Evolution and Natural Selection Quiz

What is the process by which organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring?

• Mutation

• Natural Selection

• Genetic Drift

• Artificial Selection

Which of the following is considered evidence of evolution?

• Meteorite impacts

• Fossil records

• Weather patterns

• Plate tectonics

What term describes the permanent disappearance of a species from Earth?

• Mutation

• Adaptation

• Extinction

• Speciation

Which of the following best describes the role of genetic variation in natural selection?

• It decreases an organism's chance of survival.

• It has no effect on natural selection.

• It increases an organism's chance of survival and reproduction.

• It ensures that all individuals in a species are identical.

What is the term for the process by which new species evolve from a common ancestor?

• Convergent evolution

• Divergent evolution

• Co-evolution

• Speciation

Which of the following is an example of a vestigial structure?

• The beak of a bird

• The wings of a bat

• The human appendix

• The fins of a fish

What does the fossil record show?

• Earth's climate has remained constant.

• Life on Earth has existed in the same form since the beginning.

• A detailed and ordered record of life forms evolving over time.

• The extinction of species has never occurred.

Which mechanism of evolution involves random changes in the gene pool of a small population?

• Natural selection

• Genetic drift

• Gene flow

• Mutation

What is an adaptation?

• A temporary change in behavior in response to an environmental challenge.

• A physical or behavioral trait that improves an organism's ability to survive and reproduce.

• A random mutation that has no impact on an organism's fitness.

• A deliberate change made by an organism in response to a predator.

Which of the following best describes artificial selection?

• The process by which the environment naturally selects the fittest organisms.

• The process by which humans breed specific plants or animals for desired traits.

• The random selection of organisms for reproduction.

• The natural process by which organisms evolve without human intervention.