Darwin's Theory Quiz

Question 1

Veronica wrote Charles Darwin’s main points on the board, but she made a mistake in one point.

1. Since more offspring are produced than an environment can support, organisms within a population must compete for resources to survive.
2. Due to variations within the population, some competitors will be better equipped for survival than others.
3. The best-equipped organisms will survive and will produce well-equipped offspring.
4. Variations that help with survival will be passed on to future generations and will rapidly change the whole population.

Which point is flawed as written above?

Answer 1

Point 4

Question 2

The map shows the allele frequency of sickled hemoglobin (HbS) and malaria endemicity in Africa.

Which statement best explains the relationship between HbS allele frequency and malaria endemicity in Africa?

Answer 2

When an area is malaria free, the HbS allele frequency is between 0 and 4.04

Question 3

In terms of natural selection, what is the best description of an organism that is fit?

Answer 3

The organism is better able to survive and pass on traits to offspring than competing organisms

Question 4

A frog has more offspring than can survive on available resources.
Of which is this an example?

Answer 4

Overpopulation

Question 5

Charles Darwin observed a unique beak size and shape in the finch population of each of the Galapagos Islands that he visited.

Which is the most likely cause of the observed variation?

Answer 5

Competition among individuals for available food sources

Question 6

Which would least likely be a cause of natural selection?

Answer 6

Evolution

Question 7

Koalas are marsupials that are found in eastern Australia. Although their ancestors lived mostly on the ground, modern koalas spend most of their time in eucalyptus trees. This is possible because their hands and feet have strong claws and opposable digits.

What other adaptation could have helped koalas as they evolved from land dwellers to tree dwellers?

Answer 7

Fur color that closely matches the eucalyptus bark color

Question 8

Which best describes the relationship between evolution and natural selection?

Answer 8

Natural selection leads to evolution

Question 9

Which statement describes natural selection?

Answer 9

It is the primary mechanism for evolution

Question 10

Natural selection is a process by which organisms that are better adapted to their environment tend to

Answer 10

Survive

Question 11

What is natural selection?

Answer 11

A process that selects variations that help with survival and that spreads the variations to more offspring

Question 12

Which was Charles Darwin’s contribution to the study of biology?

Answer 12

He proposed that natural selection is the primary mechanism of evolution

Question 13

Consider this image of a gazelle.

Which of the gazelle’s naturally selected traits is shown in this picture to be an evolutionary advantage?

Answer 13

Coat color for blending in with dry grass

Question 14

A population of rabbits has individuals with fur coloring that ranges from white to brown. The population lives in a temperate deciduous forest where the summers are mild and average about 50°F. The winters are often below freezing.

If warmer temperatures last longer into the fall and the average temperature in the winter is getting warmer, what do you expect to happen to the population?

Answer 14

The percentage of the population with white fur will decrease

Question 15

In the African savanna, more wildebeests are born than the environment can support. Which is most likely to happen over a period of years as a result?

Answer 15

Individuals that are well suited to the environment reproduce, and those that are not well suited die before they reproduce