WorksheetsEvidence for Evolution and Natural Selection
Total questions: 18
Worksheet time: 9mins
Before Charles Darwin, what what the public perception on species evolution?
That species were permanent and unchanging
That species evolved through physical changes that led to success
That species evolved by means of natural selection
That species were modified over time but did not change into new species
What were Charles Lyell's main contributions?
He found some bird specimens on the Galapagos Islands.
He found some fossils of extinct species.
He suggested that life evolves through physical changes within the life span of an organism.
He provided the first evidence that the Earth is much older than was previously thought.
Which two observations led Darwin to conclude that there is competition for survival?
Overproduction of organisms and limited food resources
Fossils and mutations
Gene and allele differences in organisms
Natural selection and descent with modification
Individuals with variations that make them best suited to their environment are, on average, more likely to ________.
evolve
change over time
survive and reproduce
become larger
Darwin's theory of evolution is explained by the idea of
Overproduction of young
Passing on acquired traits
Survival of the strongest
Natural selection
Natural selection acts on ________, and ________ evolve.
individuals; individuals
individuals; populations
populations; populations
populations; individuals
A pest that exhibits resistance to a pesticide ________.
developed the resistance in response to the pesticide
mutated when exposed to the pesticide
inherited the gene that made it resistant to the pesticide
is less likely to pass on the gene to the next generation
Which of the following is evidence for evolution in action?
Bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics over time
Mosquitoes becoming resistant to pesticides
The different domesticated breeds of dogs customized for our needs
All are evidence for evolution
What is an adaptation?
The result of natural selection
A specialized feature
The accumulation of favorable traits over time
All of the above are correct
What is the name for the study of the geographic distribution of species?
Biogeography
Ecology
Systematics
Taxonomy
Comparing the body structures of organisms to find evidence of a shared evolutionary history is called ________.
outgrouping
physiology
comparative anatomy
analogous reconstruction
If two organisms of different species share more similar DNA sequences with each other than with other species, we can conclude that ________.
these two species are not closely related
these two species are very closely related
these two species happen to share similar DNA by chance
there is no relationship between similar DNA and how closely related organisms are
The scientific findings of the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s melded together Darwin's findings with ________.
genetics
sociology
psycology
chemistry
What is the smallest unit that can evolve?
The ecosystem
The population
The individual
The cell
What defines a population in evolution?
Members of the same community
Members of a single species that may, or may not, share a common space
Interbreeding members of the same species that share a common space
Multiple species interacting together in an ecosystem
What does fitness mean when speaking in terms of evolution?
Level of overall health of the individual
How many offspring an individual produces
Physical strength of a given individual in a population
The size and diversity of the gene pool
What events can lead to offspring having a unique arrangement of their parents' genes?
Crossing over
Independent assortment
Both crossing over and independent assortment
Neither crossing over nor independent assortment
How old is our planet Earth?
6,000 years old
4.6 million years old
4.6 billion years old
We do not have enough information to accurately date the age of Earth.
