Evolution and Natural Selection Quiz

Who proposed the concept of natural selection?

• Albert Einstein

• Charles Darwin

• Isaac Newton

• Gregor Mendel

What does the fossil record provide evidence of?

• Historical climate patterns

• Extinct species and their evolutionary history

• Current population sizes

• Human migration patterns

How does comparative anatomy support the theory of evolution?

• By showing similarities in anatomical structures among different species, suggesting common ancestry.

• By demonstrating that species never change over time.

• By revealing the different habitats where species live.

• By illustrating the unique features of each species.

Explain the role of time in natural selection.

• Natural selection acts over generations, gradually shaping the characteristics of a population.

• Natural selection operates instantaneously, causing rapid changes in populations.

• Natural selection only occurs during specific time periods.

• Natural selection has no relation to time.

What process leads to the divergence of new species?

• Natural selection

• Genetic drift

• Speciation

• Mutation

How are traits passed down from parents to offspring?

• Through environmental factors

• Through random chance

• Through natural selection

• Through genetic inheritance

What is evolution, and how does it relate to natural selection?

• Evolution is the process of gradual change in populations over time, driven by natural selection among other mechanisms.

• Evolution is the sudden appearance of new species, unrelated to natural selection.

• Evolution is the extinction of species due to environmental changes.

• Evolution is the migration of species to different habitats.

Name two other mechanisms besides natural selection that contribute to evolution.

• Genetic drift and gene flow

• Artificial selection and genetic engineering

• Mutation and genetic variation

• Adaptation and speciation

Describe the significance of genetic drift in evolutionary processes.

• Genetic drift can lead to random changes in allele frequencies within a population.

• Genetic drift always results in beneficial adaptations.

• Genetic drift only occurs in small populations.

• Genetic drift has no impact on evolution.

What is the main mechanism driving natural selection?

• Genetic drift

• Mutation

• Variation

• Adaptation