The Theory Of Evolution
Natural Selection
The Fossil Record
Evidence for Evolution
Evolutionary Relationships
100
Which idea is most directly related to Lamarck’s beliefs about evolution?
A frog’s legs grow during its lifetime to help it jump farther, and it passes on the longer legs to its offspring.
100
There are green and red bugs living in an area. As a result of an environmental change, birds that live in the same area grow in numbers. These birds eat the bugs, and they prefer the taste of the red bugs.
How will the increase in the bird population most likely affect the bug population?
Green bugs will survive better and reproduce, so the bug population will evolve into mostly green bugs.
100
Kelli drew a diagram to compare cast and imprint fossils.
Which label belongs in the area marked Y?
Takes millions of years to form
100
Antoine drew a diagram to compare two kinds of evidence that support the theory of evolution.
Which label belongs in the area marked X?
no longer used by species
100
Based on the chart, which species are most closely related?
Species B and C
200
Species X is an extinct animal. A scientist has discovered fossils of species X and compared them to species Y, a living animal that inhabits the same area where the fossils were found. The scientist has noted that the two animals share several physical characteristics.
What can the scientist most likely conclude about the two types of animals?
Species X is an early ancestor of species Y.
200
Which example best illustrates a condition necessary for natural selection to occur?
Clownfish can lay a thousand eggs at a time.
200
Which statement best compares a trace fossil to a fossil that forms as a result of an entire organism being trapped in amber?
Both can possibly be used to study the organism's size.
200
Embryology is the study of the development of an _________ , which is a fertilized egg attached to the wall of the mother's uterus.
embryo
200
Based on the cladogram, which characteristics are common to amphibians, lemurs, and humans?
tetrapod, vertebrae
300
The picture shows the skull of an extinct aquatic animal and the skull of a present-day gray whale. Further testing of the skulls suggests that the extinct animal is an ancestor of the gray whale. 
How do these skulls best support Darwin’s theory of evolution?
by showing that populations change slowly over time
300
Due to a genetic mutation, a mouse is born with fur that is not as light as fur in other mice of the same population. This makes it easier for the mouse to blend into the environment.
The mouse with the mutation will survive and reproduce, and the trait will spread over future generations.
300
A scientist has a fossil that was found in a layer of rock close to Earth’s surface. He believes that the fossil is around 12,000 years old.
Which method would best allow the scientist to confirm the actual age of the fossil?
using carbon/nitrogen absolute dating
300
Birds and humans are theorized to have a common ancestor because they have homologous structures.
Which evidence best supports this theory?
They both have tails as embryos.
300
Claudia is making a cladogram using the information in the table. Which species should be placed on the lowest branch of the cladogram?
Species C
400
Geralda is listing all the conditions under which natural selection occurs. So far, she has listed:
- The environment changes.
- Organisms in a population have different traits.
Which other condition should she include in her list?
Only some of the organisms survive and reproduce.
400
Which scenario would most likely result in the extinction of one or more species?
A predatory fish is introduced into a lake, resulting in a dramatic decrease in the populations of smaller fish.
400
A scientist observes fossil evidence that leads her to believe that certain organisms have a common ancestor.
Which observation most likely led to this conclusion?
She observed a fossil with skeletal structures similar to certain modern organisms.
400
Which has been observed in the study of embryology?
Some traits in certain embryos disappear as the embryo develops.
400
Which statement best describes species B?
It has jaws, but no hollow bones.
500
Which scientist most inspired Darwin to pursue his studies of evolution?
Malthus, who thought that populations could outgrow their food sources
500
Which is an example of an environmental influence that would most likely result in natural selection?
A food resource disappears in a pond, and some frogs in a population can eat the remaining food resource, while others cannot.
500
The diagram shows a shell fossil.
Which type of fossil is shown?
cast
500
he picture shows two different species of mammals that use wings to glide among tree tops. However, scientists theorize that these mammals are not closely related.
Which best explains why these two animals look so similar if they are not closely related?
They live in similar environments and have analogous structures adapted to them.
500
A human and a bat share a common ancestor. According to the article, which evidence supports this relationship?
Their arm bones have the same structure, but not function.