Content Benchmark L.12.D.2
Students know similarity of DNA sequences gives evidence of relationships between
organisms. E/S
1st Item Specification: Describe DNA as biochemical evidence for evolution.
Depth of Knowledge Level 1
1. Which of the following is a form of biochemical evidence that can be used to
study evolution?
A. Homologous structures
B. Intermediate forms
C. Embryology
D. Amino acid sequences
2. Commonalities in DNA sequences of different species support the theory of
A. heredity.
B. evolution.
C. artificial selection.
D. gradualism.
Depth of Knowledge Level 2
3. The fact that vital proteins such as cytochrome-c and DNA polymerase are found
in almost every living thing indicates
A. a common ancestor of all life in the very distant past.
B. each species evolved separately through history.
C. a common ancestor in some species, but not all species.
D. the RNA sequences between species will be identical.
4. Cytochrome-c is a protein found in many plants, animals, and unicellular
organisms. The amino acid sequences may differ between different species, but
the function and most of the sequences are the same. What could you infer based
on this data?
A. The protein is a random genetic defect in many species and indicates no
common ancestry.
B. The presence of this protein in many different species indicates common
ancestry.
C. The fact that the protein differs among different species indicates no
common ancestry.
D. Most proteins found in plants, animals, and unicellular organisms have
similar amino acid sequences.
2nd Item Specification: Identify relationships between organisms based on
similarities in DNA sequences.
Depth of Knowledge Level 1
5. Closer similarities in the DNA sequences of two organisms of different species
indicates
A. A common ancestor between the two species.
B. Homologous structures between the two species.
C. Genetic defects between the two species.
D. Artificial selection between the two species.
6. The occurrence of the same blood protein in a group of species provides evidence
that these species
A. evolved in the same habitat.
B. evolved in different habitats.
C. descended from a common ancestor.
D. descended from different ancestors.
7. The table below shows a hemoglobin comparison between humans and several
other organisms. Hemoglobin is a protein found in many animals.
Hemoglobin comparison
Animal with Hemoglobin
Amino Acids that differ from
human hemoglobin
gorilla
1
rhesus monkey
8
mouse
27
chicken
45
frog
67
lamprey
120
According to the table, which organism is most closely related to humans by
ancestry?
A. Lamprey
B. Chicken
C. Gorilla
D. Monkey
Depth of Knowledge Level 2
8. Cytochrome-c is a protein that is involved in cellular respiration in all eukaryotic
organisms. Human cytochrome-c contains 104 amino acids. The following table
compares human cytochrome-c with cytochrome-c from a number of other
organisms.
Organism
Chickens
Chimpanzees
Dogs
Rattlesnakes
Rhesus monkeys
Yeasts
Number of cytochrome-c amino acids
that differ from human cytochrome-c amino
acids
18
0
13
20
1
56
Which of the following is NOT a valid inference from these data?
A. Dogs are more closely related to humans than rattlesnakes.
B. Dogs are more closely related to humans than chickens.
C. Chimpanzees and rhesus monkeys differ by one amino acid.
D. All of the proteins produced by chimpanzees and humans are identical.
9. A biologist analyzes the DNA sequences in three different animals. The biologist
finds that animal 1 and 3 have nearly identical DNA sequences. The DNA
sequences in animal 2 are significantly different from those of animal 1. From this
information, the biologist may infer that
A. animals 1 and 2 are more closely related to each other than either is to
animal 3.
B. animals 1 and 3 are more closely related to each other than either is to
animal 2.
C. all three animals appeared on Earth at about the same time and have a
common ancestor.
D. animal 3 must have been the distant common ancestor of both animal 1
and animal 2.
10. The DNA sequence from an endangered pupfish was compared to the DNA
samples collected from closely related fish species. The table below shows a
portion of the DNA sequences from each of the fish species.
Pupfish DNA Sequence: ATT AAG CCG ATA
Fish 1
ATT GAA CCG ATA
Fish 2
ATT AAG CGG ATA
Fish 3
TTT GAA CGG AAA
Fish 4
ATT GAA CGA ATA
List the fish from the least to most closely related to the pupfish.
A. Fish 1, Fish 2, Fish 3, Fish 4
B. Fish 3, Fish 2, Fish 4, Fish 1
C. Fish 3, Fish 4, Fish 1, Fish 2
D. Fish 2, Fish 3, Fish 4, Fish 1
Content Benchmark L.12.D.2
Students know similarity of DNA sequences gives evidence of relationships between
organisms. E/S
Answers to Sample Test Questions
1. D, DOK Level 1
2. B, DOK Level 1
3. A, DOK Level 2
4. B, DOK Level 2
5. A, DOK Level 1
6. C, DOK Level 1
7. C, DOK Level 1
8. D, DOK Level 2
9. B, DOK Level 2
10. C, DOK Level 2