Darwin
A team of scientists located the fossilized remains of a canine’s leg and jaw. What information must be gathered before the scientists can place the fossils in the ancestral timeline of the modern dog?
a.Compare the homologous structures of other fossils found in the same area.
b.Locate the remainder of the skeleton for a complete anatomical comparison.
c.Determine the relative age of the fossils.
d.Compare the fossils with other species of organisms.
c.Determine the relative age of the fossils.
The caterpillars of a certain species of butterfly had a slight variation in that some were hairy while others were not. Their natural predator preferred feeding on the non-hairy caterpillars.
What is the most likely result of this?
a.The butterfly species will be dominated by hairy caterpillars.
b.The butterfly species will be dominated by non-hairy caterpillars.
c.The butterfly species will contain equal numbers of both hairy and non-hairy caterpillars.
d.The butterfly species will contain a random population of non-hairy and long hair caterpillars.
a.The butterfly species will be dominated by hairy caterpillars.
The earliest fossils indicate that microbial mats used to depend on hydrothermal vents for energy and chemicals for food, but later fossils show that they developed photosynthesis.
What can be inferred from this information?
a.The earliest life forms were multicellular.
b.The early Earth had an atmosphere without oxygen.
c.The early Earth was too hot for living organisms to survive.
d. The earliest life forms used to contain chlorophyll in their cells.
b.The early Earth had an atmosphere without oxygen.
In a population of goldfish, individuals can be colored orange, white, white with orange spots, orange with black spots, and orange with white spots. What is the best explanation for these color differences?
a.acquired characteristics
b.interbreeding species
c.random variation
d.reproductive isolation
c.random variation
Which scenario represents a population that could demonstrate the Hardy-Weinberg principle?
a.a large population of rabbits on which natural selection is not acting and that exchanges rabbits with other nearby populations
b.a large population of birds on an isolated island that is not experiencing any significant selectional pressures
c.a small population of fish in a pond that demonstrates genetic drift in allele frequency and completely random mating
d.a small population of prairie voles in central Kansas that is experiencing no net migration and a low mutation rate
b.a large population of birds on an isolated island that is not experiencing any significant selectional pressures
A group of students researching flying animals concluded that birds and bats must be closely related, evolutionarily speaking, since they both had wings and could fly.
Is this a reasonable conclusion?
a.No. Birds and bats are only distantly related with wings that are analogous structures evolved for the common purpose of flight.
b.No. Birds and bats share no evolutionary common ancestor because they evolved on separate continents millions of years apart.
c.Yes. Birds and bats are closely related with wings that are homologous structures that only evolve in close evolutionary relatives.
d.Yes. Birds and bats are closely related because they are both mammals that share a recent common ancestor that evolved in Africa.
a.No. Birds and bats are only distantly related with wings that are analogous structures evolved for the common purpose of flight.
Which factor can increase the chances of a species evolving by natural selection?
a.high reproductive rate
b.no related species
c.stable environmental conditions
d.small gene pool
a.high reproductive rate
Scientists believe the ancestors of the chimpanzees and the bonobos were once one population that was separated into two groups by the Congo River nearly a million years ago.
What role did this geographic separation have on these two populations of apes?
a.Over millions of years, the two populations gradually evolved into two separate species of apes.
b.They adapted to different food sources.
c.Although previously unable to swim, both populations of apes evolved the ability to cross the river in search of resources.
d.After the two populations were separated, the amount of genetic variation in both groups greatly decreased.
a.Over millions of years, the two populations gradually evolved into two separate species of apes.
Which method provides the most accurate evidence for scientists to use when determining evolutionary relationships between two species of animals?
a.comparing genetic sequences in the animals using samples of DNA
b.identifying fossil patterns in rock strata where the animals live
c.looking for similar vestigial structures in both species of animals
d.looking for similarities in the coloration and eating habits of the animals
a.comparing genetic sequences in the animals using samples of DNA
Some species of bacteria are able to produce certain enzymes known as beta-lactamases which are responsible for their resistance to penicillin. What can be concluded about the offspring of these bacteria?
a.They will produce less beta-lactamase.
b.They will be resistant to penicillin.
c.They will have a higher rate of genetic mutations.
d.They will be killed easily by penicillin.
b.They will be resistant to penicillin.
Wild cats such as tigers and lions have experienced a decline in population size due to illegal hunting and loss of habitat. Even if the cat populations are protected and their numbers no longer decline, what problem still hinders the regrowth of these populations?
a.The two populations will be forced to interbreed resulting in a loss of the separate species.
b.The two populations have decreased genetic diversity that will result in a reduced ability to survive environmental changes.
c.The two populations have an increased gene pool that will result in increased competition for mates and available resources.
d.The two populations will experience reduced fertility rates and increased favorable traits.
b.The two populations have decreased genetic diversity that will result in a reduced ability to survive environmental changes.
During the last ice age, Death Valley was covered by a huge lake. When the ice age ended, the region became dry, and only the spring-fed ponds remained. Pupfish that previously formed a single species in the lake were redistributed into several different ponds. With the passage of time, the pupfish in each of the ponds developed into different species that could no longer interbreed.
What caused the pupfish to develop into a new species?
a.an increased competition for foo
b.an accumulation of gene mutations
c.differences in the sizes of the ponds
d.differences due to geographic isolation
d.differences due to geographic isolation
The Galapagos Islands contain 15 species of finches that mainly have different beak types and sizes. These finches evolved from a common ancestor that moved to these islands and occupied different parts of it.
What was the most likely reason these finches evolved into different species?
a.They interbred with other bird species.
b.They adapted to different food sources.
c.The beaks provided a variation for survival in extreme climates.
d.The beaks prevented them from being seen by predators.
b.They adapted to different food sources.
Which statement best explains why systems used for the classification of living things have changed over time?
a.New organisms are being discovered.
b.New methods of comparing organisms are being developed.
c.The characteristics that define living organisms are changing.
d.Collaboration between scientists has improved.
b.New methods of comparing organisms are being developed.
Which discovery provides the most evidence to support the idea that two species may have had a common ancestor?
a.They possess four limbs which they use for movement.
b.They reproduce sexually.
c.They have a high percentage of similar genes.
d.They live in the same habitat.
c.They have a high percentage of similar genes.
Leopards, lions, tigers, and jaguars are classified in the same genus.
Which evidence best explains why these organisms are classified together?
a.Scientists observe that all four are able to roar.
b.A cellular analysis reveals that all four possess DNA.
c.They are carnivores and possess a high number of anatomical similarities.
d.A genetic comparison of their mitochondrial DNA reveals a high percentage of similarities.
d.A genetic comparison of their mitochondrial DNA reveals a high percentage of similarities.
What is the most likely outcome for a population of apes that has been greatly reduced in size, geographically isolated, and forced to interbreed?
a.The population will evolve rapidly and develop traits well suited to their environment.
b.The population will struggle to survive due to reduced population size and limited genetic diversity.
c.The population will adapt to consuming the available food sources and grow rapidly due to reduced competition.
d.The population will decline due to reduced territory and increased disease resistance
b.The population will struggle to survive due to reduced population size and limited genetic diversity.
A scientist found the fossil of a land animal in a rock that appears to be 370 million years old. The fossil had a fin and 8 digits similar to the 5 fingers of a human.
Which question will the fossil help the scientist investigate?
a.Does the fossil show the transition of animals from sea to land?
b.Do all fossils show evidence of the transition between 2 life forms?
c.Why are fossils of organisms different in different layers of Earth?
d.Was this fossil a more advanced life form that evolved after mammals?
a.Does the fossil show the transition of animals from sea to land?
Bats and birds are only very distantly related, and both evolved wings for flight in very different evolutionary pathways.
What is the term that describes the wing structures that these species evolved?
a.analogous structures
b.divergent structures
c.embryonic structures
d.homologous structures
a.analogous structures
An island had an equal proportion of white- and black-coated mice. Eagles found the island and threatened the population of the white-coated mice, since they were easily spotted.
What effect did this selection pressure have on the mouse population?
a.The population changed to consist of mostly black-coated mice.
b.The population changed to consist of mostly white-coated mice.
c.The population of white- and black-coated mice mutated to have a brown coat.
d.The population continued to consist of mice with both black and white coats.
a.The population changed to consist of mostly black-coated mice.
A stream was made through a forest to supply water to nearby towns. The stream divided the chameleon population of the forest. Over time, the divided population became two different species that did not interbreed even when reunited.
What could be a reason for this?
a.Chameleons on both sides of the stream had differential reproduction.
b.Chameleons on both sides of the stream occupied different ecological niches.
c.Geographical isolation led to divergence from a single species into two species
d.Accumulation of gene mutations occurred in chameleons on one side of the stream.
c.Geographical isolation led to divergence from a single species into two species
The Aldabra rail is a flightless, wetland bird found on a small island off the coast of Africa. The physical characteristics of Aldabra rail are distinctly different than the rails living on the mainland of Africa.
Which aspect of natural selection was the greatest contributor to physical differences between island and mainland rails?
a.descent with modification
b.somatic cell mutations
c.overproduction of offspring
d.reduced organism fitness
a.descent with modification
House sparrows were introduced in North America in 1852. Since that time, sparrows in the northern region have evolved to be larger bodied than sparrows in the southern regions.
What explains these different body sizes?
a.They allow interbreeding with other species.
b.They allow feeding on different food types.
c.They are a variation that allows for survival in different climates.
d.They are an adaptation to avoid being seen by predators.
c.They are a variation that allows for survival in different climates.
What is the best evidence that two organisms share a common evolutionary ancestry?
a.The two organisms’ populations have a similar global distribution.
b.The two organisms have a similar fossil record.
c.The two organisms have significant genetic similarity.
d.The two organisms have very similar anatomical structures.
c.The two organisms have significant genetic similarity.
Which process would most likely change the current classification of two closely related bird species to a single species?
a.the analysis of eggs from each species
b.the discovery of a new, related species
c.the analysis of DNA sequences from each species
d.the observations of behavior patterns in each species
c.the analysis of DNA sequences from each species