Evolution Vocab Quiz

What is the term used to describe the process by which traits become more or less common in a population due to consistent effects upon the survival or reproduction of their bearers?

• Mutation

• Natural Selection

• Genetic Drift

• Gene Flow

Tags

DOK Level 2: Skill/Concept

Which of the following best describes an adaptation?

• A random change in the DNA sequence

• A trait that increases an organism's ability to survive and reproduce

• The movement of alleles between populations

• A decrease in population size due to environmental pressures

Tags

DOK Level 2: Skill/Concept

What are homologous structures?

• Structures in different species that are similar because of convergent evolution

• Structures that perform the same function but are not similar in origin

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

• Random mutations that cause similar appearances in unrelated species

Tags

DOK Level 2: Skill/Concept

Which of the following is an example of an artificial selection?

• A giraffe's neck becoming longer because the taller trees have more leaves

• Breeding dogs to produce a new variety

• Fish adapting to polluted water

• Insects developing resistance to pesticides

Tags

DOK Level 1: Recall

What is a selecting agent in the context of natural selection?

• A gene that mutates to give a survival advantage

• An environmental factor that influences which traits are advantageous

• A scientist who chooses which organisms to breed

• A chemical that causes mutations in DNA

Tags

DOK Level 2: Skill/Concept

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates the concept of evolution?

• A population of insects develops resistance to a pesticide over several generations

• A single bacterium acquires a mutation that makes it resistant to an antibiotic

• A cloned sheep has exactly the same genetic makeup as its parent

• A computer virus becomes more complex due to random code changes

Tags

DOK Level 3: Strategic Thinking

What role does adaptation play in the process of natural selection?

• It ensures that all individuals in a population survive to reproduce

• It leads to changes in the gene pool over time based on the survival and reproduction of individuals

• It prevents new species from forming

• It decreases genetic diversity within a population

Tags

DOK Level 3: Strategic Thinking

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 whale and the arms of a human

• The tails of a monkey and a lizard

• The beaks of different types of birds

Tags

DOK Level 2: Skill/Concept

What is the primary effect of a selecting agent in an ecosystem?

• It increases genetic diversity by introducing new genes

• It determines which traits are more favorable for survival and reproduction

• It physically separates populations to prevent breeding

• It mutates genes at a higher rate

Tags

DOK Level 3: Strategic Thinking

How is evolution defined?

• change in DNA

• change over time

• inserting one gene into another organism

• breeding