Evolution and Speciation Quiz

What is evolution?

• A sudden change in the characteristics of a population

• The gradual change in the characteristics of a population over many generations

• The process of natural selection

• The formation of new species

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What is speciation?

• The process of natural selection

• The formation of new species

• The gradual change in the characteristics of a population over many generations

• A sudden change in the characteristics of a population

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Which theory of evolution states that gradual change occurs steadily in a linear manner?

• Gradualism

• Punctuated equilibrium

• Transformation

• Divergence

Which theory of evolution states that long periods of evolutionary equilibrium are interrupted by periods of speciation?

• Gradualism

• Punctuated equilibrium

• Transformation

• Divergence

What is the main driving force behind speciation?

• Geographical barriers

• Biological barriers

• Genetic mutations

• Natural selection

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What is adaptive radiation?

• The formation of new species through natural selection

• The gradual change in the characteristics of a population over many generations

• The diversification of a common ancestral species into a variety of species

• The process of genetic variation allowing individuals to exploit different resources

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What is the purpose of the fossil record in supporting evolution?

• To demonstrate the sudden appearance of new species

• To show that species have remained unchanged over time

• To provide evidence of gradual progression and increasing complexity of organisms

• To prove that all species have a common ancestor

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What is the term for structures that have no useful function in modern organisms but most likely had a use in an ancestral form?

• Homologous structures

• Analogous structures

• Vestigial features

• Transitional fossils

What type of structures are similar in appearance and perform similar functions, but do not have the same evolutionary origin?

• Homologous structures

• Analogous structures

• Vestigial features

• Transitional fossils

What type of evidence compares the DNA sequences of different species to determine similarities and common ancestry?

• Fossil record

• Comparative anatomy

• Comparative embryology

• Molecular genetics

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