Fossils
Fossils of early amphibians show limb bones becoming stronger over millions of years. What does this demonstrate?
A. Random mutation
B. Gradual change
C. Sudden evolution
D. No change
B. Gradual change
Tiktaalik had fins with bones similar to:
A. Toes
B. Wings
C. Wrists
D. Ribs
C. Wrists
Species share structures because they inherited them from a:
A. Common ancestor
B. Random mutation
C. Similar diet
D. Similar color
A. Common ancestor
Evolutionary changes in structures usually occur:
A. Instantly
B. Randomly
C. Never
D. Gradually
D. Gradually
All species that share a backbone inherited it from a:
A. Common ancestor
B. Random mutation
C. Predator
D. Fossil
A. Common ancestor
Fossils help scientists understand:
A. What organisms looked like long ago
B. How organisms behaved daily
C. What organisms ate for every meal
D. Exact colors of ancient species
A. What organisms looked like long ago
Species with wrist‑like bones were better able to:
A. Fly
B. Push themselves in shallow water
C. Dig burrows
D. Climb trees
B. Push themselves in shallow water
A bat wing, human arm, and whale flipper have the same bone arrangement. These are:
A. Analogous structures
B. Homologous structures
C. Vestigial structures
D. Identical structures
B. Homologous structures
Traits that help survival become more common due to:
A. Natural selection
B. Random chance
C. Weather
D. Migration
A. Natural selection
Species become different from one another when populations:
A. Stay in the same environment
B. Separate into different environments
C. Stop reproducing
D. Become extinct
B. Separate into different environments
A fossil that shows traits of both older and newer species is called a:
A. Modern fossil
B. Transitional fossil
C. Replacement fossil
D. Secondary fossil
B. Transitional fossil
The move onto land most likely occurred when species developed:
A. Gills
B. Fins
C. Limbs with digits
D. Scales
C. Limbs with digits
Kangaroos and newts both have a femur because:
A. They live in the same habitat
B. They evolved at the same time
C. They eat the same food
D. They share a common ancestor
D. They share a common ancestor
As environments change, species must:
A. Stay the same
B. Adapt or risk extinction
C. Move to new planets
D. Stop reproducing
B. Adapt or risk extinction
Evolution happens because individuals with helpful traits:
A. Choose their traits
B. Mutate on purpose
C. Live longer and reproduce more
D. Never change
C. Live longer and reproduce more
Scientists compare fossils to modern species to identify:
A. Weather patterns
B. Migration routes
C. Diet changes
D. Patterns in structures
D. Patterns in structures
The gradual strengthening of limb bones over time is evidence of:
A. Sudden mutation
B. Random chance
C. No evolutionary change
D. Environmental pressure
D. Environmental pressure
Differences in homologous structures occur because species:
A. Want new traits
B. Live in different environments
C. Mutate randomly
D. Stop using the structure
B. Live in different environments
The concept that structures change gradually over long periods is called:
A. Patterns
B. Stability and change
C. Systems
D. Structure and function
B. Stability and change
Vestigial structures are body parts that:
A. Have no current function
B. Are brand new
C. Are harmful
D. Are identical in all species
A. Have no current function
Fossils from different time periods allow scientists to:
A. Predict future species
B. Create new species
C. Reconstruct evolutionary history
D. Change fossil structures
C. Reconstruct evolutionary history
Tiktaalik is considered a transitional form between:
A. Birds and mammals
B. Fish and tetrapods (animals with arms and legs)
C. Reptiles and amphibians
D. Insects and mammals
B. Fish and tetrapods
Two species share a structure not found in a third species because they share a:
A. More recent common ancestor
B. Similar diet
C. Similar size
D. Similar behavior
A. More recent common ancestor
A population of animals develops longer legs over time because longer legs improve survival. This is an example of:
A. Sudden mutation
B. Random drift
C. Natural selection
D. Artificial selection
C. Natural selection
Comparing fossils and modern species helps scientists understand:
A. How species evolved
B. How fossils taste
C. How to create new species
D. How to stop evolution
A. How species evolved