Evolution Quiz

What is natural selection?

• The process by which individuals with beneficial traits produce more offspring, leading to changes in the traits of living organisms over time.

• The ability of an organism to change its color in response to environmental changes.

• A random process that results in the survival of the fittest individuals.

• The process by which individuals acquire traits through use and disuse.

Which of the following is an example of adaptation?

• A bear hibernating in winter.

• A plant producing more seeds in a drought.

• A chameleon changing its color to blend in with its surroundings.

• All of the above.

What is speciation?

• The process by which new species are created.

• The migration of a species from one habitat to another.

• The extinction of a species.

• The process by which a species changes color.

Why is genetic variation important for natural selection?

• It ensures that all members of a species are identical.

• It provides a mechanism for species to become extinct.

• It provides the raw material for evolution, allowing populations to adapt to changing environments.

• It decreases the survival rate of a species.

Which of the following best describes evolutionary patterns?

• The random distribution of traits within a population.

• The predictable changes in the environment over time.

• The gradual changes in species over long periods of time.

• The immediate changes in an organism's traits in response to a threat.

What role does mutation play in evolution?

• It decreases genetic variation within a population.

• It is the only source of new alleles.

• It always results in beneficial traits.

• It increases an organism's lifespan.

How does adaptation affect a species' survival?

• It decreases a species' ability to survive and reproduce.

• It has no effect on a species' survival.

• It increases a species' ability to survive and reproduce in its environment.

• It only affects a species' coloration and patterns.

What is the significance of the fossil record in studying evolution?

• It provides direct evidence of organisms that lived in the past.

• It shows that organisms have not changed over time.

• It is only useful for studying plants.

• It disproves the theory of natural selection.

Which of the following is a mechanism of speciation?

• Genetic drift

• Gene flow

• Natural selection

• All of the above

How does gene flow affect a population?

• It decreases genetic variation between populations.

• It increases genetic variation within a population.

• It has no effect on genetic variation.

• It only affects the population's size.