Evolution Quiz

Who was the first person to explain evolution as it occured through the process of natural selection?

• James Watson
• Charles Darwin
• Gregor Mendel
• Jean Baptiste Lamarck

Which scientists incorrectly explained evolution as acquired traits being passed down to offspring?

• James Watson
• Charles Darwin
• Gregor Mendel
• Jean Baptiste Lamarck

Where did Darwin make most of his observations?

• England
• South America
• Hawaiian Islands
• Galapagos Islands

What did Darwin observe about the finches he studied?

• They had identical genotypes in all locations.
• Their beaks were adapted to match the food they ate.
• They had identical phenotypes in all locations.
• Their feathers were adapted to match their environments.

What is the mechanism of evolution in which individuals that are better adapted are more likely to survive and reproduce to pass down their beneficial genes?

• variation
• overproduction
• natural selection
• artificial selection

What are changes in DNA that lead to new traits known as?

• variations
• mutations
• adaptations
• translations

The peppered moths of England can be light gray or black. The bodies of the moths have these different colors based on the amount of pigment. What term describes these differences among the peppered moths?

• traits
• variations
• predators
• competition

A polar bear's white fur gives it the ability to camouflage with the snow. What is this an example of?

• adaptation
• selection
• variation
• species

A female sea turtle may lay more than 100 eggs at a time. There is not enough food to support all of the offspring. What is this an example of?

• selection
• variation
• adaptation
• overproduction

What did Darwin's observations of finches indicate?

• descent with convergence
• descent with no change
• descent with modification
• descent with inheritance