Natural Selection and Evolution Quiz

After the Industrial Revolution, dark-colored moths became more common than light-colored ones due to pollution darkening tree bark. Why?

• Light-colored moths preferred pollution

• Dark-colored moths were better camouflaged from predators

• The moths changed color at will

• Pollution directly turned moths darker

A population of bacteria is exposed to antibiotics. Some survive and reproduce, making the next generation more resistant. What explains this?

• The bacteria decided to resist

• Antibiotics made the bacteria mutate

• Resistant bacteria survived and passed on their traits

• All bacteria were equally affected

Why do giraffes today have long necks?

• Individual giraffes stretched their necks over time

• Giraffes with longer necks had better access to food and reproduced more

• Short-necked giraffes became extinct randomly

• All giraffes grew longer necks to adapt

On the Galápagos Islands, finches with different beak shapes thrive in different environments. What does this illustrate?

• Beak size changes randomly

• Birds choose their beak shape

• Natural selection favors beak types that help in survival

• All finches have the same beak but use them differently

Cheetahs are incredibly fast. Why?

• They train daily

• Faster cheetahs caught more prey and passed on their genes

• All cheetahs randomly became fast

• Their prey became slower over time

Farmers notice that insecticides stop working as well over time. Why?

• Insects learned to avoid the insecticide

• Some insects were naturally resistant and reproduced

• The insecticide made the bugs evolve

• Farmers didn’t use enough insecticide

Why do polar bears have thick white fur?

• They evolved from brown bears; white fur helped them survive in the Arctic

• They adapted by choosing to grow white fur

• White fur is randomly distributed in all bears

• All bears have the potential to turn white

In snowy environments, white-furred rabbits survive better than brown ones. Why?

• Brown rabbits turned white when it snowed

• White rabbits were harder for predators to see and passed on their genes

• Brown rabbits migrated

• White rabbits were given camouflage potions

Wolves that hunt in packs catch more prey and have more offspring. Why is this an example of natural selection?

• Wolves that hunt alone get smarter

• Pack-hunting wolves survive and reproduce more successfully

• Wolves learn hunting from their parents

• Wolves evolve into bigger animals

Bees prefer bright-colored flowers, so those flowers reproduce more. What does this show?

• Bees pollinate randomly

• Bright-colored flowers attract more bees and reproduce successfully

• Flowers can change their colors at will

• All flowers survive equally