosing which traits to develop.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS3-1

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

Explain the concept of 'survival of the fittest' in the context of natural selection.

• Organisms that are less suited to their environment are more likely to survive

• Survival of the weakest leads to better adaptation

• Beneficial traits are randomly distributed among organisms

• Organisms that are better suited to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce, leading to the propagation of beneficial traits over time.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

1. Earth has experienced several ice ages.  Which types of organisms would natural selection most likely favor if Earth had another ice age?

• organisms that swim

• organisms that are predators

• organisms that carry out photosynthesis

• organisms adapted for surviving cold temperatures

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

1. Most of the moths in a pre-industrialized area were white. Industrialization caused an increase in air pollution. The pollution blackened the surface of rocks and tree trunks. About 100 years later, most of the moths in that area were black. This change in moth color is an example of what?

• chemical resistance    

• 1. natural selection

• 1. speciation     

• 1. genetic engineering

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

1. Which of the following is NOT one of the main principles of Darwin’s theory of natural selection?

• 1. Organisms will pass traits to their offspring according to a concept known as descent with modification.

• 1. Organisms will compete for resources in a given environment.

• 1. Organisms with characteristics most suited to their environments will survive.

• 1. Organisms will produce only as many offspring as will survive.