Question 1

Which of the following best describes the process of evolution?

Accepted Answer

A change in heritable traits in a population across generations

Question 2

Darwin’s voyage on the HMS Beagle lasted longer than originally planned. How many years did the expedition last?

Accepted Answer

$5$ years

Question 3

During his voyage, Darwin visited the Galapagos Islands. Why were these islands significant for his theory of evolution?

Accepted Answer

They had unique species that varied from island to island, suggesting adaptation and speciation

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT a main idea that Darwin advanced in his works?

Accepted Answer

New species can form by inheritance of acquired characteristics

Question 5

Which concept describes the slow and steady change in species over long periods of time?

Accepted Answer

Gradualism

Question 6

Which scientist independently proposed a theory of evolution by natural selection around the same time as Darwin?

Accepted Answer

Alfred Russel Wallace

Question 7

Natural selection is best described as:

Accepted Answer

A non-random process that increases the frequency of advantageous traits

Question 8

Which of the following is an example of a population bottleneck?

Accepted Answer

A hurricane kills most birds on an island, leaving only a few survivors

Question 9

Which of the following assumptions was NOT part of Darwin’s theory of natural selection?

Accepted Answer

The Earth is very young

Question 10

Which of the following is a real-world example of heterozygote advantage?

Accepted Answer

Individuals with sickle cell trait are resistant to malaria

Question 11

Which process increases genetic variation in a population?

Accepted Answer

All of the above

Question 12

A rabbit population consists of animals that are either very dark on top or very light on top, with few medium-colored individuals. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Disruptive selection

Question 13

Which of the following provides evidence that vertebrates evolved from a common ancestor?

Accepted Answer

The common development of pharyngeal pouches in an embryonic stage

Question 14

Which of the following pairs represents two structures that are homologous?

Accepted Answer

The wing of a bat and the flipper of a whale

Question 15

Which of the following is NOT a factor that limits the ability of natural selection to produce perfectly adapted organisms?

Accepted Answer

Organisms with the greatest fitness often don’t reproduce

Question 16

Which of the following processes can result in the formation of fossils?

Accepted Answer

All of the above

Question 17

Older sedimentary strata are found:

Accepted Answer

Below younger strata

Question 18

Which of the following is an example of artificial selection?

Accepted Answer

Humans breed dogs for specific traits

Question 19

Which equation is used to calculate allele frequencies in a population under Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 20

A population of 1,000 birds exists on a small Pacific island. Some of the birds are yellow, a characteristic determined by a recessive allele. The others are green, a characteristic determined by a dominant allele. A hurricane on the island kills most of the birds from the population. Only ten remain, and those birds all have yellow feathers. Which of the following statements is true?

Accepted Answer

The hurricane has caused a population bottleneck

Evolution and Natural Selection: Study Guide

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