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WorksheetsEVOLUTION RB
Total questions: 30
Worksheet time: 15mins
Darwin's studies of finches on the Galapagos Islands suggest that the finches' differences in beak structure were most directly due to
acquired characteristics in the parent finches
the size of the island where the finches live
mating behaviors of the different finch species
adaptations of the finches to different environments
Which concept was not included by Darwin in his theory of evolution?
overproduction in a population
struggle for existence
genetic basis for variations
survival of the fittest
In 1889, August Weismann, a German biologist, conducted an experiment attempting to produce mice without tails. He cut the tails off adult mice and then permitted them to mate. All offspring had long tails. He repeated the experiment many times, always with the same results. This experiment helped to disprove the concept of
overproduction in a species
inheritance of acquired characteristics
survival of the fittest
struggle for existence
The species of finches that Darwin found on the Galapagos Islands displayed different structural and behavioral adaptations. These adaptations differed among the species according to the birds' varying habitats. Such adaptations most likely evolved as a result of
use and disuse
transmission of acquired characteristics
reproductive isolation
geographic isolation
Variations within a species are most likely
the result of
mutations and sexual reproduction
synapsis and disjunction
mitosis and asexual reproduction
overpopulation and recombination
A gene mutation has adaptive value if it
enables an organism to survive an
environmental change
results in the production of an unhealthy
organism
leads to the extinction of a species
produces sterility in male members of a
species
The blood of rhesus monkeys contains proteins similar to those found in the blood of humans. This observation suggests that rhesus monkeys and humans
belong to the same genus
may have a common ancestor
have identical chromosomes
occupy the same niche
Fossils would most likely be found in
amber that is over 8 billion years old
icebergs that are 500 billion years old
sedimentary rocks that are 500 million years old
volcanic rocks that are 50 million years old
Fossil records indicate that between 80 million and 60 million years ago the structure of the horned dinosaur frequently underwent rapid changes separated by long
periods of stability. This pattern of change best illustrates the concept of
use and disuse
punctuated equilibrium
gradualism
enzyme specificity
Which statement is most closely related to the modern theory of evolution?
Characteristics that are acquired during life are passed to offspring by sexual reproduction.
Evolution is the result of mutations and recombination, only.
Organisms best adapted to a changed environment are more likely to reproduce and pass their genes to offspring.
Asexual reproduction increases the survival of species.
The information below was printed on a calendar of important events in the field of biology.
1859 Darwin Publishes "On the Origin of Species by Natural Selection"
This information is most closely associated with
an explanation for the change in types of minerals in an area through ecological succession
the reasons for the loss of biodiversity in all habitats on Earth
an attempt to explain the structural similarities observed among diverse living organisms
the effect of carrying capacity on the size of populations
The diversity within the wild bird species in the diagram below can best be explained by which process?
natural selection
asexual reproduction
ecological succession
mitotic cell division
When penicillin was first introduced, it was very effective in destroying most of the bacteria that cause gonorrhea. Today, certain varieties of this bacterium are resistant to penicillin. Which statement best explains the appearance of these resistant varieties?
Penicillin stimulated the bacteria to become resistant, and this resistance was passed to the offspring.
Penicillin killed the susceptible bacteria, while naturally resistant varieties survived and reproduced.
Penicillin used today is not as strong as the penicillin used when it was first introduced.
Penicillin stimulated the production of antigens in the resistant bacteria.
In his studies of birds in the Galapagos Islands, Charles Darwin observed that few bird varieties with similar beak size and shape inhabited a particular area. The limited number of similar varieties was most likely due to
competition for the same type of food
competition for a specific concentration of oxygen in the atmosphere
the presence of an excessive number of autotrophs
the presence of a disease that attacks birds with similar beaks
Charles Darwin proposed that organisms produce many more offspring than can possibly survive on the limited amount of resources available to them. According to Darwin, the offspring most likely to survive are those that
are born first and grow fastest
are largest and most aggressive
are best adapted to the environment
have no natural predators
After the Industrial Revolution, dark-colored moths outnumbered light-colored moths in certain regions of England. Within the past 40 years, factories in these regions have added scrubbers and air purifiers to their smokestacks, and the relative number of light-colored moths has increased. The probable reason for this increase is that
the allele for light color became dominant over the allele for dark color
the environment favored the survival of light-colored moths over dark-colored moths
dark-colored moths turned light because they needed to survive
overpopulation occurred and most of the light-colored moths died, leaving only dark-colored moths to reproduce
The diagrams below show the bones in the forelimbs of three different organisms.
Which hypothesis do the differences in the bone arrangements support?
These organisms are members of the same species.
These organisms may have descended from the same ancestor.
These organisms have adaptations to survive in different environments.
These organisms all contain the same genetic information.
What is the most probable reason for the increase in the percentage of variety A in the population of the species shown in the graph below?
There is no chance for variety A to mate with variety B.
There is no genetic difference between variety A and variety B.
Variety A is less fit to survive than variety B is.
Variety A has some adaptive advantage that variety B does not have.
Which statement would most likely be in agreement with Lamarck's theory of evolution?
Black moths have evolved in an area because they were better adapted to the environment and had high rates of survival and reproduction.
Geographic barriers may lead to reproductive isolation and the production of new species.
Giraffes have long necks because their ancestors stretched their necks reaching for food, and this trait was passed on to their offspring.
Most variations in animals and plants are due to random chromosomal and gene mutation.
A population of animals is permanently split by a natural barrier into two separate populations in different environments. What will likely result after a long period of time?
The evolution of the two populations will be identical.
The production of variations will stop in the two populations.
The two populations will evolve into separate species.
Autotrophic nutrition will replace heterotrophic nutrition in the two populations.
In the early stages of development, the embryos of dogs, pigs, and humans resemble one another. This observation suggests that these animals may have
a similar number of chromosomes
similar habitat requirements
the same blood components
a common ancestry
The diagram below shows a comparison of nitrogen base sequences in the DNA of some organisms to those of a human.
According to this diagram, humans may be most closely related to the
ancestral primate
chimpanzee
gorilla
orangutan
People with diabetes can be treated with insulin extracted from cows and pigs. The fact that the insulin of cows, pigs, and humans is similar suggests that
cows, pigs, and humans are of the same genus
chemicals can readily adapt to changing environmental conditions
an evolutionary relationship exists between mammals
human cells are unable to recognize and destroy foreign chemicals
Some evolutionary pathways are represented in the diagram below.
An inference that can be made from information in the diagram is that
species J is adapted to the existing environment
species E evolved from species G
species C is a direct descendant of species I
species A was probably much larger than all the other species
Base your answer on The diagram below illustrates the distribution of fossils in undisturbed layers of silt at the bottom of the ocean.
Which inference can correctly be made from the diagram?
The fossils in layer Care older than those in layer A.
The fossils in layer Bare older than those in layer C.
The fossils in layer A are older than those in layer C.
The fossils in layer A are older than those in layer B.
The bones in the wing of a bird, the flipper of a whale, and the arm of a human are considered by many scientists to be
heterotrophic aggregates
abiotic factors
complex organelles
homologous structures
Many scientists suggest that billions of years ago, life on Earth began with
simple, single-celled organisms
simple, multicellular organisms
complex, single-celled organisms
complex, multicellular organisms
Which statement is part of the heterotroph hypothesis?
Heterotrophs evolved before autotrophs.
Aerobes evolved before anaerobes.
Atmospheric oxygen was present before carbon dioxide.
Proteins were present before amino acids.
In order for a species to evolve, it must be able to
consume a large quantity of food
reproduce successfully
maintain a constant body temperature
be domesticated
Certain insects resemble the bark of the trees on which they live. Which statement provides a possible biological explanation for this resemblance?
The insects needed camouflage so they developed protective coloration.
Natural selection played a role in the development of this protective coloration.
The lack of mutations resulted in the protective coloration.
The trees caused mutations in the insects that resulted in protective coloration.
