Question 1

Which two observations led Darwin to conclude that there is competition for survival?
A) Overproduction and limited resources
B) Fossils and mutations
C) Gene and allele differences in organisms
D) Natural selection and descent with modification

Accepted Answer

Darwin observed that organisms have the ability to produce more offspring than can survive, creating overproduction. Additionally, he noticed that resources, such as food and space, are limited, leading to competition among individuals for survival. These observations led him to conclude that competition for survival exists.

Question 2

Before the publication of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species,what was the prevailing public consensus regarding species evolution?
A) That species were permanent and unchanging
B) That species evolved through physical changes that led to success
C) That species evolved by means of natural selection
D) That species were modified over time but did not change into new species

Accepted Answer

The prevailing public consensus before the publication of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species was that species were permanent and unchanging. This idea was based on religious and philosophical beliefs at the time.

Question 3

Which of the following is evidence for evolution?
A) Bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics over time
B) Mosquitoes becoming resistant to pesticides
C) Cells with common features and chemically similar DNA
D) All are evidence for evolution

Accepted Answer

All of the options listed are evidence for evolution. Bacteria and mosquitoes developing resistance to antibiotics and pesticides respectively are examples of natural selection, which is a key mechanism of evolution. Meanwhile, the presence of common features and chemically similar DNA among cells is indicative of a shared ancestry, which supports the theory of evolution.

Question 4

Before Darwin published his work,Lamarck and others had suggested mechanisms for evolution.By what means did Darwin propose species evolved over time?
A) Overproduction of young
B) Passing on acquired traits
C) Survival of the strongest
D) Natural selection

Accepted Answer

Darwin proposed the mechanism of natural selection as a means for species to evolve over time. This theory states that individuals with advantageous traits are more likely to survive and reproduce, passing on those traits to their offspring and leading to the gradual evolution of a population.

Question 5

The modern evolutionary synthesis of the 1930s and 1940s melded together Darwin's findings with ________.
A) genetics
B) sociology
C) psychology
D) chemistry

Accepted Answer

The modern evolutionary synthesis combined Darwin's theory of natural selection with the new field of genetics, reconciling the previously perceived gap between the mechanisms of inheritance and evolution.

Question 6

Individuals with variations that make them best suited to their environment are,on average,more likely to ________.
A) evolve
B) change over time
C) survive and reproduce
D) be larger

Accepted Answer

The individuals who are best suited to their environment will have a higher chance of surviving and reproducing, passing on their advantageous traits to their offspring. Over time, this can lead to the evolution of a population as a whole. Being larger is not necessarily an advantage in all environments, so option D is not correct. Option B may be true, but it is not necessarily a direct result of having advantageous traits; it could be due to other factors such as genetic drift or environmental changes.

Question 7

What is the name for the study of the geographic distribution of species?
A) Biogeography
B) Ecology
C) Systematics
D) Taxonomy

Accepted Answer

The study of the geographic distribution of species is known as biogeography.

Question 8

What is radiometric dating?
A) The process of determining the age of a fossil from radioactive isotopes
B) The mineralization process by which living things are turned into fossils
C) The process of determining the age of a fossil based on which layer in the rock it is found
D) The process of determining the age of a fossil using radio waves

Accepted Answer

Radiometric dating is the process of determining the age of a fossil by analyzing the decay of radioactive isotopes found in the fossil. This involves measuring the ratio of parent isotopes to daughter isotopes, which helps to determine how long ago the fossil was formed.

Question 9

Human embryos have a developmental stage during which they have a tail and pharyngeal pouches (those pouches develop into gills in fish).How can we explain these characteristics of human embryos?
A) Human embryos need a tail and gills to breathe during development in the placenta.
B) Human embryos spend time in the water where tails and gills are useful.
C) Human embryos share a common ancestor who had gills.
D) Both A and B are correct.

Accepted Answer

The presence of a tail and pharyngeal pouches in human embryos suggests a shared evolutionary history with fish. These structures are not necessary for development in the placenta or for survival in water. Therefore, the best explanation is that human embryos are displaying structures that were present in their evolutionary ancestors who had gills.

Question 10

Can you inherit physical traits that your parents acquired during their lifetime?
A) No
B) Yes
C) Only if it improves survivability
D) Only if it improves reproductive success

Accepted Answer

Physical traits that parents acquire during their lifetime cannot be inherited by their offspring. This is because mutations or changes that occur in an individual's DNA due to environmental factors or lifestyle choices do not get passed down to their offspring's DNA. Inheritance of physical traits occurs through the genetic material present in the germ cells of the parents, not through changes that occur during their lifetime.

Question 11

If two organisms of different species share more similar DNA sequences with each other than with other species,we can conclude that ________.
A) these two species are not closely related
B) these two species are very closely related
C) these two species happen to share similar DNA by chance
D) there is no relationship between similar DNA and how closely related organisms are

Accepted Answer

If two organisms of different species share more similar DNA sequences with each other than with other species, it suggests that they are evolutionarily more closely related to each other than to other species. Therefore, option B is the correct answer. Option A is incorrect because the shared DNA sequences suggest the opposite. Option C is incorrect because it is improbable for similarities in DNA sequences to occur by chance between two species. Option D is incorrect because there is a relationship between similar DNA and how closely related organisms are.

Question 12

Natural selection acts on ________,and ________ evolve.
A) individuals; individuals
B) individuals; populations
C) populations; populations
D) populations; individuals

Accepted Answer

Natural selection acts on individuals due to their genetic variations and the resulting phenotypes, but it is populations that evolve over time as the frequencies of genes change.

Question 13

Which of the following are considered fossils?
A) Footprints or other impressions preserved in stone
B) Mineralized bones
C) Animals frozen in ice or preserved in amber
D) All of these

Accepted Answer

All of these are considered fossils as they provide evidence of past life forms and their activities. Footprints or other impressions may be preserved in stone, mineralized bones can survive for millions of years, and animals preserved in ice or amber provide unique glimpses into ancient ecosystems.

Question 14

Comparing the body structures of organisms to find evidence of a shared evolutionary history is called ________.
A) outgrouping
B) relativistic physiology
C) comparative anatomy
D) analogous reconstruction

Accepted Answer

Comparative anatomy involves the study of the similarities and differences in the physical structures of different organisms in order to identify common ancestors and shared evolutionary history. Outgrouping involves comparing the traits of a particular group of organisms to those of a closely-related but distinct group in order to identify ancestral traits. Relativistic physiology is not a defined scientific term. Analogous reconstruction involves inferring the common evolutionary history of structures that have similar functions but different structures.

Question 15

What contribution did Charles Lyell make?
A) He found some bird specimens on the Galapagos Islands.
B) He found some fossils of extinct species.
C) He suggested that life evolves through physical changes within the life span of an organism.
D) He provided the first evidence that the Earth is much older than was previously thought.

Accepted Answer

Charles Lyell provided the first evidence that the Earth is much older than was previously thought through his work on geology and stratigraphy.

Question 16

What prompted Darwin to publish his book decades after he began writing it?
A) He had completed the last of his experiments.
B) He had returned from his voyage around the world.
C) A colleague (Alfred Wallace) was about to publish a similar manuscript.
D) After years of searching, he finally found a publisher willing to accept it.

Accepted Answer

Darwin had been working on his manuscript for decades and had even shared his ideas with colleagues, but he had never fully finished or published his work. In 1858, however, he received a manuscript from Alfred Wallace that contained strikingly similar ideas to his own. This prompted Darwin to quickly finalize his work and publish it in 1859, fearing that Wallace would beat him to publication.

Question 17

A weed that exhibits resistance to an herbicide ________.
A) developed the resistance in response to the herbicide
B) mutated when exposed to the herbicide
C) inherited the gene that made it resistant to the herbicide
D) is less likely to pass on the gene to the next generation

Accepted Answer

A weed that exhibits resistance to an herbicide most likely inherited the gene that made it resistant to the herbicide. Resistance arises from natural genetic variation within the weed population. When the herbicide is applied, individuals without the resistance gene are killed, leaving only resistant individuals to continue reproducing and passing on the resistance gene to their offspring. Over time, the frequency of the resistance gene in the population increases, leading to a higher frequency of resistant individuals. This process is known as natural selection.

Question 18

Comparing DNA sequences to find evidence of a shared evolutionary history is called ________.
A) genomics
B) proteomics
C) differential relatedness
D) bioinformatics

Accepted Answer

Comparing DNA sequences to find evidence of a shared evolutionary history is a common approach in bioinformatics. Genomics refers to the study of an organism's genome and proteomics refers to the study of an organism's proteome. Differential relatedness is not a commonly used term in this context.

Question 19

The oldest fossils typically are found in the ________ sediments.
A) upper
B) lower
C) coarser
D) finer

Accepted Answer

The oldest fossils are found in the lower sediments because over time, newer sediments accumulate on top of older sediments, burying the fossils deeper and deeper. Therefore, the lower the sediment layer, the older the fossils it contains.

Question 20

Evolution can be best defined as ________.
A) the production of new species
B) not involving humans
C) change in gene frequency in a population
D) always taking a very long time to occur

Accepted Answer

Evolution is the change in gene frequency in a population over time. It does not necessarily involve the production of new species, and can occur within a relatively short period of time. While humans can certainly influence evolution, it can occur without human involvement. The duration of evolution can vary depending on the rate of genetic change and environmental factors, but it does not always take a very long time to occur.

Quiz 7: Darwinian Evolution

Which two observations led Darwin to conclude that there is competition for survival?

Before the publication of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species,what was the prevailing public consensus regarding species evolution?

Which of the following is evidence for evolution?

Before Darwin published his work,Lamarck and others had suggested mechanisms for evolution.By what means did Darwin propose species evolved over time?

The modern evolutionary synthesis of the 1930s and 1940s melded together Darwin's findings with ________.

Individuals with variations that make them best suited to their environment are,on average,more likely to ________.

What is the name for the study of the geographic distribution of species?

What is radiometric dating?

Human embryos have a developmental stage during which they have a tail and pharyngeal pouches (those pouches develop into gills in fish) .How can we explain these characteristics of human embryos?

Can you inherit physical traits that your parents acquired during their lifetime?

If two organisms of different species share more similar DNA sequences with each other than with other species,we can conclude that ________.

Natural selection acts on ,and evolve.

Which of the following are considered fossils?

Comparing the body structures of organisms to find evidence of a shared evolutionary history is called ________.

What contribution did Charles Lyell make?

What prompted Darwin to publish his book decades after he began writing it?

A weed that exhibits resistance to an herbicide ________.

Comparing DNA sequences to find evidence of a shared evolutionary history is called ________.

The oldest fossils typically are found in the ________ sediments.

Evolution can be best defined as ________.