Natural Selection Question Set
Multiple Choice: Select the best letter to each situation.
1. The variations that Darwin observed among the individuals of a population of finches were caused by
a. Genetic resistance
b. Mutations and natural selection
c. Selective breeding
d. Artificial selection
2. The theory of evolution combines the principles of _______________
a. Natural selection and Selective breeding
b. Selective breeding and genetic inheritance (Genes passed from parent to offspring)
c. Natural selection and genetic inheritance (Genes passed from parent to offspring)
3. Look at the animal below, what adaptations does it have that allows it to survive in its habitat?
a. It has a long tail to hit predators
b. It has the same color fur as the surroundings to
up on prey.
c. It has flat teeth to eat grass
sneak
4. What principle is NOT included in Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection?
a. Overproduction
b. Fittest survive (selection pressure)
c. Isolation
d. Variation
5. Some organisms, such as fish and mosquitoes, produce very large numbers of offspring. Why is producing
a large number of offspring important for natural selection?
a. It helps to reduce the population sizes of other species by increasing competition for limited
resources within an environment.
b. It provides the offspring protection from predators because predators never attack a large group
of offspring.
c. It minimizes genetic variation by increasing the number of individuals that are genetically
identical.
d. It increases the chance that enough individuals will survive to become adults and reproduce.
6. The Florida panther, a member of the cat family, has a population of fewer than 100 individuals and has
limited genetic variation. Which inference based on this information is valid?
A. Over time, these animals will become less likely to survive in a changing environment.
B. These animals are easily able to adapt to the environment
C. Over time, these animals will become more likely to be resistant to disease.
D. These animals will begin to evolve rapidly.
7. According to Darwin’s theory of evolution, which organisms are best able to survive in nature?
a. those with the best camouflage and coloration
b. organisms that possess the greatest number of mutations
c. those that possess characteristics acquired during their lifetime
d. organisms that possess overall characteristics best suited to their environment
8. Which characteristic is necessary for natural selection to occur in a species?
a. Stability
b. Variation
c. Complex cellular organization
d. A very low mutation rate
9. Which process allows for the evolution of finches over time?
a. Natural selection
b. Selective breeding
c. Asexual reproduction
d. Ecological succession
10. Chameleons can change color to match the color of their surroundings. If a chameleon was born with a
mutation that prevented it from being able to change color, why would it be unlikely to pass on this trait?
a. The gene would mutate again before it was passed on.
b. The trait would be recessive, so it would not be passed on.
c. The chameleon would be unlikely to survive long enough to reproduce and pass on the trait.
d. The chameleon would have to find another chameleon with the same trait to pass the trait.
11 . Male crickets chirp to attract a mate. Chirping is dangerous because it can attract predators of the crickets
like birds or bats. Sometimes, other male crickets will wait quietly and intercept the female on her way to a
chirping male. How is the cricket that intercepts the female cricket at an advantage?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The female is more attracted to the male and the predator.
The male will be less likely to attract predators and more likely to reproduce.
The female is less likely to get eaten and less likely to reproduce.
The male will be more attractive to females and predators.
12. Which of the following is the best example of an adaptation that helps organisms survive in their
environment?
A. coloration that allows snakes to blend C. green coloring in lizards living on grey
in with their environment
rocks
B. thin, delicate leaves on plants in a cold D. a thick coat of fur on animals that live
climate
in the desert
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13. A species of bird ate many types of seeds, each type coming from a different species of tree.The birds'
beaks varied in size. A few years went by without much rain, and the only species of tree that survived this
drought had large seeds. At the end of this dry period, many generations later, almost all the birds had slightly
larger beaks. How is this best explained?
a. The birds with smaller beaks had to
c. The birds with smaller beaks grew
work harder than those with larger
their beaks so that they would be
beaks to crack open the large seeds.
better able to eat the large seeds and
The more they used their beaks, the
get enough food to survive and
larger their beaks became.
reproduce.
b. The birds with larger beaks were
d. It was a chance occurrence that all the
better at eating the large seeds than
individual birds' beaks in the next
those with smaller beaks, so only the
generation were larger. They were
birds with larger beaks got enough
therefore able to eat the large seeds
food to survive and reproduce.
and survive to reproduce.
14. A population of tarantula spiders has a variety of traits to help them defend themselves. One special trait
is the ability to flick hairs into the eyes of predators allowing the spiders to escape. Yet a small percentage of
this spider population does not have these hairs.
Why are the tarantulas that have these hairs more likely to produce offspring than the hairless tarantulas?
a. Tarantulas that have the hairs will be better able to defend themselves. Therefore
they are more likely to survive and mate.
b. Tarantulas that have the hairs will blend in with their environment.
c. The egg sacs of tarantulas that have the hairs are larger and produce more
offspring.
d. Tarantulas that do not have the hairs will attract more mates. Therefore they are
more likely to mate