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WorksheetsEvolution & Classification
Total questions: 24
Worksheet time: 17mins
Name
Class
Date
1.
Which of the following is the correct way to write the scientific name of the Northern cardinal?
a)
cardinalis cardinalis
b)
Cardinalis cardinalis
c)
cardinalis Cardinalis
d)
Cardinalis Cardinalis
2.
Natural selection could not occur without...
a)
genetic variation in species
b)
stable environments
c)
competition for unlimited resources
d)
gradual warming of the Earth
3.
Which is not classified as a living thing?
a)
bacteria
b)
giant kelp
c)
slime mold
d)
virus
4.
Use the cladogram to determine which of the following organisms is most closely related to the dog?
a)
cat
b)
frog
c)
fish
d)
fly
5.
The species of finches that Darwin observed differed in the shape of their beaks. According to Darwin, all of these species probably differed due to...
a)
natural selection
b)
had migrated from Africa
c)
had descended from similar birds in Africa
d)
ate the same diet
6.
An inherited characteristic that increases an organism's ability to survive and reproduce in its specific environment is called a(n)...
a)
homologous structure
b)
vestigial organ
c)
adaptation
d)
speciation
7.
When farmers select the largest hogs, the fastest horses, or the cows that produce the most milk for breeding it is called...
a)
natural selection
b)
artificial selection
c)
survival of the fittest
d)
homologous variation
8.
The study of the evolutionary relationships among organisms is called...
a)
taxonomy
b)
domainology
c)
phylogeny
d)
binomial nomenclature
9.
Refer to the illustration. The similarity of these structures is one from of evidence that the organisms...
a)
share a common ancestor
b)
all grow at different rates
c)
evolved instantaneously
d)
live for a long time
10.
Which of the following would lead to genetic variation?
a)
crossing over
b)
independent assortment
c)
mutations
d)
all answers are correct
11.
Natural selection is the process by which...
a)
the age of selected fossils is calculated
b)
organisms with traits well suited to their environment survive and reproduce more successfully than organisms less suited to the same environment
c)
acquired traits are passed on from one generation to the next
d)
all answers are correct
12.
Evidence that evolution occurs includes all of the following except...
a)
no change has occurred in any species
b)
similarities in proteins and DNA sequences between organisms
c)
the fossil record
d)
homologous structures among different organisms
13.
A human appendix, whale hipbones, and skink's legs are examples of...
a)
homologous structures
b)
embryonic mates
c)
vestigial organs
d)
analogous structures
14.
When Darwin published his first book about evolution, he included all of the following ideas except...
a)
the idea that species change slowly over time
b)
the idea that some organisms reproduce at a greater rate than others
c)
the idea that species are permanent and unchanging
d)
the idea that some species become better suited to their environment than others
15.
How do fossils demonstrate evidence of evolution?
a)
They show that ancient species share similarities with species now on Earth
b)
They show evidence of species that are not extinct
c)
They are the primary source of evidence of natural selection
d)
Fossils reveal that many species have remained unchanged for millions of years
16.
Scientists see anatomical and molecular similarities among organisms that suggest that life on Earth began about 4 billion years ago as what type of organism?
a)
multicellular organisms
b)
eukaryotic organisms
c)
simple, one-celled organisms
d)
heterotrophic organisms
17.
Darwin believed in the idea that evolution happened slowly over a long period of time called
a)
punctuated equillibrium
b)
gradualism
c)
symbiosis
d)
mass extinction
18.
In a population of clover flowers, there are both white and purple varieties. The cows that graze the field where the clover grows prefer the purple variety. Over time, the white clover flowers become much more numerous and the purple ones more scarce. This is an example of which process that can cause evolutionary change?
a)
genetic equilibrium
b)
genetic mutation
c)
natural selection
d)
overproduction
19.
According to Darwin, evolution occurs...
a)
only through artificial selection
b)
during half-life periods of 5,715 years
c)
because of natural selection
d)
so rapidly that it can be observed easily
20.
Which of the following list the taxa from broadest to most specific?
a)
domain, kingdom, class, order, phylum, family, genus, species
b)
species, genus, family, order, class, phylum, kingdom, domain
c)
domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species
d)
phylum, kingdom, class, family, order, genus, domain, species
21.
The ability of an individual to survive and reproduce in a specific environment is called
a)
fitness
b)
common descent
c)
survival of the fittest
d)
struggle for existence
22.
The science that specializes in naming and classifying organisms is...
a)
anatomy
b)
biology
c)
botany
d)
taxonomy
23.
Which of the following is a correct statement about the relationship between natural selection and evolution?
a)
Natural selection results from evolution.
b)
Natural selection includes evolution as a part of it.
c)
Natural selection is one mechanism of evolution.
d)
Natural selection and evolution are the same thing.
24.
Structures that have different mature forms, but develop from the same embryonic structure are called ______________ structures.
a)
Darwinian
b)
Larmarckian
c)
homologous
d)
fossils
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