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Name:
1) Which one of the following statements best describes evolution?
A) Evolution causes organisms to develop characteristics they need.
B) Evolution is a process of change through time.
C) Evolution is a predictable change from simple to complex organisms.
D) Evolution often proceeds from complex to simpler organisms.
2) The diagrams below represent some structural changes that occurred over time, resulting in the development
of the modern horse.
This sequence of structural changes best illustrates the concept of
A) intermediate inheritance
B) geographic isolation
C) ecological succession
D) evolution
3) If anatomical structures change in some species of organisms over a long period of time, these changes may
contribute to the process of
A) evolution, leading to a new species
B) water pollution in an area
C) fossil formation
D) transmission of acquired characteristics
4) A basketball player develops speed and power as a result of practice. This athletic ability will not be passed
on to her offspring because
A) muscle cells do not carry genetic information
B) base sequences in DNA are not affected by this activity
C) gametes do not carry complete sets of genetic information
D) mutations that occur in body cells are not inherited
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5) Which two factors provide the genetic basis for variation within a species?
A) mutations and sexual reproduction
B) asexual reproduction and geographic isolation
C) competition and protein synthesis
D) constant gene frequency and reproductive isolation
6) New inheritable characteristics would be least likely to result from
A) the sorting and recombination of existing genes during meiosis and fertilization
B) mutations that occur in male gametes
C) mutations that occur in female gametes
D) mutations that occur in muscle cells and skin cells
Questions 7 and 8 refer to the following:
Scientists studying a moth population in a woods in New York State recorded the distribution of moth wing
color as shown in the graph below. The woods contained trees whose bark color was predominantly brown.
Later, a fungus infection affected nearly all trees in the woods so that the coloration of the tree bark was
changed to a gray-white color.
7) As a result of the fungus infection, the change in the moth wing color distribution would most probably
occur by the
A) inheritance of an acquired characteristic
C) natural selection of favorable variations
B) production of fungus-induced gene mutations
D) ingestion of pigmentation from fungus spores
8) Which graph shows the most probable results that would occur in the distribution of wing coloration in this
moth population after a long period of time?
A)
B)
C)
D)
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9) The evolution of new insect populations that are resistant to chemical insecticides illustrates
A) biological control
B) natural selection
C) use and disuse
D) low survival value
10) The graph below shows the percent of variation for a given trait in four different populations of the same
species. The populations inhabit similar environments.
In which population will the greatest number of individuals most likely survive if a significant
environmental change related to the trait occurs?
A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) 4
11) Natural selection can best be defined as
A) survival of the strongest organisms
B) survival of those organisms genetically best adapted to the environment
C) survival and reproduction of those organisms that occupy the largest area in the environment
D) elimination of the smallest organisms by the largest organisms
12) What is the survival value of a fish or frog species that lays hundreds of eggs each time it reproduces
compared to a species that lays only a single egg under normal conditions?
A) More eggs laid increase the likelihood that more males will be attracted to the eggs for fertilization.
B) Single egg-laying species are generally more reproductively efficient and do not need to lay multiple
eggs.
C) There is no survival value for the species; it is only for the individual.
D) More eggs laid increase the likelihood that more offspring will survive predation or failed fertilization.
13) Which one of the following bobcats would be most likely to survive a natural disaster?
A) one that reproduces frequently
B) one with darker fur
C) one with larger ears
D) one with better hunting skills
14) The special characteristics that make an organism particularly well suited to its environment are known as
A) adaptations
B) abiotic factors
C) aggregates
D) biotic factors
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15) Even though the environment changes, a population that occupies a given geographic area will most likely
continue to be found in this area if the
A) population passes on those genes that result in favorable adaptations
B) variations in the population decrease over time
C) members of the population decrease in number
D) members of the population exceed the carrying capacity
16) Two organisms can be considered to be of different species if they
A) live in two different geographical areas
B) have genes drawn from the same gene pool
C) cannot mate with each other and produce fertile offspring
D) mutate at different rates depending on their environment
17) Which factor contributed most to the extinction of many species?
A) inability to evolve into simple organisms
B) lethal mutations
C) changes in the environment
D) changes in migration patterns
18) Extinction of a species could result from
A) evolution of a type of behavior that produces greater reproductive success
B) limited genetic variability in the species
C) synthesis of a hormone that controls cellular communication
D) fewer unfavorable mutations in the species
19) Sometimes dog owners intentionally breed their purebred dogs with other purebred dogs of the same type.
This breeding pattern preserves certain traits that are desirable in the specific dog breed.
Which one of the following processes of selection would this scenario describe?
A) sexual
B) disruptive
C) artificial
D) natural
20) Which one of the following forms of genetic modification has historically been most important to humans?
A) selective breeding of a single species of plant or animal
B) insertion of a single gene from one animal into a different animal
C) selective breeding of multiple species of plants and animals
D) insertion of multiple genes from one animal into a different animal