Natural Selection Quiz

Who proposed the theory of natural selection?

• Lamarck
• Darwin
• Watson
• Malthus

A population of birds colonizes an area and starts eating insects that live in trees. Over time, the average beak size in the bird population grows. Which of the following is the best explanation?

• Increased fitness of large-beaked birds, leading to natural selection
• Increased fitness of the large-beaked birds, creating a new species
• Decreased fitness of small-beaked birds, creating a new species
• Decreased fitness of the insects, allowing the birds to catch them more easily

Which of the following is not an observation or inference on which natural selection is based?

• Only a FRACTION of an individual's offspring may survive.
• Species produce MORE offspring than the environment can support.
• Poorly adapted individuals NEVER produce offspring.
• There is heritable VARIATION among individuals

The smallest biological unit that can evolve over time is

• Individuals
• Populations
• Ecosystems
• Species

Which of the following is an example of genetic variation?

• One child has blue eyes and the other has brown eyes.
• One child eats meat and the other is a vegetarian.
• One child has a scar and the other does not.
• One child is older than another.

A genetic mutation causes a newt to have faster reflexes. After many generations, most of the newt population has the reflex mutation. Which of the following is the best explanation?

• The mutation was contagious.
• Newts with the mutation are better able to survive and reproduce than newts without the mutation.
• The newt passed on its mutated gene to other adult newts.
• Other newts learned to copy the strategies of the mutated newt.

Mutations are a change in what?

• DNA
• tRNA
• genotype
• phenotype

In the rock pocket mice, there were two populations of black mice. What evidence showed that they evolved the black fur independently?

• The traits evolved in the same gene.
• The traits evolved on different genes.
• The black fur was beneficial in both populations on the black rock.
• The black fur was beneficial to one population but not the other on the black rocks.

Briefly explain what you learned in the Natural Selection Lab.

Which of the following best describes the role of mutations in evolution?

• Mutations always lead to harmful traits.

• Mutations provide genetic variation that can be acted upon by natural selection.

• Mutations are always beneficial and lead to new species.

• Mutations occur only in response to environmental changes.