NEW
Font size
S
M
L
XL
WorksheetsEvolution Test Review
Total questions: 37
Worksheet time: 19mins
Name
Class
Date
1.
Which would be considered an adaptation of an animal that lives in the water?
a)
A thick coat.
b)
Thick fur.
c)
Webbed feet.
d)
Green color skin.
2.
Darwin observed 13 species of finches on the Galapagos Islands. What did Darwin conclude about the finches?
a)
They evolved from a common ancestor.
b)
They evolved from 13 different types of birds.
c)
They all came from different continents.
d)
They developed from other types of organisms.
3.
Which is a condition required for natural selection to occur in birds?
a)
Humans must interfere with the breeding of
organisms.
b)
Species must produce more offspring than can survive.
c)
Resources must be unlimited in the natural
environments.
d)
All organisms of the same species must have the
same genetic material.
4.
What did Darwin observe about finches in the Galapagos Islands?
a)
Their feathers were adapted to match their environment
b)
Their beaks were adapted to match the foods they ate
c)
They had identical phenotypes in all locations.
d)
They had identical genotypes in all locations
5.
What is the role of genes in evolution?
a)
Only genes can be acted on by natural selection.
b)
Only traits that are controlled by genes can be acted
on by natural selection
c)
Parents with recessive genes die from overproduction
d)
The genes of most surviving parents have only
dominant alleles
6.
The gradual change in a species over time is called
a)
mutation
b)
variation
c)
evolution
d)
migration
7.
What refers to the process in which individuals who are better adapted to their environment and can survive and reproduce?
a)
natural selection
b)
overproduction
c)
variation
d)
competition
8.
Often, smaller animals will produce more offspring than are able to survive in order to ensure that enough of the offspring will reach reproductive maturity. This is called
a)
variation
b)
competition
c)
overproduction
d)
selection
9.
How does natural selection lead to evolution?
a)
Stronger offspring kill weaker members of the
species.
b)
Best
adapted members of a species pass on helpful traits.
c)
Environmental changes kill weaker members of the
species.
d)
Overpopulation provides food for
stronger members of the species.
10.
Polar bears have evolved to have white fur that helps hide them from their prey in the arctic where they live. What is this an example of?
a)
adaptation
b)
inbreeding
c)
genetic engineering
d)
mimicry
11.
Why did the population of peppered moths in England change from light to dark after the Industrial revolution?
a)
Light moths were killed by soot.
b)
Dark
moths were produced by industrial processes.
c)
The birds that ate the dark moths were killed by the
soot
d)
Light moths were more obvious against soot-stained
trees
12.
In this diagram B, C, and D represent organisms that exist in the present time and show a similarity to each other in their bone structure. What does the letter A represent?
a)
a dinosaur fossil
b)
the parent organism
c)
the common ancestor
d)
an acquired trait
13.
Most of what scientists know about extinct species is based on
a)
sedimentary rock
b)
the fossil record
c)
natural selection
d)
variations
14.
In which of these types of rocks would a paleontologist most likely find fossils?
a)
igneous
b)
metamorphic
c)
sedimentary
d)
synthetic
15.
Which of the following layers of rock is the oldest?
a)
the
layer containing trilobites
b)
the layer containing fishes
c)
they
layer containing amphibians
d)
the
layer containing mammals
16.
Scientists found evidence of a lizard that lived millions of years ago. The lizard had features that were possibly feather-like structures. This lizard is extinct. What scientific evidence did scientists most likely find that confirmed the existence of this lizard?
a)
a
fossil
b)
DNA
c)
a cave drawing
d)
a picture
17.
A paleontologist found fish fossils in the middle of a desert. Which explanation best explains this evidence?
a)
Fish once lived in deserts.
b)
The fish walked there from a lake.
c)
The area was once a rain forest.
d)
The area was once covered in ocean.
18.
What trait separates a tuna and lamprey?
a)
hair
b)
amniotic egg
c)
four walking legs
d)
jaws
19.
Which animal would have DNA the most similar to that of a leopard?
a)
turtle
b)
salamander
c)
tuna
d)
lamprey
20.
Cheetahs have been very close to extinction due to over hunting. There is little genetic diversity left in their species. Which of the following is a result of the limited diversity in current cheetah population.
a)
Current cheetah populations are more resistant to disease.
b)
The survival rate of young cheetahs will increase.
c)
Current cheetahs are less likely to adapt to environmental changes.
21.
In which population would asexual reproduction be the most beneficial?
a)
A large population with not enough resources.
b)
A population that is heavily hunted by predators.
c)
A population living in a changing environment.
d)
A population living in a stable environment.
22.
What is the benefit to sexual reproduction in a species?
a)
Faster population growth.
b)
More genetic variations and increases chance of survival.
c)
Combining the genes of two parents reduces the chances for mutations.
d)
Less competition.
23.
How does natural selection best explain the evolution of long necks in giraffes?
a)
short neck giraffes were killed by long neck giraffes
b)
giraffe necks grew longer because of giraffe bone structure
c)
long neck giraffes survived because they were better adapted to their environment
d)
long neck giraffes only mated with other long neck giraffes
24.
Which statement best describes the process of evolution?
a)
Populations can survive in different locations.
b)
Populations grow when resources are abundant.
c)
Conditions limit the number of species on Earth.
d)
The characteristics of a species change over time.
25.
Which of the following best describes the relationship between variations and adaptations?
a)
a. All variations are adaptations, but not all adaptations come from variations
b)
All adaptations are variations and all variations help organisms survive
c)
Variations result from adaptations organisms make to the environment
d)
Adaptations result from variations only if they help an organisms survive
26.
Moles are mammals that live underground and eat worms and other insects. The moles locate their food using their sense of smell. Which environmental change would best explain an increase in the number of moles born with a better sense of smell?
a)
a. More rainfall makes the soil easier for digging so the moles need to have a better sense of smell to locate the worms.
b)
a. More rainfall makes the soil harder for digging so the moles need to have a better sense of smell to locate the worms.
c)
Drought causes the worms to come closer to the surface so the moles need to have a better sense of smell to locate the worms.
d)
a. Drought causes the worms to burrow further underground so the moles need to have a better sense of smell to locate the worms.
27.
A species of frog lives in a forest. A snake species moves to the ecosystem where the frogs live and begins to hunt the frogs. Using your understanding of natural selection, what is the most likely explanation of what will happen to the frog population when the snakes move into the ecosystem?
a)
a. Some of the frogs would try to develop new traits to avoid the predator and pass those on traits to offspring, and the other frogs would die.
b)
All of the frogs would try to develop new traits to be able to avoid the predator, and they will all survive and pass on their new traits to offspring.
c)
The frogs that were born with traits that allow them to avoid the snake would be more likely to survive and reproduce, and the frogs that are not would be less likely to survive and reproduce.
d)
Since all of the frogs have identical traits, they would all be equally good or bad at avoiding the snake and so they would all survive and reproduce or they all would die.
28.
A group of plant eating animals are separated from their population. In the new environment, the only edible vegetation grows at the top of tall trees. Which of the following variations would be most useful adaptation to members of the group?
a)
wide flat teeth adapted to grinding plant material
b)
a long neck that can grow to as much as 2 meters in length
c)
specialized digestive systems for the vegetarian diet
d)
larger ears and eyes located on sides of head to detect predators
29.
Use the picture. Fossils found in Earth’s sediment give us clues to Earth’s past. Based on the fossil record, what conclusions can be drawn about the changes in this area over millions of years?
a)
Sea levels receded
b)
The glaciers melted
c)
The climate became colder
d)
a. The continents were joined in one land mass
30.
A population of insects has a brown color, providing them with camouflage on the desert sands where they live. Over thousands of years, climate changes in the area cause grasses to grow, and the population of insects becomes green over the same period of time. Which term describes what has taken place in the population of insects?
a)
mutation
b)
evolution
c)
variation
d)
migration
31.
Which of the following correctly contrasts artificial and natural selection?
a)
Artificial selection involves human-selected traits, while natural forces select traits to be inherited in natural selection
b)
Artificial selection does not include the inheritance of traits, while natural selection requires the inheritance of traits
c)
In natural selection only physical traits are inherited, while in artificial selection only behavioral traits are inherited
d)
Natural selection only occurs after sexual reproduction, while artificial selection only occurs after asexual reproduction
32.
The answer to what question would allow you to determine if a population of organisms was more likely a result of natural or artificial selection?
a)
Were the organisms produced by sexual or asexual reproduction?
b)
Do the organisms have traits that are valuable to humans but are poorly suited to the wild?
c)
How many different traits are there in the population of organisms?
d)
How similar are the organisms to their parents
33.
Which of the following shows variation in a population of polar bears?
a)
Each mother usually has 2 bear cubs, but only one survives.
b)
Polar bears can have thin, medium, or thick fur.
c)
Polar bears with thin fur die from the cold temperatures, and polar bears with thick fur survive.
d)
Polar bears with thick fur are able to have offspring and pass on their traits.
34.
Which of the following shows overproduction in a population of polar bears?
a)
Each mother usually has 2 bear cubs, but only one survives.
b)
Polar bears can have thin, medium, or thick fur.
c)
Polar bears with thin fur die from the cold temperatures, and polar bears with thick fur survive.
d)
Polar bears with thick fur are able to have offspring and pass on their traits.
35.
Which of the following represents the idea that the most fit organisms are able to reproduce and pass on their traits.
a)
Each mother usually has 2 bear cubs, but only one survives.
b)
Polar bears can have thin, medium, or thick fur.
c)
Polar bears with thin fur die from the cold temperatures, and polar bears with thick fur survive.
d)
Polar bears with thick fur are able to have offspring with thick fur.
36.
Which of the following represents the idea of survival of the fittest in a population of polar bears?
a)
Each mother usually has 2 bear cubs, but only one survives.
b)
Polar bears can have thin, medium, or thick fur.
c)
Polar bears with thin fur die from the cold temperatures, and polar bears with thick fur survive.
d)
Polar bears with thick fur are able to have offspring and pass on their traits.
37.
Which of the following best shows the meaning of a "fit" organism.
a)
A squirrel with big muscles.
b)
A mouse that can run long distances.
c)
A human that can bench 100 pounds.
d)
A shark that has the best adaptations for survival.
Reset
