Evolution Processes

The theory of natural selection was a hypothesis first proposed by:
1. Gregor Mendel
2. James Watson and Francis Crick
3. Charles Darwin
4. Robert Hooke
1000 red and 1000 white ground beetles are placed in a cage on red clay containing beetle eating birds. The beetles are counted after 2 days. What is expected?
1. Equal number of red and white beetles are left.
2. More red beetles are left.
3. More white beetles are left.
4. All the beetles are gone.
Darwin's studies of finches on the Galapagos Islands suggest that the finches' differences in beak structure were most directly due to:
1. acquired characteristics in the parent finches
2. the size of the island where the finches live
3. mating behaviors of the different finch species
4. geographic isolation and adaptations of the finches to different environments
Which statement best describes evolution?
1. Evolution is a predictable change from simple to complex organisms.
2. Evolution is a process of change through time
3. Evolution causes organisms to develop characteristics they need
4. Evolution often proceeds from complex to simpler organisms.
Characteristics of a species that make its members better able to live and reproduce in their environment are known as
1. abiotic factors
2. biotic factors
3. homologous structures
4. favorable adaptations
Which of the following is true about natural selection?
1. a population of organisms of the same species are all alike.
2. organisms possess genetic characteristics that sometimes make no difference on their lives.
3. organisms choose characteristics that help them adapt to their environment.
4. only those organisms that survive the environmental change pass on their traits to the next generation.
Many scientists believe that the great number of different species of organisms which exist on the planet and the present time has resulted from billions of years of
1. gel electrophoresis
2. recombinant DNA
3. cloning
4. evolution
A change in the gene pool due to death or isolation is called:
1. natural selection
2. biochemistry
3. genetic drift
4. mutations
The information in the chart below provides data that can help in the identification of possible evolutionary relationships from the study of comparative
1. cytology
2. embryology
3. anatomy
4. biochemistry
Using the information based on the chart below, which two organisms are the closest in evolutionary distance from a common ancestor?
1. Horse-Zebra
2. Human -Gorilla
3. Human- Chimpanzee
4. Horse - Chimpanzee
A large population of bluejays living in the mountains is separated by the formation of a desert. After millions of years, the populations of bluejays would most likely:
1. become extinct.
2. diverge into two new species.
3. evolve into cats.
4. become two very small populations of the same species.
How are the sudden changes and gaps in the fossil record explained?
1. natural selection
2. punctuated equilibrium
3. acquired characteristics
4. DNA evidence
The diagram shows undisturbed sedimentary strata at the bottom of an ocean. The fossils found in layer B resemble the fossils found in layer A. This similarity suggests that
1. modern forms of life may have evolved from earlier forms of life
2. vertebrate fossils are only found in sediments
3. the fossils in layer A must be more complex than those in layer B
4. the fossils in layer B were formed before the fossils in layer A
The diagram below shows the gradual change over time in the anatomy of the horse. Which concept is best illustrated by the physical variations in the horse as its body size and structure change over time?
1. acquired characteristics
2. artificial selection
3. intermediate inheritance
4. evolution
Fossils of an extinct species of giant armadillo were found to be similar to a smaller species of armadillo presently inhabiting the same region. This similarity could best be explained on the basis of
1. evolution from older forms
2. use and disuse
3. inheritance of acquired characteristics
4. the heterotroph hypothesis
A study of the position and shape of the bones in the forelimbs of a flying squirrel, a bat, and a beaver showed that the beaver and the flying squirrel appear to be most closely related. This determination was most likely based on a study in the field of comparative
1. anatomy
2. biochemistry
3. cytology
4. embryology
Fossils would most likely be found in
1. amber (petrified sap) that is over 8 billion years old
2. icebergs that are 500 billion years old
3. sedimentary rocks that are 500 million years old
4. volcanic rocks that are 50 million years old
In the diagram of a whale below, the bones labeled "pelvis" and "femur" appear to be useless. The possibility that these bones were once useful gives support to the
1. modern theory of evolution
2. spontaneous generation hypothesis
3. concept of fossil formation
4. concept of stable gene frequencies
The diagrams below represent homologous structures. The study of the evolutionary relationships between these structures is known as comparative
1. embryology
2. anatomy
3. biochemistry
4. cytology
The diagram below shows a comparison of nitrogen base sequences in the DNA of some organisms to those of a human. According to this diagram, humans and gorillas least shared a common ancestor how many million of years ago?
1. 5 million years ago
2. 8 million years ago
3. 15 million years ago
4. the present
Blood proteins in horses are chemically similar to blood proteins in monkeys. This similarity suggests that horses and monkeys
1. can interbreed
2. evolved at the same time
3. live in the same habitat
4. have a common ancestor
The diagrams below represent stages in the embryonic development of four organisms. The similarities in embryonic development shown in the diagram suggest that these organisms
1. all undergo external development
2. have adaptations for the same environment as adults
3. are all members of the same species
4. may have evolved from a common ancestor
The diagrams below show embryos of three different vertebrate species. According to one theory, similarities in these embryos suggest common ancestry. As these embryos mature, they will most likely
1. develop new organs according to the nutritional requirements of each organism
2. show no similarity as adults
3. continue to closely resemble each other as adults
4. develop the distinctive characteristics of their species
The Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium equation (p² + 2pq + q² = 1) allows geneticists to:
1. keep track of changes in phenotype frequencies from generation to generation in small families
2. keep track of changes in genotype frequencies from generation to generation in a population
3. determine what evolutionary mechanisms are causing changes in a population's gene pool frequencies
4. let Mr. Miller and Mr. Billingsley teach more basic algebra to unsuspecting biology students.
Which of the following statements is true of the Hardy-Weinberg equation (p² + 2pq + q² = 1)?
1. The "p" represents the frequency of the recessive allele for a specific trait in a population.
2. In order to use the equation, you have to know all of the genotype frequencies first.
3. The "2pq" represents te frequency for the homozygous recessive alleles in a population.
4. The equation allows you to discover the genotype frequencies if you know the phenotype frequencies.