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WorksheetsEvolution Test Review
Total questions: 30
Worksheet time: 23mins
Which of the following statements is true?
The more distantly related an organism to another, the more DNA sequences they would share.
The more closely related an organism to another, the more DNA sequences they would share.
The more closely related an organism to another, the less DNA sequences they would share.
The study of where living organisms are located is called...
evolution
natural selection
geography
biogeography
Skeletons of whales have been found to have remnants of hip bones, despite them being water dwelling animals. The hip bones in whales is an example of what type of structure?
analogous
homologous
vestigial
Which of the following is an example of analogous structures?
butterfly wings & eagle wings
whale fin and human arm
ostrich wings
Which of the following is an example of homologous structures?
butterfly wings & eagle wings
whale fin and human arm
ostrich wings
Which of the following is an example of vestigial structures?
human eyelids
human appendix
human teeth
Does the location of fossils provide useful evidence for conclusions about the fossil and evolutionary processes?
No. Evidence for evolution comes only from body structures, not the environment of organisms.
No. Fossils and living species are distributed evenly across all of Earth's land and water.
Yes. Patterns in the distributions of fossils and living species are useful evidence of evolution.
Yes. Evolution occurs only in certain locations on Earth, and not others.
What type of evidence for evolution is provided by the fossil record?
Weak evidence for evolution, because fossils show that modern species are almost the same as ancient species
Strong evidence for evolution, because sequences of fossils show how modern species evolved from ancient ancestors
Strong evidence for evolution, because fossils show that ancient species were smaller, simpler versions of modern species
Incomplete evidence for evolution, because of the many gaps that remain in the fossil record
Two organisms share similar bone structures in their forelimbs but are used for very different functions. How does a comparison os the bone structure of these two organisms provide evidence of an evolutionary relationship?
The analogous structures are evidence that the two animals do not share a recent common ancestor.
The analogous structures are evidence that one animal evolved from the other.
The homologous structures are evidence that one animal evolved from the other.
The homologous structures are evidence of descent with modification from a common ancestor.
Scientists have studied genes and gene function in a wide variety of organisms. What type of evidence for evolution is provided by data from these studies?
Incomplete evidence, because the genes of ancient species cannot be studied
Weak evidence, because evolution involves changes only to body shape and body functions
Very strong evidence, because of the overwhelming similarities in biochemistry of the genetic code
Which describes a mass extinction, but not gradual extinction?
Mass extinctions affect only species of large animals, and not small animals, plants, or microorganisms.
Mass extinctions of many species drastically alter whole ecosystems.
In a mass extinction, species go extinct because other species are better adapted to the environment.
In a mass extinction, species go extinct because their environment no longer supports them.
The pattern of punctuated equilibrium applies to the evolution of which group of species?
All species that developed new adaptations over time
Species that evolved very rapidly during relatively brief time spans
Species that evolved gradually and at a relatively constant rate
Species that changed very little over geologic time.
When is convergent evolution most likely to occur, and for what reason?
When the climate is warmest, because high temperatures act to increase the rate of evolutionary change
After a mass extinction, because the survivors give rise to species that fill new niches
Just before a mass extinction, because species are competing intensely for limited resources
In convergent evolution, similar traits develop in species that are:
closely related
not closely related
A variety of elephant species evolved from a common elephant ancestor. This pattern of evolution is an example of:
convergent evolution
divergent evolution
coevolution
natural selection
________ is characterized by varying, or different, rates of change (fast, then slow).
gradualism
punctuated equilibrium
convergent evolution
divergent evolution
Today's mammals include numerous, diverse species that fill a wide variety of niches (specific area a species inhabits). This observation is supported by which pattern of evolution?
punctuated equilibrium
extinction
convergent evolution
coevolution
Cheetahs prey on gazelles in the African Plains. Slower running gazelles get eaten by the fast cheetahs. Slower running cheetahs aren't fast enough to catch the gazelles. Over time, the speeds of gazelles and cheetahs increases in response to each other. This is an example of what pattern of evolution?
gradualism
punctuated equillibrium
coevolution
divergent evolution
_______ is a type of speciation that occurs when members of a population are separated by a geographic barrier and become two separate species.
allopatric speciation
behavioral isolation
sympatric speciation
genetic isolation
Genetic and reproductive isolation are both types of ____.
allopatric speciation
behavioral isolation
sympatric speciation
Which of the following types of selection represents this scenario: The occurrence of large AND small beak sizes among seed crackers in the absence of medium sized beaks.
disruptive selection
directional selection
stabilizing selection
Which of the following types of selection represents this scenario: The occurrence of large OR small beak sizes among seed crackers in the absence of medium sized beaks.
disruptive selection
directional selection
stabilizing selection
Small lizards have difficulty defending territories, but larger lizards are more likely to be preyed upon by owls. This situation results in what kind of selection?
The average weight of mushrooms in the wild is 3 oz. What would you expect the most common weight to be after several generations of disruptive selection?
3 oz
Less than 3oz OR more than 3oz
Less than 3oz AND more than 3oz
There are 2 types of frogs: one with several spots and one with 2 spots. The 2-spotted frogs looks very similar to the eyes of a predator, so it gets eaten less than the multiple spotted frogs. In this scenario, natural selection is selecting against ______________ and for_________________.
2 spotted frogs; multiple spotted frogs
multiple spotted frogs; 2 spotted frogs
predators; frogs
A scientist measures the circumference of pine tree trunks in a population and discovers that the most common circumference is 56 inches. What would you expect the most common circumference(s) to be after generations of stabilizing selection?
still 56 inches
greater than 56 inches or less than 56 inches
greater than 56 inches and less than 56 inches
A scientist measures the circumference of pine tree trunks in a population and discovers that the most common circumference is 56 inches. What would you expect the most common circumference(s) to be after generations of disruptive selection?
still 56 inches
greater than 56 inches or less than 56 inches
greater than 56 inches and less than 56 inches
A scientist measures the circumference of pine tree trunks in a population and discovers that the most common circumference is 56 inches. What would you expect the most common circumference(s) to be after generations of directional selection?
still 56 inches
greater than 56 inches or less than 56 inches
greater than 56 inches and less than 56 inches
Which best explains why the birds evolved with differently shaped beaks?
They interbred with each other.
Some birds had defective gene pools.
All of the birds ate the same type of food.
They adapted to eating different types of food.
An animal has several inherited characteristics that makes it much fitter than its rivals. According to Natural Selection it should:
Help the others that are less fortunate
Survive longer, have more and better babies.
Be equals with its kin
