Darwin and History
The voyage of the Beagle took Darwin to
a. South America
b. Australia
c. The Galapagos Islands
d. All of the above
d. All of the above
Identify the proper definition for gradualism
d. The process by which new species form.
e. The inability of formerly interbreeding groups to mate.
f. The hypothesis that evolution of different species occurs at a constant rate.
f. The hypothesis that evolution of different species occurs at a constant rate.
Which of the following is a factor in natural selection?
a. Individuals of species compete with one another to survive.
b. All species are genetically diverse.
c. Individuals better able to adapt to changes leave more offspring.
d. All of the above
d. All of the above
The fossil record provides evidence that
a. Fossils cannot be dated.
b. All species were formed during Earth’s formation and have changed little since then.
c. The fossilized species have no connection to today’s species.
d. Older species gave rise to more-recent species.
d. Older species gave rise to more-recent species.
Starting in 1954, commercial fishers in the northwest Pacific were paid by weight, rather than by the individual fish, for pink salmon. The fishers increased the use of a type of net that selectively catches larger fish. Which of the following effects did this change in fishing technique most likely have on the salmon population over the next 20 years?
a. The average body size of the salmon population decreased significantly.
b. The average body size of the salmon population increased significantly.
c. The average body size of the males in the salmon population increased, and the females stayed the same.
d. None of the above.
a. The average body size of the salmon population decreased significantly.
2. Some scientist(s) that contributed to Charles Darwin’s theories
a. Jean Baptiste Lamarck
b. Thomas Malthus
c. Gregor Mendel
d. both a and b
d. both a and b
Identify the proper definition for Speciation:
B. The accumulation of differences between species or populations
C. The hypothesis that evolution of a species occurs in periods of rapid change separated by periods of little change.
D. The process by which new species form.
D. The process by which new species form.
Individuals that are better able to cope with the challenges of their environment tend to
a. Decrease in population over time.
b. Leave more offspring than those less suited to the environment.
c. Leave fewer offspring than those less suited to the environment.
d. Both (a) and (c)
b. Leave more offspring than those less suited to the environment.
Some willow trees alter the chemical composition of their leaves when attacked by caterpillars. Compared to normal leaves, the chemically altered leaves are less nutritious and more difficult for caterpillars to digest.
Which of the following is a likely effect of this ability to alter leaf composition?
A. Willow trees with this ability will attract more caterpillars than other willow trees.
B. Willow trees with this ability have a survival advantage over other willow trees.
C. More butterflies will lay their eggs on willow trees with this ability than other willow trees.
D. None of the above.
b. Leave more offspring than those less suited to the environment.
European rabbits were introduced to Australia in 1859. The rabbits reproduced rapidly in their new habitat, displaced other animals, and overgrazed vegetation. In an attempt to reduce the rabbit population, a virus was introduced in 1951. This virus is usually deadly to European rabbits. When the virus was first introduced, the rabbits died in large numbers, but the death rate decreased over time.
Which of the following best explains the decrease in the rabbit death rate?
A. Young rabbits learned to avoid being infected with the virus.
B. The lifespan of the virus was too short to affect rabbits over a long period of time.
C. Natural selection favored rabbits that were resistant to the virus.
D. None of the above.
C. Natural selection favored rabbits that were resistant to the virus.
Darwin and Lamarck agreed that changes in species are linked to
a. genetics
b. environmental conditions
c. use or disuse of physical features
d. acquired characteristics
b. environmental conditions
What is the proper definition for Subspecies
h. Members of the same species that differ genetically because they have adapted to different living conditions.
e. The inability of formerly interbreeding groups to mate.
b. The accumulation of differences between species or populations
h. Members of the same species that differ genetically because they have adapted to different living conditions.
The process in which organisms with traits well suited to an environment are more likely to survive and to produce offspring is
a. Natural selection. c. Genetic principles.
b. Origin of species. d. Trait mechanism.
a. Natural selection.
Members of different subspecies
a. Are considered to be entirely different species.
b. Can no longer interbreed successfully.
c. Differ genetically because of adaptations for different living conditions.
d. Will never diverge to become different species.
c. Differ genetically because of adaptations for different living conditions.
Which of the following statements gives the most likely explanation for the presence of two very similar species of squirrels living on opposite sides of the Grand Canyon?
a. One squirrel traveled across the canyon and started a new population on the other side.
b. One squirrel traveled across the canyon and interbred with a different population on the other side.
c. Members of one single squirrel species were geographically separated by the formation of the canyon.
d. Members of two different squirrel species migrated from two different places to opposite sides of the canyon
c. Members of one single squirrel species were geographically separated by the formation of the canyon.
Lamarck believed that organisms could change the size or shape of organs by using them or not using them, Lamarck called this the idea of
A. Use and Disuse
B. Use and Diffuse
C. Natural Selection
D. Specific Selection
A. Use and Disuse
What is the proper definition for Punctuated equilibrium:
a. structures that no longer function/serve a purpose b. The accumulation of differences between species or population
c. The hypothesis that evolution of a species occurs in periods of rapid change separated by periods of little change.
c. The hypothesis that evolution of a species occurs in periods of rapid change separated by periods of little change.
Which of the following phrase best describes how Thomas Malthus influenced Charles Darwin’s idea of natural selection?
A. The number of resources available can limit the survival of a species.
B. The survival of a species depends on the traits they acquire in their lifetime.
C. The survival of a species is determined by how many offspring they leave behind.
D. The Earth is constantly changing; seashell fossils were found at the top of the Andes Mountains.
A. The number of resources available can limit the survival of a species.
Structures that share a common ancestry or are similar because they are modified versions of structures from a common ancestor that contain the same basic bone structure are
a. Not related. c. Homologous.
b. Not homologous. d. Young in origin.
c. Homologous.
The Asian shore crab invaded parts of the eastern coast of the United States about 15 years ago. The Asian shore crab preys on blue mussels. In the time since the Asian shore crab arrived, the average shell thickness of the blue mussel population has increased.
Which of the following is the most likely reason that this increase in shell thickness has occurred?
A. Blue mussels with thick shells attract more crabs that mussels without thick shells.
B. Blue mussels with thick shells grow in larger colonies than mussels without thick shells.
C. Blue mussels with thick shells catch more food per day than mussels without thick shells.
D. Blue mussels with thick shells survive and reproduce more successfully than mussels without thick shells.
D. Blue mussels with thick shells survive and reproduce more successfully than mussels without thick shells.
Why were the Galapagos Islands so important for Darwin’s studies?
There are three key words/ideas that need to be included in this explanation.
The Galapagos Islands introduced Darwin to many species, included the finches have since become known as “Darwin’s finches”. Though it wasn’t apparent at the time, reflecting back after his journey he had the revelation that a mainland finch must have arrived at the islands and adapted to its conditions.
What is the difference between homologous structures and vestigial structures?
Homologous structures : structures that are similar in structure, function and characteristics.
Vestigial structures: structures that no longer function/serve a purpose
For the following scenarios, decide if it is posing an example of natural selection or not. For yes, choose “A”; for no, choose “B”
____ 14. Arctic penguins that do not have thick layers of blubber are not able to survive the cold; whereas penguins that have thick layers of blubber survive the winters and lay more eggs.
____ 15. Peacocks with healthy, bright, colorful, thick tails tend to attract more peahens, whereas peacocks that have unhealthy tails do not attract as many peahens, and therefore do not have many offspring. This trend has caused most peacocks to have brilliant tail feathers.
____ 16. Many designer dog breeds are such as the “Cockadoo”, “Aussiedoodle” or “Puggle” are formed in which chosen traits are bred over many generations until the desired outcome is achieved.
_____ 17. Improved nutrition in humans over the past century has caused them to grow to their fullest potential height.
__A__ 14. Arctic penguins that do not have thick layers of blubber are not able to survive the cold; whereas penguins that have thick layers of blubber survive the winters and lay more eggs.
__A__ 15. Peacocks with healthy, bright, colorful, thick tails tend to attract more peahens, whereas peacocks that have unhealthy tails do not attract as many peahens, and therefore do not have many offspring. This trend has caused most peacocks to have brilliant tail feathers.
__B__ 16. Many designer dog breeds are such as the “Cockadoo”, “Aussiedoodle” or “Puggle” are formed in which chosen traits are bred over many generations until the desired outcome is achieved.
__B___ 17. Improved nutrition in humans over the past century has caused them to grow to their fullest potential height.
How did Lamarck influence Darwin? How was Darwin’s view of evolution different than Lamarck’s?
Lamarck and Darwin both recognized that the environment impacted the traits that organisms had, but Lamarck’s idea included the premise that evolution was a process that strived for perfection. Darwin disagreed, and thought evolution was a process depending on random variation.
Explain why genetic variation is crucial for natural selection and the overall survival of a species:
Without genetic variation, there would little opportunity for a species to survive due to uniform traits throughout. Without genetic variation, if one individual were affected negatively, the chances would be that all the individuals would be negatively affected. More variation decreases the chances of extinction.