Evolution quiz

Biological fitness is defined as __________.

• the ability of an organism to survive and reproduce

• the average life span of an organism

• the amount of energy an organism can use in the environment

• the average life span of an organism

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Which of the following is NOT an example of evolution?

• Over many generations, wild teosinte has become corn.

• When the Grand Canyon formed, it geographically divided a squirrel population into two populations, which developed into distinct species.

• A frog begins its life as a tadpole, but becomes an amphibian.

• Finches in the Galapagos islands have diversified over time into many species each well-suited for eating a particular type of food.

Which of the following statements is INCORRECT ?

• Without mutations, there would be no evolution

• Mutations create diversity among life-forms

• Mutations are the source of new phenotypes

• Mutations happen when there is a need for a new trait in a population

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The wings of a bird and the wings of a beetle are considered __________.

• homologous structures

• analogous structures

• vestigial structures

• phylogenetic structures

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What is a vestigial structure?

• A structure that has origins in a common ancestor, but has evolved to perform the same functions

• A structure that has origins in a common ancestor, but has evolved to perform different functions

• A structure that makes an organism better suited to a habitat

• A structure that has lost its function but is still part of the organism

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Which of the following is evidence of a common ancestor?

• Vestigial structures

• Fossil record

• Similarities in the embryo

• All of these

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The structures of the front flipper of a whale and the forearm of a wolf have similar bone structure and derive from a common ancestor. This is an example of __________.

• analogous structures

• homologous structures

• vestigial structures

• None of these

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How did Darwin's finches help support his theory of evolution?

• The finches all lived on different islands

• Only the largest birds had survived on the island, while the smaller ones went extinct

• The birds were different colors, which allowed for camouflage in different habitats

• The size and shape of their beaks varied due to the different environments they lived 

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Structures that were once functional in the past but no longer serve a purpose due to evolutionary adaptations and physiological changes are referred to as __________ structures.

• homologous structures

• analogous structures

• vestigial structures

• None of these

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Which of the following is one of Charles Darwin’s theories about evolution and natural selection?

• The environment in which a species lives is unrelated to natural selection

• New species that appear in the fossil record are actually descendants of older species

• Natural selection is caused by human intervention 

• Changes to an organism occur rapidly

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