Question 1

Which of the following best illustrates the concept of descent with modification?

Accepted Answer

Dolphins live in the water, but share far more characteristics with other mammals than with fish that also live in the water.

Question 2

Darwin’s observations during his voyage on the Beagle led him to realize which of the following?

Accepted Answer

The Earth is old and organisms have changed over time.

Question 3

Which of the following is NOT a requirement for natural selection to occur?

Accepted Answer

Individuals adapt to their environments and thereby evolve.

Question 4

What is the primary mechanism driving evolution according to Darwin?

Accepted Answer

Natural selection

Question 5

Which of the following statements about beneficial traits is true?

Accepted Answer

Their appearance is due to mutation, their persistence is due to selection.

Question 6

Which of the following is an example of homologous structures?

Accepted Answer

The forelimbs of a human, cat, whale, and bat.

Question 7

Comparative embryology provides evidence for evolution by showing that:

Accepted Answer

Embryos of different species show similar developmental stages.

Question 8

Which of the following best describes convergent evolution?

Accepted Answer

Analogous traits arise when groups independently adapt to similar environments in similar ways.

Question 9

Why are fossils important in understanding evolution?

Accepted Answer

They provide evidence of extinct animals and help fill in morphological gaps between present-day groups.

Question 10

Which of the following is a correct inference from Darwin’s observations about populations?

Accepted Answer

Individuals that are well suited to their environment tend to leave more offspring than other individuals.

Question 11

Which of the following is a real-world example of evolution by natural selection?

Accepted Answer

The development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Question 12

Which equation best represents the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium for allele frequencies in a population?

Accepted Answer

$$p^2 + 2pq$$ + $$q^2 = 1$

Question 13

Which of the following is NOT a type of evidence used to study evolution?

Accepted Answer

Astrology

Question 14

What does the spatial distribution of animals over time help scientists understand?

Accepted Answer

The evolutionary relationships and selective pressures experienced by different groups.

Question 15

Which statement about islands and evolution is correct?

Accepted Answer

Species on islands are often closely related to those on the nearest mainland.

Question 16

Which scientist proposed the incorrect idea that species evolve through use and disuse of body parts and the inheritance of acquired characteristics?

Accepted Answer

Jean-Baptiste Lamarck

Question 17

Which of the following is most likely to be true if two species share several homologous structures and similar embryological development?

Accepted Answer

They have a recent common ancestor.

Question 18

Which of the following statements describes structures originating from convergent evolution?

Accepted Answer

These structures share function but do not share a recent common ancestor.

Question 19

Which of the following is a prediction that must be met for a scientific theory to be supported?

Accepted Answer

It must stand up to continual testing by experimentation and observation.

Question 20

Which of the following best explains why the fossil record may not perfectly represent all past life?

Accepted Answer

Preservation may be due to chance or physical traits, leading to disproportionate representation.

Chapter 19: Descent with Modification – Study Notes

Study Guide - Practice Questions