Exam on Evolution and Natural Selection
1. A paleontologist, a scientist who studies the history of life on Earth, discovers a rock with the
form of an ancient organism on it. It seems the organism died and its body decayed and washed
away. Its form remains on the rock. This is an example of a:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Cast fossil
Imprint fossil
Fossilized amber
Petrified wood
2. The paleontologist’s partner finds something slightly different. She finds a rock in the form of
an ancient animal. It seems like after the animal’s body decayed, it was replaced by sediment
which hardened into the very form of the ancient animal. This is an example of a:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Cast fossil
Imprint fossil
Fossilized amber
Petrified wood
3. A paleontologist is studying the fossils of giraffes from different time periods. What would the
paleontologist be most likely to learn about?
a.
b.
c.
d.
How the color of giraffes changed over time
How the spots on giraffes changed over time
How the height of giraffes changed over time
How the behavior of giraffes changed over time
4. When a prehistoric insect gets trapped in tree resin which hardens over time, the fossil is
known as:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Cast fossil
Imprint fossil
Fossilized amber
Petrified wood
5. When the organic remains of an ancient tree are replaced by minerals over time, scientists call
it:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Cast fossil
Imprint fossil
Fossilized amber
Petrified wood
6. Structures which are similar in different species because the species shared a common
ancestor are known as:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Vestigial structures
Similogs
Homologous structures
Anatomical partners
7. Which of the following is an example of a homologous structure:
a.
b.
c.
d.
The forelimbs of all vertebrate animals
The many different kinds of eyes in the animal kingdom
The ray of a starfish and the pectoral fins of a fish
The leaves of a tree and the caps on a mushroom
8. Structures that are found in a species of organisms which are considered to have lost much or
all of their original function through evolution are known as:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Vestigial structures
Similogs
Homologous structures
Anatomical partners
9. Examples of a vestigial structures include:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Bones
Lungs
Sweat glands
Goose bumps
10. What is the driving force behind evolution?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Accidental Selection
Natural Selection
Effective Selection
Artificial Selection
11. Over thousands of years, human beings bred the friendliest wolves together over and over
until the offspring of these wolves became the many dog breeds of we see today. When humans
select the traits they would like to see in a species, it is known as:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Accidental Selection
Natural Selection
Effective Selection
Artificial Selection
12. A group of individuals all members of the same species that live together in a certain place is
called a:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Family
Class
Population
Ecosystem
13. What must exist in a population of organisms for natural selection to take place?
a.
b.
c.
d.
The individuals in the population must have variation in a certain trait, like bird beaks
The individuals in the population must live very far apart from each other
The individuals in the population must all be exactly alike
The individuals in the population must breed with individuals that are not part of their
group
14. A lion was attacked by a buffalo and veterinarians in Africa saved the lion by giving her a
super bionic paw. The bionic paw has helped the lion be much more efficient in catching prey.
Will this bionic paw eventually become common in the lion population because it has helped its
owner be more successful?
a. Yes, the bionic paw enables the lion to be healthier and it will therefore have more
babies.
b. No, the bionic paw cannot be inherited by the lion’s babies and will therefore not become
more common in the population.
15. A scientist analyzed the genetic code of three animals, an octopus, an iguana, and a platypus.
He found that the DNA of the iguana and the platypus were much more similar to each other
than to the octopus. What conclusion can the scientist draw from his data?
a. The octopus and the iguana are very closely related.
b. The iguana and the platypus share a common ancestor more recently than either of them
do with the octopus
c. All three animals are equally related to each other genetically.
16. 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, what will most likely
happen to this chameleon?
a. The mutation will help the chameleon survive and reproduce.
b. The chameleon would have to find another chameleon with the
same trait to pass the trait on.
c. The chameleon would be unlikely to survive long enough to
reproduce and pass on the trait.
d. The mutation will not make a difference in the chameleon’s ability
to survive and reproduce.
17. Doctors once prescribed antibiotics just in case an infection might happen. Now doctors are
careful to avoid overusing antibiotics. Doctors now better understand bacteria and how natural
selection works. Which of the following statements best explains why doctors limit their use of
antibiotics?
a. Antibiotics cause bacteria to multiply more quickly than they would if they were not
treated with antibiotics.
b. Some bacteria have mutations that are resistant to antibiotics. When antibiotics are
overused, these resistant bacteria become more common in the population.
c. Bacteria have been the same throughout history and have never changed since
antibiotics were first utilized.
d. Antibiotics do not work to fight bacterial infections; therefore, they do not rely on
them like they once did.
18. Before the invention of the light bulb, Americans burned lamps that used whale oil as a fuel.
Ship crews would hunt whales for their oil. They searched for the largest whales they could find
to obtain as much whale oil as possible. How did decades of whale hunting affect whale
populations?
a.
b.
c.
d.
The whales began to dive deeper and longer.
The whales became slower.
The whales became smaller.
The whales migrated to warmer waters.
19. How is natural selection the driving mechanism of evolution?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Stronger individuals in a population kill weaker members of the species.
Individuals that are better adapted to their environment survive and reproduce.
Overproduction provides food for all members of the species equally.
Environmental changes kill weaker members of the species.
20. A permanent change in the DNA of an organism is known as a:
a. phenotype
b. genotype
c. mutation
d. natural selection