Evolution Quiz

What year did Charles Darwin publish "On the Origin of Species"?

• 1859

• 1865

• 1871

• 1901

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DOK Level 1: Recall

Which of the following best describes natural selection?

• The process by which individuals with beneficial traits produce more offspring

• The ability of an organism to change its color in different environments

• The transmission of traits from parents to offspring through genetic information

• The development of new species from pre-existing species over time

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DOK Level 2: Skill/Concept

What is a vestigial structure?

• A body part that has lost its original function through evolution

• A structure that is used for primary functions in an organism

• A body part that is fully developed and essential for survival

• A structure that organisms develop in response to environmental changes

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DOK Level 1: Recall

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

• The wings of a butterfly and the wings of a bird

• The flippers of a penguin and the arms of a human

• The tail of a monkey and the tail of a fish

• The eyes of a human and the eyes of an octopus

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DOK Level 2: Skill/Concept

What does the fossil record provide evidence for?

• The immutability of species

• The instantaneous creation of all life forms

• The gradual change of species over time

• The lack of intermediate forms between species

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DOK Level 1: Recall

Which mechanism of natural selection involves organisms better adapted to their environment producing more offspring?

• Genetic drift

• Gene flow

• Survival of the fittest

• Mutation

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DOK Level 2: Skill/Concept

What are analogous structures?

• Structures in different species that are similar because of common ancestry

• Structures that have the same function in different species but are not derived from a common ancestor

• Structures that are present in an embryo but not in the adult form

• Structures that have no apparent function and appear to be residual parts from a past ancestor

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DOK Level 1: Recall

Which of the following is considered a vestigial structure in humans?

• Appendix

• Heart

• Brain

• Kidneys

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DOK Level 2: Skill/Concept

Darwin observed finches on the Galápagos Islands. What did these observations help him to develop?

• The theory of relativity

• The germ theory of disease

• The theory of evolution by natural selection

• The laws of thermodynamics

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DOK Level 1: Recall

What is the primary source of genetic variation upon which natural selection acts?

• Mutation

• Migration

• Genetic drift

• Non-random mating

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DOK Level 2: Skill/Concept