Introduction to Natural Selection

To measure a population's baseline genetic state, random mating must be had to be in __________________________________.

• mutations

• gene flow

• natural selection

• Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium

Different species are distinguished by their _____.

• physical appearance

• DNA

• size

• diet

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_______________ fossils show intermediate steps in the evolution process.

• all

• petrified

• transitional

• no

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When Charles Darwin discovered the various finch species on the Galápagos islands, he was surprised to find so many different but related species in such a small geographic area. Which of the following best illustrates the correlation between competitive advantage and an individual’s traits in a particular environment?

• Finches had no natural predators on the island before Darwin’s voyage, allowing them to prosper on the islands.

• Competition between different species for food resources led to resource partitioning of the ecosystem.

• Different islands had very different food resources available, and only individuals that were adapted to eat those food resources survived and reproduced on that island.

• Mating behaviors in finch species ensure that different species of finch will not interbreed with one another.

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Those individuals who have traits that help them survive are able to reproduce, and their offspring have those traits, leading to a change in the species over time.

• False

• Mostly true

• True

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NGSS.MS-LS4-4

How is antigenic drift beneficial for viruses?

• It leads to less mRNA which is easier to copy.

• It makes them unrecognizable to the immune system.

• It changes how genes code for antigens.

• It creates a variety of immune responses in the host organisms.

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The exposure of human populations to less UV light required a reduction in melanin to produce more vitamin D for healthier bones. This is an example of a(n) ___________________ in humans.

• homologous trait

• adaptation

• genetic drift

• common descent

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Which choice correctly identifies a positive correlation regarding the increase in black peppered moth populations in England during the late 1800s?

• the correlation between air pollution and white moth populations

• the correlation between air pollution and black moth predation

• the correlation between air pollution and white moth predation

• the correlation between black moth populations and predation of black moths

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NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Natural selection is a biological process that leads a population to have a widespread expression of a(n) _______________________ trait.

• genotypic

• negative

• advantageous

• vestigial

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A paleontologist finds a fossil of an animal with sharp, pointed teeth. It would make sense to think that this animal eats ___.

• mostly microscopic animals like plankton

• mostly meat from other animals

• mostly soft plant material

• mostly hard, tough plant material