WorksheetsEarth's History & Evolution
Total questions: 25
Worksheet time: 27mins
A population of birds eats green beetles that live in a forest. Occasionally the green beetles will have brown offspring. The brown beetles are more easily seen and are usually eaten sooner.
The fact that the population of beetles includes beetles of different colors is an example of
natural selection
variation
competition
classification
A population of birds eats green beetles that live in a forest. Occasionally the green beetles will have brown offspring. The brown beetles are more easily seen and are usually eaten sooner.
The fact that the green beetles are harder to see so they are more likely to survive and reproduce is known as
variation
speciation
natural selection
overproduction
A population of birds eats green beetles that live in a forest. Occasionally the green beetles will have brown offspring. The brown beetles are more easily seen and are usually eaten sooner.
Imagine that a dust storm caused the trees to be heavily covered in brown dust. What is most likely to happen?
The green beetles would survive and would be covered in brown particles.
The green beetles would decide to have brown offspring in order to survive.
Brown dust would have no effect, and the green beetles would still be the majority population.
The brown beetles would be more likely to camouflage and survive. Over time the beetle population would have more brown beetles.
Of the following animals, which would have an anatomical structure that is analogous to the wing of a butterfly?
a human
a kangaroo
a bat
a shark
In the phrase "survival of the fittest" to what does the term fittest refer?
the best-adapted organisms
the smartest organisms
the slowest organisms
the strongest organisms
In natural selection, how would the evolution of long-necked tortoises be best explained?
Short-necked tortoises were eaten by the long-necked tortoises.
Long-necked tortoises did stretching to increase neck length
Long-necked tortoises were able to eat the taller plants on the island, and were better suited to their environment.
Short-necked tortoises were able to hide from predators so long-necked tortoises learned how to fight.
Antibiotic resistance is the ability of bacteria to survive antibiotic treatment that previously would kill the bacteria. The development of this resistance is an example of which of these?
ineffective antibiotics
competition
natural selection
embryology
How do scientists determine the actual age of fossils?
relative dating
radioactive dating
Law of Superposition
molds and casts
Index fossils help scientists estimate the age of a rock because index fossils are easily recognized and widespread, and they existed for a short period of time. What happened to the species that are now used as index fossils?
They became extinct.
They migrated to new environments.
They were buried in lava.
They bred with other species and survived.
The red-bellied woodpecker has a long, sharp beak to get bugs from inside of trees. What factor might lead to the extinction of this type of woodpecker?
an increase in the insect population
an increase in trees
a cold winter
the use of bug-killing chemicals in its habitat
The whale has pelvic bones and leg bones within their bodies. Since these structures are not functional, they are called
vestigial structures
homologous structures
broken structures
analogous structures
Rainfall in a desert region is above average for 12 years in a row. Insects adapted to the wet conditions are much more abundant at the end of 12 years. Which of the following statements best explains the increase in the population of these insects?
Natural selection has selected against the insect species that are adapted for wet conditions.
Natural selection has favored insect species with a tolerance for wet conditions.
Insects with a high tolerance for dry conditions have migrated out of the region.
Diversity of insects increased due to the wet conditions.
The heath hen was a relative of the prairie chicken, and became extinct in the early 1900's. What most likely caused the extinction of the heath hen?
over hunting
plentiful food supply
abundant nesting sites
deforestation
How does natural selection lead to evolution?
Weaker offspring are killed by stronger members of the species.
Helpful variations are passed down through reproduction and accumulate among offspring after many generations.
Changes in environment favor weaker members of a species.
Overproduction helps to defend against extinction.
Fossilized fish and corral have been found in mountainous regions of New England. Which of the following best describes how this may have occurred?
The climate and geology of the region have changed over time.
These creatures were better adapted to cold climates when they were living.
Fossilization greatly changed the original material.
Scavengers carried remains to the mountains.
A fossil skull shares characteristics with skulls of 3 modern mammals. What conclusion can be drawn about the relationship between the 3 modern animals and the fossil?
they are all the same species
they are all 23 million years old
they share a common ancestor
they are all extinct
The picture shows bone structures in a human and 3 animals. The similarity in structures of the bones suggests that
the size of the bones is the same
these species share a common ancestor
these species developed at the same time and location
the DNA of these species is the same
Which statement about the beetles in this environment is best supported by the data?
A certain type of extinct clam is a known index fossil. If we found new fossils in the same layer of rock, we would know
The new fossils are from about the same age as the index fossils
The index fossils were prey for the new fossils
The index fossils predators
Many fish live in or near coral reefs that provide food and camouflage. If those reefs went extinct, the fish near them would likely
Migrate to a new environment
Individually adapt and change
Quickly adapt to use new camuflage
Also go extinct.
