WorksheetsEvidence for Evolution and Arguments Against it
Total questions: 24
Worksheet time: 14mins
Which of the statements below is the best description for evolution?
change in biodiversity across Earth’s surface
relationship between organisms’ structure and function
change in the genetic makeup of a population over time
relationship between derived characters and ribosomal DNA
What is suggested by the similarity of early embryos of different species of vertebrates?
recent common ancestry
similar environments in the past
they must have evolved from a distant common ancestor
no evolutionary relationship between the groups
Because the nucleotides that make up all eukaryotic DNA are __________, scientists have determined that all eukaryotes share a common ancestor.
free
ancient
complex
the same
A mutation in the Hox genes of an organism could result in which type of change?
changes in the body plan of the organism
an increase in random mutations over time
changes to the organism’s shared common ancestor
a reduction in diversity of body types of future organisms
If an organism has a vestigial structure, that structure likely once had a function in a(n) __________.
early ancestor
close relative
unrelated organism
embryological stage
Which of these can be inferred from the fact that protein sequences in one organism resemble those of another organism?
coincidence
shared ancestry
great number of mutations
lack of evolutionary relationship
If a penguin, a bat, an alligator, and a human all have a double bone in the forearm area, then these bones would be referred to as which of the following?
analogous structure
homologous structure
vestigial structure
duplicate structure
Why is the genetic code (DNA) referred to as "universal"?
All organisms use the same genetic code
All organisms understand the language of DNA
All humans can have their DNA "read" by another human
The genetic code is a language understood by all
Which of these structures have been considered vestigial structures?
whale pelvic bones
human eyes
human cochlea
whale fin bones
dolphin blow hole
What are the 2 arguments used against homology as evidence for evolution?
Just because structures are similar doesn't mean that had a similar function
The structures are used for the same function but are composed of different material which would show no common decent.
Homology assumes common ancestry in its definition, therefore it cannot be used as evidence for common ancestry.
Similar structures could be evidence for common design
An argument against embryology similarities:
We might look similar when in the embryonic stage but we look very different as an adult organism.
Similarities in embryology could imply common design
There are only similarities in embryos within the same taxonomic classes (like mammals, or amphibians).
All embryos within an amniotic sac are expected to develop similarly.
Select the 3 arguments/questions that could be applied against intermediate fossil evidence?
the evolutionary definition of "intermediate" does not actually mean "comes in between or in the middle of"
Where are all the other intermediate fossils and why are they so hard to come by?
Missing links like intermediate fossils are not necessary for the fossil record to accurate
The timelines don't always make sense where the intermediate fossil SHOULD be. Usually ghost lineages are applied to explain timeline.
Just because it looks related doesn't mean it really is.
What is the best argument against the evidence of DNA and protein sequence similarity?
How do you explain humans having 90% similarity with mice?
DNA mutates so quickly that it is expected to produce different protein sequences within the same species line
We have nearly 100% similarity with chimps for the protein Cytochrome C.
genes have been cherry picked to show similarity, but consistent similarity does not happen with any and every gene analyzed.
What is an argument against vestigial structures and psuedogenes?
Like we have seen in the past, scientist might not yet know the function of the structure or gene yet classify it as "junk" and leftovers from common ancestors, when it most likely has a function.
Vestigial structures and pseudogenes are not important in the organism so they should not be looked at as important evidence for evolution
According to this cladogram, which group of organisms does not have a backbone?
birds
prosimians
fish
insects
Using this cladogram, which groups of organisms grow offspring in an amniotic sac?
humans
fish
amphibians
prosimians
By examining the fin of a primitive fish, scientists have found similarities in bone structure to that of modern day reptiles, birds, and mammals. What type of evidence does this describe?
vestigial structure
analogous structure
cladogram
homologous strucutre
Categorize the problems with the evidence for evolution
similarities in early development could suggest common design
similarities in bones could mean common design
inconsistent results when comparing different genes
missing evidence for the common ancestors
does not show slow gradual change
"intermediate" could mean morphologically intermediate, not chronologically
too much time required to have even the simplest mutations pass on in a meaningful way
"transitional" fossils found in the wrong geological layers
absence of transitional forms in the fossil record
vestigal structures usually have a purpose
genetic similarities do not always correlate with evolutionary relationships
junk DNA or psuedogenes have been found to have a purpose
The Astyanax mexicanus is a species of tetra fish that lives in bodies of water deep inside caves. Even though they cannot see, these fish still have small, non-working eyes. Their eyes are examples of
vestigial structure
embryonic structures
analogous structures
molecular structures
Which letter represents the most recent common ancestor of sponges and mushrooms?
A
B
C
D
E
Which best describes derived characteristics?
They appear in all the ancestors.
They appear at the end of each branch.
They are newly evolved traits.
They stem from primary characteristics.
According to the cladogram, which organism is most distantly related to the chimpanzee?
salmon
salamander
lizard
hamster
Which trait(s) do conifers have?
vascular tissue only
vascular tissue and seeds
vascular tissue, seeds and flowers
seeds only
If there are major problems that exist with the idea of MACROevolution, all life coming from one single celled common ancestor, why then are so many scientist still teaching this like it is 100% true?
