Evolutionary Thought
What is the Royal Navy surveying ship famous for its second voyage carrying naturalist Charles Darwin?
HMS Beagle
What does binomial nomenclature provide for each organism?
A. A two-word scientific name
B. A descriptive group label
C. A common local name
D. A genetic identity code
A. A two-word scientific name
Which of the following belongs to the modern three-domain system?
A. Plantae
B. Archaea
C. Animalia
D. Fungi
B. Archaea
What type of trait is DNA sequence used in phylogeny?
A. Molecular
B. Behavioral
C. Morphology
D. Physiology
A. Molecular
How did the ideas of Hutton and Lyell contribute to Darwin’s theory?
A. They supported the idea that Earth changes gradually.
B. They proposed sudden events as the cause of change.
C. They emphasized competition among organisms.
D. They explained inheritance through acquired traits.
A. They supported the idea that Earth changes gradually.
Why do scientists avoid using common names in classification?
A. They are outdated.
B. They are not written.
C. They differ by language.
D. They lack spelling rules.
C. They differ by language.
Two animals look very similar and share the same ecological role, but are not the same species. Which taxonomic rank most likely groups them?
A. Domain
B. Phylum
C. Order
D. Family
D. Family
What does phylogeny describe?
A. How organisms are named
B. How organisms are structured
C. How organisms are evolutionarily related
D. How organisms are distributed
C. How organisms are evolutionarily related
How would Darwin’s idea of natural selection explain why some insects survive pesticide exposure while others do not?
A. All insects are equally resistant.
B. Pesticides cause new traits to appear.
C. Insects choose to adapt during their lifetime.
D. Insects with resistant traits survive and reproduce.
D. Insects with resistant traits survive and reproduce.
Why is taxonomy important in biology?
A. It measures genetic change.
B. It records fossil history.
C. It predicts evolution.
D. It organizes living things.
D. It organizes living things.
Two mammals have similar teeth, body shape, and hunting behavior. Which taxonomic level best groups them?
A. Domain
B. Phylum
C. Order
D. Family
C. Order
What term refers to similarity that comes from a shared ancestor?
A. Homoplasy
B. Convergent
C. Analogy
D. Homology
D. Homology
How would a scientist today use the Principle of Uniformitarianism to explain a canyon that formed without evidence of a major disaster?
A. By attributing it to inherited traits of rocks
B. By classifying the canyon based on shape
C. By explaining it resulted from slow erosion over time
D. By concluding it was formed instantly by a single event
C. By explaining it resulted from slow erosion over time
Which is used in modern classification to compare organisms at the molecular level?
A. Living environment
B. DNA sequence
C. Physical shape
D. Body size
B. DNA sequence
Which rank is defined as the level where organisms can interbreed and produce fertile offspring?
SPECIES
Why is an outgroup important when building a cladogram?
A. It provides extra species.
B. It increases diagram accuracy.
C. It helps identify derived traits.
D. It helps identify ancestral traits.
D. It helps identify ancestral traits.
Who independently arrived at ideas similar to Darwin and encouraged the publication of evolutionary theory?
Alfred Russel Wallace
Which scientist used anatomy and fossils in classifying living things?
Georges Cuvier
What is the LANGUAGE used for naming organisms scientifically?
LATIN
What part of the CLADOGRAM shows how the organisms evolve or change?
BRANCHES