Domain 4 – Evolution: 15-Question Assessment

A biological adaptation is:

• a change in an organism that helps it survive in its environment

• the process of an organism growing larger over time

• the ability of an organism to move quickly

• a behavior that is learned from other organisms

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In a population of rabbits, some can run faster than others. Faster rabbits survive predators more often. What will MOST likely happen over many generations?

• The population will have more fast-running rabbits over time.

• All rabbits will eventually become slow runners.

• Predators will disappear from the environment.

• The population will have fewer rabbits overall.

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3. “Fitness” in natural selection refers to an organism’s ability to…

• survive and reproduce in its environment

• run faster than other organisms

• live longer than other organisms

• consume more food than other organisms

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A population of beetles includes mostly light-colored individuals. What is MOST likely to occur if the environment becomes darker?

• The population will shift to include more dark-colored beetles.

• Light-colored beetles will become more common.

• The population will remain unchanged.

• All beetles will die out.

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Natural selection acts on phenotypes rather than genotypes because:

• phenotypes are the physical traits that interact with the environment

• genotypes are always visible to predators

• phenotypes do not affect survival or reproduction

• genotypes are more important for evolution than phenotypes

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Antibiotic-resistant bacteria become more common because…

• antibiotics kill non-resistant bacteria, allowing resistant ones to survive and multiply

• antibiotics make all bacteria stronger

• bacteria become resistant when not exposed to antibiotics

• antibiotic-resistant bacteria are naturally less common

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A hurricane drastically reduces a population’s size by chance. This random change in allele frequency is an example of…

• genetic drift

• natural selection

• gene flow

• mutation

A few individuals leave one population and join another. This MOST likely results in:

• increased genetic diversity in the new population

• decreased population size in both populations

• extinction of the original population

• no change in either population

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In a very small population, allele frequencies change more rapidly because…

• genetic drift has a stronger effect

• natural selection is weaker

• mutation rates are higher

• gene flow is increased

The situation that would MOST likely lead to the formation of a new species is:

• A population becomes geographically isolated from the rest of its species.

• Individuals in a population migrate seasonally.

• A population experiences a temporary food shortage.

• Members of a population eat the same food and remain in the same area.

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