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Natural Selection 2023

Total questions: 51

Worksheet time: 31mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Which of the following best illustrates natural selection?

a)

An organism with favorable genetic variations will tend to survive and breed successfully.

b)

A population monopolizes all of the resources in its habitat, forcing other species to migrate.

c)

A community whose members work together utilizing all existing resources and migratory routes.

d)

The largest organisms in a species receive the only breeding opportunities.

2.

The graphs below show the changes in crab color at one beach.

Which of the following is most likely to have caused the change in the distribution?

a)

A new predator arrived that preferred dark-tan crabs.

b)

A new predator arrived that preferred light-tan crabs.

c)

A change in beach color made medium-tan crabs the least visible to predators.

d)

A change in beach color made medium-tan crabs the most visible to predators.

3.
The differences among a species, like different bird beaks, are called
a)
genes.
b)
variations.
c)
traits.
d)
theories.
4.

A population that is isolated in a remote environment is still able to experience genetic variation. How could genetic variation that contributes to evolution occur in such a population?

a)

A mutation in a liver cell produces liver cancer.

b)

Lateral gene transfer occurs that produces an organism that is less resistant to drought.

c)

A mutation in an egg cell causes a change in DNA that produces an organism that is more sensitive to sunlight.

d)

A mistake in DNA replication before meiosis produces an organism that is better able to outrun predators.

5.
Domesticated dogs are an example of:
a)
Natural Selection
b)
Selective Breeding
6.

Suppose a certain species of insect lives in the lush green canopy of the rain forest. Some of the insects are bright green in color, and some are bright yellow. Assume there is a natural predator of the insect in the area. What do you expect to happen to the populations of the green and the yellow insects over time?

a)

The green insect population will increase and the yellow insect population will decrease.

b)

The green insect population will decrease and the yellow insect population will increase.

c)

Both insect populations will remain constant over time.

d)

Both insect populations will increase over time.

7.
Why is the mouse population changing over time?
a)
The light mice can reproduce more successfully than the dark mice
b)
The hawks eat more dark mice than light mice because the dark mice taste better
c)
The hawks eat more light mice than dark mice because they can see the light mice more easily
d)
The hawks eat more dark mice than light mice because they can see the dark mice more easily
8.

A population of rabbits grows rapidly from one year to the next. Then one year, a disease strikes approximately one fourth of the adult rabbits. The disease remains with the population in the years that follow.

As explained by Darwin’s theory, which of these conditions allows the rabbit population to evolve by natural selection?

a)

The disease affects adult and juvenile rabbits equally.

b)

The disease reduces the ability of the rabbits to reproduce.

c)

Some rabbits are resistant to the disease, and they pass the resistance to their offspring.

d)

No rabbits are resistant to the disease, and all die when the disease strikes them.

9.

Natural selection occurs during the lifetime of a single organism.

a)

True

b)

False

10.
Which layer is the youngest
a)
1
b)
2
c)
3
d)
4
11.

The picture shows a/an ___________

a)

homologous structure

b)

vestigial structure

12.
The opossum and kangaroo both incubate their young in a pouch. This provides evidence that they---
a)
are descended from a common ancestor
b)
Have very similar skeletal structures
c)
belong to the same species
d)
must range great distances to eat
13.

What is this an example of?

a)

Homologous structure

b)

Analogous structure

c)

Vestigial organs

d)

Functional adaption

14.

Similarities in bone arrangements, like those in the picture, support the hypothesis that...

a)

these organisms are not well adapted

b)

these organisms share a common ancestor

c)

these organisms all share the same DNA sequences

d)

these organisms are members of the same species

15.
Structures with the same parts have different functions; suggests that organisms share a common ancestry
a)
vestigial structures
b)
homologous structures
c)
adaptive radiation
d)
fossil
16.
The similarities of organisms in which two areas numbered in the picture provide the best evidence for common ancestry?
a)
1 and 2
b)
3 and 4
c)
5 and 6
d)
7 and 8
17.

What conclusions can be made based on this table shown?

a)

the American black bear and the giant panda are most closely related

b)

the giant panda and the red panda are most closely related

c)

the red panda and the racoon are the most closely related

d)

the giant panda and the racoon are most closely related

18.
A few deer wander out of their native woods into a completely new park where no deer had ever been before. They go on to create an entirely new population.
a)
Genetic Drift
b)
Natural Selection
c)
Non-random mating
d)
Mutation
19.
Five hundred years after the deer had established a flourishing population in the park, a few of them venture back to their original woods and have babies with the deer there.
a)
Genetic Drift
b)
Mutations
c)
Non-random mating
d)
Gene flow
20.
7 Wild Mustangs were taken from the prairies of Iowa after a Texan Rancher purchased them and provided them with their own pasture. Those 7 Mustangs eventually became 122.
a)
Genetic Drift (small popultaion)
b)
Non-random mating
c)
Gene flow
d)
Mutations
21.

Bats are common in Texas, especially in rocky regions. Bats with longer hang claws have demonstrated higher fitness because of their ability to cling to rock while resting. This adaptation is becoming more frequent in the population. What mechanism of evolution is this?

a)

Natural Selection

b)

Non-random mating

c)

Gene Flow

d)

Genetic Drift

22.
Yellow toucan birds seek out one another to make babies together and tend to avoid the green toucan birds.
a)
Genetic Drift
b)
Non-random mating
c)
Gene flow
d)
Mutation
23.
Which of the following is a term for a group of similar organisms that can reproduce fertile offspring?
a)
individual
b)
population
c)
species
d)
fossil
24.

When members of two populations cannot successfully reproduce.

a)

reproductive isolation

b)

lonely isolation

c)

convergent isolation

d)

genetic drift

25.

These camels share a comon ancestor and are of different species. They have

a)

converged because of their environments

b)

diverged because of their environments

c)

gone extinct, the evidence is in the fossil record

d)

all swam back to each other for a reunion

26.

The ostrich males use their wings to attract a mate yet these birds are flightless. Thier wings are

a)

analogous structures

b)

homologous structures

c)

vestigial structures

d)

essential to flight

27.

Gene flow is the movement of genes due to:

a)

migration

b)

organisms leaving a population

c)

organisms moving into a population

d)

all of these

28.

A great way to remember genetic drift is

a)

The word "drift" has an "R" it it for random change

b)

the little finger on my hand because the population either start or restarts small

c)

small gene pools can be problematict because of a lack of varience

d)

All are great and true

29.

Ocelots, Leopardus pardalis, are considered endangered in the United States, with an estimate of less than 80 individual remaining in Willacy and Cameron counties of southern Texas. In the 20th century, humans altered the landscape from native rangelands to other uses, causing habitat fragmentation. This is

a)

a result of gene flow

b)

a result of genetic drift

c)

a result of humans positive interaction with the wild

d)

all are correct

30.
A few deer wander out of their native woods into a completely new park where no deer had ever been before. They go on to create an entirely new population.
a)

founder effect

b)

bottleneck effect

c)

Non-random mating

d)

gene flow

31.
a)

F

b)

G

c)

H

d)

J

32.
a)

A

b)

B

c)

C

d)

D

33.
a)

G. Atlantica and G Stehlini are the least closely related

b)

G. Simonyi and G. Bravoana are the most closely related

c)

G. Galloti eisentrauti and G galloti palmae are the most closely related

d)

G galloti eisentrauti and G. galloti galloti are the least closely related

34.
a)

belong to the same species

b)

must range great distances to eat

c)

have very similar skeletal structures

d)

are descended from a common ancestor

35.

Which letter represents the most recent common ancestor of sponges and mushrooms?

a)

A

b)

B

c)

C

d)

D

e)

E

36.

Which trait(s) do conifers have?

a)

vascular tissue only

b)

vascular tissue and seeds

c)

vascular tissue, seeds and flowers

d)

seeds only

37.

According to the cladogram, which organism is most distantly related to the chimpanzee?

a)

salmon

b)

salamander

c)

lizard

d)

hamster

38.

Which trait should go where A is on the cladogram?

a)

eyes

b)

feet

c)

lips

d)

hat

39.

What is the common ancestor of Letters A, B, C, D, E?

a)

1

b)

2

c)

3

d)

4

40.

Where is the alligator and T. rex's common ancestor?

a)

Point A

b)

Point B

c)

Point C

d)

Point D

41.

Vestigial structures

a)

structures that perform a similar function but are not similar in origin

b)

remnants of once-important structures that have slowly lost all or most of their function

c)

features found in different organisms that share structural similarities but may have very different functions

d)

preserved remains of an organism

42.

A new river forms and splits two populations, causing ______________ speciation

a)

Sympatric

b)

Allopatric

c)

Extreme

d)

Convergent

43.

A speciation in which new species evolve from a single ancestral species while inhabiting the SAME geographic region.

a)

Sympatric speciation

b)

Allopatric speciation

c)

Complex speciation

d)

Divergent speciation

44.

when the organism develops different courtship rituals which do not attract main population this is a part of ____________ speciation.

a)

Allopatric

b)

Sympatric

c)

Simple

d)

Temporal

45.

There are two main ways that speciation happens naturally. Both processes create new species by reproductively isolating populations of the same species from each other. What are these two types of isolation?

a)

geographical and behavioral

b)

geographical and complex

c)

behavioral and complex

d)

locational and geographical

46.

Which best describes punctuated equilibrium?

a)

Speciation occurs due to natural selection

b)

Speciation occurs due to isolation

c)

Speciation occurs slowly in geologic time, followed by long periods with very fast evolutionary change.

d)

Speciation occurs suddenly and rapidly in geologic time, followed by long periods with little evolutionary change.

47.

During microevolution, a(n) __________________ will become more or less common within a population.

a)

species

b)

allele

c)

ribosome

d)

fossil

48.
The death of every member of a species
a)
The flu
b)
epidemic
c)
extinct
d)
population
49.
The hypothesis that evolution of a species occurs gradually over time as a slow and constant process is known as
a)
speciation
b)
punctuated equilibrium
c)
gradualism
d)
microevolution
50.

Speciation that caused by breeding occurring at different time of the day is called

a)

behavioral isolation

b)

temporal isolation

c)

ecological isolation

d)

habitat isolation

51.
What is a mass extinction?
a)
When all the species in a particular area on earth suddenly go extinct
b)
When multiple species from all over the earth suddenly go extinct 
c)
When one species goes extinct due to habitat changes
d)
When all life on earth is wiped out