Early Study of Evolution

Linda takes her pet German Shepherd to a dog park and sees many different breeds of dogs. What is the term for any difference between individuals of the same species?

• evolution

• adaptation

• population

• variation

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Birds' feet change slowly over time, depending on their habitat. Ptarmigans live in snowy areas and eat pine needles, twigs, and insects. Roadrunners live in deserts and plains and eat anything they can catch. Peregrine falcons live on high perches and use their talons for grasping their prey. Mallards live near water and swim and dive for food.

What is an inherited behavior or physical change that helps an organism survive and reproduce in its environment?

• adaptation

• variation

• evolution

• species

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Before scientists studied the evolution of living things, people thought that organisms appeared out of the air. Who was the first scientist to develop a scientific system to classify and name living things?

• Mary Anning

• Jean-Batiste Lamarck

• Carolus Linnaeus

• Charles Lyell

Although Jean-Baptiste Lamarck's theory of transformation proved to be incorrect, he contributed some important ideas to the study of evolution. Which of the following statements are Lamarck's ideas?

A. Evolution takes place by small, gradual steps.

B. Some organisms lived in ancient times, but they no longer exist today.

C. Processes that made land features in the past are still in action today.

D. Simple organisms can develop into more complex organisms over many generations.

• Evolution takes place by small, gradual steps.

• Some organisms lived in ancient times, but they no longer exist today.

• Processes that made land features in the past are still in action today.

• Simple organisms can develop into more complex organisms over many generations.

The white feathers of a snowy owl allow it to blend in with its environment during the winter months (snow). This is an example of ________________

• Species
• Environmental Change
• Adaptation
• Variation

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What does Darwin's theory of evolution suggest?

• species change over time
• extinct species are not related to living species
• different species can interbreed
• animals that look alike are most closely related

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When all of the organisms of a species have died it is called

• evolution
• extinction
• adaptation
• natural selection

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How do fossils provide evidence that evolution has happened on Earth?

• Fossils show how the sizes of certain animals has changed drastically over millions of years
• Fossils show that some species have gone extinct
• Fossils show how life forms present today are different than those from the past
• Different sedimentary rock layers provide evidence for how the environment has changed over time

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What characteristic did Darwin observe about the finches on the Galapagos Islands?

• Their feathers 
• Genotypes 
• Their beaks
• Their body sizes

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Which scientist visited the Galapagos Islands and came up with the theory of natural selection?

• Theodor Schwann

• Gregor Mendel

• Charles Darwin

• Rudolf Virchow

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